A gas grill is an outdoor cooking device designed for direct grilling. The cooking heat comes from burners that are fueled by combustible gas. A gas grill works much the same as an indoor gas stove.

If you want natural smoke flavor in your food, you have to add it yourself by utilizing wood pellets or smoke tubes. And because the heat of a gas grill comes from an open flame, you'll need a special setup if you want to cook low and slow.

Pellet Grills vs. Gas Grills: Flavor

Propane gas is odorless and tasteless. If you want natural smoke flavor in the food you grill or smoke on a gas grill, you have to add it yourself by using wood pellets in a separate smoke box or tube.

Pellet Grills vs. Gas Grills: Smoking

If you want to smoke as well as grill, gas isn't the best choice. The heat of a gas grill comes from an open flame, so if you want to cook anything low and slow you must do so over an unlit area of the grill -- otherwise, the open flame will burn the surface of the food before the inside cooks.

This means that you have to set up a 2-zone cooking system, which substantially limits the amount of space you have to cook food.

Pellet Grills vs. Gas Grills: Consistent Temperature

You'll also have to work to achieve the proper temperature inside the grill. With a pellet grill, you simply set the temperature you want, and the device does the rest. When smoking on a gas grill, you have to adjust the power of the burners until you achieve the desired temperature reading. If you should happen to run out of propane in the middle of cooking, the temperature will drop significantly while you attach a new tank, extending your cooking time.

Pellet Grills vs. Gas Grills: Ease of Use

Whether you're grilling or smoking on a pellet grill, just set your desired temperature, and the combusting pellets create the heat and natural wood smoke.

Once you set the time, temperature, and place a thermometer in the meat, you can just come back to it once it's done. With a gas grill, because of the high heats and flare-ups, you need to babysit your food.

How to Smoke on a Gas Grill

For cooking low and slow on a gas grill, you must create a 2-zone fire. The food you are smoking must be placed over an unlit area of the grill so that the surface doesn't char completely before the interior is cooked.

The burners that aren't over your food will be the heat source for getting your grill to the desired smoking temperature. You'll need to monitor the temperature of the grill for the hours-long cook time.

Because propane is odorless and tasteless, you aren't really "smoking" on a propane grill without the use of wood. The easiest method is to place wood pellets in a smoke tube or box adjacent to the burners. The heat from the burners will cause the wood to smolder, releasing smoke to flavor the food.

However, wood chips only burn for 15 to 30 minutes, and nearly all smoking takes much longer than that. You'll need to add wood periodically, which means you have to open up the grill, bringing the temperature down.

How Long Do Gas Grills Last?

A quality gas grill can last 10 years with regular cleaning and maintenance. But in reality, most people replace their gas grill every 3 to 5 years, because of maintenance needs, or because they want a bigger or more versatile grill. Many people look to swap out their gas grill for a wood pellet grill once they get interested in smoking.

What Are the Pros and Cons of a Gas Grill?

Gas grills are relatively inexpensive for around $300. Portable gas grills (also known as tabletop gas grills) can be found for less than $100.

Propane, the most common fuel source for gas grills, is relatively inexpensive and widely available. You can also choose a natural gas grill that connects to a natural gas installation at your home. Many gas grills can deliver extremely high temperatures which some people prefer for direct grilling.

The biggest drawback? Gas grills add no natural wood flavor. Propane is odorless and tasteless.

What Do You Need to Grill on a Gas Grill?

You’ll need some key equipment for grilling with gas.

• A propane tank that is the fuel source for the grill (unless you have a natural gas grill with a permanent connection)
• Long-handled tongs and spatulas, for moving food without getting burned by the open flame
• A fire extinguisher nearby -- better to be safe than sorry

What Is the Difference Between Using a Smoker and Using a Gas Grill?

A smoker is designed for indirect cooking, and to deliver smoke from burning wood to the cooking zone. Gas grills are designed for direct cooking. Most require special equipment if you want to use them to smoke.

Why Can't Gas Grills Be Used on Some Decks and Apartments?

Gas grills generate open flames which are prone to dangerous flare-ups. The risk of fire from an open flame or flare-up is why some apartment complexes and HOAs prohibit them. Grills that don’t have open flames, like wood pellet grills, are often permitted.

How to Use a Gas Grill

Here are general guidelines for using a gas grill to give you an idea of how the process works. If you are using a grill for the first time, review the manual for that grill before doing anything.

How to Start/Light a Gas Grill

To start or light most gas grills:

1. Open the valve on the propane tank by turning the knob on the top of the tank.
2. Turn the specified ignition burner to high.
3. Press the light/ignition button.
4. Turn on other burners as desired.

The ignition switches on gas grills are notorious for failing as the grills get older. In these cases, you can light the grill by placing a lit match or lighter flame near the burner. Use the longest match or lighter you have to avoid burning your fingers.

These are general instructions. If you are lighting a grill for the first time, consult the manual for that grill to get the correct steps.

How to Put out/Turn off a Gas Grill

To put out a gas grill, turn the burners off and close the valve on top of the propane tank.

How to Clean a Gas Grill

The grates of a gas grill will get dirty from food particles that stick to them. The best way to clean the grates is at the start of cooking. Turn the gas grill to high and close the lid for 5 to 15 minutes. The heat will burn away some of the food particles; you can scrape off pesky ones with a grill brush.

The inside of a gas grill will get dirty from fat and oil rendered out during cooking. If you never clean your grill, the grease will start causing “off” flavors in your food, and eventually clog the burners making the grill unusable. Clean the inside of the grill only when it is completely cool.

Never use cleaning spray or water inside your gas grill. The liquid can cause rust. Paper towels can be used to wipe down the surfaces of the grill like the inside of the lid. Plastic scrapers are a good tool for cleaning grease buildup. Stainless steel brushes can help loosen food particles that build near the burners. All gas grills are different, so consult your manual before starting a deep clean.

What Can You Cook on a Gas Grill?

Here are some general instructions for cooking popular foods on a gas grill.

Ribs

Cooking ribs on a gas grill requires indirect heat. If you put the ribs right over the burner, the exterior will burn before the ribs are fully cooked. You must find a way to position the ribs so they aren't over any of the burners while also having the burners high enough so they generate enough heat. Some gas grills don't have enough space to allow for this positioning.

You should also make sure to have a full propane tank, so you don't run out of gas during cooking and have to switch tanks.

If you want any natural wood smoke flavor, you'll need to be filling your smoke box periodically with new chips or just get a Traeger wood pellet grill.

A Traeger wood pellet grill doesn't have an open flame, so you can use the whole cooking area. Most of our models have room for multiple racks of ribs. You simply set the grill to the temperature you desire, and the Traeger does the rest, delivering natural wood smoke and heat as the wood pellets combust.

Steak

To grill steak on a gas grill, turn the grill burners to high, close the lid, and let the grates preheat for 15 minutes. Hot grates will cook the steak faster and give it those attractive grill marks. Once you've preheated the grates, place your steaks on them. The exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of your steaks and the power of your grill.

On a Traeger wood pellet grill, you'll set the temperature to high and preheat for 15 minutes just like on a gas grill. But a Traeger offers wood-fired flavor and precise temperature control, eliminating the guesswork of gas.

Pork Loin

Cooking pork loin on a gas grill requires indirect heat. The loin must be placed over unlit burners, or the exterior will be turned to charcoal before the interior is even close to cooked through.

On a Traeger wood pellet grill, simply set the desired temperature. You can choose to smoke at a low temperature, or roast the loin at a higher temperature. Preheat, place the pork loin on the grill, and the Traeger delivers perfect consistency and wood smoke flavor throughout the cooking process.

Hamburgers

To cook burgers on a gas grill, turn the grill burners to high, close the lid, and let the grates preheat for 15 minutes. The hot grates will help speed the cooking process and give the burgers an attractive char. Place the burgers on the grates and grill, flipping periodically until the burgers are cooked through.

The process on a Traeger is exactly the same -- but because a Traeger is fueled by natural wood pellets (rather than propane gas), your burgers will have true cookout flavor.

Salmon

Salmon can be grilled on a gas grill by preheating the grill on medium-high, placing the fillets on the grates, and direct grilling until the fish is flaky and cooked through. Cook time is 10 to 20 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet.

However, smoking salmon on a gas grill is much more difficult because you have to set up the grill for indirect heat.

On a Traeger wood pellet grill, you can smoke or direct grill salmon by simply choosing the proper temperature.

Gas Grills: They Cook Okay, but It's Not Barbecue

Basic fact about gas grills: Gas doesn't add any more flavor outside on the grill than it does inside in your oven. If you just want the novelty of cooking outside every once in a while, gas is fine. But if you care about getting true barbecue flavor that only comes from natural wood smoke, a gas grill isn't for you.