Best Grill with Side Burner

Summer is coming up and what better way to enjoy this time than grilling outside. Perhaps you just have an ordinary grill, but we’re here to tell you about grills that come with side burners and give you our top picks. They are especially useful if you have a big family or if you host barbecues for your friends. It gives you additional cooking space and is a good place to cook side dishes and sauces.

Table of Contents

• What is a Side Burner on a Grill For?
• The Top Benefits of a Grill Side Burner
  • Separate Temperature Control
  • Cook A Variety of Foods
  • Cook Sauces and Glazes
  • Save Time
  • Save Energy
  • Cooking Smells and Messes
  • Back-up Cooking Surface
• Frequently Asked Questions
  • What are the Main Benefits of a Side Burner?
  • Do Grill Side Burners Need More BTUs?
  • Can you Add a Side Burner to your Grill?
• Final Thoughts

This liquid propane grill has three burners in the main grill area and a side burner with one burner. The structure and lid are all made of stainless steel and it has solid stainless steel rod cooking grates. The lid provides superior heat retention.

The grill comes with a powerful Gs4 high-performance grilling system. In addition to the burners, there is a sear station that gives out intense heat to add sear marks onto your meat or fish. 

The grill comes with a thermometer which means that you can keep an eye on the temperature and make sure it’s not too high or too low for what you are cooking. It shows the temperature on your cell phone so is a great little gadget.

Additional features include a grill rack where you can keep food warm while cooking the rest of the meal. There is both a side table and a cabinet underneath the grill where you can store utensils and plates. There are also hooks for hanging your grilling tools. 

• Made of durable stainless steel
• 10-year warranty
• 3 burners and a side burner
• Thermometer
• Extra storage space underneath the grill and a side table

• Expensive
• One customer complained that 2 burners wouldn’t work from the beginning
• A couple of customers complained that it took a long time to assemble

4.2 Star Rating

This grill has 4 burners and a side burner to cook vegetables and other side dishes on. There are 480 square inches of cooking space which can grill a massive total of 28 burgers at one time. There is a 180 square inch warming rack so you can keep your food warm while you cook the rest of your meal. 

The body of this grill is made from stainless steel. The cooking grates are made from porcelain-coated cast iron and are extremely durable.

• Made from stainless steel
• Porcelain-coated iron grates
• Easy to assemble

• Automatic igniter takes time to work
• A couple of people complained that it arrived dented

This grill has 2 burners which provide a BTU of 20,000. The side burner supplies 8,000 BTUs and is great for cooking side dishes or vegetarian or vegan products. Most vegans and vegetarians want their food to be cooked away from the meat.

The main grill has 280 square inches of cooking space which can cook 12 burgers easily. 

The grill stands up well to the elements as it has a porcelain-coated steel lid. The grates are also porcelain-coated and are rust-resistant. The burners are made from stainless steel.

It has a Piezo ignition system which means that the burners will light up quickly with just the push of a button.

The grill sits on two legs which have wheels and two fixed legs to keep it in place.

• 280 square meters of cooking space on the main grill
• Durable porcelain-coated steel lid
• Piezo ignition system

• Takes a long time to assemble
• One customer complained that it came dented

This grill has 4 burners of 12,000 BTUs each and a side burner, also of 12,000 BTUs. You can cook a lot of meat with so many burners and then use the side burner to make sauces and side dishes. The main grill has 461 square inches of cooking space. The burners are all made of durable stainless steel and the grates are porcelain-coated cast iron which retain heat and lock in the juices of your meat. The grill has 4 fixed legs for stability and 2 wheels so that it is easily movable. There is a built-in bottle opener.

• 4 burners plus a side burner
• Burners made from stainless steel
• Grates are porcelain-coated cast iron
• Easy to assemble

• A couple of customers complained that it is flimsy
• One customer complained that it was hard to put on a low heat

This grill is massive and has lots of special features. There are 4 stainless steel burners which deliver 50,000 BTUs. Also, there is a 10,000 BTU side burner and an 18,000 BTU rear rotisserie burner where you can roast a whole chicken. The cooking area covers 1,000 square inches, including 600 square inches in the main cooking space.

The grill is made from stainless steel with solid steel grates and burners. The burners are dual-tubes and have 2 rows of flames per burner. This means that all your food will be cooked equally. Drippings that fall are vaporized straight away. 

Extras include stainless steel side shelves where you can store your plates and utensils. They fold down if not needed. There is also a warming rack where you can keep your food warm while you cook the rest of the meal. There is a cabinet underneath the grill which is extra storage space.

• Made from durable stainless steel
• 1000 square inches of cooking space
• Dual tube burners
• Superior heat distribution

• One customer complained that the packaging was bad
• Another customer complained that the grill and burner parts are ill-fitting

What is a Side Burner on a Grill For?

A side burner is designed to function like the burners you get on a kitchen stovetop. They are smaller than the actual main grill and are used for cooking side dishes and sauces. They’re also great if you have a vegetarian in the group who doesn’t want his or her food cooked with the meat. 

The Top Benefits of a Grill Side Burner

Separate Temperature Control

You will probably be cooking meat at a high temperature on the main grill, but you may also want to grill vegetables. This is where a side burner comes in handy. You can lower the temperature on the side burner to suit whatever you are cooking. The side burner has a separate flame to the main grill so you can reduce or increase the heat without affecting the food on the grill. Side burners are also good for making sauces where you need to control the temperature and not overheat the pan.

Cook A Variety of Foods

Nowadays many people are considering a meat-free diet which can cause problems for the person grilling the food. You don’t want to just cook vegetables for them or even just veggie burgers. However, you can put a pan on the side burner and cook things like chili, vegetable stir fry, risotto, or pasta. To sum up, a side burner can be used in the same way as a stovetop burner.

Of course, you can just cook vegetables on the side burner, particularly if you are cooking a meat meal, but want to have some vegetables on the side. Make a ratatouille or fry up some mushrooms and onions. They go great with a steak or in a bun with a burger. 

Cook Sauces and Glazes

Meat often benefits from sauces and glazes and a side burner is ideal for cooking these. They need to be cooked at a lower temperature than meat and you can do this with a side burner without having to bother to do some of your cooking in the kitchen. They can be kept at the lowest heat while waiting for the meat to be ready or you can put them on the warming rack.  

Save Time

If you have a side burner you might save a bit of time as you will be able to multi-task. Otherwise, you would have to cook any additional side dishes in the kitchen on the stovetop. Yes, you could have another family member in the kitchen, but then they would miss out on the fun.

Save Energy

If you use the side burner to cook additional dishes, you will save on the energy you would have to use on the stovetop.

In addition, you usually grill when the weather is good. If you are cooking inside in this sort of weather, you might have to use energy for fans and air conditioning.

Cooking Smells and Messes

Food like fish and ribs have strong aromas and if you are cooking them in the kitchen, these smells can permeate the whole house. This won’t happen if you are cooking outdoors. A side burner gives you extra space, so you won’t need to use the kitchen. You will end up with just one appliance to clean, not two.

Back-up Cooking Surface

If your main grill breaks down, the side burner will give you the option of carrying on cooking grill outdoors. Naturally, you won’t have as much room, but it will still be convenient if there are just a couple of you.

Frequently Asked Questions

We hope that we have told you all you need to know about grills with burners. However, we have answered a couple of questions that you might want to ask. If there’s anything else you would like to know, feel free to contact us.

What are the Main Benefits of a Side Burner?

A side burner offers extra cooking space so you might not need to be in the kitchen cooking while everyone else is outside. Side burners have a separate temperature control which is great when you are cooking side dishes. The high heat of the grill can easily burn vegetables but is suitable for meat and fish. The temperature of the side burner can be reduced or increased without affecting the main grill. 

Do Grill Side Burners Need More BTUs?

BTU means British Thermal Unit and it measures the amount of heat produced by a grill. Side burners don’t need extra BTUs to power them.

Can you Add a Side Burner to your Grill?

The simple answer is no unless you find a grill that sells side burners separately to fit their grills. If you just add on a side burner that isn’t specifically made for the grill you will probably void the warranty.

Final Thoughts

We hope that this article has been interesting and informative, and you have gained an insight into grills with side burners. Maybe you have decided that one of the ones we have reviewed will suit you. We stand by our top pick of the Weber Genesis 11 Liquid Propane Grill. It is made of durable stainless steel and has a powerful Gs4 high-performance grilling system. It has lots of extras such as a warming rack, a thermometer, storage space underneath the grill, and a side table. Yes, it’s a bit expensive, but you get what you paid for and you get a great grill for the money. 

We hope that you have a great summer grilling outdoors and don’t have to be in a hot kitchen. Enjoy!

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