){kind=avatar}
How to Buy a Side Burner For Your Outdoor Kitchen | Buying Guide
Key Takeaways
- Side burners expand outdoor kitchen versatility and add separate cooking zones for sides, sauces, and more
- Choose natural gas for a permanent fuel supply or propane if a gas line is unavailable
- Burner types include single, double, power burners, and infrared stations for different cooking needs
- Built-in, drop-in, and grill-mounted configurations fit different outdoor kitchen layouts
- Side burners let you cook multiple dishes at once while grilling your main course
Side burners don’t always get the credit they deserve. To a truly great outdoor grill, these convenient add-ons make an excellent companion cooking appliance. If your gas grill is the star of your outdoor setup, side burners will be the sidekicks that make your life easier. Choosing a burner from the same brand as your grill and other cooking appliances is recommended since it will simplify setup and make it more manageable and coordinated, achieving a unified aesthetic with consistent logos and design. While looking for the perfect burner to accompany your grill, it is also important to research whether the burner requires a connection to the gas grill or can operate on its own. These burners come in a few different designs that have their own important considerations, which is why our experts put together this handy buying guide to help you find the best one for your outdoor kitchen.
Why Should I add a Side Burner to my Outdoor Kitchen?
Including a side burner is an inexpensive way to increase the versatility of your outdoor kitchen. For any outdoor kitchen build, we’d wager few appliances beat the value of a side burner, power burner, or infrared searing station. They inexpensively expand your ability to utilize cooking zones, offer separate temperature control, and add massive versatility to outdoor kitchens – especially when your kitchen isn’t built around a gas grill. Keep in mind they’re much easier to implement during the initial construction phase than the “Great, time to rework my gas plumbing and rebuild this island” phase. Though you may be satisfied now with just a grill, there’s no reason to limit your culinary experimentation or multi-tasking later. Plan a side burner into the initial design and your future cooking possibilities stay wide open.
Determine Your Side Burners' Fuel Type
Natural Gas Burners
If your home has an existing natural gas line, this will be your best option. The most notable advantage is not needing a portable tank that will have to be stored and refilled. As always, a licensed plumber is a must for working with gas lines. They will need to handle your installation and verify that your meter can support the additional flow and pressure.
Propane Burners
If natural gas is unavailable for your property, propane serves as an excellent alternative. You have two options for propane: a 20-lb propane tank or bulk propane storage, which involves a larger tank on your property refilled by a utility or bulk gas supplier. The installation of bulk propane requires a licensed professional to ensure the tank has sufficient pressure and flow for all appliances. For a consistent fuel supply, consider dedicating separate 20-lb propane tanks specifically for your grill and side burner.
Choose Your Burner Type
Choose Your Side Burners' Configuration
Choose Your Burner Class
Find the outdoor burner classification that is right for you. We have divided our selection of outdoor kitchen burners into Luxury, Premium, and Practical classes based on their quality, performance, and features. Our experts have sorted the side burners we carry into one of these three classes so you can get a snapshot of whether it works for you.
Luxury Side Burner
Practical Side Burner
- Built with mixed materials that will result in shorter lifespans and varied quality between brands
- Most Practical grill brands don't offer cart-mounted side burners as aftermarket accessories
- Practical grill brands such as Weber, Broil King, and Saber offer grills with permanent cart-mounted burners
Side Burner Advantages
Multi-Tasking
Side burners and power burners empower you to prepare multiple courses simultaneously. Grill your main course and adjacently whip up those side dishes!
The Power of Wok Cooking
Wok cooking necessitates strong, concentrated heat. Strong spices, splattering oil… it’s both safer and much easier to clean up if you do it outdoors.
Keep Sauces Warm
One of our favorite side burner uses is keeping basting liquids warm. That way, you can baste delicious sauces into your BBQ across the cookout.
Keep Your Kitchen Clean
Move your usual indoor dishes outside — such as smelly or messy foods — so you can stay cooking in one place and keep your indoors sparkling.
Separate Temp Control
Cook with multiple heat levels at once: sear, simmer, boil, and more! Try it! You’ll never be able to grill without a side burner again.
Companion Cooker
Add the ease and versatility of a gas burner to an outdoor kitchen already based around a charcoal smoker, pizza oven, or kamado grill.
Cook More at Once
Side burners add secondary cooking surfaces — especially great for spontaneous entertaining or unexpectedly higher guest counts.
Backup Burner
Guests are arriving and your prep is complete. You turn on the grill… and a burner’s out. A side burner can keep the party going!
Other Considerations When Buying a Side Burner
Shopping for a side burner does not have to be difficult, but there are still some things to keep in mind as you make your final decision.
Clearance to Combustibles
It is typically recommended to avoid using combustible materials when building your outdoor kitchen island. However, if that is not an option, you will need an insulated jacket for your side burner. Some models have zero clearance to combustibles, allowing them to be installed directly into a combustible outdoor kitchen island that cannot accommodate a full built-in burner with an insulated jacket. Additionally, be aware that not every brand offering insulated jackets for their grills provides one for their burners. This is why it’s important to always do your research before making a purchase.
A Note on BTUs
British Thermal Units or “BTUs” represent the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by 1°F. The common conception is that the larger the BTU number, the hotter the appliance gets. However, this is not always the case. Power burners incorporate design elements that allow for more efficient heat utilization, as the heat is more focused. While BTUs are a reasonable consideration for recovery time when boiling water, it's possible that a power burner with lower BTUs with a more efficient construction will outpace competitors in boiling water faster. This is especially true for burners designed with a priority for efficiency rather than simply having higher BTUs. Wind can also be a factor that affects heat, so installing your built-in unit a few inches lower into the counter creates a good wind guard and stronger heat.
Non-Traditional Gas Burners
These products are all about increasing the versatility of an outdoor kitchen. Portable griddles or small gas grills can function as a side burner or secondary cooking surface. If you have the space to spare, a large charcoal grill or pizza oven makes a great companion grill. These are just a few of the ways you can increase your opportunity for culinary creativity.
Side Burner Accessories
Burner covers are a great companion to have on hand to keep your burners sleek and beautiful for years to come. Cast iron cookware, a cooking wok, or a griddle also pair well with these appliances no matter which one you choose. Each new piece only gives your power burner that much more versatility.
These often-overlooked accessories make a fantastic addition to any outdoor kitchen. For any additional questions about these products, or anything else we offer, give our fantastic outdoor living experts a call at (877) 743-2269.
