Gas BBQ grills have earned a rightful place in the backyards and on the porches and patios of people all over the country, indeed, around the world. With good reason too. They are convenient and reliable.

I went on a quest to the store today to really take a close look at the gas BBQ grills they had there. It was pretty interesting to actually see first hand the many differences. I went to one of the big box stores, where I knew there would be a decent selection. The lower end grills were pretty basic and didn’t have some of the features I really like in a grill. On the other hand, the really high end sported features that I couldn’t care less about. Here’s some of what I discovered.

If you consider gas BBQ grills from least to most expensive you get a feel for the differences without much effort at all. The cheapest ones were small, had fewer burners, smaller temperature gauges, and thin metal tops. These certainly do the job of cooking up your veggies and meats, but they don’t offer a lot of bells and whistles. As you go up in price you start to discover small improvements. For example, the diameter of the handle used to open and close the lid top got bigger. This makes the unit seem better somehow. You also notice that the way you access the propane tank makes more sense. The cheaper grills often have some wimpy lifty thingy (that’s a technical term) that would drive anyone batty trying to manage while getting to the tank valve. No thanks! The gas BBQ grills that have doors that open, or can be accessed from the back make way more sense.

The nicest, and most expensive gas BBQ grills are heavy duty, have lots of features, and offer solid quality and longevity for the money. These, as well as some of the middle priced grills, often have side tables and side burners built-in. I didn’t think I would like having a side burner at first, but it turns out that it is actually pretty handy to have. We usually cook a side dish there while the other food is being grilled nearby. It makes it pretty handy, especially if you’ve taken your grill away from home. Corn on the cob, sauces, or even a creative desert can be prepared easily with a side burner. The cheap units just don’t offer that.

One final important note about gas BBQ grills worth mentioning is the grill surfaces themselves. I have discovered that the grill surface can make quite a difference in your food. There are some that are quite wide and allow the food to make more contact with it. Others have a more ridged, or pronounced surface that the food makes contact with. I prefer the later. I don’t like it when meats and veggies stick to the grill, and having less contact surface helps with this. Both are fine and can be managed with either cooking spray or aluminum foil.

Whether you get a small, cheaper unit, or move up to a more feature-rich, larger and expensive one, you are in for a treat. Gas BBQ grills help make the world go round.