Gas BBQs

Buying guide

A gas BBQ is the easiest way to cook outdoors regularly: it lights at the turn of a knob, reaches cooking heat in minutes and holds it steady. The choices that matter are size, build quality, whether it is built in or freestanding, and getting the gas set-up right. This guide covers each, with the figures for the BeefEater and Lifestyle models we sell.

Why choose a gas BBQ?

• Speed. No waiting for coals. Light it, close the hood to preheat, and cook.
• Control. Each burner has its own knob, so you can run a hot zone for searing and a gentle one for sausages and vegetables.
• Clean up. No ash. Brush the grill and empty the drip tray.
• All year. On propane, a gas BBQ works in cold weather, so it earns its place beyond summer.
• More than grilling. With a hood you can roast joints and whole chickens; a side burner handles sauces, pans and a wok.

The trade-off is flavour: you get the smoke from fat dripping onto hot bars, but not the taste of charcoal or wood. If that matters, see our charcoal BBQs or the comparison on our BBQs page.

Built-in, trolley or island?

No building work

Freestanding on a trolley

A gas BBQ on a cabinet trolley, usually with side shelves and a side burner. BeefEater trolleys have a 4kW side burner; Lifestyle models range from 2 to 5 main burners.

Shop freestanding gas BBQs

Outdoor kitchens

Built-in heads

A BBQ head made to drop into a non-combustible enclosure. BeefEater makes built-ins from 654mm to 1053mm wide, each with an exact cut-out size.

Shop built-in BBQs

No building work

Island BBQs

A freestanding outdoor kitchen in one unit. The Lifestyle Bahama Island has five main burners, a sizzle burner, a rotisserie back burner, cabinets and an ice bucket, 2260mm wide.

See the Bahama Island

Burners and cooking area

Burner count tells you roughly how big a BBQ is, but cooking area tells you what it will actually hold. Allow around 120cm² per burger with room to turn it, and keep a third of the grill free as a cooler zone. Here are the published figures for the models we sell.

Higher kW is not automatically better. A well-built firebox and a heavy cast iron cooking surface hold heat efficiently, so compare build quality as well as output. Shop by size in 3 burner, 4 burner, 5 burner and 6 burner gas BBQs.

Grill, plate or both?

Every BeefEater we sell has a grill and a solid hotplate side by side. The open grill gives char lines and lets fat drip away; the plate cooks eggs, onions, fish and anything small enough to fall through the bars. On 3 and 4 burner BeefEaters the split is equal (320mm and 320mm, or 400mm and 400mm); on the 5 burners the grill is larger (640mm grill, 320mm plate), which suits people who mainly grill steaks and burgers. The 7000 series pairs two split grills with a cast iron plate.

Hood, flat lid and side burner

• A roasting hood turns the BBQ into an outdoor oven for joints, whole chickens and indirect cooking. A double-skin hood holds heat better and stays cooler outside.
• A flat lid sits lower and suits a sleek island: the BeefEater Proline flat lid stands 42mm above the benchtop against 212mm for the Proline with roasting hood.
• A side burner is a separate ring for pans. All BeefEater trolley models we list have a 4kW side burner; the Lifestyle St. Vincent, Grenada and Dominica have one too.
• Safety features such as flame failure protection, which shuts off the gas if a flame goes out, feature on the BeefEater 7000 Premium and the Proline with roasting hood.

Direct and indirect cooking

The real skill with a gas BBQ is using zones. For direct cooking, food sits over lit burners: steaks, burgers, sausages, kebabs and anything thin that cooks in under 20 minutes. For indirect cooking, you light the burners on one or both sides, leave the ones under the food off and close the hood, so the BBQ works like an oven. That is how you roast a chicken, a leg of lamb or a pork shoulder without burning the outside.

Indirect cooking is where burner count and a good hood earn their keep. A 4 burner gives you room to run two burners on and two off with a decent area of food in between; on a 3 burner the indirect zone is smaller. Whatever you cook, preheat with the hood closed for 10 minutes or so, keep the hood down as much as you can, and use a meat thermometer rather than guesswork. Our guide to controlling BBQ temperature helps if the heat runs away from you.

How to decide

• How often will you cook? If it is most weekends from spring to autumn, buy the best build you can: porcelain-coated cast iron and a stainless or enamelled frame will last.
• How many do you feed? Use the table above. Size for your usual group plus a little, not your biggest party of the year.
• Where will it live? Measure the space with the side shelves out, and check the route from the road to the garden for a pallet delivery.
• Will you stay put? If you might move in a few years, a trolley BBQ comes with you; a built-in stays with the house.

Materials and finishes

BeefEater frames are seam-welded in black porcelain enamel (the 1200E and 3000E), dark stainless steel (1600E) or stainless steel (1200S and 1600S), with 304 grade stainless steel on the 7000 series and Proline. Enamel resists marks and suits a dark scheme; stainless steel suits a modern kitchen look but shows fingerprints and needs wiping along the grain. Cooking surfaces are porcelain-coated cast iron, which holds heat and cleans easily with a brass brush.

Lifestyle BBQs use double-skinned hoods on the St. Vincent and Dominica, with porcelain-coated grills on the St. Vincent. Check each listing for the exact materials.

Gas, regulators and safety

• Use propane for year-round cooking. Propane keeps vaporising in cold weather; butane struggles near freezing. BeefEater BBQs are supplied for LPG, and BeefEater sells a UK hose and regulator assembly (part 96581) for its 1200, 1500, 1600, 1700 and 3000 series.
• Match the regulator to the BBQ. The Lifestyle Cuba, for example, is sold without a hose and regulator and is rated for butane at 28 to 30 mbar or propane at 37 mbar, so you buy the regulator that suits your bottle.
• Leak test before first use and every time you change the bottle. With the burners off and the bottle open, brush soapy water over the hose and joints. Bubbles mean a leak.
• Replace tired hoses. Many makers recommend a new hose every five years, or sooner if it is cracked or stiff.
• Light with the hood open. Closed hoods trap unburnt gas. Open it, light, then close it to preheat.
• Outdoors only. Use gas BBQs in the open air in a well-ventilated area, never in a garage, conservatory, tent or enclosed gazebo.

Placement and clearances

Freestanding gas BBQs need firm, level ground and clear space around and above them; follow the clearances in your manual and keep them away from fences, sheds and overhanging branches. Built-ins have stricter rules: BeefEater requires a non-combustible enclosure, gives 450mm minimum clearance to combustibles for its 1200, 3000 and 7000 series, and the 1600 series needs a 40mm gap to the rear wall. LPG is heavier than air, so any cupboard holding the bottle needs low-level ventilation. Our built-in BBQ installation guide lists every cut-out size.

Covers and care

After cooking, run the burners on high for a few minutes with the hood closed to burn off residue, then brush the grill. Empty the drip tray regularly and wipe cast iron with a little oil. Fit a cover made for your model once it is cold: BeefEater makes heavy duty polyester covers for its 1200, 1500, 1600, 3000 and Proline BBQs, built-in and trolley (we list none for the 7000 built-in), and Lifestyle makes covers sized for its 2, 3, 4 and 5 burner BBQs. If yours has sat damp all winter, see how to clean a mouldy BBQ safely.