Gas grills use air-gas mixtures to ignite the flames and cook your food. They have valves that connect to a control knob located on the front of the grill. The valves are permanently attached to the burner or removable. In order to operate properly, gas grills must be pre-heated. Once pre-heated, a gas grill can be ready for use in ten minutes or less. In some cases, gas grills will need to wait longer if they are unable to ignite.
When purchasing a gas grill, look for the British Thermal Units (BTU) rating on the label. While BTUs are a good general indicator of cooking capacity, they can be misleading. The numbers are based on the amount of gas burned and should not always translate to power and cooking quality. Bigger grills with higher BTUs are often not powerful enough to reach the 500-degree barrier. The better choice is to focus on the maximum temperature output, rather than the BTUs.
Gas grills emit fewer emissions than charcoal grills, making them better for the environment. They also produce less smoke than charcoal grills. However, some charcoal grill enthusiasts still prefer the smoky flavor of the meat cooked over coals. Some gas grills have options to add charcoal or wood pellets for a charcoal-like flavor. There are even hybrid grills available that combine gas and charcoal grilling.