Is Weber still the king of the grill? We put a slew of top full-sized, tabletop and portable grills to the test to find the best propane and natural gas grills for summer 2025.
CNET staff -- not advertisers, partners or business interests -- determine how we review products and services. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.
What to consider
Cost and value
Reliable gas grills start at around $400 and go well into the thousands.
Propane vs natural gas
There are distinct pros and cons to each fuel type.
BTUs
How much power is too much and how much isn't enough?
Size and capacity
Don't get caught with a grill too small for your regular crew.
vs
Warm weather may be just now descending on most of the country, but we've been outside sizzling burgers, ribs, and chicken for months to find the best gas grills to fuel your summer. After weeks of testing more than 15 grills of all shapes and sizes, Weber's Spirit E-310 lands atop our list as the best gas grill overall. The Spirit E-310 is not just one of the best-selling models from one of the most respected grill producers, but it aced every one of our tests and looked good doing it.
Weber grills tend to last a long in our experience, which is why the brand nabbed three of the six spots on our list of the best grills to buy. Icons aside, a newcomer to the grilling category caught our attention this year; the feature-heavy Ninja FlexFlame that’s also a smoker, griddle, convection oven and pizza oven (when you splurge on the right attachments).
While trendy pellet grills and flat-top griddles have become darlings of the outdoor cooking world, some might call them a flash in the pan. Traditional gas grills are still our choice for creating an al fresco feast during these balmy late spring and summer months. Here, you will find the top gas grills of 2025, all tested by experts at CNET.
What we liked:
The Weber Spirit is one of the best-selling gas grills for a reason. The thoughtfully designed gas grill has three burners and enough grill space (450 total square inches including top rack) to accommodate most grilling sessions. The E-310 holds about nine average-sized burgers, so you may need to cook in batches when feeding larger groups.
The sturdy Spirit aced all our cooking tests, cooking ribs and chicken evenly and searing a crust on burgers quickly so we could maintain a juicy medium rare inside. The Spirit's snap ignition worked better than other systems at lighting the grill's three burners without fail. In our experience using Weber grills, the ignition systems also hold up over time where other brands give out over time.
Who is it for:
This is our top pick grill for most people. The Weber Spirit cooks evenly and consistently and burns hot, allowing you to sear steaks, burgers, veggies and fish. Weber grills also tend to hold up better over time, making this grill an exception value when compared to others in the same price range.
Who should avoid it:
The Spirit E-310 isn't teeming with extras so those seeking bells and whistles on their gas grill might consider another on our list. It's also has a medium-capacity grill top so those feeding large crowds on the regular will benefit from a larger model.
If it's more space you seek, the four-burner Spirit is available for $180 more. The more modest two-burner version can be had for $399.
What we liked:
This propane grill offers a sprawling 787 square inches of cooking space. It boasts three main burners rated at 39,000 BTU, a 13,000 BTU sear burner and a 12,000 BTU side burner. We love how two of the main burners and the sear burner can form a special sear zone on command. Those who tend to cook after dark will appreciate the built-in LED lighting system. It illuminates the cooking area automatically when you pop open the hood.
During our testing, the Genesis EPX-335 seared burgers well with just a hint of pinkness at their centers. A whole chicken came out nicely cooked as well: The skin was crispy, and both white and dark meat was left tender and juicy.
Who is it for:
If you're willing to spend a little more on extra features, then the Weber Genesis EPX-335 is what you seek. Thanks to onboard Weber Connect support, this grill has smart abilities, too. Linked to your home's Wi-Fi network you can use the Weber Connect app to monitor grill status from your phone. That includes internal grill temperature plus real-time readings from up to two meat probes.
Who should avoid it:
This is not a budget buy but it performed mostly in accordance with the price. The only hiccup we ran into was while cooking pork ribs low and slow. According to the grill's LED screen, heat levels during the cook were parked with a 10-degree range of 225 F. Our own thermocouples though pegged temperatures at grill level at about 45 degrees cooler. As a result, our ribs took longer than expected: 6 hours and 30 minutes to finish.
Why we liked:
Ninja's first full-size grill, the FlexFlame, is unlike any other gas grill we've tested. The large propane-powered unit has a built-in smoker box that can be turned on with the push of a button and saturated the food inside with applewood or hickory flavor. The FlexFlame has loads of attachments, mostly sold separately, that turn it into a flat-top griddle or pizza oven. The Ninja exhibited exceptional temperature control, all the way up to a scorching 600 F and lightning-fast heat recovery when the lid is closed after flipping burgers or checking chicken.
We loved making seared steaks over the grates one side and using the half-griddle attachment to cook flaky fish and veggies on the other. The FlexFlame offers more versatility than most grills and is easy to operate.
Read our full review of the Ninja FlexFlame here.
Who is it for:
This is a big, feature-heavy grill that makes a joy to entertain large groups with. The main grill surface offers 424 square inches of cooking capacity (enough for about 15 burgers) and a stop rack supplements with another 121 square inches. You can cook using multiple modes and methods at once, including flat-top griddling, smoking and a dedicated pizza stone for slinging pies. The grills exceptional heat control, thanks to a convection fan and carefully calibrated dials make it a joy to roast chicken or slow-cook a brisket. Heat is dispersed so evenly throughout the chamber, you could actually The built-in smoker box lets wannabe pitmasters impart authentic barbecue flavor.
Who should avoid it:
The FlexFlame has a bunch of features that contribute to the higher cost. If you don't think you'll use the smoker function or griddle attachment, it might not be worth the expense. This grill also requires electricity to run, which can be cumbersome depending on your outdoor configuration.
What we liked:
We've been testing portable grills for five years and a model from Weber's Q series has reigned atop our best list for the entire run. The small but mighty Q1200 lights easily and heats evenly drawing from a single 8,500 Btu burner. The flip-up side tables make cooking and prep almost as easy as cooking on a full-size grill. The 30-pound grill has more weight than some of the other small models we've tested, but that's because it's built to last with a cast aluminum hull and Weber's signature porcelain-coated cast-iron grates.
Who is it for:
With 189 square inches of cooking space -- enough for roughly eight 4-ounce burgers -- you could make this your main grill but we'd suggest buying the cart and an adapter so you can hook it up to a larger propane tank since the Coleman camping canisters would run out quickly. We found it plenty easy to lug around via the built-in handles, making it a perfect grill to take camping, in your RV or to a tailgate.
Who should avoid it:
If you're seeking a truly portable grill to lug on hikes or long meandering camping trips, there are lighter more portable grills. Our picks can be found on this list of the best portable grills for 2025.
What we liked:
When space is limited, finding the right grill to give you the taste you want can be hard. This gas grill from Monument is compact on the outside but surprisingly large on the inside. It's big enough to cook a spatchcocked turkey or several large steaks, and because it's a gas grill, it's ready as soon as you want to use it.
Who is it for:
I took it camping with my family of six, and it easily kept us fed in burgers and hotdogs. It's lightweight and easy to carry and can be set on any picnic table. The drip tray underneath crosses the entire base, making it great at catching debris.If you only have a small outdoor space or a little balcony in your condo, this would be a great addition to make your grilling dreams come true. It lists for around $170 at Amazon.
Who should avoid it:
This tabletop grill is limited by its size and won't handle the workload of a full-size grill. I would have liked it to be a funneled drip pan for easier cleaning, but that would have added both weight and depth to the otherwise compact frame.
What we liked:
The size of the Denali is impressive, giving you room to easily cook for an entire party of guests. I especially like the little slots for hanging your drumsticks to let them cook evenly. All the food I tested was tender, and the probes did a good job of pinpointing the right temperature. My medium rare steaks were perfectly cooked, and the burger patties were browned evenly across the entire range. The addition of the burner to the side meant I could cook up some delicious barbecue beans at the same time as the meat, and I didn't need to bounce from inside to out to keep everything cooking.
Who is it for:
While a giant six-burner grill may not be for everyone, the Monument Denali is the perfect balance of modern thinking, value, and a quality build. Like any smart modern grill, the Denali has temperature probes to accurately cook food and uses an app to connect those probes to your phone. You can set the app to alert you when your food reaches the correct temperature or after a certain time limit.
Who should avoid it:
My only complaint with the Denali 605 is the time it took to build. It comes disassembled for easy shipping, but putting it together was tedious, with a lot of guesswork when the instructions weren't clear. Once it was built, it worked great, but it was a pain to get it together.
The Weber Spirit E-310 was tested and added as the best overall gas grill.
The Ninja FlexFlame was tested and added as the best gas grill for entertaining crowds.
The Weber Q 1200 was added as the best portable gas grill for 2025.
The Char-Broil Commercial 3-Burner was removed from our list as best midrange gas grill, effectively replaced by the $499 Weber Spirit E-310.
The Monument Denali 605 was recategorized as the best large-capacity gas grill.
The CNET editors have been cooking and serving up grill data for a few years now. In addition to the gas barbecue models above, here are the other gas grills we've tested. This list doesn't include the many models we've tested over the years that are no longer available for purchase.
We tested the unique features of each gas grill and ran three distinct cooking tests on all of them.
To determine the best gas grill and get a feel for how these grills perform in a variety of cooking scenarios, we perform three tests. Based on different meats, methods and heat settings, these tests show us how efficiently and evenly a grill does (or doesn't) cook.
We made ribs. Lots and lots of ribs.
Our first test is ribs. It's an anecdotal round, so there isn't a connected thermometer set or software capturing specific data. We preheat each grill on high for 10 minutes before turning it down to low, indirect heat. Depending on the grill size, that means turning one or two burners off completely.
We remove the outer membrane on a rack of pork back ribs and season it with an all-purpose rub we use for ribs and chicken. Then, the ribs are placed on the grates for at least 3 hours with the lid closed the entire time.
Rib testing takes three hours on low, indirect heat.
Rib enthusiasts may not agree with this relatively short and smoke-free cooking method, but it allows us to see just how well a regular propane gas grill can cook low and slow. If time allows we continue cooking until the ribs are completely done and make note of the total cook time.
To test the grill with a midrange cook time and medium heat settings, we grill a whole chicken. We preheat the grill on high for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to medium and turn off the burners to create an indirect heat environment.
Once we've trimmed and seasoned the bird, we place it in a roasting pan and insert one temperature probe into each chicken breast, for a total of two probes per chicken (this is an important step even if the grill has a built-in thermometer because undercooked chicken is no good for anyone). To keep our results as fair as possible, all the chickens are as close as possible to 5.5 pounds.
Whole chickens are cooked on indirect, medium heat until both breasts reach 165 degrees F.
Those temperature probes are connected to a data logger and laptop with software that records the internal temperature of each chicken breast every 2 seconds. Each chicken cooks until the temperature in both breasts reaches a food-safe 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grilled chicken should have a crispy skin and meat that's cooked through fully but not dry. We perform this test in three rounds, giving us a solid average cooking time for each grill.
Burgers are our final test for our grill reviews. We measure out 5.3 ounces of 80/20 ground beef and press them into uniform patties. Those patties go into a grill basket and we insert a temperature probe into the center of each patty at a 45-degree angle.
With the grill preheated for 10 minutes on high, the basket goes onto the grill. After six minutes of cooking, we flip the basket and monitor the internal temperature. Once the last burger in the basket reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit, the batch is finished. A good burger in this test is one that has both a nice outside char and a slightly pink center.
Burgers go on the grill over direct, high heat.
Burger testing points out any hot spots across the grill's cooking surface if one burger consistently reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit before the others in every round.
An average 15- or 20-degree difference across the quickest and slowest patties in a batch was the norm in our testing. Red flags are raised when we begin to see differences in the 30- to 40-degree range.
A few of the pricier smart grills had built-in probe systems for precise temperature monitoring.
While knowing what you want in a gas grill is important, knowing what you can spend is the first step when buying a grill. This is because you may want a six-burner grill, with a hot plate on the side, and a searing deck, but if you've only got $350 to spend, you're going to have to make some compromises. Now, there are still plenty of good gas grills in this price range, but when the spread between entry level and high-end is thousands of dollars, it's best to determine what you can afford first.
The reliable full-size grills we tested start at around $400 for a two-burner Weber. You can go cheaper with a budget grill brand like Char-Broil or lesser-known producer, but don't expect that unit to last as long or function as efficiently.
Weber's 3-burner Spirit is a good size for a family of four or five.
Larger 4, 5 and 6-burner grills typically run between $800 and $1,000. At that price, you'll typically get more total cooking area, more raw power for searing steaks and extras like a side burner, smart connectivity and, in the case of the Ninja FlexFlame, a built-in smoker and convection fan for outdoor roasting and baking.
Milk crates make great holders for propane tanks to keep them upright and easier to carry for transportation.
The most common gas grill you'll find when shopping around is propane. These grills are more portable, as you can simply hook them up to a 15- to 20-pound bottle and roll them wherever you need them. Just make sure you properly dispose of or trade in your propane bottle when it's empty.
The other type of gas grill would be one that uses natural gas. For some this isn't an option at all because this utility isn't available at your home, or you prefer to have a more mobile grill. If you have natural gas as a fuel option, the main benefit would be that you won't have to worry about running out of fuel and you'll save money in the long run since you won't have to pay for propane bottles or refills.
The Weber Genesis runs on natural gas piped in from your home's tank.
The heat rating for grills is done in British Thermal Units, and while the higher the BTUs generally means more heat, a lower number doesn't make the grill bad. There are many factors that go into determining the best BTUs needed for a particular grill. A grill with 700 square inches of cooking space would likely be underserved by only 25,000 BTUs, but a smaller grill would be perfect at that rating. A good rule of thumb to ensure the BTU rating and grill size are optimal for your needs is to divide the total BTUs by the total cooking area. Aim for around 110 BTUs per square inch.
Before you buy, do a mental audit of how many people you'll be cooking for regularly. If you tend to host large gatherings, you'll appreciate the extrs grate real estate. If it's only once in a while, the smaller grill will save money and space on the deck.
Small, portable gas grills start at around 150 square inches, enough for 5 to 7 burgers. Midsized grills offer 300 to 400 square inches, enough for 10 to 12 burgers. The largest gas grills we tested had as many as 800 total square inches of cooking space.
While the vast majority of gas grills use propane as the fuel source, some use natural gas. Many factors can set one grill apart from the next. With different grill sizes, cooking grates and BTU levels, a difference in performance is expected in each individual outdoor gas grill. Still, some observations need to be made.
One thing our test data highlights is how quickly a grill can cook on its own medium or high setting. That doesn't mean each grill is set to the same preheated temperature. It simply means we turned the knobs to what each grill indicated was medium heat.
It depends on your cooking style. If you're cooking for large groups frequently, you'll need a grill with a large primary cooking surface, a warming rack and a side burner. So a grill like this would be great for large or small. But if you don't plan on making large meals, you'll save money and have a better overall cooking experience on a smaller gas grill.
Once you've picked out the best gas grill for you, you'll want to look at grill covers and pick up grilling tools like a grill brush, a thermometer to check for food-safe temperatures and liners for the drip tray. There are loads of great cooking tools that can be used on all types of grills, it just comes down to what works best for you and your cooking style.
Generally, at the end of summer is the best time to buy a grill. Starting around Labor Day, you'll start seeing grills go on sale to make room for fall and winter seasonal items. You can also find good sales during major holidays, especially summer ones like Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Father's Day.
Ideally, your grill will have 80 to 100 BTUs per square inch of cooking surface. For example: a 400 sq. in. grill would have roughly 36,000 BTUs for effective performance.
David lives in Brooklyn where he's spent more than a decade covering all things edible, including meal kit services, food subscriptions, kitchen tools and cooking tips. David earned his BA from Northeastern and has toiled in nearly every aspect of the food business, including as a line cook in Rhode Island where he once made a steak sandwich for Lamar Odom. Right now he's likely somewhere stress-testing a blender or tinkering with a toaster. Anything with sesame is his all-time favorite food this week.