best gas grills under 300

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Best Gas Grills Under $300 Reviewed (Updated 2023)

You don’t have to spend a fortune to get a great grill.

But how can you be sure you’re getting one that will last for the long haul?

Careful research is needed to separate the quality grills that make cookouts a pleasure from the junk headed for the scrap-heap next season.

There are plenty of awesome grills available for as little as 300 bucks or less.

Here are the best gas grills in this price class plus some important things to consider before buying one.

Our recommendations for Best Gas Grill Under $300:

What Can You Get for Under 300 Dollars?

Just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean you have to give up the grilling dream. There are plenty of grills at this price point, and you can have your choice of nearly any style of grill you’d like.

If you’re comparing sub-300 dollar grills with their pricier cousins, you will notice two main differences. 

For one thing, they’re often smaller grills. You can find some really nice, full-featured portable grills. For apartment dwellers looking to cook out on a small balcony, these can be the perfect grill that is durable, has enough cooking space, and offers a convenient grilling experience.

Another set of grills you will find in this group are discount-brand models. These grills are big and look good. They’ve got the size and features of more expensive grills at a fraction of the price. 

Some of the cost savings come from brand-name marketing, but remember that these grills are usually built lighter with lower quality components than more expensive ones. Still, they can be a bargain as a starter grill. 

If you need a bigger grill but aren’t entirely sure of how much you’ll use it, sticking to these budget-friendly grills can get you started for at least a few years to come.

Want to check out what’s available at other price points?

Here are a few more guides to help you out:

Best Gas Grills Under 300 Dollars Reviewed

We have put in the hours to find the best grills in this price class. Here are reviews of the 6 best options:

Best Overall: Char-Griller E3001 Grillin Pro

The Char-Griller Grillin Pro is a fun-looking grill that resembles a classic barbecue shack smoker.

Its black finish and barrel-shaped lid may make it look like a rustic charcoal model. But don’t be fooled, its 3 main burners have 40,800 BTUs of heating power. And on the side shelf, you’ll even find a 12,000 BTU side burner.

Char-Griller E3001 Grillin Pro

Specifications:

  • Fuel Type: Propane gas
  • Number of Main Burners: 3
  • Additional Burners: Side burner 12,000 BTU
  • Total BTU: 52,800
  • Heat Flux: 93
  • Primary Grilling Area (sq.in): 438
  • Warming Rack Area (sq.in): 192
  • Weight: 100 lbs
  • Build Materials: Painted steel and porcelain-coated cast iron (cooking grates)
  • Dimensions: 48″ x 28″ x 48″ (L x W x H)
  • Warranty: 5 years

This grill comes with an impressive set of features considering how affordable it is.

The E3001 is well designed from start to finish. Just push a button and the electronic ignition provides a quick and easy start-up.

The grates have 438 square inches of primary cooking space and another 192 square inches on the warming rack. It’s a heavy-duty steel grill with enameled cast-iron grates that will cook anything you’d like to throw on it.

One great thing is that the grates are double-sided — the other side is for grilling and you can flip them over for searing.

With 630 square inches of total cooking area, the E3001 Grillin Pro is great for backyard parties and is sure to give a nice sear for your burgers and steaks.

What We Love

  • Plenty of cooking space
  • Gets hot enough for searing steaks
  • Durable porcelain-coated cast-iron grates
  • The double-sided grates can be used for grilling and searing
  • The lid is high enough for big roasts and whole birds
  • Includes a side burner
  • Comes with a 5-year warranty

What We Don’t

  • Made of painted steel that might rust if the paint chips off
  • Has no heat shields which can result in more flare-ups

The Runner Up: Char-Broil Performance Stainless 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill

Char-Broil is a common name in the budget backyard grills. Their wide range of models can be found at many big-box retailers. That’s a good thing because replacement parts are easy to come by.

This Performance Series unit features 4 burners and a 10,000 BTU lidded side burner. The main cooking area has 425 square inches of space, plus a 130 square inch swing-away warming rack.

Char-Broil Performance Stainless 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill

Specifications:

  • Fuel Type: Propane gas
  • Number of Main Burners: 4
  • Additional Burners: Side burner 10,000 BTU
  • Total BTU: 42,000
  • Heat Flux: 75
  • Primary Grilling Area (sq.in): 425
  • Warming Rack Area (sq.in): 130
  • Weight: 65 lbs
  • Build Materials: Stainless steel, painted steel, and porcelain-coated cast iron (cooking grates)
  • Dimensions: 50.3″ x 20.1″ x 45.4″ (L x W x H)
  • Warranty: 5 years (burners), 2 years (lid/firebox), or 1 year (other parts)

The stainless finish looks great and is durable too. The burners are also made with stainless steel and come with a 5-year warranty. Unfortunately, most parts in this grill only have a 1-year warranty.

The open cart below doesn’t offer much-protected storage but it’s great for hiding that ugly propane tank out of sight.

Overall, this is a great entry-level grill that provides a smooth grilling experience and has enough grilling space for most families.

What We Love

  • 4 burners provide plenty of heat and temperature control
  • Large grilling area
  • Sleek design
  • Durable stainless steel lid
  • Comes with a side burner
  • Cart design allows you to hide the propane tank
  • Burners are covered with a 5-year warranty

What We Don’t

  • Lid handle tends to get hot
  • Only a 1-year warranty for most parts

Great Value for Money: Master Cook Classic 3-Burner Grill

This Master Cook grill is a simple and elegantly designed 3-burner grill. It’s as budget-friendly as it is dead simple – there’s no side burner or tricked-out extras here.

Master Cook Classic 3-Burner Grill

 

Specifications:

  • Fuel Type: Propane gas
  • Number of Burners: 3
  • Total BTU: 30,000
  • Heat Flux: 88
  • Primary Grilling Area (sq.in): 339
  • Warming Rack Area (sq.in): 133
  • Weight: 49 lbs
  • Build Materials: Painted steel, stainless steel, porcelain-coated wire
  • Dimensions: 46.5″ x 21″ x 41″ (L x W x H)
  • Warranty: 1 year

The grill puts out 30,000 BTUs, which is an awful lot for its 339 square inch cooking area. It comes in painted steel with stainless accents and has an enameled wire cooking grate. 

The side shelves fold down, so the assembled length goes from 46.5 inches to just under 30 inches with everything tucked and folded. That makes it perfect for small patios or balconies, or for cooks who need to stow their grill safely in the garage when done cooking.

The Master Cook is a stylish no-gimmicks gas grill that is compact enough to fit on a balcony or small terrace.

What We Love

  • Very affordable
  • Convenient design
  • Packs enough heating power
  • Easy to assemble
  • Compact size and adequate grilling area
  • Lightweight and easy to move around

What We Don’t

  • The overall construction quality could be more sturdy

Best Small Gas Grill Under $300: Char-Broil Performance Cabinet Style Gas Grill

If a smaller grill will suit, this Char-Broil 2-burner model is all you really need. It’s got a sleek stainless design on a painted steel frame.

Char-Broil Performance Cabinet 2 Burner Style Gas Grill

Specifications:

  • Fuel Type: Propane gas
  • Number of Main Burners: 2
  • Total BTU: 24,000
  • Heat Flux: 80
  • Primary Grilling Area (sq.in): 300
  • Warming Rack Area (sq.in): 100
  • Weight: 82.5 lbs
  • Build Materials: Stainless steel, painted steel, and porcelain-coated cast iron (cooking grates)
  • Dimensions: 24.5″ x 42.9″ x 44″ (L x W x H)
  • Warranty: 5 years (burners), 2 years (firebox and lid), 1 year (other parts)

Despite the affordable price, this grill has many convenient features. The electronic ignition is reliable and the grease management system makes cleaning easy.

You can easily roll it around with the 4 wheels. And the cabinet allows you to put the gas tank out of sight and store your grilling tools in it. The large folding side tables provide a surface to place dishes so you don’t need any additional side tables.

This unit has 2 burners that blast out 24,000 BTUs, which is plenty of heating power for the 300 square inch enameled cast iron cooking grates. At 82 pounds, it weighs as much as some much bigger grills, so you know you’re getting a pretty beefy grill despite its smaller dimensions.

If you don’t need a large grill with extra features and want to get a quality 2 burner model, this might be just what you’re looking for.

What We Love

  • Easy to use
  • Nice and sleek design
  • Great value for money
  • Good grease management system
  • Has a cabinet for the propane tank
  • 4 wheels make it easy to move around

What We Don’t

  • Takes a while to assemble

Best Tabletop Option: Weber Q1200 Portable Gas Grill

There’s a lot to like about this little Weber grill. If you have an area where you can use a tabletop model and don’t need very much cooking space, this should be your go-to model.

Weber Q1200 Portable Gas Grill

Specifications:

  • Fuel Type: Propane gas
  • Number of Main Burners: 1
  • Total BTU: 8,500
  • Heat Flux: 45
  • Grilling Area (sq.in): 189
  • Weight: 31 lbs
  • Build Materials: Aluminum and porcelain-coated cast iron (grates)
  • Dimensions: 40.9″ x 16.5″ x 15.5″ (L x W x H)
  • Warranty: 5 years or 2 years (depending on part)

The Q1200 has a cast aluminum lid that comes in various colors. The grill only has a single-burner that puts out 8,500 BTUs. This means you can’t really do indirect cooking. But despite not having that many BTUs the grill gets surprisingly hot fast.

The grill is durable and well-designed overall as we can expect from Weber. The enameled cast-iron grates help distribute the heat on the 189 square inch cooking area. 

Since it’s portable, it’s designed to run off of one-pound camping propane cylinders, but you can get an adapter to run it off standard 20-pound tanks. If you like the grill but need a free-standing unit, check out Weber’s purpose-built folding cart.

For a smaller portable option, this is really an excellent grill!

Aside from having only one burner and not including a stand, we can’t really find anything negative about this unit.

What We Love

  • Comes fully assembled out of the box
  • High-quality parts made with durable materials
  • Good heat retention
  • Compact size and portable
  • Easy to use and clean
  • Weber has a good warranty and customer service

What We Don’t

  • Doesn’t include a stand (sold separately)
  • Only one burner

Best for Tailgating: Coleman Roadtrip 285 Portable Stand-Up Grill

If tailgating is your scene, then look no further than this Coleman RoadTrip grill. It has a unique 3-burner design with overlapping side and center burners to put more heat into the small grill.

Coleman Roadtrip 285 Portable Stand-Up Grill

Specifications:

  • Fuel Type: Propane gas
  • Number of Main Burners: 3
  • Total BTU: 20,000
  • Heat Flux: 70
  • Primary Grilling Area (sq.in): 285
  • Weight: 53 lbs
  • Build Materials: Metal, plastic, and porcelain-coated cast iron (cooking grates)
  • Dimensions: 45.6” x 19.5” x 35″ (L x W x H)
  • Warranty: 3 years

This portable standup grill delivers over 20,000 BTUs of heat for its 285 square inch cooking area. It also has a slick folding cart with side tables completely integrated into the design. The grill folds quickly and easily and still rolls on the cartwheels for easy transport. 

Like the Weber, it comes in a few spiffy colors to keep things lively, and it’s built to run on disposable camping propane cans.

What We Love

  • Good price point
  • Easy to set up, store, and transport
  • Adequate grilling space
  • Heats up fast

What We Don’t

  • Flimsy latch on the lid
  • The side handles are not very durable

Large and Powerful: Megamaster 5-Burner Propane Gas Grill

This 5-burner from Megamaster is definitely one of the biggest gas grills that you can get at this price class. The space and versatility of the grill make it an excellent choice for big cookouts. This is a lot of grill for the small price tag!

Megamaster 5-Burner Propane Gas Grill

Specifications:

  • Fuel Type: Propane gas
  • Number of Burners: 5
  • Total BTU: 50,000
  • Primary Grilling Area (sq.in): 474
  • Warming Rack Area (sq.in): 182
  • Weight: 67 lbs
  • Build Materials: Painted steel, porcelain-coated cast iron, plastic
  • Dimensions: 55″ x 23.5″ x 45.75″ (L x W x H)
  • Warranty: 1 year

Not only can you fit an enormous amount of food inside the body of this grill, but it also provides a solid cooking performance. The porcelain-enameled flame tamers help with controlling the temperature and create an evenly heated cooking field.

The 474 square inches of primary cooking space and 50,000 BTUs of heating power make it the largest and most powerful grill included in this review. It gets hot fast and you will have more than enough room for several courses cooking at once.

With its 5 burners, you can create several heat zones with different temperatures. Simply turn one or more burners down to a lower flame or off completely to adjust the temperature of different parts. 

There is also a large 182 square inch warming area for things that don’t need the full blast of the flame. You can keep food items heated on the top shelf of the grill while cooking others at a high temp.

The grill comes equipped with tool hooks and large side shelves for preparing food and placing items. Plus, it is incredibly easy to start up and to operate in general. Just a simple push and a turn, and you are off to the races.

Assembly is required and takes a while. So this is not a plug-and-play option for someone who doesn’t want to spend a few hours setting things up.

If you are looking for a large grill that can handle big parties, then Megamaster is our recommendation.

What We Love

  • Very large cooking space
  • Plenty of heating power
  • Has 5 burners for creating heat zones
  • Good value for money

What We Don’t

  • Takes a while to assemble

What to Consider Before Buying

Size and Portability

No matter your budget, you need to consider how many people you want to feed from your grill. This planning will give you an idea of how much real estate you need on the cooking grates, which will indicate what size of grill you are looking for.

If you honestly only cook for a small number of people, you’re best off getting a smaller but higher quality grill. Look at portable models that have a smaller footprint but higher build quality. Don’t be swayed just because a grill has more burners.

Number of Burners and Heating Power

Directly related to the size of the grill is how many burners it has. The bigger the grill, the more burners manufacturers are going to be able to squeeze in. 

More burners are generally better since it means more control over the application of the heat. If you want to try your hand at indirect cooking techniques or even baking on the grill, having at least three burners is the way to go. This will give you enough control to maintain lower temperatures.

Yet, small grills with only one or two burners can put out plenty of heat for their size. Remember to look beyond the grill’s total BTUs (British Thermal Units) and focus more on the grate’s size and how that heat is distributed. Even distribution will have a more significant effect on your cooking than more power will.

Materials and Build Quality

Less expensive grills will often feel less substantial. Their lids are lighter; the metals are thinner. There will be less stainless steel and more painted steel or plastic. All of these factors add up to a grill that will probably not last as long.

High-end grill manufacturers are also great about making their parts easy to access and available. Every grill is eventually going to need new grates and new burners. 

There’s invariably some rust and corrosion that occurs, or they might just get too gunked up with grease over time. Knowing that you can get whatever parts you should need goes a long way in extending the lifetime of even a budget grill.

Extra Features

As with the other specs mentioned above, looking carefully at how you will use the grill will help you determine what extra features you might need. 

Some of the grills in this price point may seem fully loaded, but the chances are that the quality is lower. So spend some time imagining what you want to cook on your grill and how you will use it. Choose quality components over getting stuff you probably won’t use anyway.

For example, you might want to cook steaks on the grill several nights a week. Many grills come with a side burner, which you might never use. But a few grills have a powerful searing burner included, which would be handy every time you use the grill. 

Both of these accessories are difficult, if not impossible, to add on after buying the grill. Planning and researching before your purchase are vital.

Best Gas Grills under 300 Dollars – Final Thoughts

When you are looking for an affordable gas grill you need to do some digging to find the good ones.

Whether you need a large unit for backyard barbecue parties or a small tabletop grill or you can find something suitable in this guide.

Take good care of your grill and it can last for 10 years or more.

Enjoy Your Barbecue!

About the Author

Hi, I’m Joonas, a barbecue expert with over 20 years of experience in grilling and smoking all kinds of foods.

My goal is to cook tasty barbecue food, enjoy it with family & friends, and help others do the same!

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