Outdoor cooking gear can look similar at first glance, but the best choice depends on how you cook: quick weeknight propane grilling, flat-top griddle meals, mixed gas-and-charcoal cooking, or a cart-style setup for larger gatherings. In this grills outdoor cooking comparison, the main tradeoffs are cooking format, burner count, listed price, mobility, and whether you want a hooded grill, a griddle surface, a side burner, or a smoker-style attachment.
Quick take
- Best for a compact griddle setup: Royal Gourmet Portable 3-Burner Propane Griddle with Hood for Outdoor Cooking. It is the lowest listed price in the group and centers on a flat griddle surface rather than traditional grill grates.
- Best for four main burners at a lower listed price than the cart-style side-burner model: 4 Burner Gas Grill with Cast Iron Grate Stainless Steel Pan, 40000 BTU BBQ Grill. It combines cast iron grates, a perforated griddle pan, folding side tables, wheels, and a lid.
- Best for propane grilling with an added side burner: Propane Gas Grill 4 Burners a Side Burner Steel Grill Cart Outdoor Cooking BBQ. It pairs four main burners with a separate side burner and a cart layout.
- Best for mixed fuel cooking: Royal Gourmet 2-Burner Gas and Charcoal Combo Grill. It is the highest listed price here, but it is also the only gas-and-charcoal combo grill in the set and includes an offset smoker and side burner.
Listed price comparison
The listed prices run from USD 109.99 to USD 339.99, with the lowest priced option about 68% below the highest priced option.
| Product | Listed price | Relative price bar |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Gourmet Portable 3-Burner Propane Griddle with Hood for Outdoor Cooking | USD 109.99 | |
| 4 Burner Gas Grill with Cast Iron Grate Stainless Steel Pan, 40000 BTU BBQ Grill | USD 169.99 | |
| Propane Gas Grill 4 Burners a Side Burner Steel Grill Cart Outdoor Cooking BBQ | USD 239.99 | |
| Royal Gourmet 2-Burner Gas and Charcoal Combo Grill | USD 339.99 |
Decision matrix
Choose by cooking style
- Flat-top meals: The Royal Gourmet Portable 3-Burner Propane Griddle is the clearest fit if you want a griddle surface for foods that benefit from broad contact with the cooking top.
- Traditional propane grilling with grate cooking: The 4 Burner Gas Grill with Cast Iron Grate Stainless Steel Pan focuses on porcelain-enameled cast iron grates and includes a perforated griddle pan for added flexibility.
- Propane cart grilling with a side burner: The Polar Aurora propane gas grill is the more direct match if you want a medium grill cart format with four burners plus a separate side burner.
- Gas, charcoal, smoke, and side cooking in one unit: The Royal Gourmet 2-Burner Gas and Charcoal Combo Grill is the only model here that combines gas and charcoal cooking with an offset smoker.
Choose by space and movement
The portable Royal Gourmet griddle is the most compact concept in this group, with adjustable legs and a hooded griddle layout. The Nice Cooker 4-burner grill and the Polar Aurora grill both include wheels, making them more cart-like outdoor cooking stations. The Royal Gourmet gas-and-charcoal combo is the most multi-section choice because it brings together separate gas, charcoal, side-burner, and offset-smoker areas.
Choose by burner layout
If burner count matters most, the Nice Cooker grill has four independently adjustable burners, while the Polar Aurora grill has four main burners plus a side burner. The Royal Gourmet portable griddle has three independently controlled burners. The Royal Gourmet combo grill has two main gas burners plus a side burner, with charcoal cooking handled separately.
Concise product notes
Royal Gourmet Portable 3-Burner Propane Griddle with Hood for Outdoor Cooking
This is the clearest pick for shoppers who want a portable griddle rather than a standard grate-style grill. The 3-burner layout, hood, grease drain hole, removable grease cup, adjustable legs, and detachable griddle top all point toward compact outdoor flat-top cooking for patios, backyards, camping trips, or garden parties. It also uses propane and is designed around a standard 20 lb tank with a hose included. The tradeoff is cooking format and surface scale: it is built around a 227 sq. in. griddle area, so shoppers looking for a larger cart grill, charcoal cooking, or a dedicated warming rack will find the other models better matched.
4 Burner Gas Grill with Cast Iron Grate Stainless Steel Pan, 40000 BTU BBQ Grill
The Nice Cooker 4-burner grill is a strong middle-ground choice for propane-style outdoor cooking with both grate and pan versatility. Its porcelain-enameled cast iron grates are paired with a perforated griddle pan, so it suits shoppers who want traditional grill marks as well as a surface for fish, vegetables, seafood, sausages, or breakfast-style cooking. Folding side tables, wheels, a removable grease tray, detachable grates, a built-in thermometer, and a lid give it a practical cook-station feel. The limitation is party size: the description frames the 302 sq. in. cooking space for a 2-4 person party, so it is not the broadest cooking-area option here.
Propane Gas Grill 4 Burners a Side Burner Steel Grill Cart Outdoor Cooking BBQ
The Polar Aurora propane grill is the fit for shoppers who want a cart-style outdoor cooking setup with a side burner alongside the main grilling area. The title and description emphasize four stainless steel individual-control burners plus an additional side burner, with a built-in temperature gauge in the lid and four wheels for movement around a patio, backyard, garden, courtyard, or balcony. Its 380 sq. in. primary cooking area and 112 sq. in. warming rack make it more expansive than the compact griddle. The limitation is fuel and format: it is a propane grill, so it does not offer the gas-and-charcoal combination or offset smoker setup found on the Royal Gourmet combo model.
Royal Gourmet 2-Burner Gas and Charcoal Combo Grill
The Royal Gourmet 2-Burner Gas and Charcoal Combo Grill is the most versatile format in this group because it combines gas grilling, charcoal grilling, an offset smoker, and a side burner. Its layout is aimed at shoppers who want more than one cooking method in a single outdoor station, including smoky cooking and side-dish preparation. The total cooking area is listed at 1020 sq. in., split across primary cooking, warming rack, and offset smoker areas, making it the largest cooking-area concept here. The limitation is cost and complexity: it sits at the top of the listed price range, and its multi-zone design is more involved than a straightforward propane griddle or four-burner gas grill.
Final recommendation
For the lowest listed price and a compact flat-top format, choose the Royal Gourmet Portable 3-Burner Propane Griddle with Hood for Outdoor Cooking at USD 109.99. It is the simplest recommendation if a griddle surface, hood, grease cup, and portable design match the way you cook.
For a lower-mid listed price with traditional grill grates and extra cooking flexibility, the 4 Burner Gas Grill with Cast Iron Grate Stainless Steel Pan, 40000 BTU BBQ Grill at USD 169.99 is the most balanced propane-style option here. It gives you four burners, cast iron grates, a perforated griddle pan, folding side tables, wheels, and a built-in thermometer without moving into the higher listed prices.
If a side burner is important but you still want a propane grill cart, the Propane Gas Grill 4 Burners a Side Burner Steel Grill Cart Outdoor Cooking BBQ at USD 239.99 is the direct match. It offers the clearest combination of four main burners, a side burner, a warming rack, and cart dimensions.
Choose the Royal Gourmet 2-Burner Gas and Charcoal Combo Grill at USD 339.99 if the priority is cooking variety rather than the lowest price. It is the highest listed price in this comparison, but it is also the only option here with gas and charcoal cooking, an offset smoker, and a side burner in one unit.