A good built-in grill will always make grilling in your outdoor kitchen more thrilling, and it will give you a good excuse to have a few friends over every other weekend.
Finding the best built-in grills from the many models out there will require you to first understand what these handy kitchen fixtures are all about.
Built-in grills are designed to provide a permanent solution for your outdoor grilling needs, and most will boast higher power capabilities than many other types of grills. Also, they have a more durable construction to help them withstand the elements.
To help you find a top-rated built-in grill that will fit your needs and serve you well for many years, below we review 5 top models and also provide an in-depth buying guide.
In this post:
5 Best Built In Grills – Review
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | FEATURES | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. Bull Outdoor Products 87049 (Best Overall) |
| |
 | 2. Napoleon LEX 605 (Convenient & Reliable) |
| |
 | 3. Weber Summit S-460 (High-Performing & Feature-Rich) |
| |
 | 4. Blaze Grills BLZ-5-NG (Top Quality 5-Burner Design) |
| |
 | 5. Napoleon LEX 730 (Larger Cooking Surface & More Powerful) |
|
| PRODUCT |
|---|
1. Bull Outdoor Products 87049 (Best Overall)
|
2. Napoleon LEX 605 (Convenient & Reliable)
|
3. Weber Summit S-460 (High-Performing & Feature-Rich)
|
4. Blaze Grills BLZ-5-NG (Top Quality 5-Burner Design)
|
5. Napoleon LEX 730 (Larger Cooking Surface & More Powerful)
|
1. Bull Outdoor Products 87049 – Best Overall
Photo: Bull Outdoor Products
- Cooking Surface: 1020 square inches
- Total BTU: 60,000
- Material: Stainless Steel
- Dimensions: 36 x 36 x 30 in
With a total cooking surface of 1020 square inches, this built-in natural gas grill offers the second largest cooking area in our built-in grill review.
Apart from having a large cooking surface, this is also a well-built stainless steel grill with 4 burners that deliver up to 60,000 BTU’s. And it will also come with a smoker box to allow you to convert your grill into a smoker.
This relatively more affordable grill also makes use of ReliaBull flame tamers that help to ensure a more even heat distribution.
Also, it uses the more convenient Piezo igniters and a zinc knob for each of the four burners and a twin lighting system that makes it ideal for nighttime coking.
The total BTU is the lowest in our list but it is still good enough for grilling and higher than what you get from many others in its class. And the accuracy of the thermometer should not be a huge concern as it is still quite reliable, and you can always use any other cooking thermometer you already have.
Pros:
- Larger cooking surface
- Smoker boxer included
- Even heat distribution
- Twin lighting system
- Relatively more affordable
Cons:
- Thermometer does not seem too accurate
- Relatively lower total BTU
2. Napoleon LEX 605 – Convenient and Reliable
Photo: Napoleon
- Cooking Surface: 850 square inches
- Total BTU: 79,500
- Material: Stainless steel
Like most other top Napoleon built-in grills, the LEX 605 uses the JetFire ignition system to ensure that you always get convenient and reliable startup every time.
It is designed to offer a cooking surface of 850 square inches which should be more than enough for most families. And it is powered by up to 79,500 BTU’s which is also good enough.
This grill will heat up fast and is designed to ensure even distribution of heat so that all your food cooks up evenly.
Although this is designed to be a built-in grill, it includes four commercial-grade casters to ensure convenient mobility, and you can also easily lock them in place securely.
The fact that the manufacturer will not provide a cover for this built-in grill should not put you off as you can easily buy one separately and cheaply.
Pros:
- Convenient and reliable startup
- Heavy duty stainless steel grates
- Fast heat up and with even heat distribution
- Commercial grade casters provide mobility
Cons:
- Does not come with a cover
3. Weber Summit S-460 – High-performing and Feature-rich
Photo: Weber Summit
- Cooking Surface: 580 square inches
- Total BTU: 76,800
- Material: Stainless Steel
- Dimensions: 31 x 34 x 50.4 in
The S-460 is one of the best built-in gas grills that you can get anywhere thanks to its highly durable stainless steel construction, impressive features, and high performance.
It is designed to offer a cooking surface of 580 square inches and total BTU of 76,800 both of which might not be the highest in our list but still good enough by all standards.
This high performing grill has a built-in lid thermometer, snap-jet ignition for each burner, infinite control burner valves, stainless steel smoker box and a front access grease tray which also has a catch pan. These features are all meant to make this an easy to use and more convenient grill.
To make this an even better grill, there is a handy grill cabinet and the slide frame design will also impress most users.
While the cooking surface is relatively smaller than what others in our list have to offer, it will still be more than enough for most people. And the relatively higher price tag is still a huge bargain given the quality of the grill, its features and the service it will deliver.
Pros:
- Top performing burners
- Built-in lid thermometer
- Infinite control burner valves
- Stainless steel smoker box
- Includes a rear mounted rotisseries burner
Cons:
- Relatively smaller cooking surface
- Pricier grill
4. Blaze Grills BLZ-5-NG – Top Quality 5-Burner Built-In Grill
Photo: Blaze Grills
- Cooking Surface: 915 square inches
- Total BTU: 80,000
- Material: Stainless Steel
- Dimensions: 25.75 x 39.5 x 21.25 in
Despite not being the cheapest model in our list, this 5-burner built-in grill by Blaze Grill is still our best built-in grill for the money as it is hard to find a better quality and with better features without spending more cash.
This built-in stainless steel outdoor grill will provide a cooking surface of 915 square inches and total BTU of 80,000 both of which are great.
It features flame stabilizing grids that help to minimize flare-ups and will also add a grilled flavor, a full-width tray for easy cleanup and heat zone separators that help to divide the cooking surface.
The push and turn flame-thrower ignition that is the primary ignition for the burners ensures that you always get a fast and reliable startup every time. But, there is also a flash tube ignition and crossovers that will provide a backup or alternative ignition.
While the instructions are not that great, you will not have to rely on them a lot as this is an easy grill to set up. Also, the cover quality might not be the best but it is still okay and should serve you well for a long time.
Pros:
- Sturdy stainless steel build
- Flame stabilizing grids
- Heat zone separators
- Quick and easy cleanup
- Fast and reliable startup
Cons:
- Instructions are not that great
- Cover still not the best quality
5. Napoleon LEX 730 – Larger Cooking Surface and More Powerful Burners
Photo: Napoleon
- Cooking Surface: 1025 square inches
- Total BTU: 95,500
- Material: Stainless Steel
- Dimensions: 28 x 43 x 23 in
If you prefer to cook large quantities of food at a go, the Lex 730 is the perfect grill for you as it has 1025 square inches cooking surface which is the largest in our list.
Also, the 95,000 total BTUs also helps to make it ideal for cooking larger volumes of food within a short time. And to make it even better, it has an infrared bottom burner that can heat up to 1,800 degrees in seconds to ensure the grill will be ready for use almost immediately.
The highly reliable JetFire ignition system also ensures that your grill will always light up the first time and every time.
With the stylish glow knobs on this top-rated built-in grill, you can also use it at night comfortably as they help to illuminate the console.
Although this unit does not come with a smoker box and rotisserie kit, both are easy to find items that will also not cost much, and so this is not a dealbreaker.
Pros:
- Higher total BTU output
- Large cooking surface
- Fast heating infrared burner
- Highly reliable ignition system
- Stylish glow control knobs
Cons:
- Does not come with the rotisserie kit
- Smoker box/tray not included
How to Buy the Best Built-In Grill
Because your built-in grill will do most of the job when it comes to outdoor grilling, you need to choose a top-quality one by considering the following crucial points when shopping.
1. Cooking Surface
The cooking surface should always be one of the first factors to consider when choosing any grill type because it is where you will place your food.
When it comes to the cooking surface the most important factor to consider is the total size. And here the larger the surface the better as it means you can use the grill to cook a lot of food at a go.
A common mistake that many people tend to make is to look at the total size of the grill and not the actual cooking surface that it provides.
Something with at least 500 square inches off cooking surface is often good enough for most grillers, but something larger like the 1025 square inches you get on the Napoleon LEX 730 is even better.
2. Material
Built-in grills might be some best performing types, but they are also often the priciest. And so you cannot afford to get something substandard that will not last long enough.
The material used to make the grill is the key determinant of durability. Although there are many options when it comes to the material not all are durable.
For the grill body, aluminum, cast iron, and stainless steel are the most common option but stainless steel is by far the best and most preferred option thanks to its look, durability, and many other good properties.
3. BTU
The BTU (British Thermal Units) rating is one of the features that many built-in grill manufacturers will use as a key selling point and it measures the amount of heat that the burners can generate.
Generally, the higher the BTU rating the better the grill will be but things are not always that straightforward when it comes to BTU.
A higher BTU grill will not necessarily produce more heat because there are other factors that come in to play such as the grill size and how well it can hold and distribute the heat.
A total BTU output of anywhere from 60,000 BTUs to 100,000 BTUs is often good enough for these kinds of grills. But, if you will be doing a lot of high heat cooking look for something with at least 80,000 BTUs like Blaze Grills BLZ-5-NG.
4. Burner
Burners are one of the elements that set the gas-powered built-in grills apart from the charcoal type grills, and this is because they will allow better temperature regulation.
Different built-in grills will come with different burner sizes and number. The more the burners the better as it often translates to a higher total BTU rating.
However, it is important to consider how effective the burners are in ensuring even heat distribution, and also make sure they are made from high-quality materials like stainless steel.
When it comes to the burners, you will need to pick between two types which are the conventional and infrared heating burners. Both have pros and cons that you need to consider when making up your mind.
5. Temperature Range
Because you will probably need to cook different types of food on the built-in outdoor grill, it is always a good idea to go for a model with a wide temperature range.
Check the maximum and minimum temperature settings that you can get with the built-in grill and determine whether they will be ideal for your kind of grilling or not.
Another important factor to take into account when it comes to the temperature range is the ease and speed of adjusting the temperature when grilling.
6. Ignition System
As you shop for the best outdoor built-in grill, you also need to consider the ignition system if you want to get something easy and convenient to use.
Most modern built-in grills will use either a button to generate a spark for ignition or an electronic system which needs a battery.
Both are still easy to use and convenient ignition systems, but you need to pick what you find most convenient or ideal for your particular situation. Electronic systems are more efficient, but if you do not want to deal with batteries, it might be a good idea to avoid them.
7. Additional Features
There are some features that might not be present in all the built-in grills, but can still be great to have in your grill as they improve the overall experience.
These features include a rotating barbecue rotisserie, LED controls, pull out compartment, fuel gauge, smoker box, side burner, thermometer multiple cooking surfaces and lights.
Most top-rated built in grills will have many of these extra features, but it is also important to note that in many instances the more the features the pricier the grill.
How to Use and Maintain the Built-In Grill
Photo: Lion
Getting a high-quality built-in grill is just the first step in ensuring that you make some fantastic barbecues. To get the best service from your grill, you also need to know how to use and maintain it.
Turning on the built-in grill will only require you to turn the burner knob slowly until you hear a clicking and hold the position for about five seconds for the burner to light.
If the burner does not ignite, turn off the gas and wait for a few minutes for the escaped gas to dissipate before trying again. Once the burners ignite, the grill is ready to use and you only need to place the food on the grates.
Built-In Grill Maintenance Tips
When it comes to the maintenance, here are some simple tips to follow.
- Always keep the grill covered to prevent water from getting to the drip trays and vents.
- Wipe down all the exterior surfaces twice or at least once a month with a protective stainless steel cleaner.
- Clean the metal grates every time you use the grill using a gentle detergent or the manufacturer recommended products, and do it while they are still warm.
- Disassemble the grill at least once a year and clean all the components thoroughly with a liquid barbecue cleaner or any other ideal cleaning agent.
- Inspect the fuel lines every time you deeply clean the grill to determine if there are any leaks.
Conclusion
The best built-in grill will not only have a large cooking surface and wide temperature range, but it will also be made with high-quality material and parts. Luckily, all the 5 models on our review meet and exceed these requirements
With that said the Bull Outdoor Products 87049 is our best overall product as it provides a large enough cooking surface, is relatively more affordable and also features a durable stainless steel construction.