Best Gas Grills Under $500
If you enjoy eating good then you know that grilling is one of the best ways to prepare delicious food. One of the highlights of the summer that brings people together, though most people don’t realize how much variety their is in grilling. While past generations were forced to use charcoal for fueling, as time has progressed we can now safely use gas to light our fires.
Here are the best top 5 gas grills under $500 that you can buy:
- Dyna-Glo Black
- Char-Broil Signature
- Weber Spirit E330
- Royal Gourmet Classic
- Broil King Monarch
The main thing gas gives you over a charcoal grill is speed and efficiency, though as time passes even more differences that can really impact the taste of your cooking have surfaced. As technology progresses its often best to wait a bit as prices become more affordable. Eventually you can find focused products in your price range and that has become an option for gas grilling. The best grill for under $500 dollars will depend on whats most important to you, massive grilling space, or a innovative cooking method. Follow along as we break down the intricacies of grills under $500 dollars so you can find the best affordable grill for you.
Top 5 Grills Under $500
Dyna-Glo Black
(4 / 5)- 60,000 BTU
- Burners: 4
- Side burners: 1
- Total cooking space: 667 sq. in.
- Primary cooking space: 461 sq. in
price scale 4.3/5
Char-Broil Signature
(4.6 / 5)- 36,000 BTU
- Burners: 2
- Side burner: 0
- Total cooking space: 445 sq. in.
- Primary cooking space: 325 sq. in
price scale 2.8/5
Weber Spirit E330
- (4.6 / 5)
- 32,000 BTU
- Burners: 3
- Side Burners: 1
- Total cooking space: 529 sq. in.
- Primary cooking space: 424 sq. in
price scale 4.9/5
Royal Gourmet Classic
(4.1 / 5)- 71,000 BTU
- Burners: 6
- Side Burner: 1
- Total cooking space: 776 sq. in.
- Primary cooking space: 586 sq. in
price scale 4.1/5
Broil King Monarch
(3.9 / 5)- 52,000 BTU
- Burners: 3
- Side burners: 1
- Total cooking space: 520 sq. in.
- Primary cooking space: 330 sq. in
- price scale 4.9/5
Short Descriptions of Grills Under $500
Dyna-Glo Black
This Dyna-Glo black and stainless steel mixes a nice design with a large grilling surface to create a grill that stands near the top of the under $500 market. With four stainless steel burners and a side stainless steel burner each kicking out 12,000 BTU’s of power you will not find many low range grills that bring a total of 60,000 BTU’s.
This grill moves around smoothly on four caster wheels and features a double doored cabinet design for a nice bit of extra storage space. With a double layered lid you get excellent heat retention with the lid closed along with the enameled cast iron grill grates that give you great durability even if they are a bit of a chore to clean. 667 square inches of cooking surface allow you to cook meals for the family or the neighborhood. A great grill if you are trying to look good and cook plenty without breaking the bank. Read full review
Char-Broil Signature
The Char-Broil SIgnature TRU Infrared grill is a machine of a singular focus. It does not have any of the extra burners or creative special features that inhabit other grills. Instead this two burner infrared grill is focused on giving you a precision 18,000 BTU’s of cooking power. While that is on the low end for propane grills, this grill brings your the type of high quality cook you would usually have to pay hundreds more for in a larger package.
This grill is not going to turn any heads with an extremely basic stainless steel however it will please the stomach once you master the ability to cook any meal to precise specifications while still retaining all of its delicious flavor. A small, simple figure belies a machine with adequate storage capabilities along with good mobility, stability, and the all important ability to cook the perfect meal. A great grill for a small family on a budget who still wants to taste the flavor that infrared cooking can provide. Read full review
Weber Spirit E330
The Weber Spirit E330 propane gas grill is a quality grill made for the average family size that needs a versatile and stylish grill. This grill has three stainless steel burners with adequate power under a 424 square inch cooking area. That lack of space is made up for by the side burner and rear searing burner to make the total cooking surface pretty large.
With an emphasis on high quality grilling the porcelain enameled Flavorizer bars work hand in hand with the porcelain enameled cast iron grill grates to deliver a flavorful meal on a surface that is still moderately easy to clean. The style makes a statement for sure if you are partial to a professional mix of dark silver and black. This grill brings storage space along with its looks as well as the mobility with four caster wheels to grill wherever you need to. Designed to inspire envy in the neighbors while still delivering unique delicious meals. Read full review
Royal Gourmet Classic
The Royal Gourmet Classic six burner grill delivers an expansive cooking surface with a nice bit of versatility for the customer who needs to build large meals with a mid ranged grill. Each individual burner packs marginal power however they combine together for 70,000 BTUs of cooking power. Working along with the porcelain enameled cast iron grates we have a sturdy core that also leans towards the side of easy cleaning.
The large stainless steel double layered lid helps to give this grill great heat retention with the lid down making it great for smoking a feast. With an extra large control panel extending into side shelves you have a nice extra area for food preparation and plating. Everything about this grill is large including the double doored cabinet style storage area with enough room to store whatever you can think of. This is a mobile sleek silver grill made of primarily stainless steel for a light weight construction that mixes durability and style. Read full review
Broil King Monarch
The Broil King Monarch 390 is a great family grill that looks to bring you all the versatility that the average griller needs. With a surface area of 330 square inches this is not the grill for cooking for magnificent occasions, it is however perfect for the basic nuclear family. With a extra side burner and a rear rotisserie burner this grill is capable of creating a large variety of meals.
Complete with all of the storage for your spices, condiments, and integrated slots for your grill tools. This grill brings you a stylish and durable design that overstates the decent 30,000 BTU’s of the main surface area. Though with great bonuses like the Flav-R-Wave cooking system, easy Sure-Lite ignition and excellent heat distribution the value of this grill cannot be overstated. With a build nice enough that its hard to look away and all of the mobility you would expect from a high end grill this sleeper presents a dynamic purchase. Read full review
Brands
This is a great price range for first time gas grill owners, or those looking for a replacement as you have access to the full spectrum of grill brands to find the right one for you. Do you go with a low end Weber for their great support and long history, or do you try a high end Dyna-Glo that trades off some notoriety for their own refined machine? The answer of course depends on the customer, but the choices are all here. Brands like Weber, Royal Gourmet, and Broil King will often bring better coverage along with nice additions at affordable rates due to mass production. Lesser known brands might make you wait a few more weeks for repairs but offer more value tailored towards specific customers.
Materials
Here you want stainless steel in the burners, side tables, and hood because it shouldn’t be too hard to find. Around $300 dollars is where you start to see primarily stainless steel builds. Stainless steel brings easier cleanability, along with lifespan, and a overall superior look to other materials. For the cooking grates look for at least porcelain coated iron grates if you can though once again stainless steel leads the pack. This is a great price range for grills because ample stainless steel is common without making too many sacrifices for other capabilities.
Storage
If you can’t find a grill in this range with at least a cabinet for storage you could need to see an eye doctor, still there are things to keep in mind. The majority of grills will have single doored storage while a select few have double doors that will offer you more room and usually with that room better specific features. These can be anything from storage for grilling tools, refreshments, or even useful tools like bottle openers. Every grill should have side tables at this range usually in stainless steel, however whether they are collapsible of not is another option to look into.
Burners and Cooking Surface
Things get interesting here as this is where things really open up for grills in this range as opposed to lower priced grills. You will want to factor in how large the heating area is along with the cooking surface are because manufacturer will blend them together so it seems like you have a large grilling surface, when half of it is actually a heating rack. You can find grills with anywhere from three to six burners here so that will key you in on value a bit. We also start seeing alternative heating methods such as infrared grilling which will give you superior cooking in exchange for the number of burners and grill space usually. Make sure to look for at least 12,000’s BTU’s out of each burner so you get good value along with your power.
Mobility
At the very least here you want to find four wheels because it is pretty common. Beyond that you will see a few different setups to keep in mind. The most common use four small caster wheels which should work great for a while, though they might need replacement quicker than the option that uses two larger heavy duty wheels along with the smaller ones. At the end of the day though the difference is relatively marginal however since the locking wheels are often the smaller ones anyway.
Special Features
This is another area where the competition will make it a bit easier to find the right grill for you. Most grills in this range come with side burners of varying power, though some come with rotisserie back burners or flat top burners that bring more variety to your cooking experience. You also want to look for a variation of the Flavorizer bar as it’s called by Weber. This implementation sits between your burners and your grates, so its relatively easy to identify regardless of the brands chosen name for it. These will vaporize your juices and feed them into your food for more flavor. Infrared burners are a similar yet more refined version of this. On the other hand, I would highly recommend looking at grills under $1000 before you make your final choise.
Warranty
This is a big section that will be one of the main reasons for choosing a more well known brand. Their warranties simply offer better coverage. Where as you might find a two year warranty in most brands, the top of the line provide expansive warranties from five years, to ten years, to lifetime depending on the model and piece. So make sure you are well aware of your coverage as an extra $50 bucks makes a load of difference when something breaks a month after the coverage ends.
Best Grills Under $500 Conclusion
The big dogs on the market start coming out to play here and they bring excellent models with a variety of features at pretty affordable prices. On the other side we have lesser knowns that pack more features or special capabilities in comparison to the popular kids. The great thing here is you are spending enough that you probably won’t get a piece of junk anyway. This gives you the choice to whether you want six burners, or infrared cooking, or just a nice grill with some cool features that give you all the space you need from a trusted brand with a great warranty.