6 Best Gas Grills Under $500 in 2023 (Tested and Reviewed)

Are you looking for a new gas grill to cook those perfect steaks for dinner? Or maybe you are planning to have a party and need to grill a bunch of burgers and hot dogs?

Well, the good news is that with 500 bucks you have plenty of great options to choose from.

Whether you are looking for a large grill for big parties, an infrared unit, a portable model, or just straight up the best rig for the money, you can find something nice here!

6 Best Gas Grills Under $500 Reviewed

Out of hundreds of options available in this price class, we picked the 6 best ones to suit different kinds of needs.

Best Overall: Weber Spirit II E-210 Propane Gas Grill

Weber has been making grills for over 50 years and their products are known for high quality, great design, and durability. Spirit II is their new product line featuring the unique GS4 grilling system familiar from the more expensive Genesis models.

My friend owns the Spirit II E-210 and together we have been testing and using it for several years. Next, I’ll tell you why this 2-burner gas grill is our top pick in its price class.

Weber Spirit II E-210 is a solid 2-burner gas grill with 26,500 BTUs of heating power and a 360 square inch grilling area (+ 90 sq.in warming rack). It heats up fast and delivers a nice sear to your steaks, burgers, or pork chops.

One of the best things about this grill is that it’s easy to use and provides consistent heat across the grilling area. It’s also made with durable materials and still looks almost like new after a few years of use (see image below).

Next, let’s take a closer look at what the GS4 system has to offer:

This grill has reversible grill grates that are thicker on one side and thinner on the other side. The two side tables have hooks for hanging your grilling tools. You can also integrate the unit with a Weber iGrill 3 temperature probe that allows you to monitor its temperature with a smartphone app.

The Spirit E-210 is a durable and conveniently designed gas grill with a 10-year warranty on all parts. So at this price point, we highly recommend this gas grill as the best choice!

If you are interested in reading more about Weber models, check out our comparison of Weber Spirit II E-310 vs. Genesis II E-310.

Looking for a Natural Gas Option?

If you have a gas line at your house, the most convenient option might be to connect your grill straight to it. Unfortunately, there is only a propane gas version of Spirit II E-210 available on Amazon at the moment. You might be able to find it somewhere else, but natural gas versions of smaller gas grills are hard to come by.

What you can do is just go for the model that is one notch bigger, the Spirit II E-310. You can choose between propane and natural gas versions and you will also get one more burner plus a bigger cooking area.

Then why didn’t we recommend it in the first place?

It doesn’t quite fit in the budget of 500 dollars so you need to cough up a few more bills to bring it home.

Large with Great Features: Monument 4-Burner Stainless Steel Propane Gas Grill

This 4-burner gas grill from Monument is the largest and most powerful unit in our line-up.

With 72,000 BTUs of total heating power and an impressive 723 square inches (513 main + 210 warming rack) of cooking space, this grill can deliver even for a bigger group of people!

The grill is made of stainless steel and offers a comprehensive list of features. It comes with two side burners, fixed tool hooks, and a one-button ignition system.

In addition, its control knobs have LED backlights, which come in handy when cooking after the sunset.

If you like cooking whole chickens, turkeys, and roasts, you can also order a version of this grill that comes with an accessory kit including a rotisserie system, cover and more (just choose the version you like on Amazon).

The reason why this is not our number one option in this price range is the overall quality compared to Weber. Although it’s made of stainless steel, it can get rusty after a few years of use and the warranty only lasts for a year for most parts.

When you want the maximum amount of cooking space and heating power with a full stack of features, this is the way to go.

Best Design: Fuego F24C Propane Gas Grill

Are you looking for a gas grill that stands out with its design?

Here comes Fuego F24C. It looks like a space shuttle ready to take off, but turns out to be a very capable gas grill.

Note: The price of this product has increased and it might not be available for under $500 at the moment.

One of the main advantages of this design is the low space requirement and a large cooking area. Also, with its four wheels, you can easily move it around on an even surface.

This 2-burner gas grill is easy to assemble and heats up very quickly. It has a dual-zone heating system that allows you to easily cook on direct or indirect heat. The outer area is great for slow-cooking roasts and ribs, while the center spot provides more intense heat that is perfect for steaks and burgers.

The Fuego F24C is a unique-looking grill that also delivers a solid cooking experience. If you are short on space, but still want to cook big, then Fuego is the solution.

Best Infrared Option: Char-Broil Performance TRU-Infrared Propane Gas Grill

There are not many infrared grills that you can get for under $500. However, Char-Broil allows you to enter the world of infrared grilling without sucking your wallet dry.

This 3-burner gas grill features TRU-infrared technology that results in evenly cooked and juicy meats. The stainless steel plate forms a barrier between the burners and the grilling grate. The hot steel spreads the heat evenly, emits infrared radiation, and prevents flare-ups.

It has a large 600 square inch (450 main + 150 warming rack) cooking area and features a handy side burner.

The downside of this product is that it can be quite tedious to clean it properly. The infrared grates tend to get clogged with grease and food particles and cleaning them takes some effort.

One of the best things about this unit is that it heats up fast and gives you an excellent sear.

Best Budget Option: Char-Griller E3001 Grillin’ Pro Propane Gas Grill

Char-Griller E3001 is an affordable 3-burner gas grill with a big 630 square inch (438 main + 192 warming rack) cooking area. It has plenty of heating power with 40,800 BTUs on the main burners and an additional 12,000 on the side burner.

Considering the price, this grill comes with an impressive set of features. The electronic ignition provides a quick and easy start-up.

It also has porcelain-coated cast-iron grates that are double-sided. The other side is for grilling and you can flip them over for searing.

Want to grill a steak while searing a salmon fillet? No problem, just flip one grate over so you can do both at the same time.

The E3001 is made of powder-coated steel that starts to rust over time, if not properly taken care of. Also, it doesn’t have any heat shields between the grates and burners, which results in a higher chance of flare-ups.

If you are looking for an affordable and easy-to-use grill with a large cooking area, this could be the perfect option for you.

Best Portable Option: Coleman RoadTrip 285 Propane Grill

We also wanted to include an option that is portable, easy to set up, and can be stored in a small space when not in use.

Coleman RoadTrip 285 fits the bill and still manages to provide 20,000 BTUs of heating power and a 285 square inch grilling surface.

Each of the three burners on this grill has a separate temperature control knob for creating heat zones. It also features a push-button ignition and a thermometer.

It is a freestanding grill, so you don’t need a separate table or another type of platform to use it.

Considering the relatively low price and portability, it’s not a surprise that the RoadTrip 285 also has a few drawbacks.

The water tray under it is shallow, which makes it flow over easily unless placed on a completely even surface. It is also hard to empty the tray without spilling the liquid. In addition, the side handles are not very durable and the latch that holds the lid shut opens easily when it’s being moved around.

Despite a couple of shortcomings, this grill is ideal for tailgating, camping, and traveling. If you have limited space and only use it occasionally, you can quickly fold it for storage. Then you can set it up fast again when needed.

Here’s Why I Love Gas Grills

It’s not a wonder that gas grills have become very popular. Using a gas grill is easy and convenient, while a good one will also give you great cooking results.

You can ignite a gas grill by pressing a button, and they usually heat up in a matter of minutes. Depending on how often you use it, you might be able to grill for the whole summer with just one propane tank.

Furthermore, the best gas grills pack enough heating power for grilling steaks, reduce the risk of flare-ups, and are easy to clean.

If you want to bring your gas grillin’ to the next level, check out these tips from Cowboy Kent Rollins:

Buyer’s Guide for the Best Gas Grill Under $500

In order to find the best grill for your needs, there are some important aspects to consider before making the purchase.

Below, we have listed the most important features to think about:

1. Size and Space Requirement

One of the first things to consider is where you are going to place the grill and how much space you have. If you’re tight with space, make sure that the grill can fit and that there is enough space around it.

2. Cooking Area

If you have a large family or plan to throw big parties, you will probably be cooking for plenty of people on a regular basis. This means you need a grill with a big cooking area.

Yet, if you are mostly cooking for just a few people, there is no need to get a huge grill that consumes a lot of gas and is harder to clean.

3. Heating Capability: BTUs and Heat Flux

BTU, or the British thermal unit, tells you how much heat your gas grill can generate and how much fuel it consumes. If you have a large cooking area but low BTU, it will be hard to make the grill hot enough for burgers and steaks.

Heat flux is perhaps a more useful way of measuring the heating capability of a gas grill. Divide the amount of BTUs produced by the grill’s main burners by the size of the primary grilling surface and you have the heat flux value.

The heat flux tells you directly how much heating power the grill puts out per every square inch. A proper value can be anything between 50 and 100.

Some newer grills are more efficient and can manage to get hot enough with less heating power. These types of units are well-designed to retain the produced heat, which makes them also more fuel-efficient.

4. Number of Burners

The more burners you have the more control you get over creating different heat zones in the grilling area. If you are going to sear some burgers while cooking some wings on the other side, you need enough control to make it happen.

Having at least three burners on the grill makes cooking different items at the same time much easier. You can also turn some of the burners off completely for indirect slow cooking of foods like ribs, briskets, or roasts.

5. Build Quality and Warranty

It might be worth investing some extra to get a grill that is built with durable and rust-proof materials and a good warranty.

Some of the cheaper models are great for the short term but might start rusting after a few seasons. Also, it’s not nice to notice that one of the burners or the ignition has stopped working when bringing the grill out of the winter storage.

6. Storage and Transport

Are you going to keep the grill in one place, or do you need to move it around frequently?

Some grills are quite big and heavy, and it’s not easy to move them.

There are more portable options that can be moved without too much effort. Some gas grills can also be easily folded. This will be convenient if you are planning to pack the grill in a car and take it with you on a trip. It’s also much easier to put this type of grill to winter storage.

7. Extra Features

Do you need any kind of special features or just a high-quality basic gas grill?

Here are some features that you might find useful:

• Side-Burner: A side burner can be very useful for cooking side dishes. You can use it to make sauces, boil rice or potatoes, or even fry bacon and eggs. And you can do all this at the same time while grilling.
• Warming Rack: A separate warming rack is useful for keeping foods warm without burning them. Meanwhile, you can grill other things in hotter temperatures.
• Infrared: Having a gas grill with infrared technology allows you to use heat radiation for faster cooking. Infrared grills heat up quickly and achieve a more even heat distribution compared to regular gas grills. Many of the best steak houses use grills with infrared burners.
• Rotisserie: When you’re cooking whole birds or large pieces of meats a rotisserie can come in handy. It allows you to cook the meat more evenly without burning it and makes basting easier.

Final Thoughts on the Best Gas Grills Under $500

As you can see, you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a good gas grill. However, you might have to choose between a smaller quality grill and a larger unit with more features.

We hope that this guide has provided you with the advice that you need for choosing your next grill.

If you are still looking for more options check out the buying guides below:

• Best Built-In Gas Grills for Your Outdoor Kitchen
• Best Gas Grills with Rotisserie Burner
• Best Gas Grills Under $1000 Reviewed

Have a great barbecue!