What’s the Best Outdoor Gas Grill for You: Propane or Natural Gas?

Grilling is serious business. Whether you’re whipping up one of these 30-minute recipes or serving the tastiest vegetables of all time, the grill has become a fan-favorite cooking tool—and it’s easy to see why. If you’re currently in the market for a new grill, it’s important to weigh the natural gas vs. propane grill options that are available. While they both achieve the same summery grilled flavor, there are some deal breakers that make the two very different.

Propane Gas Grills

Propane grills require propane gas, which actually contains more energy than its natural alternative. Because of this, propane gas provides a serious amount of power and heats up rather quickly—which results in a much more efficient barbecue and grilling process. Propane grills also offer a handful of cooking methods, like multi-zone cooking and indirect heating. They’re also user-friendly, starting up with just the turn of a dial. (If you’re having trouble, you may need to “burp” the tank).

Even though propane might be more expensive than natural gas, propane is readily available at any supermarket, so you never have to worry about running out. And as far as cleaning goes, propane grills are a lot easier to clean than some other grills out there (we’re looking at you, charcoal).

Get our step-by-step guide for cleaning a grill.

Natural Gas Grills

It might not be the more popular of the two, but there are still some pretty great advantages to using natural gas grills. In order to use a natural gas grill, you’ll need to invest in a natural gas installation in your home. This is definitely the pricier option at first glance, but in the long run, it might end up being cheaper than purchasing propane gas on a regular basis. Natural gas grills are easy to clean, and they’re just as environmentally friendly as propane. Natural gas grills will take a little while to set up, especially if your home does not have a gas line that reaches your deck or porch. However, many natural gas grills come with a kit that makes the process as easy as possible.

The Best Propane and Natural Gas Grills

Browsing for grills can be overwhelming, but there are a few serious contenders online for both natural gas and propane grills.

If you ask us, the highly rated Weber Genesis II Gas Grill ($1,057) is worth the investment. The model comes with three stainless-steel high-performance burners, a side burner and a sear station burner. The open cart design includes shelving for easy access and storage, and it’s iGrill3 compatible—which means you can use a wireless meat probe that can be monitored from your smartphone.

As far as propane grills go, the Master Cook Classic Liquid Propane Gas Grill ($160) is a top choice. The grill is equipped with 473 square inches of cooking space over porcelain-coated grates, and three stainless steel-inline burners for top cooking performance. The Piezo ignition system provides fast burner start-ups with just a simple button push. The grill’s foldable shelves are a nice touch, too.

Get tips for choosing a grill based on your cooking style.