Grilling is an art form. Some people dabble in it, some take a more pronounced interest, but pretty much everyone enjoys the results of it.

For most, a regular grill is fine. It does the job perfectly well. But if you’re a true grilling aficionado, if it’s your preferred way to cook and you’re practicing your craft on the daily? It’s hard to go wrong with a built-in grill.

A permanent addition to your backyard kitchen provides a lot of advantages, not least of which is a solid, stationary work station you can use without fear of space constraints. The limits are what you’re willing to add to it.

This grill is large, versatile, and quite good in every area that matters. If you’re a fan of gas grills, this one will make you happy.

This grill doesn’t look like much but it really packs a lot of punch on the inside. This is the grill for the grill chef that loves to experiment with different combinations of foods and make sampler platters like ribeye roasts, briskets, and many other recipes.

This Kitchen Aid model looks great from just the raw specs in a lot of ways, but unfortunately suffers from some severe design flaws in certain cases that hold it back.  This problem is exacerbated by the poor way the warranty service is handled. If you still want to search for grill products, don’t be displeased because we have more Kitchenaid grill reviewed here

This is a bit of a weird one, but neat if you want a more complete grill stand to go with your built in segments. The overall quality of it is good, but it can be difficult to fit into any standard arrangement most people would set up for this kind of grill.

This is a smaller grill, but excellent for what it provides. What it lacks in size it makes up for in quality, for sure.

This grill looks good on the surface, but a host of quality control issues hold it back from any kind of recommendation.

This is an excellent grill for the price, outshining a strangely more expensive but nearly identical model from the same brand. If you don’t mind a smaller sized grill, this is an excellent option.

This grill is definitely one of the best around…if you can get past the sticker shock. Even in the mindset that you’re coming to terms with this being a large purchase or a long term investment, this grill is exorbitantly pricey.

Another high quality, particularly expensive model, this time in a gas variant. Still, it has a bit more to recommend itself for that cost than the Memphis Grills Elite does, making it a more palatable purchase.

Another highly expensive model, but this one is more difficult to defend. While cheaper than both the Alfresco and Memphis Grills Elite, it is close enough to be compared to them…and it compares poorly.

The Lion Premium Grill is still the best confluence of price and performance, but most other grills here are excellent purchases depending on your needs. The smaller American Outdoor models are good for the price, while the hugely expensive Memphis Grills Elite and Alfresco AXE models are perfect for high end, serious grillers who want a machine to match their talents.

The only ones I’d say to avoid are Napoleon grills’ model and the DCS Evolution. The former is horribly flawed and will cost you money in the long run for an inferior product, while the latter is simply vastly overpriced for what it offers when you really break it down.

The great thing about built-in grills is they’re fairly simple to shop for. The only thing you really care about is the grill itself; everything else you might normally associate with a grill is going to be a part of the kitchen surface you’ve set aside instead. No need to take into account the wheels, added worktop, or worry about the weight and other appliances you have in your outdoor kitchen.

You just pay attention to the core elements:

Cooking Surface

Cooking surface is of course key. You want a good size, more than enough to cook whatever size meal you need. Keep in mind it’s much harder to upgrade a built-in grill, so you want to shop for something that may be a bit bigger than you initially think you need. Multiple, independent cooking surfaces is also a must, so you can cook different kinds of meals at different heats.

BTU  (British Thermal Unit)

Speaking of heat, pay attention to the BTU  (British Thermal Unit) output of your built-in grill. Higher is better…to a point. Unless you’re making charcoal, you’re going to hit a maximum effective temperature. It doesn’t much matter if your grill can hit 1000 degrees inside when everything you could conceivably want to cook is going to max out at 500 or so. Around 100 BTUs per square inch is plenty.

Materials and Construction

Finally, keep in mind the materials and construction. You want something sturdy enough to survive outdoors long term, where it’s going to stay. In a way, built-in gas grills share a similarity with post mount gas grills in which they need to be made of sturdy stuff to survive the outdoor weather. It’s also good to look for a cooking surface that’s easy to clean, and other quality of life benefits like a hinge that easily lifts.

Extras

Some grills might come with extras, but typically built-in grills focus on being good at their primary function as grills instead of bells and whistles. Take any extra that comes with the grill of your choice as a nice bonus, but don’t compromise on your first choice just because some other grill offers some niche frill; almost anything of that nature is something you can get separately.