Gas grills don’t get a lot of love. They’re “too easy.” Not “real BBQ.” Not enough smoke. And yet… most people are cooking on one. Like by a wiiiiide margin.

Gas grills didn’t just simplify grilling. What they really did was open the door for everyone who doesn’t want to babysit a fire. The latest piece from Serious Eats makes a case for why gas grills stay relevant in a landscape full of fancy heat sources.

WHAT MAKES A GAS GRILL GREAT

  • Consistency you can count on: quick, reliable heat, and stable temps that don’t flutter with weather or fuel level

  • Convenience built for real life: 10-minute startup, zoning that you can physically see (because, you know, burners), and clean-up that doesn’t require getting covered in ashes

Gas is what made backyard cooking normal. Turn a knob, get heat, start cooking. That’s the whole thing. It’s why gas grills still dominate the market and why propane tanks became a staple of summer.

CRITERIA THAT DEFINE GREAT GAS GRILLS

When Serious Eats tested the latest gas grills, they focused on things that deeply affect your food:

  • Heat control and stability: a grill that doesn’t swing 50 degrees with wind is a grill that will give you consistency, rain or shine

  • Zone control: sear station plus a true indirect zone means you can reverse-sear, grill, and rest without moving to a different cooker

  • Build quality and reliability: sturdy lids, solid burners, thoughtful layout that helps you out at 7 PM with a hungry crowd

  • Cleanability and maintenance: quick cleanup, longer life. Nobody wants a chrome ghost of last summer’s burgers haunting the grate.

  • Accessories and expansion: good rails for accessories, consistent accessory fit, and easy upgrades that don’t require a 2nd mortgage

If you’re hunting for crust, even heat, and a foolproof routine, gas is still king of the “I actually cooked this” moment.

What do we think, Dead Meat Society? Are we leaving gas entirely behind in the modern pellet era, or is the move to own one of each?