Gas Outdoor Grills
Gas outdoor grills come in all shapes and sizes. All of them can do a good job grilling your burgers, cooking your chicken, and roasting your hot dogs. What sort of grill you choose depends on how you want to use it, what fuel you want to burn, how portable you want it to be, what size you want, what material you want it to be made of, what features you want it to have, and how much you want to spend.
Use
Deciding how you want to use the grill will help you address a lot of the choices listed below. Do you want the grill to be a fixture at the side of the house, or would you prefer to be able to move it from place? Do you want to just grill a few things for you and the family or do you want to host large backyard barbecues? How much shelf space would you like it to have and what other features do you view as necessary?
Fuel
Gas grills can be fuel by propane or natural gas. Make sure you know which fuel you want to use since the two types are not interchangeable. A propane grill won't work from a natural gas outlet without modification and natural gas grill won't work on propane either. Propane is a little more expensive, and you have to get the tank refilled every so often. Natural gas is piped into your home. On the other hand, propane gives you the advantage of greater portability (discussed next). A natural gas grill has to stay pretty close to wherever the natural gas hookup happens to be located outside your home.
Portability
Some gas grills are installed as fixtures in the backyard. They're encased in concrete and the surfaces are covered with tile. These grills are meant to stay put. At the other end, you can purchase a small party grill suitable for road trips and tailgate parties. But you don't have to go small to get some portability. Many large grills come with two wheels attached to the legs so that you can move the grill around like a wheelbarrow. They may be too large to take on the road, but they can still get around the backyard and be stored in the garage.
Size
How many people are you planning on entertaining at the same time? If you want to have large parties, a small grill won't be enough. Even a medium sized grill can make you a slave, turning out burger after burger to an endless line. Look at the grill and estimate how many hamburgers or chicken pieces you can cook on it at the same time. On the other end, if you just want to grill for you and the family, a small grill may be just right for you.
Material
Gas grills can be made out of aluminum, stainless steel, or cast iron. The aluminum will make the grill lighter and easier to move. But many people are turning to stainless steel for greater durability and evenness of heating.
Features
Many grills come with a tool set. That's nice, but obviously you can buy your own; so that shouldn't be a deciding factor. You'll want to select a grill that has enough counter space to make grilling a pleasurable experience. Some grills have fold out trays so that the space is there when you need it and disappears when you don't. Fancier grills can also feature a sink and even a refrigerator for cooking in style.
Price
Depending on size and features, gas grills run a pretty wide price range. The simplest camping grill can be had for $40. The deluxe versions can run $2,500 and more.
