One of the most important considerations when planning an outdoor kitchen project is which grill insert you choose.
After all, the grill will be the star of your BBQ island!
If you’re in the market for gas grill inserts for outdoor kitchens… That’s an incredible choice! Gas grills are an incredibly easy and convenient solution for outdoor cooking.
And since your BBQ insert will be the focal point of your grill island… You’ll want to make sure you choose the perfect one.
Luckily, there are plenty of fantastic brands out there.
But before we review these brands… Let’s first make sure we’re all on the same page.
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What is a Gas Grill Insert?
You’re probably familiar with the term built in grill…
Built in grills are specially designed to be built into an outdoor kitchen, and sit in a designated appliance cutout.
So, is a grill insert the same thing?
Absolutely!
Built in grills are also known as grill inserts, drop in grills, or BBQ inserts.
When shopping for grill inserts for outdoor kitchens… They’ll be clearly labeled for built in use, so you can be confident that you’re buying the correct type of grill!
There are different types of grill inserts (such as pellet or charcoal grill insert for outdoor kitchens)… But today, we’ll be focusing specifically on gas grill inserts.
Gas grill inserts are practically a necessity for outdoor kitchens! They’re incredibly easy to use and super convenient.
But before we go over the best gas BBQ inserts for outdoor kitchens… Let’s first discuss some important considerations.
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Gas Grill Inserts for Outdoor Kitchen: Important Considerations
Since they are intended to be permanent additions to outdoor kitchens, built-in gas grills tend to be much higher quality than the average standalone grill.
Despite this… It’s still important to confirm that a gas grill insert is good quality. The last thing you’d want is to have to replace it in just a few years’ time!
A good indication of a grill’s quality is the class it falls in.
Grill Class
The distinctive grill classes are economy, premium, and luxury.
Economy Grills
Economy grills are starter options. They’re easy to find at big box stores like Lowe’s, Home Depot, or Ikea.
The materials used for economy grills aren’t usually the best. 430 stainless steel is common, which is prone to rust and corrosion when exposed to the elements.
As well as this, economy grills have fewer special features (like lighting, sear burners, or rotisserie kits)… And the heat output is usually on the lower end.
Lastly… Economy grills tend to have subpar warranties (whereas a good grill insert should be backed by a lifetime warranty).
So, an economy grill wouldn’t be ideal for building into an outdoor kitchen! They won’t be super fulfilling to use, and you’ll likely just have to replace it in a few years.
But If you’re looking for a freestanding starter option, there are some decent economy grills. You just can’t insert them into an outdoor kitchen!
Premium Grills
Premium grills are more commonly designed for built in use… They’ll be made with better quality materials (like 304 stainless steel).
Plus, premium grills are usually covered by a lifetime warranty.
Unlike economy grills, premium grills will have more impressive BTU outputs for quicker cooks.
These grills can cost anywhere between $1,500 and $5,000, depending on the size and features.
All in all… If you have a bigger budget and want to invest in a more durable, versatile grill, premium grill inserts for outdoor kitchens are a solid choice! They’ll fulfill the needs of the vast majority of homeowners.
Luxury Grills
There are really no fundamental differences between premium grills and luxury grills…
They’re both made with high quality, 304 stainless steel to hold up to the elements, and they’ll be covered by a lifetime warranty.
Really, the only differences are that luxury grills will look a bit sleeker and have more special features.
Luxury grills usually cost over $5,000. If you have the money to splurge on a luxury grill… You really can’t go wrong!
But at the end of the day… Only you know what type of grill will best suit your current wants and needs!
We’ll review a variety of grill inserts for outdoor kitchens to spark some ideas.
Best Grill Inserts for Outdoor Kitchen Brands
Without further ado… Let’s get into the different brands offering grill inserts for outdoor kitchens.
Blaze Professional LUX 34” Built in Gas Grill
Product Highlights
Price: $4,299.99
Size: 34″
Cooking Surface: 615 Square Inches
Materials: 304 Stainless Steel
Total BTUs: 54,000
First on our list is Blaze’s 34” natural gas or propane grill insert.
The 615 square inch main cooking space is powered by three H-shaped main burners, each with an 18,000 BTU heat output (totaling 54,000 BTUs). There’s also a rear infrared burner for rotisserie.
Across the main cooking area, heat separators create individual grilling zones, allowing you to cook multiple different foods at a time!
The cooking grates are a unique hexagonal shape, which Blaze claims enables better heat retention.
Other special features include a double walled hood, LED illuminated control system with red-lit knobs, two internal LED lights, a warming rack, push and turn flame thrower ignition, and a full width drip pan for easy clean up.
Regarding materials… Blaze’s grill is full 304 stainless steel construction. That’s fantastic!
There’s a lifetime warranty covering this grill insert, though all electrical and ignition components are covered for just one year.
As for price… It costs $4,299.99.
Bull Outdoor Products Outlaw 30” Gas Grill
Product Highlights
Price: $1,469.00
Size: 30″
Cooking Surface: 600 Square Inches
Materials: 304 Stainless Steel
Total BTUs: 60,000
Next up is a natural gas or propane grill insert for outdoor kitchens from Bull.
Bull’s 30” Outlaw BBQ grill insert has a 600 square inch main cooking surface, powered by four bar burners. Each of the burners have a 15,000 BTU heat output (60,000 BTUs total).
This grill insert has a warming rack, a double walled hood, convenient Piezo push and turn ignition, and a built in thermometer… Though there’s no rear burner or rotisserie kit included, and it has no interior or exterior grill lights.
It’s more of a no-frills option for those who prefer simple, straightforward grilling!
Concerning construction… This grill insert is made with mostly 304 stainless steel.
Our only issue is with the cast iron porcelain coated burners. Cast iron is highly susceptible to rust, so it’s important to take note of this.
The stainless steel cooking grids, frame, and housing are covered by a lifetime warranty… While the cast iron burners are warrantied for two years. All other components are covered for one.
Currently, you can buy this grill for $1,469.00.
Napoleon Prestige Pro 500 Built in Gas Grill
Product Highlights
Price: $2,099.00
Size: 32.5″
Cooking Surface: 500 Square Inches
Materials: Stainless Steel
Total BTUs: 48,000
Napoleon’s 32.5” Prestige Pro 500 gas grill insert is next on our list.
This outdoor kitchen grill insert has four stainless steel tube burners powered by a jet fire ignition system, and a total 48,000 BTU heat output (12,000 BTUs per burner). There’s also an 18,000 BTU rear infrared burner for slow cooking.
Stainless steel wave cooking grids span the 500 square inches of main cooking area, for unique sear marks!
As with the other grill inserts on our list, there’s a temperature gauge, a full width drip pan, and warming rack.
But Napoleon’s Prestige Pro also differs in many ways!
It includes colorful LED spectrum control knobs (which glow red when the grill is in use)… Two interior lights… And a dual level, self cleaning sear plate to vaporize drippings and control flare ups.
What we’re not crazy about is the build. It’s unclear what grade of stainless steel is used, so we can’t really gauge how it’ll hold up.
That being said… There is a lifetime warranty on major components (hood lid, cooking grids, and burners). Everything else is covered for 15 years.
If you’re intrigued by this grill’s flare… You can get it for $2,099.00.
Lion Grills L60000 32” Gas Grill Insert
Product Highlights
Price: $1,499.00
Size: 32″
Cooking Surface: 647 Square Inches
Materials: 304 Stainless Steel
Total BTUs: 60,000
This natural gas or liquid propane grill insert from Lion Grills is another solid contender!
It has four cast stainless steel burners, each cranking out 15,000 BTUs (totaling 60,000 BTUs) to heat up the 647 square inch main grilling area.
It features four easy to use, push and turn knobs, spark ignition, a double layer grill head, a warming rack, and a large temperature gauge.
The Lion Grills BBQ insert is another simpler, no-frills option. It has no lights, rear burner, or rotisserie attachment.
You won’t have to worry about durability, though! Lion’s L60000 is made with full 304 stainless steel!
There’s a lifetime warranty on most stainless steel components, a three year warranty on the stainless steel flame tamers, and a one year warranty on everything else.
At the time of writing, the Lion Grills insert costs $1,499.00.
Weber Summit S-660 Built in Gas Grill
Product Highlights
Price: $3,749.00
Size: 31″
Cooking Surface: 624 Square Inches
Materials: Stainless Steel
Total BTUs: 60,000
Alright, let’s shift our focus back to some more affordable options.
The 31” Weber grill insert for outdoor kitchen is a unique built-in option… It includes an enclosed storage area (with stainless steel doors and an interior shelf).
With six individual ignition burners, it has a total 60,000 BTU output for heating the 624 square inch cooking area (10,000 BTUs each). This is definitely on the lower side!
Despite this, this grill insert has many innovative features that some of the other offerings lack.
For instance, there’s a 10,600 BTU rotisserie sear station, a stainless steel smoker box and 6,800 BTU dedicated smoker burner, and a front mounted control panel.
As with many of the other grill inserts… The Weber Summit built in grill has a warming rack and a center mounted thermometer.
There’s also two grill handle lights, and LED lit control knobs to make it easier to grill at night!
This grill insert comes with a grill cover… Which is good because the grade of stainless steel used is not specified! It’s not clear how it’ll hold up to the elements… We’re guessing it’s not made with 304 stainless steel (meaning it will be prone to rust and corrosion).
Weber Summit offers a limited 10 year warranty on their gas grills.
Currently, this grill insert costs $3,749.00.
Coyote S-Series 36” 4 Burner Grill Insert
Product Highlights
Price: $3,299.00
Size: 36″
Cooking Surface: 640 Square Inches
Materials: 304 Stainless Steel
Total BTUs: 75,000
Next up is a gas grill insert from Coyote.
Their 36” S-Series built in gas grill has a respectable 640 square inch cooking area, powered by three durable cast steel infinity burners and one Rapid Sear burner (for a total 75,000 BTU heat output).
For rotisserie, there’s also a 15,000 BTU infrared back burner.
Other key features include a double walled grill box, a smoker box for infusing your food with a delicious smoky flavor, easy to use push and turn Piezo electric ignition, internal halogen grill lights, orange LED illuminated control knobs, a removable warming rack, heat control grids to minimize flare ups, and an integrated thermometer.
And we can’t forget to mention the innovative ceramic briquette trays… These provide even heat distribution across the entire cooking surface!
Coyote uses full 304 stainless steel construction for their outdoor appliances.
They’re built to last for years to come! A lifetime warranty covers major components, while cooking grids are covered for five years, electric components are covered for two, and the ignition system is covered for one.
The Coyote S-Series currently goes for $3,299.00. It falls right in the middle of the premium price range!
DCS Series 9 Evolution 36” Built in Gas Grill
Product Highlights
Price: $6,599.00
Size: 36″
Cooking Surface: 630 Square Inches
Materials: 304 Stainless Steel
Total BTUs: 75,000
If you’re looking to invest in a luxury option for your outdoor living space… The DCS Series 9 natural gas or propane fuel type grill insert has undeniably deluxe features.
Push and turn surface ignition powers three U-shaped stainless steel burners, which boast an impressive 75,000 BTUs (25,000 BTUs each). Each burner has a heat shield for boosting cooking efficiency.
There’s also a 14,000 BTU rear infrared burner, an included rotisserie kit, and a charcoal smoker tray with its own cooking grate (which can easily be placed over one of the burners).
Ceramic radiant technology (ceramic rods placed between the burners and cooking grates) enables even heat distribution across the entire 630 square inch main cooking area.
Even the cooking grates themselves are innovative… They’re double sided cast stainless steel, and are curved on one side for grilling fish and veggies.
Other special features include two warming racks, an adjustable broiling pan, an effective grease management system to prevent flare ups, two hood lights, LED knob lights (which glow orange when a specific burner is in use), and a temperature gauge.
Even better… It’s constructed entirely of 304 stainless steel, and there’s a lifetime warranty on all major components.
Really… We have no complaints about this grill! If it’s in your budget, you can’t go wrong.
Speaking of which… It currently costs $6,599.00.
Durable gas grills
TEC Sterling Patio FR 44” Outdoor Kitchen Gas Grill Insert
Product Highlights
Price: $5,250.00
Size: 44″
Cooking Surface: 592 Square Inches
Materials: 304 Stainless Steel
Total BTUs: 60,000
The TEC Sterling Patio FR 44” built in gas grill is another luxury option, though the grill features are actually quite different from the DCS insert!
There are two electric ignition, individually controlled burners on this grill, each with a 30,000 BTU output (totaling 60,000 BTUs). These burners actually use less fuel than most other grills, which is great!
The primary draw of this grill is its impressive temperature range… It can cook anywhere from 300 to 900 degrees Fahrenheit! Even better, it can heat up to 900 degrees in just ten minutes, so you won’t have to wait long to achieve perfectly seared food.
The 592 square inch cooking surface is covered by U-shaped cooking grates, which will heat food very quickly.
Radiant glass panels also work to eliminate hot/cold spots and flare ups, which ensures even heat distribution and reduces food dryness.
Though there’s no rotisserie burner, no grill lights, and no smoker box… A special feature of the TEC grill insert is its self cleaning cooking surface, which will remove food drippings in just 10-15 minutes.
The grill’s exterior is made with full 304 stainless steel, though it’s unclear what grade is used for the interior stainless steel grill components (burners and cooking grates).
While the grill housing is covered by a lifetime warranty, the stainless steel burners and cooking grates are covered for ten years, and all other components are covered for one.
We don’t love this warranty… When you’re investing in a luxury grill, you’ll want to be confident that it’ll last a lifetime!
But if the impressive temperature range speaks to you… You can purchase this grill insert for $5,250.00.
Twin Eagles 36” Built in Natural Gas Grill
Product Highlights
Price: $7,509.00
Size: 36″
Cooking Surface: 640 Square Inches
Materials: 304 Stainless Steel
Total BTUs: 75,000
We’ll wrap up our list with another luxury grill from Twin Eagles.
Three, hot surface ignition stainless steel burners crank out 25,000 BTUs each (totaling 75,000 BTUs)… And dividers between the burners allow for individually controlled heat zones across this grill’s 640 square inch main cooking area.
For slow cooking, there’s also a 14,000 BTU rotisserie burner to power Twin Eagles’ heavy duty, motorized rotisserie system (with a 100 pound capacity)!
This grill insert has a slew of innovative features… Including hexagon shaped stainless steel cooking grates and ceramic briquette flame tamers, which work in tandem to ensure even heat distribution.
Other special components include a double walled lid with lift extension springs, a sealed smoker box, interior lights, a three position warming rack, a drip tray, and indigo blue control knob illumination.
This high end grill insert is made with full 304 stainless steel construction… So, durability isn’t a concern!
Regarding warranty… The burners, grates, and all other stainless steel components are covered for a lifetime. The briquette trays, rotisserie burner, and drip tray are covered for 5… And all other components are covered for two years.
At $7,509.00… This is by far the most expensive luxury grill insert on our list!
Alright, that concludes our review of grill inserts for outdoor kitchens!
That being said… There are plenty of excellent premium and luxury grill options out there, we just don’t have the space to review them all!
But of the grills we did list, you’re probably wondering which are best…
The Best Grill Inserts for Outdoor Kitchens
The best grill insert for outdoor kitchens is truly dependent on your personal preferences… Though there are some options that are overall great choices.
The Best Premium Outdoor Patio Kitchen Grill Insert
It’s easier to choose the best premium grill insert…
And the Coyote S-Series stands out as a clear winner in the $1,500 -$5,000 range!
It’s quite similar to many of the other premium grills listed, but it just takes things one step further by packaging every great feature into one grill.
It has a robust warranty, a great heat output, a decently sized cooking area, interior and exterior lights, a smoker box and rotisserie attachment, heavy duty 304 stainless steel construction… The list goes on and on!
And even better… It’s fairly priced for all of the great features it includes!
The Best Luxury Grill Insert Outdoor Kitchen
As for the best luxury grill, we’d have to go with DCS.
Our reasoning for this?
Well… It just includes more features than the TEC grill, and the warranty is undeniably better.
And it includes many of the same great features as the Twin Eagles grill, for about $1,000 less.
However… The Twin Eagles grill may be better if you’re a rotisserie enthusiast!
If you have the budget to purchase a luxury grill, really any of these would be fantastic options, depending on what you’re looking for.
However… The average homeowner is looking for something more middle of the road. For many, luxury appliances just aren’t practical.
If you don’t want to break the bank, but still want your grill insert to last long term in a permanent outdoor kitchen… The wiser choice would be investing in a Coyote premium grill.
And speaking of that permanent outdoor kitchen… Let’s talk about where you’ll be placing your Coyote grill insert.
The Best Island for your Grill Inserts for Outdoor Kitchen
You’ll need an outdoor kitchen for your grill insert… And if you’re interested in a Coyote grill, you’re in luck!
Pairing a Coyote grill insert with an outdoor kitchen couldn’t be easier.
RTA Outdoor Living partners with Coyote… Making it super easy and convenient to incorporate their high quality and durable appliances into your kitchen design, right from the start.
With a Coyote grill insert and RTA kitchen island, you won’t have to worry that your built in grill won’t fit in your design!
And to make things even easier… You’ll have the choice to add any of Coyote’s other high quality outdoor appliances, specially designed to fit in an RTA kitchen (this includes sinks, side burners, refrigerators, charcoal or pellet grill insert for outdoor kitchens, and much more)!
Your options for customization won’t be limited… We’ll craft your kitchen to perfectly accommodate whichever appliances you choose, in whatever dimensions best fit your outdoor space.
And since your appliances will last a lifetime… You can be confident that your outdoor kitchen island will, too!
RTA kitchens are made with high performance concrete that’s impervious to the elements, and backed by a lifetime warranty.
If you’re ready to make your outdoor kitchen come to life… Use our free online design tool to start designing, or check out our Learning Hub for everything you need to know to put your project into action!
And when you’re ready to get started, we’re more than happy to help!
Need Help With Your Plans?
FAQ
You cannot turn a regular grill into a built in grill. Freestanding grills aren’t made for built in use, which means they don’t have proper ventilation (which is a safety hazard).
You’d also have to modify a regular grill for built in use, which would compromise the structure.
The best material for outdoor grills is 304 stainless steel… It holds up very well to the elements, isn’t prone to rust or corrosion, and will last for years!
High quality grill inserts for outdoor kitchens can be bought primarily from online retailers. Box stores tend to sell economy grills, so you’d be better off searching online.
