A gas grill is the ultimate in convenience for outdoor cooking. Unlike grilling with charcoal, using a gas grill is just as quick and clean as cooking on your indoor stove. And a portable gas grill is a lot easier to take to a tailgate party!

Gas grills are available in a wide range of sizes. Hibachi-size portable grills and small kettle grills are easy to take along to the beach, campsite, or that football game. Medium-sized gas grills, ranging from about 27 to 51 inches, are the backyard staple, able to cook enough to feed a large family or provide hot dogs and burgers for a crowd.

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for huge stainless-steel gas grills, which actually constitute a full outdoor kitchen. These may be freestanding units or built into the design of a patio or deck. They may have extra side burners in addition to large warming trays and lots of work and storage space. They may also include a rotisserie or a smoker.

A recent addition to the field is the infrared gas grill. With this grill, the gas burner is tucked away inside a stainless steel housing with a ceramic top, which has thousands of tiny pores. Instead of cooking directly over the gas flame, you use the heat radiated by the ceramic top. The advantage of infrared grills is that they can reach really high temperatures, so they are great if you want to cook steaks, chops, burgers and the like. The disadvantage is that it's hard to regulate lower temperatures. If you like to do roasts, turkeys or other foods that require a long cooking time, a regular gas grill will serve you better.