9 best gas BBQs in the UK for easy alfresco cooking

We’re racing towards summer, and if you’re hoping to embrace outdoor cooking, it’s worth looking into the best gas BBQs on the market.

Many of the best BBQs out there are gas models, and for good reason: they’re convenient, simple to use and reliable. That’s why we’ve put the best models, from leading brands like Weber, Everdure and Char-Broil, through their paces to help you make sure you’re buying a quality product.

If you’re stuck between those and the best charcoal BBQs, we’ve even included a guide at the bottom of the page to help you decide if a gas barbecue is right for you.

Best gas BBQ – the quick list

Best gas BBQ overall

What does it take to be the best BBQ on this list? Value for money, cooking power and ease of use – all of which the Weber Spirit II E310 GBS Gas Barbecue has by the bucket load.

We were huge fans of the previous Weber Spirit II E-310 model when we tested it, but Weber have just released a new, better-than-ever model which we’re in the process of testing.

For the price of the older model alone, you can enjoy three burners, a large cooking space, and performance and quality that usually come with a much larger price tag – but now, Weber have added boost burners, includes an easy-to-read digital thermometer and boasts a simple snap-jet ignition system.

Better yet? The Weber Spirit E-310 has a brand-new look – it even includes a sleek front door which hides the gas canister (the only pitfall we found with the older model).

Earning five stars in our review, the original three-burner BBQ wowed us with its versatile cooking ability, acing every test we threw it at (including veggies, sausages, burgers, and a whole spatchcock chicken). Importantly, it reached the optimum temperature for grilling with ease and was able to stay at that heat without incident.

We’ll be updating this guide with a full review once we’ve finished testing.

Our Weber Spirit II E-310 Gas BBQ review has the full details of the original model.

Best budget gas BBQ

If, like us, you’re not looking to totally break the bank on your next gas BBQ, then the Cadac Citi Chef 40 is a wonderfully affordable option. In our at-home tests, our reviewer Helen (who has exceptionally high BBQ standards), thought it was the perfect alternative to oversized models, with enough space and power to cater to smaller outdoor cooking occasions.

Its simplicity (with just one burner) is part of what makes it so great, and it’s suitable for patios and terraces too. The design is stylish enough to rival much more expensive options, and there’s an incredibly good range of accessories if you’re a budding outdoor chef – we’re talking paella pans and a stone to turn it into one of the best pizza ovens too.

Using this BBQ couldn’t be easier (even if the assembly is a little tiresome), with the automatic ignition making cooking as simple as using a gas hob. It took just five minutes for the Cadac Citi to be ready for Helen to use, which means you can BBQ in enough time before a Great British downpour begins. The meat Helen cooked on this BBQ was succulent and well-done, with not a hint of dryness.

We think the Cadac Citi Chef 40 FS BBQ is a perfect compromise between budget-friendliness and quality, with so much to offer to smaller to medium-sized homes.

Our Cadac Citi Chef 40 FS BBQ review has the full details.

Best 2 burner gas BBQ

Gas BBQs are known for their convenience, but that doesn’t mean that they have to be drab. The Everdure Force is the most stunning gas BBQ out there in our opinion (with Heston Blumenthal’s stamp of approval on it too), and it produced showstopping results in our tests for equal measure.

Our main takeaway after testing was that this BBQ was packed with serious power. It took just 3 minutes and 14 seconds to get up to 250 degrees Celsius, and retained heat beautifully, meaning that it mastered our rotisserie chicken test like no other BBQ. You get two burners for your money here, with ample space for hosting a large garden party affair. There’s space for 24 small burgers at a time if you’re so inclined, we checked.

The design of the Everdure Force captivated the entire Ideal Home team on our BBQ testing day, with the striking pop of colour on the lid matching perfectly with the clean lines look of the rest of the BBQ (our favourite colourways are blue and orange). The small details are picture-perfect too, including the flush taps and a built-in thermometer.

You might be able to tell that we love this BBQ, but we don’t feel the same way about the price, which is steep at £749.00 (RRP). It’s a real investment buy, with the quality that we’re certain would last, but it misses out on the top spot here due to lack of affordability.

OurEverdure Force Gas BBQ review has the full details.

Best gas BBQ grill

The Monarch 320 is not a small BBQ, with a fairly big footprint. It does look the part though, with the markings of an all-American style grill. Though we found the set-up of this grill to be a little testing, it’s a classic option if you want that real smoky taste to your BBQ food.

The quality cast iron grills are great for getting that chargrilled look, and the Flav-R-Wave system does a phenomenal job at helping to circulate smoke and vapour through the cookbox, which gives the aforementioned excellent signature taste.

If you do want to avoid a long assembly time, or you’re short on space, this probably isn’t the BBQ for you, as it arrived on a large pallet and took several hours of set-up time to finally get right.

Our Broil King Monarch 320 BBQ review has the full details.

Best gas BBQ for families

We think that this Char-Broil BBQ is at a good price point for what it can offer, and you can often find it for way less than its £489.99 RRP. It’s compact, high-performing, and ideal for family use in the summertime. If you don’t want to wait an age for your BBQ to be ready, the quick heat-up times here will be a lifesaver.

And just because it only has one burner doesn’t mean that you’re restricted from hosting a garden soiree. In our tests, it took just ten minutes to heat up, and it’s a breeze to cook with. We’d recommend batch cooking ahead and using the two handy side tables to balance your salads and sides on, rather than splashing out hundreds of pounds on a larger BBQ that you might not get much use out of during the rest of the year.

During our tests, this BBQ aced our rotisserie chicken test, with succulent results and space on the accompanying ‘keep warm’ shelves for burgers and sausages too. It’s safe for us to say that, while it might take a few uses to get the hang of cooking on this BBQ, it’s well worth it once you do get the knack figured out.

Assembly is very frustrating and instructions are a pain (just use the app) but once it’s done initially, it’s done forever. The BBQ offers plenty of storage, including hooks for tools, which we found goes further than you might imagine on a BBQ testing day. It also has onboard storage for your gas canister, to hide it away. It sits on wheels for easy moving, too. Cleaning couldn’t be any easier as you need only fire up the heat for 10 minutes with the lid closed, then you can use the tool included, to scrape food residue off the BBQ ready for next use.

Our Char-Broil All Star gas barbecue review has the full details.

Best Weber gas BBQ

Get high-quality grilling results without the laborious build process with the Weber Q3200, which was by far the easiest gas BBQ to set up during our BBQ testing day. The process was so straightforward and should take you less than an hour. That means that your journey to flipping burgers will be nice and short so that you can have more time in the sunshine.

We know it’s not the prettiest of the bunch, or the most powerful, but it’s quietly capable and has next to nothing complicated about it. To us, that’s worth plenty. Lighting the BBQ was as easy as pressing a button, and the cooking results we got were all of a high standard. There was a slight delay with heat-up time, which is definitely something to bear in mind if you’re a little impatient, but for the price, it’s a great two-burner BBQ.

For the price, we know that whoever invests in this BBQ is going to be serious about their outdoor cooking, which is why it’s a great choice if you love to entertain. It’s the BBQ with the largest grilling area from the Weber Q collection, and can serve up 14 good-sized burgers at a time, a fact we can attest to after our testing process.

Our Weber Q3200 Gas BBQ review has the full details.

Best 3 burner gas BBQ

This is a truly kitted-out gas BBQ, with ample space for your burger buns, salad and condiments, and the grilling power to cater to a garden full of people. It’s probably not the most accessible BBQ for the casual user, with a long build time and a big price tag, but all of the foods we cooked on this Char-Broil came out well.

Space-wise, on the grill itself, this BBQ has three burners, which makes it perfect for indirect cooking. Add to that a side shelf and an infrared side burner too, and you have a world of choice when it comes to your next grilling session. It’s got a warming rack too, so that your burger buns are optimally warm for serving up.

If you’re keen to invest in a CharBroil, then we’d recommend the Professional 3400 S if you’re a seasoned pro looking to take on a new challenge. It has a seriously tricky build process and getting a handle on the controls was a bit of a learning curve for us, but if it’s an all-American grill with the capacity to cater to a huge crowd, you can’t go wrong.

Our Char-Broil Professional 3400 S BBQ review has the full details.

Best gas BBQ with side burner

Our expert reviewer Helen had a little trouble when setting this BBQ up, as some of the parts weren’t as sturdy as she would’ve liked. However, once it was up, she found this very spacious BBQ from VonHaus a grilling success on the whole, with space to grill up good for the whole family.

She crammed many burgers and sausages onto the grilling space, and used the side burner with great success, even cooking up a full English outside during one test. It saved Helen from running between the kitchen and BBQ when entertaining – something that’ll go a long way if you’re hosting this summer.

The ease of using this BBQ was also fantastic, and with all of the space available to her, Helen found it easy to create hot and cold zones to streamline the cooking process. And let’s not forget the price, this big BBQ is an affordable option which gets it a big thumbs up from us as a brilliant bargain buy. But do note that the price doesn’t include the gas connection hose and regulator – this will set you back a further £20.

Our VonHaus 4 +1 Burner Gas BBQ review has the full details.

Best portable gas BBQ

It’s got a somewhat intimidating name, but in simpler terms, the Napoleon TravelQ Phantom PRO285X is one of the most convenient gas BBQs we’ve tried. The design (that of a folding scissor stand) means that carting it around your garden or hiding it away for the winter couldn’t be easier, and the wheels on this BBQ are very capable of holding its sizable weight.

Better still, the components inside the barbecue – including the cast iron cooking grids – are also unusually convenient to handle and clean. The actual cooking isn’t bad too, with the space, heat, and quick start-up times to make BBQing a straightforward affair.

Our Napoleon TravelQ Phantom PRO285X review has the full details.

How we tested these BBQs

As per our testing protocol at Ideal Home, we’re serious about trying the products that we recommend to you hands-on so that you know you can trust our guidance. For that reason, we’ve tested every single BBQ you can find in this guide, with more reviews on the way to add even more options to your search.

When we test a BBQ we take into account the assembly process, how well it cooks both large and small cuts of meat and veggies, and the user experience from quality of build to durability. Also, we never forget the price tags of BBQs, as we know value for money is more important now than ever.

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As part of our commitment to evaluating different BBQs to establish which one really is the best, we also tried out a range of grills within this guide during a testing excursion in the Somerset countryside. There we could compare first-hand the quality, build-time, and grilling capabilities of each BBQ, and rate them when it came to design elements too. Other BBQs in this list have been tested by our team in their homes, to get the experience that you would have if you purchased one of these grills for yourself.

It’s worth us noting that some of the BBQs in this guide were also tested in the last few years, meaning they’ve received years of use and have proven themselves to be very rust-resistant and long-lasting.

FAQs

Are gas BBQs worth it?

If you’re wondering whether gas BBQs are worth the investment, the answer depends on your alfresco cooking needs. If you’re a fan of outdoor cooking or want a convenient option with easy setup, they’re a great choice.

‘Gas BBQs are like a reliable friend – always there and always ready,’ says Eran Tibi, executive chef at Kapara and Bala Baya, and contestant in this year’s Great British Menu competition. ‘They’re fantastic for quick and delicious weeknight meals.

The gadgets that also come with gas make it a creative tool where you can get seriously creative with food – think side burners, rotisseries, the lot!’

How to buy the best gas BBQ for you

Quality is king when it comes to securing a gas BBQ, especially if you’re making an investment purchase that you want to last for many summers ahead. Dan Cooper, Head Grill Master at Weber, recommends firstly ‘examining the ‘cook box’ of the grill as this houses the important inner workings of any gas barbecue, such as the burner tubes’.

From there, double-check the materials that make up your gas grill. Dan adds that ‘opting for a gas barbecue with cast iron cooking grates helps to create fantastic residual heat, so whether you’re making some juicy steaks or vegetable dishes, your food will get that wonderful colouration from the high-heat surface’.

A BBQ that takes an age to heat up probably isn’t going to give you the most satisfactory user experience ever and will make your next outdoor cooking session a bit more laborious, so look for models with an easy ignition process.

If money and size are no object, then ‘in this instance buying bigger is usually better’, says Dan. ‘The more burners you have, the more flexibility when it comes to multi-zone cooking, allowing you to roast, steam or sear all at once’. For those on a budget, making sure that you still have enough of a cooking area to cater to everyone at once is pretty important, so do some research on how many burgers or sausages your prospective grill can fit on, for starters.

Other must-haves according to Dan include a lid, so that you can ‘operate the barbecue to cook ‘directly’ as a grill, or ‘indirectly’. ‘Indirect’ cooking creates an ‘oven-like’ atmosphere allowing you to roast, bake or smoke’.

Is a gas BBQ cheaper to run?

As with many investments, like one of the best air fryers, while a gas barbecue can be a hefty purchase to make in the run-up to summer, they can save you money in the long term.

Dan Cooper, head grill master at Weber, says that ‘While a gas barbecue tends to be a larger initial investment than other barbecues, running costs are cheaper than alternatives such as charcoal or wood pellets’. He adds that ‘this is mainly because gas canisters last longer and fuel more barbecues, especially for those who use their barbecue sparingly’.

It’s not surprising then, especially given just how user-friendly they are, that this efficiency means gas BBQs are a favourite of outdoor chefs.

What is the lifespan of a gas BBQ?

It’s good to be thinking about exactly how long you can expect to hold onto your gas BBQ so that you can work out your cost per summer. Dan Cooper from Weber says that ‘Lifespan completely depends on how you use the barbecue, but most gas barbecues are built to last come rain or shine, so with the right care, your barbecue should last years.’

One way that you can make sure that your BBQ stays strong even if you run into issues? ‘Seek out a product with a long warranty’ says Sam, ‘for added reassurance and quality guarantee.’

If you’re looking to really up your outdoor cooking game, take at our list of the best pizza ovens.