Ask five people what makes a great barbecue and you'll get five confident, contradictory answers. That's because the right BBQ depends almost entirely on how you cook — so before comparing spec sheets, it's worth being honest about what actually lands on your grill most weekends.
The two schools of gas
Traditional convection gas — the style most Australians grew up with, and what you'll find across Napoleon and Coleman ranges — heats the air around the food via burners under a plate or grill. It's versatile and forgiving: sausages for twenty, a slow roast under the hood, veggies on the flat plate. Temperature moves gradually, which makes it easy to learn.
Infrared, the technology behind Crossray BBQs, uses ceramic burners that radiate heat directly into the food rather than heating the air. In practice that means faster heat-up, serious searing temperatures, and noticeably juicier results because radiant heat drives less moisture out of meat. Because the burners in a Crossray sit at the sides rather than directly under the food, fat drips onto a tray instead of open flame — so flare-ups, the traditional way to cremate a good steak, mostly disappear. Infrared's trade-off is a different learning curve: it's quick, and the first few cooks will catch you out if you wander off. For a closer look at how that plays out in one brand, our Crossray infrared BBQ review compares the trolley, in-built and outdoor kitchen configurations and what each one costs.
Which suits you?
If your barbecuing is steak, lamb and anything that benefits from a hard sear — or you're the impatient type who wants to cook fifteen minutes after walking in the door — infrared rewards you every single time. If you cook big mixed spreads, love a hooded roast, or hand the tongs to guests of varying skill, traditional gas is the safer all-rounder. Plenty of serious cooks would happily own either; almost nobody regrets matching the style to their actual habits.
Burner count is about area, not power
More burners mainly buys you more simultaneous zones and more space. As a rough guide: two burners handles a couple or small family; four covers six to eight people with room to run direct and indirect zones at once; six is entertaining territory. An oversized BBQ costs you every time you cook for three — you're heating (and paying to heat) grill you're not using. Buy for your normal fortnight, not your biggest party of the year. If you want to see how that plays out within a single range, our side-by-side of the Coleman Revolution 2-Burner and 4-Burner compares the two sizes on cooking space, side burner value and current prices.
Features that earn their keep
A hood with a decent thermometer turns a BBQ into an outdoor oven — for most families that's the single most-used "extra". A side burner is genuinely handy if your kitchen is far from the alfresco (sauces, onions, keeping things warm); skip it if the kitchen window opens onto the deck. Cast iron grills hold and mark beautifully but need drying and a wipe of oil after washing; stainless is lighter maintenance. And check the trolley rolls smoothly with the gas bottle in place if your BBQ has to move for storage.
Two practical notes before you order
First, measure your space including hood-open height and clearance from walls or fence palings — manufacturers specify minimum clearances from combustible surfaces and they're not decorative. Second, if your home has natural gas plumbed outside, check the specific model's compatibility and conversion requirements before purchase rather than after; conversion is a licensed-gasfitter job in Australia, not a DIY one.
You can compare the whole range in BBQs & Outdoor Cooking, and the accessories collection covers the covers, tools and extras.
