The Art Of Grilling – 5 Best Outdoor Built-In Grill
If you love hosting parties outdoors, it’s time to fire up the grill by choosing a top-notch outdoor built-in grill that’ll make all the difference when it comes to both preparing and cooking for your guests. Since built-in grills already have a structure around it they’re able to be integrated seamlessly into the layout of any patio or backyard.
There’s a lot to consider when choosing a built-in grill from the features to the overall design, price, and more. If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve found five of the best outdoor built-in grills below. Before diving in, let’s talk a little bit about the benefits of investing in an outdoor built-in grill.
Four rugged cast stainless steel burners deliver excellent cooking control
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Stainless steel U-shaped burners provide exceptional even heat across the griddle surface
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Rear infrared rotisserie burner and rotisserie kit allows you to slow roast food with restaurant quality results
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Ceramic radiant technology delivers even heat distribution across the entire grilling surface
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Patent pending triangle-shaped cooking grate rods create an ideal surface for cooking and produce impressive sear marks
View DealBenefits of Having an Outdoor Built-In Grill
Before you spend thousands of dollars on a grill, you might have to consider whether or not this is a product that you actually need. It is not a cheap investment, which makes it even more important to analyze the advantages that it brings to the table before deciding if it’s worth it. Some of the benefits of having an outdoor built-in grill include:
- Compared to freestanding grills, built-in models occupy less space, which makes them more suitable for small yards. Because they can be integrated in your outdoor cooking ensemble, they will create a more cohesive setup.
- They are just as good as other types of outdoor grills because they use similar materials and heat sources. The best outdoor grills are those made from materials such as stainless steel and, even if it has a more compact design, the quality of the materials is still there.
- Having an outdoor built-in grill can increase the value of your property. If you’re ever looking to sell your house, people that are interested in spending time in their yard will surely appreciate having an outdoor cooking space with a quality grill that’s just waiting to be fired up and put to good use.
- Since they are smaller and have less components compared to standalone grills, built-in models also require fewer repairs, as there are less parts that need maintenance or are likely to break/suffer damage.
Choosing an Outdoor Built-In Grill
A built-in gas grill, as opposed to a freestanding grill, is a product that you can incorporate in your kitchen island and make it part of a larger system. Because they can be integrated as part of your existing outdoor kitchen equipment, these grills occupy lest space and help create a cohesive aesthetic piece for your yard. But before you venture into buying such a product, here are some features that these products are equipped with, so you can stay informed and make a purchase that is right for your needs:
The cooking area
The first and most important thing that you have to look out for when you’re buying a built-in grill (or any other type of grill for that matter) is how big the cooking area is. The cooking area of a grill is measured in square inches and, needless to say, the size of the grill itself will determine the end price of the product. Small families or people who don’t use a grill on a regular basis shouldn’t venture off in buying large and expensive grills. However, if you like to grill food often or you have a large family/host a lot of barbecues at your place, a large grill might be just what you need. You can find built-in grills in pretty much any size you want. One of the biggest grills out there has a primary cooking area that measures 915 square inches.
Grill dimensions
The overall dimensions of a built-in grill are super important because they have to match the place where you’re going to mount it. If you already have your kitchen island ready, you will need to measure the space that’s available for placing the built-in grill and then look for a product with similar or identical dimensions.
Rack
Then, you want to check and see if the grill you’re thinking of purchasing comes with a warming rack. What this warming rack does is provide a space where the food that’s already been cooked can stay warm until you’re done cooking everything on the menu. A warming rack is usually located close to the cooking area and while it doesn’t cook food per se, it does manage to keep it warm while you’re waiting for everything else to be ready. Some people like to place buns here and have them warm up a bit when the burger meat is almost ready.
Weight of the grill
While the weight of the built-in grill might not seem important at first, it is going to matter when you install and remove it from your outdoor kitchen setup. First of all, the setup that’s going to support the built-in grill needs to be able to handle the total weight of the unit without collapsing. Installing a heavyweight grill on a poorly-made MDF piece of furniture simply won’t cut it and you might end up being more frustrated than you should be.
Burners
The number of burners on a built-in grill is just as important as it is on any other type of outdoor grill. The burners represent the heat source that’s going to heat the cooking surface. These burners have to be placed in such a way as to heat up as much of the cooking area as possible.
Usually, a built-in grill with more burners provides even heat that’s constant throughout the majority of the cooking area. If the burners are not placed correctly, the cooking surface will have cold spots, meaning that the food you place in those areas won’t be cooked.
Furthermore, there should always be a direct correlation between the size of the cooking area and the number of burners on a grill. Naturally, larger grill will require more burners. Another thing that’s worth mentioning is that you can turn on all the burners at once or just have a few of them lit up. For instance, if you have a large grill and only want to cook a couple of steaks, you won’t need to fire up all the burners, and you can just use one to heat part of the cooking surface that allows you to cook the meat you have at your disposal.
Features
Modern built-in grills come with a number of additional features that enhance the cooking experience, make the grill easier to clean, or simply provide ease of use so that you can end up preparing delicious meals with as less frustrations as possible.
For instance, some grills have integrated lighting that allows you to see what you’re cooking even in the dark. Others have storage shelves that provide you with additional space to place your utensils while you’re cooking. Other models have temperature gauges that will give you precise information on the temperature inside the grill and will allow you to prepare meals that require precise temperature control.
The absence of these features won’t impact the overall quality of the grill, but they do grant more control over the cooking process by making the experience smoother.
Top 5 Best Outdoor Built-In Grills
We’ve taken the liberty of rounding up some of the best outdoor built-in grills and breaking down the details to help you choose one that will work for you.
1. Stainless Steel Built-In Natural Gas Grill
The Lion Stainless Steel Built-In Natural Gas Grill comes with all the features you need to get started on your backyard barbecue experience. For starters, it comes with a sturdy 304 stainless steel construction and will be able to weather all the different elements. It also has a double layer stainless steel grill head along with stainless steel burners for ultimate durability.
There’s also an XL temperature gauge to make monitoring your meal a breeze, and the two interior lights mean that you won’t have any trouble grilling late into the night. There’s also a total of 647 square inches of grilling space, and it comes with additional grilling equipment such as a griddle, rotisserie, smoker box, and more.
Four rugged cast stainless steel burners deliver excellent cooking control
View DealPros:
- Multiple size options.
- Solid stainless steel construction.
- Built-in lights.
- Includes grilling equipment.
Cons:
- Lots of flare ups.
2. Blaze LTE 30-Inch Built-In Natural Gas Griddle With Lights
This built-in gas griddle is perfect for cooking up some breakfast in the morning. Cook up pancakes, hamburgers, fajitas, eggs, and more on this sturdy griddle that’s also equipped with two stainless steel burners. The cooking surface spans over 495 square inches, so you’ve got more than enough space to cook up a tasty meal for a family and friends gathering.
The griddle also comes with a push and turn primary ignition so you can be assured that you’ll have a steady and reliable flame every time you turn up the griddle. There’s also a grease tray that comes with the griddle that’s incredibly easy to clean. It’s made with sturdy 304-grade stainless steel material, and also includes a stainless-steel lid that you can use to cover the griddle plate when you’re not using it.
Stainless steel U-shaped burners provide exceptional even heat across the griddle surface
View DealPros:
- Easy ignition.
- Durable stainless steel construction.
- Propane and natural gas versions available.
- No flare ups.
Cons:
- Only available as limited edition.
3. Napoleon Prestige 500 Built-in Natural Gas Grill with Infrared Rear Burner
If you’re looking for an outdoor grill that has both quality and performance, this is the outdoor built-in grill that you should be looking for. It comes with four stainless steel burners along with about 500 square inches of cooking area along with a plated steel warming area to help ensure that your food doesn’t get cold.
The crossover lighting means that each burner will have a reliable start-up every single time, and you’re able to light up all of the burners at the same time. The design of the outdoor grill has a stainless-steel wave cooking grid to allow for some better retention of heat. The grill also comes with sear plates that will control flare-ups and help keep your food both juicy and moist. It also comes with a rotisserie kit along with control knobs that will turn from blue to red whenever a burner is being used. Clean up’s also incredibly easy as this particular outdoor built-in grill comes with a fully removable drip pan.
Rear infrared rotisserie burner and rotisserie kit allows you to slow roast food with restaurant quality results
View DealPros:
- Compatible with smoke tubes and charcoal trays.
- Backlight color changes when grill is being used.
- Reduced flare ups.
- Unique infrared “sizzle-zone”.
Cons:
- Not made entirely from stainless steel.
4. DCS Series 7 Traditional 36-Inch Built-In Natural Gas Grill With Rotisserie
Always wanted an outdoor built-in grill that’ll have you cooking like a professional chef? This DCS outdoor built-in grill is perfect for you as it comes with three stainless steel burners along with Ceramic Radiant Technology that’ll help provide intense yet even heat for consistent temperatures across the grilling surface.
There’s also a sizable main cooking surface with durable double-sided cast stainless steel. While one side is great for fish and vegetables, the other side of the grate is well-suited for meats. The grill also comes with a wide range of cooking temperatures so you can turn it down to a lower heat or have it a higher sizzling heat to sear some meats. There’s also an infrared rear burner along with a rotisserie kit. A dedicated smoker burner also comes with this grill if you’re looking to add more layers to the flavor. On top of that, there’s also a warming rack and a grill light for grilling at night.
Ceramic radiant technology delivers even heat distribution across the entire grilling surface
View DealPros:
- Excellent quality.
- Grease management system.
- Great temperature range.
- Includes heavy-duty rotisserie kit.
- Smoker box with dedicated burner.
Cons:
- Expensive.
5. Blaze BLZ-4LTE2-NG LTE 32-Inch 4-Burner Built-In Natural Gas Grill With Rear
This particular outdoor built-in grill comes with four 304 cast stainless steel burners along with an infrared rear burner that works well with the rotisserie kit as well. These stainless-steel cooking rods are triangle-shaped to help maximize the searing capabilities in the spacious cooking space.
There’s also a removable warming rack along with stainless steel heat zone separators which allow for different cooking zones across the grilling surface. The grill also comes with interior grill lights along with a signature LED knob illumination system so you’re able to also grill I the evening.
Patent pending triangle-shaped cooking grate rods create an ideal surface for cooking and produce impressive sear marks
View DealPros:
- Stainless steel construction.
- Heat zone separators.
- Good at retaining heat inside the grill.
- Reduced flare-ups.
Cons:
- Pretty basic when it comes to features.
Outdoor Built-In Grills FAQ
Q: Can I keep a built-in grill outside all year round?
A: Most high-quality grills are made from very resistant materials, with stainless steel being the most popular choice of all. Built-in grills are designed to be permanent outdoor structures and they have a design and construction that will allow them to withstand nature’s elements. However, it is always recommended that you take some measure to protect your outdoor grills even if they are made with the very best of materials. Even high-quality metal is prone to corrosion in the long term, so you might want to consider covering the unit during temperature changes. In fact, some grills are sold together with protective covers, so if your entire outdoor cooking ensemble isn’t placed under a roof that can provide some sort of protection, a cover is the next best thing to look out for.
Q: What are BTUs, exactly?
A: BTU is short for British Thermal Units and they are a measurement of the amount of energy needed to heat something. When it comes to outdoor grills, BTU measures the heat output of all the burners available on the grill. However, if you see under the specification of a product something along the lines of 3x 15,000 BTUs, that means that each of the three burners of that grill has a 15,000 BTU heat output, leading up to a total of 45,000 for the entire grill.
Q: How much does a good outdoor built-in grill cost?
A: Outdoor grills are products that can range from very cheap to ridiculously expensive. This means that you can find a good grill even if you stick to a limited budget, but you can end up spending more if you can afford it and if certain flashy features draw your attention.
If you want to get an idea of how much a good built-in grill would cost, we can tell you that you should be prepared to pay around $1,500 for one. Naturally, there are cheaper choices out there but their quality is often questionable (other customer reviews can help you get a pretty good idea of what to expect from a product before you buy it). Of course, you can also spend $3,000 on a high-end outdoor grill if you can afford it, but those are mostly dedicated to BBQ enthusiasts that really want to invest in the best equipment possible.
The Bottom Line
There you have it, some of the best outdoor built-in grills that we’ve found. There are plenty of options to choose from in terms of features and what you feel would suit your needs best. There are plenty of positives in investing in an outdoor built-in grill from convenience to aesthetics and more. Best of all, you’ll be able to easily grill up some delicious food for your friends and family.