Gas grills are among the easiest to use, and the best 2-burner gas grills are usually reasonably priced. So with that in mind, we decided to put together a guide on the two-burner grills available on the market today.
The two-burner grill will be great for small families and small gatherings. Just remember, if you are hosting a party of 50, you will be cooking all night on that two-burner.
Not all grill makes, and models will have the same features, so when considering a two-burner gas grill, keep in mind that two-burner gas grills are considered entry-level by many gas grill manufacturers.
Some of the materials used to build these grills, such as the stainless steel grade, will be lower. However, you can still enjoy a nice rack of ribs cooked on one of these bad boys.
What should you Consider When Buying a Two-Burner Gas Grill
Easy Start – The Grill burners ignition system
Let’s start with what most people hate about gas grills, starting the grill. This is why is important you look for two gas burner grills with good starting systems such as a battery or electric starters to ease the grill ignition process. Starting a gas grill is not always easy or safe.
Most gas grills come with a battery-electric push-button starter that produces a quick spark to get the gas burners ignited and get the grill started.
Gas grills with electric ignition systems are preferred as these ignition systems eliminate the need to use lighter, matches, paper. Electronic ignition systems help you get your grill going quickly and reduce the risks of burns or gas flareups.
Each gas grill manufacturer has a version of the electronic igniter system, which pays close attention to the ignition system’s design. Some manufacture have automated systems that start emitting the ignition spark the moment you turn the gas dial and open it sending gas to the burners.
Other brands include the traditional push-button or Piezo system which can be electric or battery operated. On less expensive or portable grills you are likely to find the manual push ignition started which requires you to push hard on a button or crank a daily to generate a spark, called a Piezo ignition system.
We prefer battery-operated ignition systems with easily replaceable battery chambers.
Types of Gas Grill Ignition systems
Piezo Ignition System
The Piezo Ignition system has been around for a long time and is the original system first chosen by gas grill manufacturers to automate the grill ignition process.
How does the Piezo Ignition Work? This igniter follows the principle of the piezo electric effects which emphasis is on converting mechanical stress into electricity, spark, or a signal.
When you press the push button a spring-loaded hammer hits another object in the device normally quartz to create a spark which is transferred by wires to the gas burners. Because the system is spring-loaded it requires you to push on hard on the starter’s button.
Battery or Electric Ignition starters
Battery or electric ignition systems are a modern take on the piezo ignition system and the fundamentals are the same.
How electric ignition starters work
Instead of using mechanical stress to create the spark, electric ignition systems use electricity from your home or more commonly, batteries as the power source to operate the piezo components or s[ark generator. So instead of using your muscles to push a button, the electricity powers the systems.
Pros and Cons of each ignition system:
Piezo ignition systems
Pros:
These igniters can last a long time if get electrode is kept clean.
It’s perfect for grilling outdoors since no batteries or electricity is needed to operate the iginater.
Cons:
Manual, you need to apply a small amount of force to push the igniter, which some users might find difficult.
Electric igniters
Pros:
Easy to use and requires little to no effort
Cons:
Batteries don’t last forever and dead batteries can render the ignition system useless.
Temperature Control
The key to cooking amazing BBQ food regardless of the type of grill or smoker is temperature control.
Grilling your meat too quickly will make it tough and likely undercooked, and too slowly can cause you to miss dinner time. The gas grill you choose needs to have good fire control and should be as simple as solely turning a knob to adjust the fire.
Many grills include a lid-mounted temperature gauge to show you what temperature the gas grill is cooking at. Quality gas grills with a built-in temperature gauge, help you monitor the grill’s internal temperature and make sure food is cooking at the right temperature.
Manufacturing Materials – Build Quality
A grill made mostly of plastic will not last long if exposed to high heat and weather elements. The best gas grills use a combination of steel, stainless steel, and porcelain-coated cast iron to build strong and durable grills. When grills are built out of thick gauge steel and with good materials, they do a better job of retaining heat, which helps cook food evenly and retain moisture inside the grill.
Pay close attention to build quality, as most 2-burner grills are considered entry-level and some brands might use low-quality materials to save on costs. Most high-end stainless steel gas grills use 304 stainless steel and high-grade materials, which increases their price. Some grills will use a combination of plastic and other materials to reduce costs.
Although using lower quality materials in entry-level gas grills is not necessarily a bad thing, don’t expect the grill to last 30 years.
Types of Cooking Grates – Porcelain-Coated, Cast Iron, and Steel Grills Grates
Porcelain Coated Grill Grates
The quality of the cooking surface of your gas grill is essential. In fact, the primary cooking space in any grill is filled with grill grates, so it makes sense to occupy your cooking space with good grill grates that can help you cook food better.
Porcelain-coated cast iron grill greats are durable and easy to clean. The porcelain helps prevent meat and other greases from sticking to the grates and makes it easier to clean when you are done grilling.
However, the porcelain coating on the grates can chip, exposing the steel or iron and rusting over time. We recommend using an adequate grill brush to clean porcelain-coated grates.
Porcelain-coated grill grates can longer to heat up and be ready for a nice steak sear.
Stainless Steel Grates
Stainless steel has the advantage of heating up quickly, being rust-resistant as well as easy to clean.
However, stainless steel chrome plated grill grates can crack, peel or chip over time, and food will stick. Once the chrome coating is damaged the grate can rust. Stainless steel grates can be very affordable and can reduce the price of a gas grill.
Cast Iron Grates (our favorite)
Most grilling enthusiasts and pitmasters prefer bare cast-iron grates. These cast-iron grates do a great job at retaining and radiating heat. Iron grates do need to remain oiled or “seasoned” to remain rust-free but if well cared for these grates can last for years.
The cast-iron grates give picture-perfect grill marks and help food cook quicker.
BTU Ratings – heat output
Having proper British Thermal Unit (BTUs) of cooking power will ensure you can cook different meats, recipes, and have enough heat to sear meats. However, 2 burner grills can be on the low end when it comes to BTU ratings as only two burners are available to heat the entire grilling space.
A good quality grill will produce 80 to 100 BTUs of heat per square inch of the primary cooking area.
To get a better idea of what a good BTU rating is when choosing a gas grill, you can divide the total BTUs of the primary burners by the total cooking area in square footage in inches.
Pro Tip:
If you come across a gas grill with two primary burners with a total of 20,000 BTUs and a primary cooking area that measures 250 square feet, to get the total BTU per square inch simply calculate:
20,000 BTU ÷ 250 square inches = 80 BTUs per square inch
Grill Features
A gas grill with good features is always welcomed and when searching for your next grill you should consider getting a grill with the following features to improve your grilling experience.
A warming rack to keep food warm
A warming rack is very useful when cooking large amounts of food but your guests are not ready to eat. By placing food on the warming rack you can keep it from overcooking but the food will remain warm. You can also use the warming rack to free up cooking space and add more food to the grill.
Integrated thermometer
Knowing the cooking temperature inside the cooking area is important. Cooking foods at the wrong temperatures can lead to undesired results. For example, If you are trying a new recipe, the recipe might direct you to set the grill to a specific temperature, this is where a good built in temperature gauge comes in.
Side Trays with tool hooks
A grill with a storage area is always welcomed. When you are grilling, you use different tools like spatulas, grilling tongs, and grill brushes, and all these tools have to go somewhere. Some grills have side trays with hooks which you can use to hang these tools keeping them close by when you need them but out of the way when you don’t.
A propane tank level gauge or level indicator
There isn’t anything worse than running out of propane in the middle of your BBQ party. You take the time to prepare the food, preheat your grill, and start grilling, but minutes later you realize you are out of gas. Well, this is why we recommend gas grills with propane level indicators.
The Weber 44010001 Spirit II E-210 2-Burner grill is a versatile free-stand grill. The Webber can connect to standard twenty-pound propane tanks for fuel and includes many extra features including cast iron grates, a built-in thermometer, a fuel gauge, and a foldable side table.
The Weber 46310001 Spirit grill comes with porcelain-enameled, cast-iron cooking grates, a porcelain-enameled lid, and stainless steel heat reflectors that help prevent flare-ups.
The Weber 44010001 Spirit II E-210 is compact enough to fit on a small patio, but it is packed with many great features.
The open cart design of this grill makes it light and easy to move around and provides extra space for tools and accessories.
What we like:
We love the GS4 Grilling System.
One foldable side tray.
The Infinity Ignition systems is very reliable.
Ten Year warranty
Flavorizer Bars can help add flavor to the meats.
Porcelain-Enameled Cast Iron Cooking greats
The integrated hooks on the side tables are an absolute plus.
Using the iGrill helps ensure your meat is perfectly cooked.
The grill is easy to clean without having to take it apart.
We absolutely love the fuel gauge – I hate running out of propane in the middle of cooking!
What we Don’t like:
The grill lid can get very hot
The folding table can be damaged if you drag the grill around using the folding table as a handle.
Only one side table folds, which can make it harder to store the grill.
The Char-Broil Classic 280 2-Burner Liquid Propane Gas Grill offers two hundred eighty square inches of cooking space with twenty thousand BTUs of heat. This grill’s simplicity is what makes it good and affordable. This grill doesn’t have all the fancy bells and whistles but does the job well.
This grill is an excellent option for those who want a simple grill that can be moved around easily. The grill grates are porcelain-coated grates, which will help prevent food from sticking to the cooking grates.
The inside of the grill features two stainless steel in-line burners with heat deflectors and a side burner for using cooking pots.
The grill features two metal side shelves, which will give you an excellent surface for prepping your food and holding plates or accessories plus a hanging rail for storing grilling tools.
The Piezo ignition makes it easy to start the grill safely and is pretty reliable.
What we like:
We love the simplicity of this grill, it is light and compact.
The wheels on this grill make it easy to move around.
Great for small gatherings or small families.
The grates are easy to clean.
What we Don’t like:
The igniter can go bad with regular use.
The grill is difficult to assemble for some buyers.
The Char-Broil Signature TRU-Infrared 2-Burner gas grill is a Cabinet Gas Grill with 310 square inches of cooking space and eighteen thousand BTUs of cooking power.
The grill grates are porcelain-coated steel grates that are easy to remove and clean. The grill also features 95 square inch porcelain-coated swing-a-way rack for warming.
We like the cabinet design of this grill as it helps hide the propane tank helping your backyard look nice and neat. The cabinet has a side door and doubles as a storage compartment.
We include this Char-Broil gas grill in this list because of its infrared cooking system. Char Broil Signature Tru Infrared grate technology provides event heat throughout the entire grill and prevents flare ups. This gas grill doesn’t take up a lot of space in your backyard, yet its infrared cooking system is usually found in much larger gas grills.
Infrared gas grills do a great job of distributing heat across the cooking surface and eliminating flareups. Many people prefer infrared gas grills over traditional grill grates because they feel safer knowing that fat and grease are less likely to catch on fire.
What we like:
The infrared grill feature helps cook meat more evenly.
A warming rack is included.
built-in temperature gage.
A special grate cleaning tool is included.
I love not losing vegetables or small pieces of beef thru the grates.
If you are worried or hate flareups, infrared is for you.
Two folding shelves, great for food prep or displaying all your cooking condiments and even a cold beer!
The grill heats up quickly, so you don’t have to wait long to cook.
Electric ignition to start the grill easily and safely.
removable grease pan.
What we Don’t like:
This grill can get hot.
The grill grates can get messy and are difficult to clean.
The Char-Broil 463632320 Signature TRU-Infrared 2-Burner Cart Style Gas Grill comes with Char-Broil’s TRU-infrared cooking technology, which helps distribute heat evenly and prevent flareups. The Char-Broil Signature is one of the most popular small infrared gas grills on the market.
The grill design includes porcelain-coated, cast-iron grill grates, and side tables.
Pros
The grill is easy to clean when you are through.
The LED lights on the control knobs are a nice touch, and besides making the grill look great, these LEDs lights help you determine if the burner is on or off.
The grill can produce juicier food because of Tru-infrared technology.
Say goodbye to flareups.
Cons
The grill is not cheap.
The grill is heavier than other styles of the grill.
The Weber 46310001 Spirit E220 Liquid Propane Gas Grill features three hundred and sixty square inches of cooking area and twenty-six thousand five hundred BTUs of cooking power.
This grill is very similar to our round-up winner and as good as our round-up winner.
Is not last for any reason. Think of this grill as a bonus option.
The Weber 4631001 Sipirt E 220 is very similar to the Weber 44010001 Spirit II E-210. The biggest difference is the Weber 4631001 Sipirt E 220 is cabinet gas grill design. Your fuel tank and the grease collection tray are all hidden away inside the grill cabinet.
Another great feature of this Weber is its side burner. We enjoy cooking a full meal outside, but sometimes it is hard to cook or boil foods without a side burner. So if you can afford the extra cost and would like to boil foods, cook rice, and other meals while you grill, a side burner should be on your list.
Pro
The wheels on the grill come with locks, so you won’t have to worry about the grill rolling down the driveway.
The side burner is a great addition to this grill, expanding your cooking options.
We really like the cabinet design of this grill. The cabinet is perfect for storing tools and hiding those ugly fuel tanks.
Con
This grill can be challenging to put together for some buyers.
You cannot fold down the side tables, so storage can be challenging.
Final Thoughts
Barbecuing is one of the best ways to prepare food. If prepared with the right grill, the food can come out juicy and full of flavor. The best grill is the one that is easy to use as well as easy to care for. Multiple grills on the market fit the criteria for producing amazing food, but the best grill for the job is the Weber 46310001 Spirit E220 Liquid Propane Gas Grill.
The Weber 46310001 Spirit E220 Liquid Propane Gas Grill has twenty-six thousand five hundred BTUs of heat for the main grill, twenty-six thousand five hundred BTUs of heat for the side grill, and twelve thousand BTUs of heat for The grill comes with porcelain-coated cast-iron cooking grates that help ensure your meat grills evenly and make the grates easy to clean.
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BGA BBQ Team
The BGA Writing Team is a group of BBQ enthusiasts and experts with unique gifts and talents. The team is responsible for researching and testing products for our articles and interviewing food industry experts - they never sleep!
BGA@bbqgrillacademy.com
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Easy Start – The Grill burners ignition system
