Natural gas grill?

[albireo13]

We recently moved into a house which has natural gas supplied by the town.
I noticed a natural gas pipe/hookup extended outside under the back deck. I imagine it was put in to allow for an outside grill.

I have been using a nice Webber propane grill for years, and still use it.
Now, I am tempted to switch over to a natural gas grill and make the outside connection. However, I have never grilled with natural gas.

Does anyone here use natural gas grills?
How does it do compared to propane? I wonder if it imparts a different taste to the food, since grilling means cooking over an exposed flame essentially.

Thx.

[Jerry1]

I was at a hotel on the beach that had gas grills that were exactly like my Weber S-320 propane grill. I could not tell any difference. I’ve read that the natural gas doesn’t heat up as well, but I did not see any evidence of this. Even if it took an unnoticeable longer period of time to heat up, it got up to full temp with no issues. In other words - go for it.

[braumeister]

The pressure of the gas is lower, so you would likely need to change the burners on your grill to a larger orifice size.

[justlikebike]

I've had my natural gas grill for years. I can get sucker up to 800 degrees if I wanted to. No problem with heat. I haven't noticed any difference with flavor. The best thing is never worrying about empty tanks. Family over at the last minute? No problem! BBQ is ready and willing. Just make darned sure you remember to turn it off after.

[euro]

Most of today's grills can be converted back and forth with a "conversion kit".
As far as cooking, I have not ever noticed any perceivable difference.

[Car-Guy]

I've had them all over the years. NG, Propane and Charcoal. Nice thing about NG is you don't need to worry about running out of fuel.

Personally, I prefer Charcoal grills, but they all work okay.

[Jerry1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braumeister The pressure of the gas is lower, so you would likely need to change the burners on your grill to a larger orifice size.

Better to just get a new grill.

But yes, the propane grill will not work with natural gas without modifying it. I do think most grills have conversion kits.

[Gumby]

We have a standard propane grill out on the porch and a natural gas grill on our stovetop unit in the kitchen. I have never noticed a flavor difference in food cooked on them.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by albireo13 We recently moved into a house which has natural gas supplied by the town. I noticed a natural gas pipe/hookup extended outside under the back deck. I imagine it was put in to allow for an outside grill. I have been using a nice Webber propane grill for years, and still use it. Now, I am tempted to switch over to a natural gas grill and make the outside connection. However, I have never grilled with natural gas. Does anyone here use natural gas grills? How does it do compared to propane? I wonder if it imparts a different taste to the food, since grilling means cooking over an exposed flame essentially. Thx.

Yes, I got the natural gas version of the larger Weber Genesis grill. I had to order it, no problem. Lowe’s delivered and we got the special dark brown “espresso”Lowe’s color which I preferred to black. Also lots more storage available in the cabinet under the grill.

It works great and is very convenient. When we had the house built we had them install a natural gas connection in the courtyard wall. The hose is long enough that I can roll the grill around quite a bit. I have a valve at the wall where I shut off the gas when not grilling.

Absolutely no difference in taste. The gas burns off.

[qwerty3656]

I converted my propane grill to natural gas. It was a number of years ago, but it was pretty easy. I'm sure you can find a youtube video on it.

[TheWizard]

NG is mostly methane, which has a lower heat value per cubic foot than propane. Hence the conversion kit which allows more gas flow.

The flavor thing isn't a factor with NG/methane or propane, as others mention. It can be an issue with charcoal and lighter fluid if you put the steak on too soon...

[njhowie]

Another possibility or something else to consider is you could use it for a whole house generator.

[JoeWras]

I bought my house and it had the NG grill on the deck. I've replaced it twice over 35 years. Keep coming back.

I LOVE the convenience. No tanks. It is great!

[Kabowest]

It's right up there with the natural gas generator. Super convenient.

[6miths]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Car-Guy I've had them all over the years. NG, Propane and Charcoal. Nice thing about NG is you don't need to worry about running out of fuel.

Agree that nice thing is that you don't have to worry about running out of fuel. You do always want to be sure to turn off! Especially with NG prices these days. Never noticed a difference in any aspect of cooking with either.

[marko]

+1 on NG. Especially good if you have a very large grill and use it a lot. Never worry about running out of gas.

DO note that propane and NG are not interchangeable. You'll need to get a conversion kit.

[SnowballCamper]

The natural gas connection for the grill (and a big burner for brewing beer) is a great convenience. The propane orfice is smaller than for natural gas... so you could connect it and light it, but it likely wouldn't get hot enough for what you want. The conversion kit I got was just a couple orfice, two little bitty screws with holes in them...that were way overpriced for what they are. You'll also need the piece of flexible hose that restricts how far you can roll the grill...about the only drawback there is.

[JoeWras]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SnowballCamper The natural gas connection for the grill (and a big burner for brewing beer) is a great convenience. The propane orfice is smaller than for natural gas... so you could connect it and light it, but it likely wouldn't get hot enough for what you want. The conversion kit I got was just a couple orfice, two little bitty screws with holes in them...that were way overpriced for what they are. You'll also need the piece of flexible hose that restricts how far you can roll the grill...about the only drawback there is.

And if you order a new grill, make sure to get the NG version. Seems like places like Amazon don't display them by default, so you have to use a pull down. Then you get the right type from the start without any charge or conversion.

Good point on the flexible hose. My biggest issue with them is that squirrels like to chew them. Every few years I turn it on and smell gas, and see the rubber bits everywhere.

Which reminds me. A proper installation MUST have a shut-off at the pipe. You cannot depend on the grill to turn it off. This may go without saying, but sometimes handyman connections are wonky so just want to say it.

[Gumby]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeWras ... Good point on the flexible hose. My biggest issue with them is that squirrels like to chew them. Every few years I turn it on and smell gas, and see the rubber bits everywhere. ....

You can get braided steel covered propane hoses. I suspect you can also get them for natural gas. That might solve the squirrel problem.

[JoeWras]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gumby You can get braided steel covered propane hoses. I suspect you can also get them for natural gas. That might solve the squirrel problem.

Thanks. Makes sense since all the water connections have gone that way lately.

On my list for the next replacement cycle.