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Published Jul 1, 2023 9:00 AM
If you’re just getting into grilling, a gas grill under $1,000 is an excellent place to start. You can ignite them with the click of a button, refueling is simple, and you don’t have to remove ash or spent briquettes after every cook. This set-it-and-forget-it system is a lot more forgiving than charcoal or wood-burning grills, which require constant maintenance and some level of comfortability or expertise. Gas grills can get expensive, but the good thing is there are plenty of excellent options for under a grand that don’t cut out any key features. The best gas grills under $1,000 will offer excellent cooking performance in a variety of shapes and sizes, so you can keep one in the backyard and take another with you on adventures.
Best overall: Everdure Furnace
Best smart: Monument Grills Denali D405
Best portable: Coleman RoadTrip 285
Upgrade pick: Weber Genesis E-325S
Best budget: Char-Broil Classic 360
How we chose the best gas grills under $1,000
There are a bunch of considerations to make when choosing a gas grill for your needs. You should ask yourself where you plan on cooking the most, how much food you plan on serving, and whether aesthetics or smart features matter to you. Our recommendations have factored in all of these questions and made sure to hit every price point. While you might see our $1,000 price cap as a challenge, it made our research and hands-on testing a lot easier because it narrowed our focus. Our picks are based on first-hand impressions, editorial reviews, expert advice, spec comparisons, user feedback, and brand reputation. We love grilling stories because they allow us to expense hot dogs and grilling tools on the company card. Score.
The majority of the grills on this list are powered by liquid propane, which is typically what people refer to when they search for “gas grills” (at least according to Google). Some models, however, are also available in natural gas versions. You can also check out our story on the best natural gas grills.
The best gas grills under $1,000: Reviews & Recommendations
Different gas grills are designed to suit different needs, so we covered the widest range of options for both backyard and on-the-go cooking.
Best overall: Everdure Furnace
Specs
Weight: 84.66 Pounds
Material: Yes
Rust-Resistant: Die-Cast Aluminum
Dimensions: 29.25″D x 51.65″W x 56.96″H
Pros
Heats quickly
Cooks evenly
Easy to assemble
Cons
Doesn’t come with a cover
After putting it through its paces, we found a lot to like about Everdure’s Furnace—the company’s three-burner grill.
Setting the grill up took about an hour with one person, thanks to Everdure’s clear instructions, though we’d recommend using two to help lift heavier pieces and hold its body steady as you drive in screws. Its legs felt a little wobbly at first but tightened up once the grill was fully assembled. Overall, the grill felt solid, and its wheels glided over a wooden deck easily, making it easy to position the Furnace just where we wanted it.
This grill’s aluminum body serves two purposes: It allows the grill to heat quickly and prevents it from rusting. Indeed, the Furnace got hotter faster than other grills we’ve tested over the years. The flip-out side table and open shelves below the grill’s body provide plenty of storage for accessories. Our favorite part of the Furnace’s design is the cutouts in both shelves for the propane tank, which gets held to the grill using a pair of straps. It gives the Furnace a unique look.
We cooked a variety of meats and vegetables on this grill and liked the way they turned out. If you’re using a marinade with high sugar content, we recommend lightly wiping down the grill’s grates with a neutral oil to prevent sticking. With that tip aside, we got professional-looking grill marks and a quick cook on both beef and chicken and found the Furnace to have a large enough grilling area to cook for a crowd. If your guests aren’t drawn to the Furnace’s minimalist aesthetic, they’ll be sold after their first bite of food.
While the furnace is durable, we wish Everdure included a cover, given its relatively high price. This accessory will run you about $50 on its own. That aside, we can’t fault the Furnace’s performance, which is far more important to the experience of cooking outside. If you’re looking for a great-looking, fast-cooking gas grill for cookouts, Everdure’s Furnace is the first one to consider.
Best smart: Monument Grills Denali D405
Specs
Weight: 116.8 pounds
Material: Stainless Steel, iron
Rust-Resistant: No
Dimensions: 23.3″D x 57.9″W x 48″H
Pros
Can be monitored using an app
Dedicated side burner
Large cooking area
Cons
Uses Bluetooth, not WiFi
The appliances inside people’s homes are getting smarter; why shouldn’t the same revolution come to grilling? Monument Grills’ Denali D405 makes good on the promise of a smart grill with genuinely useful features.
The grill itself is a monster, with 18,000BTU (British Thermal Units) of power, a 725-inch grilling area, and a side burner for even more cooking space. The grill’s lid has a glass window, so you can monitor the food you’re grilling without letting any heat escape, and its four burners (five if you count the side burner) make it possible to create more heat zones than usual. If the Denali D405 had no smart features, it would still be easy to recommend as a grill under $1,000, but Monument Grills went the extra mile to make it a little more tech-friendly.
That begins with the grill’s digital display panel, which makes it easy to see the temperature of your grill from a distance. It can be difficult to read an analog thermostat—especially if the temperature fluctuates—so we appreciate this design choice. But the Denali D405’s real smart features come by way of a Bluetooth controller inside the grill, which allows you to turn it on, set a temperature, and have the grill make auto-adjustments to its temperature according to a digital recipe. All of these controls are accessible from within Monument Grills’ app on iOS and Android.
We’re most impressed by the digital recipe feature, which takes the guesswork out of getting a good cook. Rather than poking and prodding meat to check for doneness, you can select your preferred doneness level and follow the app’s instructions. Our only qualm is that Monument Grills decided to use Bluetooth rather than WiFi, which limits your mobility. To take advantage of the grill’s smart features, you’ll have to be within a 65-foot radius of it. If that limitation doesn’t bother you—and the pros definitely outweigh the cons—the Denali D405 is a great choice.
Best portable: Coleman RoadTrip 285
Specs
Weight: 46.67 lbs.
Material: Stainless steel
Rust-Resistant: Yes
Dimensions: 30.25H x 19.19W x 16.13D inches
Pros
Reliable cooking
Several burners
A lot of cooking space given its size
Cons
A little heavy
We selected Coleman’s RoadTrip 285 as the best choice in our guide to the best portable grills, and stand by that recommendation. Cooking on the go brings up thoughts of huddling over an open flame, but trying to manage the uneven heat source can be frustrating. Coleman’s portable gas grill provides steady, consistent cooking power from a trio of adjustable burners, which cover 285 square inches of cooking space, which is easily enough space to cook a full dinner for four people. You can fit roughly five burgers and several skewers of veggies at once. It’s a little heavy at over 45 pounds, but its legs and side tables fold into a wheelable package, much like a rolling suitcase.
Upgrade pick: Weber Genesis E-325S
Specs
Weight: 175 pounds
Material: Alloy Steel
Rust-Resistant: Yes
Dimensions: 63” H x 62“ W x 31“ D
Pros
Heats up quickly
Easy to clean
Maintains very steady temperature
Sear burner allows for extra-high heat
Grease management system makes for simpler cleaning
Cons
At the top of the budget
Heavy lid is good for insulation, but slightly cumbersome to open and close
It may sit near the top of our budget here, but this high-end gas grill offers immaculate construction and impressive performance beyond what a cheap cooker can offer. Weber equipped this three-burner grill (it’s also available in a four-burner model if you don’t mind going over $1,000) with its proprietary nozzles. They provide an extremely even and consistent propane-based flame without clogging or flaring. Under the lid, you’ll find 513 square inches of primary cooking space. A large chunk of that sits over the powerful sear-zone burners, which get extremely hot for searing off steaks and other cuts that require high temperatures. The upper cooking rack actually expands to add more space when you need it and stay out of the way when you don’t.
The grill starts very easily thanks to a battery-powered electric ignition. Thanks to the heavily insulated lid, it heats up quickly and stays at a consistent temperature. The lid itself (like the rest of this grill) is very sturdy and provides a satisfying action when opening and closing. It is heavy, though, so people without reliable arm and hand strength may find it a bit much.
I cooked several steaks, more than a dozen burgers, and a full package of hot dogs at once without feeling overly cramped. The grill is also very easy to clean thanks to the grease management system, which now includes a removable tray. While the grill is excellent on its own, you can also expand your options to include a side burner and light-up knobs. Those cost extra. The grate system also allows for modular add-ons like a griddle if you want to change things up down the road.
Ultimately, this is a rock-solid, reliable grill that’s a pleasure to cook on.
Best budget: Char-Broil Classic 360
Specs
Weight: 48.5 pounds
Material: Stainless
Rust-Resistant: Yes
Dimensions: 24.1 x 51.2 x 43.5 inches
Pros
Porcelain-coated grates
Inline burners
Easy assembly
Cons
Plastic
Char-Broil’s Classic 360 was our choice for the best budget gas grill at any price, so it’s a no-brainer here. This grill is made by American Gourmet, a subsidiary company of Char-Broil, which means it inherits premium features from the company’s more upscale models. These features include an easy-to-clean design, rust-resistant porcelain-coated grates, and stainless steel burners.
Under the hood, you’ll find burners that put off 30,000BTU of heat across a cooking area of 360 inches. Having all that power means you won’t have to wait long for the grill to heat up. This grill’s relatively large cooking area is complemented by a 170-square-inch warming rack, perfect for toasting buns or warming up sides. The grill’s piezo ignition will fire up the burner at the push of a button, while the metal side shelves offer ample prep space.
All of those features are unexpected for a grill in this price range, though there are some sacrifices Char-Broil had to make. For instance, the grill comes with plastic wheels, which will degrade over time in the rain, versus solid wheels with rubber tracks in higher-priced models. None of that impacts the grill’s ability to cook, though, so you’re giving up a few niceties for better performance.
What to consider when choosing the best gas grill under $1,000
It’s hard to beat cooking backyard burgers and hotdogs, but modern gas grills offer more than an alternative heat source. We considered these factors most strongly when deciding which gas grills under $1,000. While the scope of this guide was limited by a peak price, value and cost were also weighted very heavily.
Size
We recognize that not everybody has a large backyard for grilling—as someone living in a one-bedroom in New York City, I can relate—so we recommended gas grills in various sizes. Yes, full-sized grills allow you to cook for a dozen people at a time, but that may be overkill if you only grill occasionally or typically serve far fewer people. We also had to consider situations like camping, where bringing a big grill isn’t possible or necessary. Too big a grill will often cost you unnecessary money in terms of wasted fuel spent heating up unused areas of the grill.
Generally, the most important size metric is the cooking surface. You likely don’t need 1,000 square inches of cooking space if you only regularly cook for your family. But then again, you don’t want to be trying to sneak a whole cookout’s worth of meat onto 250 square inches.
Weight
Similarly, you may not want to lug around a heavy grill, whether moving it around your backyard or loading it in and out of your car. There’s no getting around the fact that gas grills are typically made out of metal, which is by its very nature heavy, but we wanted to make sure there was some variety here. Our full-sized grills, for instance, range from under 90 pounds to over 170, while the portable models we recommend are both under 50.
Materials
Most of the gas grills under $1,000 we’re recommending are made out of stainless steel or coated aluminum, which was done purposefully. Nobody wants to invest in a gas grill at any price only to have it rust after a couple of cooks. Stainless steel and aluminum can handle the elements (we still think you should invest in a grill cover if yours doesn’t come with one, though) without immediately showing signs of ware.
Gas type
As stated above, this list primarily deals in liquid propane grills as they make up the bulk of the gas grills available on the market right now. You will find some models that are also available in natural gas versions. Many built-in grills also rely on natural gas instead of propane because they can get a steady stream of fuel directly from the utility. Here’s our list of the best natural gas grills if that’s specifically what you’re looking for.
FAQs
Q: How do I start my gas grill?
First, consult the manual with your gas grill to determine how to properly set up, use, and maintain your gas grill. Most models require you to feed gas through a tube to the burners by twisting a coupling that connects your fuel source to the grill, then turning on one of the gas grill’s burner knobs. Some options have a dedicated electric ignition button that requires a battery so if you can’t get your grill to start, that’s a good thing to check.
Q: How should I store my gas grill?
For the best results, store your gas grill under an awning or other spot where its top is completely covered. Then, use a grill cover to provide additional protection from the elements. Ensure your propane tank (if used) will not come into contact with fire or another heat source. When you uncover your grill for the season or after a long layoff, check for bees carefully. They often enjoy the protection of the cover to get out of the elements.
Q: How much does a gas grill cost?
The basic maintenance of a gas grill is surprisingly simple: Clean your grill grates after every cook, use a cover to protect it from the rain (and other inclement weather), and make sure your propane tank or natural gas line is properly connected. Whatever you do, don’t clean the grates with a metal brush. They’re common, but they’re also prone to shedding metal bristles that can get stuck in food and then annihilate your mouth.
Q: How much does a gas grill cost?
This will depend on its size and features, but the gas grills we’re recommending range in price between $189.99 and $899.99.
Final thoughts on the best gas grills under $1,000
Best overall: Everdure Furnace
Best smart: Monument Grills Denali D405
Best portable: Coleman RoadTrip 285
Upgrade pick: Weber Genesis E-325S
Best budget: Char-Broil Classic 360
Gas grills are easy to ignite and maintain, so we recommend them to those who want to host cookouts rather than serious pitmasters. The ability to have pinpoint control over your grill’s temperature—including making micro-adjustments to different sections—gives you a great amount of control (pardon the pun) over your cook. Plus, you can run a gas grill for several hours without worrying about running out of fuel or the grill getting cold. If you’re new to grilling, an inexpensive gas grill will provide you with years of cookouts with very little fuss.
Why trust us
Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.
Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.
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