Best Gas Grills Under 400 Dollars

Picking a decent grill is not an easy task. With such many option on the market, you can get easily confused and end up spending your money on a grill which will probably not fit your preferences.

That's the main reason why we decided to narrow down the selection and create a short list with some of the best gas grills under 400 dollars, so you will pick the perfect product for you in only a few minutes.

All the product below are selected based on several important factors; Performance, Design, Built-Quality and Price. 

Let's jump in!

Note: Are you in a hurry? Use the navigation table below to jump directly to our Editor's Pick or the Conclusion for the clear winner of this round-up.

Best Gas Grills Under 400$ Comparison Table

Reviews of the Best Gas Grills Under 400 Dollars

Char-Broil Performance 475 - Editor's Pick as the Best

The primary cooking area is made of porcelain-coated cast iron grates, which are rust-resistant and will not make food sticking while the secondary is a porcelain-coated swing-away rack, perfect for preparing side dishes or toasting buns.

All this massive cooking area is powered by 4 stainless steel burners, which, as stated from Char-Broil, are very durable for longer-lasting performance and produce about 36,000 BTUs on the main cooking area and a 10,000 BTU are produced by the lidded burner for the side cooking area. All burners have incorporated an electronic ignition for a fast and reliable startup with just the push of a button.

The side burner can be protected by the foldable lid when you are not using it and make some extra working/prep space.

Overall, the unit has a durable construction, with the lid, UFC and fascia made of stainless steel, which gives this grill the capability to stand up to tough weather conditions.

Besides that, It has a lid-mounted temperature gauge for increased heat control, two metal side shelves for extra prep space, two 7-inch wheels for increased mobility and last but not least, a removable grease pan which simplifies the cleanup process a lot.

Weber Spirit II E-210

The first thing that you notice when you see this grill are the different vibrant color options you can choose from. This series comes in four different colors; Black, Ivory, Red & Sapphire.

It has a total of 450 square inches of cooking space, from which 360 square inches are dedicated to the primary cooking area and 90 square inches on the warming rack area. The primary area is made of porcelain-enameled cast iron cooking grates, separated in two different sides; the thin side, which is ideal for delicate food such as fish, shrimps or oysters and the wider side, perfect for thick sear marks on meats or other similar types of foods. The warming rack is located on top of the grilling grates and is perfect for toasting burger buns or keeping food warm.

All this cooking space is heated from two powerful 26,500 BTUs burners that are fired up using the Infinity Ignition which is guaranteed to ignite first time, every time and is backed by a 10-year warranty from Weber.

Under the grilling grates, the burner tubes are positioned in such way to provide even and consistent gas flow which will cook your food evenly all over the surface.

The burner lines are protected by the classic Weber Flavorizer Bars which are angled to catch drippings that smoke and sizzle, to add the smoky flavor to our food. All the not-vaporized drippings are funneled down in the grease management system, in a disposable drip tray under the cook box, which you can simply remove and replace as needed.

All these upper mentioned features; the Infinity Ignition, Burners, Flavorizer Bars & the Advanced Grease Management System are part of the GS4 Grilling System by Weber which guarantees to create a strong grilling system, designed for ease-of-use and maximum grilling experience.

In the outside, the Spirit II E-210 features an open-cart design which provides extra room and accessibility for your grilling tools.

If you choose to go with the Liquid Propane Version, you can mount the gas tank on the outside of the grill for easy access and removal and also read the fuel levels on the fuel gauge located next to the tank.

This open cart design is finalized by the folding side tables and the 6 integrated hooks to hang your grilling tools during cooking.

Char-Griller 3001 Grillin' Pro

It features porcelain-coated cast-iron cooking grates and a total of 630 square inches of cooking space, separated at 438 square inches in the primary cooking area and 192 square inches in the warming rack.

It has 3 stainless steel main burners on the primary area, producing about 40,800 BTUs and one side burner producing 12,000 BTUs. All these burners are fired up using the incorporated electric ignition for a quick and easy start-up.

The unit features a side shelf for a convenient workspace and the side burner can be covered with a foldable lid for more versatility.

With a weight of less than 100 pounds and two attached wheels, moving this unit around is not a problem.

This products comes in a very affordable price point, so don't expect high-quality parts but if you don't want to spend a lot of money, then this is a model that you should consider.

Char-Broil Performance TRU Infrared 450

Also, a 10,000 BTUs side burner is on the left side of the grill, perfect for preparing side dishes or sauces. You can also choose to cover it by a foldable lid for increased workspace or food preparation when you are not using it.

All the burners have a Surefire electronic Ignition which make them start up with just a push of the button.

As for cooking space, it features a massive 450 square inches of primary cooking surface and 150 square inches on the warming rack. The porcelain coated cooking grates are very durable, rust-resistant and easy to clean, making cooking a joyful experience.

This Char-Broil Performance Unit features their TRU Infrared Cooking System, which allows you to cook food evenly, even on high temperatures, using the infrared technology. This technology helps to prevent the hot and cold spots of the cooking surfaces and also improves the efficiency by using less gas.

You can monitor the temperature easily by checking the built-in temperature thermometer gauge on top of the lid.

On the outside, this unit has a convenient cart design, steel lid, and firebox coated with porcelain for great durability, two wheels for moving around and a front panel to hide the fuel tank, making it look sleek.

Overall, this grill has everything a mid-size family/gathering needs, in an affordable price and a sleek design.

Weber Q1200 - Best Portable Grill Under $400

The burner tube is made of high-grade stainless steel, all from one singular piece of steel without any welds, increasing the durability and making them rust resistant. The gas-grill burner tubes can also be cleaned easily using a stainless steel cleaning brush, just like any other normal grill.

Even though this unit has one single tube-burner, it is capable of producing 8500 BTUs and to provide constant heat across the entire cooking grate which is 189 square inches in total. You can also fine-tune the heat levels during cooking, thanks to its burner valve infinite control settings.

The porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grates are very durable, retains heat evenly and gives your steak a beautiful sear by combining the ease of porcelain-enameled and heat retention of cast-iron.

On the outside, the unit lid and body is made of cast aluminum which makes them durable, efficient and minimal maintenance. Also, the cook box is designed in such shape that when combined with shroud, it allows the proper heat circulation across the unit, providing even heat in direct and indirect cooking.

All the juices that drip off the food, are funneled down the cooking grates, on the bottom of the cook box and then into the grease management system. This system consists of an angled grease tray and the catch pan. The grease-collecting tray is placed in a safe distance from the burner tube to prevent the grease from catching fire. The tray and catch pan are very easy to clean, with the tray easily sliding out of the cabinet and the catch pan can be simply removed and replaced with an empty pan.

Other features worth mentioning are the two side tables for extra prep space and that this unit comes fully assembled out of the box. Also, you can choose to place it on the table or just buy the separate portable cart to transform it on a full-size grill, together with a full-size liquid propane tank by purchasing one simple attachment.

Things to Consider when Picking a Grill

When you are looking for a new grill, you are easily overwhelmed by the amount of options to choose from. On top of that, each product nowadays has so many features and shiny extras that you get distracted from the main factors that you should consider when choosing a new grill.

Here are a few main key factors that you should have in mind and focus on when you are looking to buy a new grill:

Size

When it comes to picking a new grill, Size does matter. It is such an important factor because size is related directly to the product price.

Start by looking at the number of burners and the cooking grate surface. What some manufacturers tend to do is include the warming rack as a cooking surface even though it is suspended above the primary cooking area. I know that you can cook up there too but there is not much heat and the food can end up cooked not evenly.

Don't pick up a big size grill and spend a couple of hundred dollars more when you only need a small grill. 

Burners

As we mentioned in the upper section, burner's number plays an important role on the product price. Don't go for a product with 5 burners if you need only two burners. You will pay more money and you will end up not using the extra two burners.

Also, the burner material is another thing to consider. You want to go for stainless steel or brass burners. These are the most durable ones and will be in good shape for a very long time.

Power - BTUs

The grill power is closely connected to the burners and how they are built. The BTUs is the measuring unit when it comes to grilling. It is defined as 'British Thermal Unit' and measures the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one Fahrenheit.

I recommend you to go for a powerful BTU grill especially if you like red meat with a nice brown crust. A low BTU grill will take more time to heat up and huge chunks of meat will need more time for the temperature to reach the recommended levels.

Materials & Construction

I recommend you to pick a grill with cast aluminum, cast iron or stainless steel construction. Picking one of these construction materials will ensure you that your grill will not rust easily even though they will lose the shiny, clean look eventually.

Also look for the construction quality. Does it have sturdy legs? Tons of plastic parts? Plastic is not good when it comes to grilling. Heat will make it lose the initial shape.

Even though products with high-quality construction materials cost a bit more, I recommend you to spend a little more now to save a lot later.

Additional Features

Other things that you should consider are the additional features. Even though usually the additional features can increase the product price, they can be very useful and worth the extra money.

Look for models with built-in thermometers for example. If you use your grill often, you will end up buying an external one anyway. Pick a unit with a built-in thermometer for a easier cooking.

Also, you may want to consider units which have side shelves. They can be pretty useful for extra food preparation space. Most models have foldable side shelves, so you can fold or open them, depending on your needs and the space you have available.

Other features which you can consider are moving wheels, storage, handles etc.

Below you can find a video which will help you pick the right bbq grill for your needs. I suggest watching it if you are still in doubt what to look for on a cooking grill.

Final Thoughts