What is a BTU? How important are propane gas grills to you then? You can find out everything you need to know in our BTU guide.
One of the most common questions we get asked is “How many BTUs do I need for my gas grill?”. It’s a valid question. You want to make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck when purchasing your propane stove. Most of the time, BTU is the first term that comes up.
There is a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding surrounding the unit of measure, so this guide should help cut down on the noise. Find out what they are, why they are important, and what number to look for when shopping for your next propane grill.
What are BTUs?
BTU is the abbreviation for British Thermal Units and is a unit of measurement USED to express units of heat. It is the measurement used to determine the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. It is a metric that is used not only for propane grilling, but also for heating devices such as air conditioners.
BTUs are important on propane grills because they indicate the amount of fuel consumed per hour. A grill with a high BTU rating is likely to have more fuel than a grill with a lower BTU rating.
Misunderstandings with BTU performance
In many cases, there are various misconceptions when it comes to BTUs. This is because it is a term commonly associated with propane gas grills called WIRD. One of the most common misconceptions is that the higher the BTU, the greater the heat dissipation. That is not true. The BTU specification can be slightly misleading. They generally reflect the heat produced per hour for the main and primary burners.
Side burner BTUs may differ from main burner BTUs. It is therefore important to know both. The size of the cooking chamber is a major contributor to the overall heat output and yet alone to the BTUs. If you don’t know the total grilling area of the grill, knowing the BTUs quickly becomes useless. Therefore, check the BTUs by range. So YOU Can Get A Better Picture Of How Hot Or Not The Grill Is.
Also, higher BTUs are often associated with better cooking. YOU may want to check how well the grill distributes heat and how evenly it cooks. These are vital qualities. Higher BTUs are best avoided. In many cases, this is usually a trick by the manufacturer to let you overlook poor workmanship.
Watch out for extremely low or high BTUs. If they are too low, there is a chance that the grill will take a long time to heat up after you open the grill, or that it will take a long time to preheat.
You’ll see that many grill manufacturers brag about their BTUs, but BTU ratings aren’t the last word on heat production.
The BTU values come from a calculation derived from the pressure of the gas, the size of the gas valve and the type of gas used. This means that BTU is actually showing more fuel used and not more heat.
For example, a large grill saves more fuel because it has to cover a large grilling area. A smaller grill may use less fuel to achieve the same heat and therefore have a lower BTU rating.
Heat flow
In fact, a grill’s heat output IS calculated by something called “heat flux.” Simply hear are BTUs per square inch of grilling area on your cooking grates.
To calculate your grill’s heat flux, divide your total BTU rating by your main cooking area in square inches. Does not include your heating grates or side burners. For example, if your 4 burner grill has 48,000 BTUs and a cooking surface area of 500 square inches, it will produce a heat flux number of 96.
A 72,000 BTU, 6 burner grill with a 900 square inch main grilling area is quoted as having a heat flux of 80. This shows how the higher BTU metric must deliver more power to balance your large grill. and actually delivers less heat overall.
A good target heat flow number is 85, but it’s not a perfect number. Other factors such as construction, heat retention, and burner location can affect a grill’s ultimate performance.
What is a good BTU for gas grills?
There is no specific BTU value that is the same for every grill. Instead, it depends on various factors, such as the cooking area. Even if there is no digit, SHE can get around an approximate number. To calculate the BTU, you can divide the main burner BTU by the square inches.
This is because BTUs give you an idea of how much fuel a grill will burn in an hour. The larger the stove, the more gas is burned during cooking. Heat flux is the amount of heat per square inch and you need to take that into account to know your grill’s efficiency and performance.
In most cases, the unit heat flux is around 85. However, it can vary from 75 to 100 per square inch. This will work with a convection grill, but you’ll need 50-80 BTUs for infrared grills.
How YOU use your grill will determine the BTUs YOU need. For normal home use, you can get a grill with around 80 to 100 BTU. That’s enough for a family barbecue. A four-burner grill to feed more people might have a BTU of 96. This could be for business purposes or large family gatherings with around four burners.
A single-burner portable grill can have a total of 12,000 BTUs, and this is about the same for most tabletop and small grills.
How do I get more heat out of my gas grill?
BTU is more about how much heat you are using per hour for the size of your grill. The higher the number, the more your bag screams. Therefore, it would be wise to look for ways to minimize the amount of heat used. There are a few things you can do to get your grill hotter and get the most out of it.
Insulate the grill. You can build stones around the grill tube. The bricks are then channeled out of the gas and affect the heat output for the entire firing process.
Keep your grill clean. And not just for hygienic reasons. When your grill is dirty, it prevents the heat from the gas. Keep your grill clean and the heat has free access to the grill surface.
You can also use aluminum foil to wrap your food and heat things up. Aluminum foil speeds up the cooking process, so you use less heat.
One of the most important things is to make sure that your grill has features and materials that support minimal energy consumption.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have burning questions about British Thermal Units for your outdoor propane grill? Our answers to the most frequently asked questions will help you.
Writer & content creator. BBQ fanatic!
