Are you ready to upgrade your grill game and finally cook tons of steaks and burgers for your family and friends?
Grilling is a great way to cook our food, especially when the weather outside is warm and enjoyable. Throwing some ribs on the grill and watching the barbecue sauce glaze to the meat is part of the grilling experience that will have your mouth watering.
Grilling on a gas grill is an alternative that is a little less messy than using a charcoal grill, but it does tend to be a bit more expensive. That being said, there are options that will not break the bank. So, let's take a look at the best gas grills under 500 dollars.
Note: Are you in a hurry? You can choose to read our Quick Product Consideration List and Comparison Table or jump directly to the Conclusion for the clear winner of this round-up.
How We Choose the Products
Since there are a ton of products available on the market, ranging from small and simple to high end models, there is a need for everyone to read a buying guide first. Nobody wants to spend their money on a model which they later found out is faulty or a lot of people had a bad experience.
We have continuously tested a lot of gas grills during the years, and already know what are the most important factors to consider when picking which products to feature in this list.
For this buying guide, we narrowed down the selection of the products to only 5, since we think that anything larger than that, would become a little bit overwhelming with choices, since most models on the market are very similar to each other.
We based our reviews on Construction, Design, Durability, Performance and Other Features, so you truly learn all the advantages and disadvantages of each model.
Quick Consideration List
Our Top Picks for Gas Grills Under 500$
#1 - The first product to consider is the Char-Broil Performance 475. It is a full size option which comes with 4 main burners and one side burner, all together producing about 46,000 BTUs. It has about 475 square inches of primary cooking space and 175 sq. in. of space in the secondary burner area. Overall, it has a very stable and well built quality and comes in stainless steel or black finish. (Full Review)
#2 - The Blackstone 36" Outdoor Flat Griddle Station, as the name suggests, it is a griddle type-of grill. It has about 720 sq. in. of flat top non-stick cooking surface and its four burners can produce up to 60,000 BTUs in total. The independently controllable heat zones can be very useful for cooking eggs, steak, potatoes and everything else. It is well built and comes with a nice, good looking powder coated black steel finish. (Full Review)
#3 - The next product to consider in this list is the Weber Spirit II E310. It is one of the most sold grilling products and that's for a reason. It comes with three burners, producing a total of 30,000 BTUs and about 529 sq. in. of primary cooking surface. Also, there is a fuel gauge to check how much gas is remaining and a temperature gauge to easily check your foods temperature. (Full Review)
#4 - The Dyna-Glo Stainless Premium is another 4 burner grill on this list for you to consider. It produces a total of 60,000 BTUs for its 667 sq. in. of cooking space. The grates are made of cast iron material, which will cook your food evenly except for the warming rack, which is enameled steel with a non-stick surface. It has a black and silver finish, and a very useful cabinet style two-door design to store your tools and other essentials. (Full Review)
#5 - The last product to consider is the Weber Q3200. It is a smaller grill when compared to other options on this list, with only 393 sq. in. of cooking area. It can produce up to 21,700 BTUs per hour, which is more than enough for its cooking surface. It is an overall small grill, with quick mobility and ease of use. (Full Review)
Grills Under 500 Dollars Comparison Table
Grill Name | Editor's Rating | Price Range | Cooking Area/Power | Dimensions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $$ | 650 Sq. In. (46,000 BTU) | 45 x 53 x 25.8 in. | ||
| $$ | 720 Sq. In. (60,000 BTU) | 62.5 x 22 x 36 in. | ||
| $$$ | 529 Sq. In. (30,000 BTU) | 63 x 52 x 32 in. | ||
| $$ | 667 Sq. In. (60,000 BTU) | 53 x 22.6 x 46.5 in. | ||
| $$$ | 393 Sq. In. (21,700 BTU) | 55.5 x 50 x 30 in. |
Reviews of the Best Gas Grills Under 500 Dollars
Char-Broil Performance 475 - Best 4 Burner Grill Under $500
With this grill, you get 475 square inches of cooking space above direct heat and another 175 square inches of space that can be used as a warming rack. The best part is that if you are not using the warming rack, it folds into the lid for storage.
Under the main cooking area, there are four burners with 36,000 BTUs of power combined. There is also a side burner that can be used if you need additional cooking space. This burner is designed to cook sides and sauces.
The side burner can function as extra grill space, but it only has 10,000 BTUs, so it may not offer as much heat dispersion as the main grilling area.
The grates are crafted from cast iron, which is a highly recommended material to use when cooking (Source). It is proved that grill products that use cast iron grates hold the heat much better and give the food an incredible taste.
This particular grill has an electric ignition so that it starts with ease, and there is a temperature gauge mounted on the lid of the grill so that you know when the grill is ready to cook your food.
Cleaning this grill is simple as well; in fact, there is a grease pan that is designed to minimize the cleanup. In addition, the grill grates are also coated with porcelain, so the food simply slides off of the racks.
Pros
Cons
Blackstone 36" Flat Griddle Station - Best Griddle Grill Under $500
The next grill that we are going to review is actually a gas griddle, which means that it is a great option for cooking burgers for a crowd.
Starting with the surface of this grill, you will notice that it is a steel cook top that is designed to be non-stick, which means that it is also simple to clean up after you are done cooking.
With this griddle top, you can actually preseason the grill to flavor your food more if you'd like.
The cooking surface is 36 inches by 21 inches, and it features four adjustable heat zones so that you can cook different dishes without burning them because the heat is too high. It is a 60,000 BTU grill, which gives plenty of heat to the 720 square inches of the grill top. Since the griddle is a solid surface, you can even cook food items like fried rice and chopped onions right on the cooking surface.
This grill has an electronic ignition, so starting the cooking process is virtually hassle free. It is also designed with wheels on the legs, which means that it can easily be repositioned in your backyard whenever you wish.
Pros
Cons
Weber Spirit II E310 - Best Liquid Propane Grill Under 500$
Weber is a company that has been in the grilling business for about 30 years, so they know what they are doing when it comes to product quality.
This specific grill is the improved version of their first Spirit E310 series.
It has a fully enclosed cabinet design that has three burners. With a total of 30,000 BTUs total, you can be sure that the 529 square inch cooking surface will be heated evenly so that your food does not burn from uneven heat.
The bottom rack is cast iron with a porcelain treated surface so that the food does not stick to the grill. There is also a falvorizer bar that sizzles the drippings from your food to create smoke to add more flavor to your meat.
Insofar as cleanup is concerned, and of the drippings that are not evaporated by the flavorizer bar will be redirected into a grease tray so that you have less to clean up when you are done cooking. This also helps prevent grease fires from occurring.
There is a fuel gauge on this grill to let you know how much gas is remaining in the tank, In addition, the hood of the grill has a temperature gauge so that you can monitor the temperature of your food with ease.
Overall, this product has a great design, comes in 4 color options and is a perfect ratio between design/performance/price.
Pros
Cons
The next grill that we are going to review is a unit that has four burners as well as a side burner that you can use if you need additional cooking space. Each one is a 12,000 BTU burner, making for a total of 60,000 BTUs for a surface area of 667 square inches.
The grates are all constructed from cast iron material, which means that it will cook your foods evenly. The only grate that is not cast iron is the warming rack, which is enameled steel that has a non-stick surface.
The base of this grill is enclosed; in fact, it is actually designed with two cabinet doors so that you can easily store your gas as well as other grilling essentials.
This grill has an electric ignition that allows you to start it with the push of a button, and it also as a temperature gauge in the hood so that you will know when it is hot enough to cook your food properly.
Pros
Cons
Weber Q3200 - Best Mobile Grill
The final product in this guide is another great propane product from Weber.
The Q3200 is a smaller grill that has a lot of quick mobility and ease of use. The grill's surface is respectable; you'll be able to prepare food on about 393 square inches of cooking area.
This is also a very easy grill to ignite; in fact, with the easy-start electronic ignition, you can start the grilling process in mere moments.
The handle and the burner control knobs of this product are larger than in previous versions of the grill, which is a nice aesthetic concession. The side tables on this product are also very stable, which gives you a nice work area to cut steak, meat and veggies, store utensils, and place plates and containers on where you can store your grilled foods.
Insofar as cooking power goes, the Q3200's burners can produce 21,700 BTUs per hour, which is more than sufficient for the smaller surface area of this grill. The cooking grates, which are made from cast iron, are also porcelain-covered to provide an excellent non-stick experience. This also means that the grates are easy to clean.
Pros
Cons
Conclusion: What's the Best BBQ Grill under $500?
All of the grills that we have reviewed in this guide are great options to select if you are looking for one of the best gas grills under 500 dollars. These are all portable options that have a good amount of cooking space, but if we were to select one that stands out above the rest, it would be the Weber Spirit II E310.
It is a durable product that is manufactured from a trusted company. The cast iron grates provide an ideal cooking surface, it is designed with three burners to optimize the amount of fuel that you use, and it even comes with a flavorizer bar system that catches the drippings to add more flavor to the food that you are preparing. There is even a fuel gauge built into the grill so that you always know when your propane tank is getting low.
As a runner-up, we would pick the Char-Broil Performance 475. It has 4 primary burners and one secondary, plenty of cooking space, a lot of power, several useful features and you can get it for half of the price of our first pick.
What You Should Except from a Propane Gas Grill under $500?
When you decide to pick a grill, you are probably in doubt if you should go for a gas grill or pick charcoal or electric model instead.
Even though each type of grill has its own advantages and disadvantages, I think that gas grills are more suitable for most of the people. Here are some benefits of these types of grills over the traditional charcoal ones:
Convenient
Gas grills are very convenient, especially when compared with charcoal models. You have the ability to fully control the flame, the temperature and the cooking type with just the turn of a knob.
And on top of that, they use propane gas, which is refillable and lasts longer than charcoal, which is a more heavy duty fuel source.
Food Flavor
If you compare the food flavor between gas grills and charcoal, then a lot of people will not agree.
Old school pitmasters think that the charcoal gives the grilled meat a unique and delicious smoke flavor which gas grills don’t.
Well, it may be true but I think that flavor is based on each one’s preference. And, not everyone who gets a charcoal grill is a master and knows all the tips and tricks to cook on charcoal.
So, if you can sacrifice the charcoal and smoke flavor, a gas grill would be the best option.
Mobility
Cooking on a gas grill is quicker and cleaner than using charcoal. You don’t have to take care of briquettes, no starting fluid is used, there are only a few heating points and most important, you don’t have to wait for the charcoal to get hot and reach the burning point.
And, after you finish, with gas grills you don’t have to clean the ashes. Just simply turn off the grill and do a regular cleaning with a metal brush.
So, after you have considered all the upper mentioned benefits, I think that gas grill is the best option if you don’t mind the smokey food flavor.
What to Consider when Picking a Gas Grill?
After you have finished reading our gas grill reviews under 500$, you have to pick between different gas grill models. I think that there are three main things that you should consider when deciding between different models:
Durability & Construction
Spending a couple of hundreds of dollars in a cooking device is considered an investment. A good gas grill should last for many years and not just a few months.
You should highly consider a model with durable construction, made of heavy-gauge and corrosion resistant materials such as stainless steel or porcelain enameled steel.
Durable grills will also retain the heat better, allowing you to easily maintain an even cooking temperature, especially when it is cold outside.
Even Heat Distribution
Hotspots and an uneven cooking temperature can be very annoying while grilling. You won’t be able to cook the food properly and some parts of the food can turn out uncooked.
Having a grill which has an even heat distribution throughout the whole surface will allow you to cook food evenly and also the ability to use the grill as an oven to bake or roast food.
An even distribution of heat is mainly achieved by grills with high-quality burners, durable and insulated construction, efficient air circulation and most importantly, high-quality cooking grates to transfer the heat well.
Safety
Safety is the last factor to consider when picking a gas grill model. A safe grill is very important as you don’t have to worry about any gas leaks or flare-ups.
The grill safety is also impacted by the model construction because all the parts must be secure and fit well together, so the drippings and juices must be directed away from flame and there are no leakings around.
These are the three factors I like to consider when choosing a propane gas grill. Most of the grill models feature in this list are built from well-known manufacturers, have durable construction and very good reviews from the previous owners.
Now, it is your turn to go and pick which model you think fits your preferences most.
If you have any question, feel free to comment it in the comment section down below. We would love to hear your feedback and will try to answer all of them. Also, don't forget to share this article with your friends, who might find it useful.
