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The 8 best gas BBQs to buy in 2026, as tested by our experts

Published: Thursday, 12 March 2026 at 9:58 am

BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine team up with Good Food magazine to test the best gas BBQs for your garden

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Do you love it when warm weather and longer days signal the beginning of the barbeque season? Cooking and eating outside in the garden are highlights of the summer for many of us, and although charcoal barbecues are often the traditional choice, gas barbecues make grilling so much simple. As well as being quicker and cleaner than charcoal, they leave little mess, cook without smoke, and often come with a range of bonus features to take your cooking to the next level.

We love our barbeques too, so it's been a real pleasure testing a range of models to bring you our favourite gas barbecues of 2026. Check out our video above for expert advice on buying the best gas barbecue for your garden and our buyer's guide below for the rundown of the top gas barbecues available today.

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Gas BBQs – Buyer’s Guide

Our 4 best gas BBQs to buy at a glance

Also recommended: gas BBQs

Comparison table: best gas BBQs

ModelRatingRRPNo. of burnersCooking areaWeightWarrantyWeber Q2200N4.8/5£38912065cm²21.5kg5 yearsWeber Genesis Series EPX-3354.8/5£1,59935078cm²73kg5 yearsWeber Traveler4.8/5£50912065cm²21.12kg5 yearsWeber Q12004.8/5£38911290cm²19kg5 yearsEverdure Furnace 3 burner4.5/5£86732915cm²47.17kg5 yearsNapoleon Rogue 4254.5/5£674.9933715cm²58.5kg15 yearsChar-Broil Grill2Go4.5/5£229.9911232cm²9kg2 yearsBoss Grill Deluxe Portable4.3/5£249.9722415cm²22.62kg1 year

Our expertise

We teamed up with our colleagues at Good Food Magazine to ensure our tests were as accurate, fair, and useful as possible. With their culinary knowledge and our reviewing expertise we’ve found the best gas BBQs for every garden. Each review has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to set up and assembly, ease of use, cooking results and value for money. From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on gas barbecues that score 4.5 out of 5 or higher. Anything rated 3.5 or above will still feature in our ‘Best of the rest’ list.

Jump to the best gas BBQs:

Jump to gas BBQ advice:

Our 4 top-rated gas BBQs

Weber Q2200N gas barbecue with side tables and premium cart

Our best gas barbecue for small gardens

RRP: £479

Our rating: 4.8/5

A star rating of 4.8 out of 5.

Available from: BBQ World (£329)

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Best Buy gas barbecue for small gardens: Weber Q2200N

Our best gas barbecue for small gardens: Weber Q2200N

Reasons to buy:

• Feels sturdy and well-made
• Handle stays cool and comfortable
• Drip tray is effective
• Cooks quickly, evenly and well

Reasons to avoid:

• Expensive

I found this sturdy little barbecue is easy to put together and to move in and out of storage with its four lockable wheels and side tables that slot on and off in seconds. It takes up very little room and the gas can be stored in the cart when not in use. It’s light but robust, and the grill is a comfortable height for cooking. It's easy to connect the gas, with intuitive controls, and the Porcelain-enamelled, cast-iron cooking grates get to temperature (400°F, 204°C) in just five minutes, with even heat distribution and slightly cooler edges.

There’s enough space for up to 12 burgers, and all the food I tested was evenly cooked with good grill lines. The lid has a thermometer and a heat-proof handle, and the quality and design are very good. It feels sturdy and long-lasting, and it comes with a five-year warranty. We awarded it a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for the best gas barbecue for small gardens.

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Weber Genesis Series EPX-335 smart gas barbecue

Our best premium gas barbecue

RRP: £1,599

Our rating: 4.8/5

A star rating of 4.8 out of 5.

Available from: BBQ World (£1,399)

Our best premium gas barbecue: Weber Genesis Series EPX-335 Gas Barbecue

Our best premium gas barbecue: Weber Genesis Series EPX-335 Gas Barbecue

Reasons to add:

Reasons to avoid:

Retailing at around £1,500, the Weber Genesis Series EPX-335 Smart gas barbecue is a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for the best premium gas barbecue. I was impressed by this three-burner barbecue that's packed with features. Not only does it cater for a whopping 12 people, but it has a digital thermometer that lets you control the temperature to the exact degree. It also sends step-by-step temperature alerts to your phone to guide you through cooking. There’s a large sear zone, as well as a side burner that’s perfect for pans and skillets and doubles up as an additional work surface with its lid down. The warming rack is double-width, for extra snacks, and there’s even a rotisserie arm for cooking whole birds. I found the heat was evenly distributed across the whole barbecue.

The combination of the sear zone and the side burner allowed me to sear steaks on the right while cooking kebabs on the left, while at the same time keeping extras piping hot on the double-width warming rack. The steaks I cooked had well-defined char lines and a delicious flavour while remaining pink, tender and juicy in the middle. The rotisserie arm is easy to use and turned out two succulent roast chickens. There was no sticking with any of the ingredients and recipes on test, and everything I cooked was delicious.

However, I can’t get around the cost. There’s a lot of functionality crammed into this barbecue, but £1,500 is a very hefty price tag, especially in the current climate. It also has a large footprint on a patio, so in small gardens it will dominate your space. You need to place it near a power socket too, as it has a short power cord to run the digital temperature gauge. I can’t comment on how easy this barbecue is to assemble, because it was delivered to me fully built.

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Weber Traveler gas barbecue

Our best gas barbecue for convenience

RRP: £509

Our rating: 4.8/5

A star rating of 4.8 out of 5.

Available from: Amazon (£539)

Best Buy for convenience: Weber Traveler gas barbecue

Our best gas barbecue for convenience: Weber Traveler gas barbecue

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This is a well-designed barbecue, great for small gardens, camping, or taking down to the beach for instant barbecuing. We awarded it a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for convenience as I found it one of the easiest to use of all the barbecues we've tested. Almost ready to go straight out of the box, it just needs the wheels slotted on, the grill plates and drip tray inserted, and you have a table-top barbecue, complete with a work surface, no matter where you are.

Easy to lift up into position, it has a good-sized cooking area with two cast iron grill plates with a porcelain enamel coating above a single burner. The domed lid has a temperature gauge, and the grill plates heat up quickly within just a few minutes. The control dial is easy to adjust, there’s ample space to feed a family or larger gathering, and in my test, everything cooked well and evenly, and nothing stuck to the grill plates. Next to the burner are handy plastic tool hooks, and the side table is easily big enough for plates, sauces and more.

As a travel barbecue, it uses small, screw-in canisters of propane and butane, which won’t last long. I used about two-thirds of a bottle in our test, but if you plan to use this barbecue regularly at home, it’s worth investing in a regulator and adaptor hose so you can hook it up to a bigger propane canister.

With its trolley design, the barbecue collapses down flat with the flick of a button (and the lid and legs lock automatically), and I found it simple to lift and move around on its wheels. It’s also very easy to store, as once flat, it stands up vertically and can be tucked away flat against a wall. Compared to other portable barbecues, it's quite pricey, but given its quality, ease and cooking results, I'd say it’s well worth it. It comes with a five-year warranty.

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Weber Q1200 gas barbecue

Our best portable gas barbecue

RRP: £389

Our rating: 4.8/5

A star rating of 4.8 out of 5.

Available from: Amazon (£349.99)

Our best portable gas barbecue: Weber Q1200 Gas Barbecue

Our best portable gas barbecue: Weber Q1200 Gas Barbecue

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The Q1200 portable gas barbecue is a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for the best portable gas barbecue. I found it easy to use, and it cooked well, albeit without the bells and whistles of larger models. Fuelled by a C500 gas cartridge, it heats efficiently, but the temperature does drop if the lid is opened for any length of time, and it takes several minutes to regain heat, especially once the grill is covered with food. The compact grill makes this barbecue ideal for cooking a few steaks for a cosy gathering of four, rather than a prolonged burger-flipping session catering for a larger party.

I was pleased with the good char lines, but sections of the grill were solid, which reduces the areas where you can achieve this authentic barbecue texture. The non-stick coating isn’t always effective. Clear instructions mean it’s easy to assemble, just make sure the plastic side tables don’t accidentally touch the hot grill, as they are likely to scorch. This is a versatile barbecue that’s completely portable, whether you’re in the garden or on the beach, and it’s easy to store. It's also available with a stand.

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Also recommended: gas BBQs

Everdure Furnace 3 burner gas barbecue

Our best gas barbecue for crowds

RRP: £867

Our rating: 4.5/5

A star rating of 4.5 out of 5.

Available from: BBQ World (£625)

Our best gas barbecue for crowds: Everdure Furnace 3 burner gas barbecue

Our best gas barbecue for crowds: Everdure Furnace 3 burner gas barbecue

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This simple-to-use barbecue impressed me with its good looks and quick, ferocious cooking. It comes with three die-cast grills, each of which slots above a burner that works independently – so you can fire up all three at once or just use one at a time. It reaches grilling temperature in a matter of minutes and reacts well to temperature change, with three hob-like knobs to adjust the heat that sit on the right-hand side of the grill and bring an element of familiarity if you’re used to cooking on gas indoors.

I found putting this barbecue together quite fiddly and time-consuming, especially as some of the screws didn't thread through properly, but the instructions were mostly clear and, although no tools were provided, all I needed was a Phillips screwdriver. Once built, it can stay assembled and has two small wheels to help you push it in and out of storage. Alternatively, there’s a (somewhat pricey) cover to protect it from the elements available to buy from BBQ World. It's robust and a good size, with a wide grill able to handle a large amount of food. There's space for up to 28 burgers or three roast chickens at one time, and almost everything I cooked was well charred and succulent. However, I did find the occasional cold spot on the grill, which made some results inconsistent.

It has a sturdy hood with a temperature gauge and a side table on the left-hand side, plus a shelf below for storing accessories and utensils. It's expensive, which no doubt reflects the attached celebrity name, but it's a high-performing barbecue with plenty of user-friendly features, and I think it's good value for money. It also comes with a five-year warranty. We awarded it a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for the best gas barbecue for crowds.

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Napoleon Rogue 425 gas barbecue

Our best all-around gas barbecue

RRP: £674.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

A star rating of 4.5 out of 5.

Available from: BBQ World (£639.95)

Our best all round gas barbecue: Napoleon Rogue 425 Gas Barbecue

Our best all-around gas barbecue: Napoleon Rogue 425 Gas Barbecue

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

A BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy winner, the Napoleon Rogue 425 is the best all-round gas barbecue. It was quick to set up and simple to use, and thanks to its slick, lockable wheels, I found it easy to move around the garden. It ignites easily and reaches temperature in 10 minutes, hitting a powerful 700°F (371°C) and has a large grill area at 46cm x 59.5cm, with Napoleon’s iconic wavy grill lines. The grills are at the perfect distance from the burners to prevent burning and ensure even heat transfer, which also massively reduces hot and cool spots on this barbecue.

All my test recipes turned out to be delicious, with golden caramelisation and crisp grill lines, and I loved the temperature gauge, which is clear to read in both Fahrenheit and Celsius and offers precise control. I also appreciate the fact that the gas tucks away neatly on its own inbuilt shelf, so this sleek barbecue looks fantastic on a patio. However, the warming rack gets so hot that it can continue to cook your food, and I also found the non-stick grill disappointing, as marinades often stuck to the grill. This is an expensive barbecue, but it’s well thought out, with excellent cooking results, and it comes with a 15-year warranty.

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Char-Broil Grill2Go gas barbecue

Our best gas barbecue for small families and couples

RRP: £229.99

Our rating: 4.5/5

A star rating of 4.5 out of 5.

Available from: Amazon (£144.99), Robert Dyas (£192.99) and Wayfair (£156.99)

Our best gas barbecue for small families and couples: Char-Broil Grill2Go Gas Barbecue

Our best gas barbecue for small families and couples: Char-Broil Grill2Go Gas Barbecue

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The Char-Broil Grill2Go gas barbecue is designed for use at home and on the move, and won a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for small families and couples. A simple, single-burner gas barbecue, I was impressed that it's almost ready to go from the box. You just need to plug in the regulator and add your gas. However, unless you shell out for a specialised propane gas regulator, it only runs on threaded EN417 gas bottles with a mix of butane and propane.

It gets to temperature in under five minutes and has a handy thermometer in the lid. When cooking, the most notable feature of this barbecue is its well-defined grill lines. I found that burgers came off this barbecue looking picture-perfect, with precise grill lines. The Grill2Go is also excellent at retaining moisture, which can be tricky on a barbecue. Vegetable kebabs come off the grill with crisp, charred outsides and succulent insides. It’s small and lightweight, so though it has a relatively large 44 x 28cm cooking area, it’s easy to move around the garden and would be a great companion while camping. It also comes with a useful scraper for cleaning after use.

However, this barbecue suffers from the success of its char-lines, which can quickly blacken food even at lower temperatures, so I found it difficult to cook through larger ingredients. This is particularly tricky because of its temperature control, which is simple to use but doesn’t always react quickly. I spotted a few flare-ups, and the right half of the grill is also much hotter than the left, with a noticeable cool spot along the front of the barbecue. Nevertheless, I think this grill is excellent for couples and small families. Because it heats up so quickly, it’s just the thing for everyday grilling too.

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Boss Grill Deluxe portable gas barbecue

Our best basic gas barbecue

RRP: £249.97

Our rating: 4.3/5

A star rating of 4.3 out of 5.

Available from: Amazon (£264.97) and Appliances Direct (£219)

Our best basic gas barbecue: Boss Grill Deluxe Portable Gas Barbecue

Our best basic gas barbecue: Boss Grill Deluxe Portable Gas Barbecue

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This barbecue is a brilliant option if you’re after something that gets the basics of barbecuing right, so it won a BBC Gardeners' World Magazine Best Buy for the best basic gas barbecue. It’s worth noting that while the majority of the build could be done by just one person, the quality of the manual is seriously lacking. On test, it left me to work out a considerable amount on my own, owing to the poor-quality images and the lack of text. It’s a little wobbly, and I also think the overall height of the barbecue is a little short – on a 5'5" tester, the grill sits just below the hips. This isn’t a barbecue for experts; rather, it's geared toward someone who wants a simple barbecue for basic dishes, but it’s all you need to get grilling.

It features a large, generous grilling area with a double burner and enough space to comfortably cook for four people. This model takes just five minutes to heat up and provides an even and consistent heat, right to the edges. It’s also particularly responsive to changes in temperature, and overall, it cooks well, with wonderfully defined grill lines and excellent sealing. I loved the stylish faux-leather handle, which remained cool. It's lightweight, and I found it easy to move around thanks to the chunky wheels.

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The best of the rest

Although some models didn’t quite achieve a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award, they still have great features that make them worth recommending. Browse our pick of the best of the rest.

Campingaz Attitude 2go Table Top gas barbecue

RRP: £249.99

Our rating: 4.3/5

A star rating of 4.3 out of 5.

Available from: Amazon (£195) and B&Q (£219)

Campingaz 2go table top gas barbecue

Campingaz 2go table top gas barbecue

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This neat, tabletop barbecue needs no assembly: I just added the grill and the drip tray, and it was ready to go. However, it doesn’t come with the gas regulator included, so you do have to purchase this separately and attach it yourself, which was quite tricky. I found that soaking the end of the hose in warm water to soften it before attaching it definitely helped. It’s compact with carry handles built in to the legs, so it’s easy to carry and lift onto your table or patio, but at 13kg it’s heavier than other portable barbecues such as the Cadac.

The enamelled cast iron grill sits above a single gas burner, which is easy to adjust by a chunky dial on the side, and the lid has a handy temperature gauge. But I found this barbecue slow to heat up. I took 10 minutes to reach temperature, although once there, it maintained an even, constant heat and cooked food well with good char lines and no sticking. The chunky handle on the front of the lid stayed cool to the touch and felt sturdy and safe, and the front-loading drip tray was easy to clean. Once cool, the barbecue was simple to pick up and store away.

Overall, this is a simple tabletop barbecue, but it lacks accessories, so the range of what and how you can cook with it is limited. The lid has a 10-year warranty, and the cooking grill has a five-year warranty.

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Spirit II E-310 GBS Gas Barbecue

RRP: £549

Our rating: 4/5

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Available from: Argos (£549) and BBQ World (£439.95)

Weber Spirit II E-310 GBS Gas Barbecue

Weber Spirit II E-310 GBS Gas Barbecue

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

This intuitive barbecue from Weber makes gas grilling a breeze. I found it easy to connect to my gas, and it ignited on the first click every time, reaching cooking temperature in 15 minutes. With responsive temperature knobs, this barbecue is easy to control, too. However, you’ll need a rubber mallet, 7/16-inch spanner, and a Phillips head screwdriver to assemble this barbecue, and it’s tricky to move around. Though the side burner and side table are great additions, they got in the way when I was trying to manoeuvre it, and the lack of handles means it's hard to push or drag the barbecue. Despite being a two-burner barbecue, it has quite a large patio footprint, so, like me, you might struggle to store it in a shed or a greenhouse.

On test, chicken wings and burgers cooked well thanks to excellent heat retention, and it gives sausages and halloumi wonderful grill lines. I especially liked the versatile grill. The circular panel in the grill can be replaced with Weber accessories, like a pizza stone. The included thermometer is quick to respond and easy to read, and there are very few cool spots. Suiting both serious grill masters and casual barbecuers, this is an impressive model that's simple to use and turns out great dishes.

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George Foreman GFSBBQ1 single burner gas barbecue

RRP: £123.99

Our rating: 4/5

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Available from: Amazon (£99.99) and Currys (£99.99)

George Foreman GFSBBQ1 Single Burner Gas Barbecue

George Foreman GFSBBQ1 Single Burner Gas Barbecue

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The George Foreman GFSBBQ1 is a single-burner barbecue for three people, but I'd say you could easily stretch this to four. It’s easy to assemble, but it needs a screwdriver for the lid, and you have to screw in the thermometer, too. Its biggest weakness is that you have to put together the regulator yourself, which I found very fiddly as you need water to lubricate the hose in order to fit it, and you need to use small hose clamps to tighten everything. However, the instructions are simple and clear. Once you’re set up, it’s a dream to use.

It gets to temperature in just five minutes, and its temperature control is smooth and reacts quickly to any change. It has a couple of cool spots in the corners, but otherwise has even coverage, so you can cook everything at exactly the same rate, no matter where it is on the grill. It produced good char-lines for me, but other barbecues on test have better definition. Though everything tastes delicious, the food isn’t as quick to cook or as well-cooked as with some of the other barbecues on test.

Above all, what you see is what you get. There are no extra functions or hidden storage, just a simple grill. It also feels a little flimsy, but that isn’t a surprise at this price. I also found that the 70cm width of this barbecue slightly defeats the point of a tabletop barbecue, as it’s too big to comfortably sit on most patio or garden tables. I think this barbecue would best suit an unfussy family of four. You might not make gourmet grub on this grill, but it’s all you need for a few burgers on a sunny afternoon.

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Napoleon Freestyle 365 gas barbecue

RRP: £469.99

Our rating: 4/5

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Available from: BBQ World (£446.49)

Napoleon Freestyle 365 Gas Barbecue

Napoleon Freestyle 365 Gas Barbecue

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The Napoleon Freestyle 365 comes with a handy side burner, and our Good Food Magazine colleagues love how well it cooks. However, before you get started, it’s worth noting that this barbecue is difficult to put together. You’ll need a Phillips screwdriver, as well as a set of spanners. Frustratingly, the diagrams are all over the place and demonstrate the assembly from odd angles, so it takes a little figuring out. All told, it takes at least two hours to get everything together, so if you’re planning a big bank holiday barbecue, you don’t want to be building this on the day. That said, I like the inclusion of spare parts, so there’s no panic if you lose a screw.

Once it’s assembled, it’s easy to ignite and quick to heat, offering remarkable evenness across the whole grill. The 51cm by 45cm grilling area is a good size, offering lots of space for cooking without taking up the entire patio. However, the grates are wide, so smaller items like prawn skewers might struggle to cook or char evenly. That said, more substantial ingredients like chicken ended up with beautifully defined grill lines. I found the three burners and thermometer responsive, letting me precisely control the temperature, and the warming rack is suspended in just the right spot to keep kebabs and corn on the cob at the perfect temperature. Unfortunately, it’s surprisingly noisy when it gets going.

The side burner is a hit, grilling an astonishing steak, and the bottle opener on this side burner is a lovely extra touch, making this barbecue a social focal point on a patio. All of its parts are robust, high-quality steel and aluminium, neatly stamped with Napoleon’s logo. This quality extends to the warranty, which I was impressed to see lasts for ten years.

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Outback Magnum 3 burner hybrid barbecue

RRP: £529.99

Our rating: 3.8 out of 5

A star rating of 3.8 out of 5.

Available from: Calor (£414), Charlies (£413.99) and Direct Stoves (£459.99)

Outback Magnum 3 Gas Charcoal Barbecue

Outback Magnum 3 Gas Charcoal Barbecue

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

I found the Magnum 3 a well-thought-out gas barbecue with a lot of features for the price. It has a large cooking area, with a removable grill that can be swapped with a griddle or pizza stone for an additional cost, and it also comes with a charcoal basket to fill with charcoal briquettes to get that traditional smoky charcoal flavour from the ease of a gas grill. There’s a detailed thermometer in the hood, with helpful markings for types of cooking, and it has a side burner for sauces or charring aubergine, tool hooks, or even a bottle opener.

It took me around an hour to assemble this barbecue, but the instructions were clear, and it was a slow, methodical build that required two people towards the end. On the whole, it cooked well in my test. There were some cool spots around the edges of the burners, and it didn’t char or sear as well as others, but it heated up quickly, and, for those new to gas barbecuing, it’s versatile, quick and easy to cook on. It’s also light with two wheels that make it easy to move around and in and out of storage, but it is quite large with no folding tables, so it will take up a fair bit of room on the patio or in the shed over winter. It's best for medium-sized gardens.

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Boss Grill Georgia classic gas barbecue

RRP: £249

Our rating: 3.5/5

A star rating of 3.5 out of 5.

Available from: Appliances Direct (£249)

Boss Grill Georgia Classic Gas Barbecue

Boss Grill Georgia Classic Gas Barbecue

Reasons to buy:

Reasons to avoid:

The Boss Grill Georgia Classic is a decent choice if you want a starter barbecue. This model comes with two different grilling plates to suit a range of meals, and I'd say it would fit easily into most mid/large-sized gardens. With four burners for the main BBQ area and an additional side hob, it offers a lot of room to cook multiple foods at once. Although large, it’s lightweight and features wheels on the back, so you can move it around your garden with ease. It also comes with some handy accessories.

Some food cooked well on the barbecue, like skewers, aubergine and potato. My potato slices were particularly great thanks to a griddle plate, which is great for flat, thin items like halloumi. However, this barbecue leaves courgette slices with poorly defined grill lines and unevenly toasted burger buns. The side burner was tricky to get going, and the build is tricky as a result of poor instructions.

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If a gas grill isn’t for you, check out our tests of the best charcoal BBQs. We've also reviewed the best pizza ovens, in collaboration with Good Food magazine. For accessories, check out our guides to the best BBQ accessories and BBQ shelters.

For extra help with barbecuing, take a look at Good Food Magazine’s guide to barbecuing safely, their range of BBQ recipes, with delicious ideas for burgers, BBQ ribs, hot wings, and drinks, as well as vegetarian and vegan treats.

Should I choose a gas BBQ or a charcoal BBQ?

The main considerations are how much and how often you want to barbecue. Gas barbecues tend to be better for feeding a crowd, as they often have a larger cooking area and a uniform temperature across the grill, so you can be sure of a consistent cooking time wherever you’re cooking. They also heat up and get to cooking temperature fast: depending on the model, they can be ready to cook in just five minutes, compared to thirty or forty for a charcoal barbecue. This means you won’t be stuck at the grill and left out of the party. You can also get everyone’s portion to the table at once or, if you have guests coming and going throughout the day, cook as and when you need to. This speed also makes a gas BBQ great for everyday cooking. If you fancy a quick burger in the garden after work, there’s no need to bother with a messy bag of charcoal as if you’re getting ready for a big family get-together. Just switch on the gas and get grilling.

Gas barbecues are also ideal if you’re new to barbecuing. With a gas grill, there won’t be any panic on the day as you light charcoal for the first time, which can take a few attempts. They’re easier to control, too. With charcoal, achieving the right temperature requires playing around with vents and learning the difference between direct and indirect heat so you don’t sear everything you’re trying to cook. On a gas barbecue, you can precisely control the temperature by simply turning the knob. They’re also safe, as you can just turn the barbecue out when you’re done, rather than having to keep an eye on hot coals as they cool.

They’re a neighbourly way to cook, as they don’t produce smoke. The strong smell of a charcoal barbecue can be antisocial, especially if next door has washing out and, because they don’t smoke, gas barbecues are also cleaner to use, with no chance of getting charcoal dust on your hands and clothes. This, in turn, makes gas barbecues easier to clean because there’s less charring on the grill.

However, a gas barbecue can’t quite match the smoky flavour of a charcoal barbecue, or at least not as much as manufacturers claim they can. On a charcoal barbecue, fats and oils from the food drip between the grill and vaporise on the hot coals, to create that unmistakable smoky flavour. This happens a little on a gas grill too, if oils drip onto the flames, but not to the same extent. Your food will still have that distinctive char-grilled caramelisation, but it won’t be as smoky. If you want the best of both worlds, there are also a few combination charcoal and gas barbecues on the market, such as the Outback Magnum 3 hybrid barbecue we tested.

Are gas BBQs safe?

Used correctly, a gas barbecue is perfectly safe. Make sure you use the right gas for your barbecue and that the gas hose, regulator and canister are in good working order and connected correctly and securely. Don’t stand the canister in the storage area beneath the grill, but well away from the cooking area and high temperatures. Always cook in an open area away from fire hazards like wooden fences, sheds, hedges and trees. Once finished, be sure to turn the barbecue off and disconnect the gas.

How to choose a gas BBQ

Which gas do I need?

Gas barbecues are fuelled by a gas canister, which you need to buy separately. Most use propane (in a green canister and also sold as patio gas) or butane (in a blue canister), but some smaller, tabletop and portable barbecues use small bottles of camping gas. Make sure to check which type you need in the manual before you buy.

With current events affecting gas prices and availability, it’s important not to spend too much on fuel. For one- to three-burner gas barbecues, a 5kg bottle is all you need and should give you about ten barbecues’ worth of fuel. You need at least a 10kg bottle for bigger appliances with five or more burners, though 13kg is a common unit.

Gas is available through homeware and DIY shops like Homebase and B&Q, or directly from manufacturers like FloGas and Calor. You'll pay a deposit the first time you buy one, plus the cost of the gas. After this, you just pay to refill the canister, and once you’ve finished with a canister, it can be returned for a refund of the original deposit.

The gas is connected with a hose and regulator, and although most barbecues come with these connected, you may have to attach them yourself or even buy them separately.

How we tested

Together with our colleagues at Good Food Magazine, we tested a range of gas barbecues. Each barbecue was unpacked, assembled, used to cook a variety of dishes, and then assessed according to our specific criteria. Good Food Magazine put particular emphasis on how well each barbecue cooked, but at Gardeners' World Magazine, we assessed the barbecues with emphasis on their garden context, including how easy they are to assemble, move around and store.
They were assessed according to the following points, with equal marks attributed to each:

For more information on our testing process, see How we review

Meet our testing panel

Oliver Parsons, Strategic Projects Editor
Oliver is a gardener and magazine journalist of 20 years’ experience. He trained as a professional horticulturalist at RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Chelmsford and has also worked for Gardening Which?, as a freelance gardener and with the gardening team at Down House in Kent. He is now Strategic Projects Editor at BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine and GardenersWorld.com, heading up our reviews desk, Apple News output and weekly newsletter.

Kay Maguire, Magazines Editor
Kay trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and has been writing and making films about gardening ever since. She has written for websites and magazines, including The Garden and Amateur Gardening, was Horticultural Editor on BBC Gardeners' World Magazine for five years, and has also written several books on a range of gardening topics from growing house plants to making the most of a small space. After several years as Reviews Editor, building up our reviews section into a leading resource for UK gardeners, she has now become Magazines Editor for BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, responsible for all print output.

Harry Duncton, Freelance Powered Tools Tester
Harry has a wealth of experience, from being a language teacher to a tree surgeon, and has built this into a career writing about all things DIY and gardening. A passionate believer in self-reliance, his aim is to inspire others to give it a go themselves and not worry about making a few mistakes along the way. A regular contributor to popular DIY blogs and a recent addition to the BBC Gardeners' World Magazine team, he loves tracking down the best new tools and writing about them.

Sue Fisher, Freelance Garden Writer
Sue’s extensive horticultural career spans over 40 years, starting with a decade in the garden centre and nursery industry before developing into an accomplished gardening writer, designer and speaker. Sue writes regularly for BBC Gardeners' World Magazine, GardenersWorld.com and Garden Answers magazine. She has written 10 books on subjects including container gardening, plants for small gardens and designing with colour, and she has co-authored other books with some of the biggest names in gardening.

Emma Crawforth, Horticulture Editor
Emma holds the Kew Diploma in Horticulture and has been working in horticulture for 18 years, including roles in public gardens, a plant nursery supplying plants for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and a training college for young horticulturists. She looks after an ornamental, fruit and veg garden at home and regularly undertakes trips to see plants growing in their natural habitats. She is the author of the Kew Publications book, Things to Do with Plants.

Jane Moore, Freelance Garden Writer
In a horticultural career spanning 30 years, Jane has been a head gardener at a Benedictine Abbey, a writer for national gardening magazines and newspapers, a researcher on BBC gardening programmes and a TV presenter on BBC Gardeners’ World. Among her many accolades are a Chelsea Flower Show medal, several awards from the Garden Media Guild and her books are published worldwide. She has spent 30 years working as a hands-on head gardener, using tools on a daily basis.

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This review was last updated in March 2026. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

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