The Kenmore 4 Burner Gas Grill is on sale today – but does it really bring the heat? Here's our expert review

A grill can be the silent superhero of your next dinner party, or the reason your guests are waiting too long to eat, or even have to throw food back on the grill when it wasn’t fully done. So, for those who entertain, or just those who enjoy grilled meats and vegetables regularly, the best grill is essential.

The Kenmore 4 Burner Gas Grill with Searing Side Burner, which is on sale at Wayfair today, discounted by 17%, is positioned as an affordable, stylish option for keen cooks.

As a busy mom of five, I’m constantly hosting birthday parties with lots of hungry kids waiting for more hot dogs, dinner parties where grilled chicken, steak, or fish are the main menu item, and just a small grillout on an average Tuesday hanging on the porch. So, I hope for no frills and no problems from my grill, but just a consistent and high-performing product at a reasonable price.

Here’s how the Kenmore 4 Burner Gas Grill measured up against the best gas grills on the market, and what to expect if you decide to give it a try.

Specifications

Setting up

Setting up the Kenmore 4 Burner Gas Grill is not a difficult task, but it does require a bit of time and direction following. If you are unable to set up, you can book setup for a few with your purchase, such as through Amazon. For around $20, they will move the box to the place you want it, and there are options up to the most inclusive at $150, where they set up your new grill and haul away the old one.

The assembly directions can seem elaborate, and there’s a pretty substantial number of steps in a large booklet. You can also follow along with numerous setup videos from users online that are helpful to visualize what you are doing.

I set up the grill in my garage to be able to spread out in a covered space, before moving it to the back porch. I’d allot around an hour to figure out how to build it, depending on how many tools you have available, and how handy you are. Though it comes with some necessary tools, you would do better to use some of your own, like screwdrivers and drills. There are times you need to be careful like when building the back wall because the metal is fragile and it’s easy to strip the screws.

When you are building the product, you might notice a few features that point to an awkward or flimsy design. For example, you have to build a bracing structure to hold up the back wall of the grill, to stabilize the otherwise flimsy metal. One might expect on a four burner grill to just have strong enough metal without having to build support structures that are visible going forward, and reduce the usable space under the grill.

But, overall, the construction process is easy to understand, and with a little patience and know-how, you will be cooking in no time.

Design & first impressions

I took a step back after the Kenmore 4 Burner Gas Grill was set up, and the first thing I noticed was the copper accents. If you are sick of the same old black grill, the rose gold tones on the knobs and handles make for a slightly elevated-looking entertaining space.

It's also very spacious. The grill features 425 square inches of primary cooking surface, and an additional extra grilling space above that main cooking area. These are in addition to the searing section with the fifth burner in a separate part of the grill.

There's a small grease catch can is at the bottom of the grease trap, but it's small and perched in a way that if you bump the grill, grease can easily come out. The can should be larger or more stable.

What is the Kenmore grill like to use?

Using the Kenmore 4 Burner Gas Grill starts with a simple button, and within minutes, you are ready to cook. The easy start ignition is quick and easy to use, and the grill heats up faster than other grills I’ve used through the years. While I might typically allow 20 or even 30 minutes to ensure a grill is fully ready, with this grill, it was closer to 10 minutes.

One heated, cooking on the grill is straightforward, though there are a few spots and challenges to watch for. First, there are sections of the grill where the grates are a bit wide apart, and food can fall through if you aren’t careful. Also, there are a few spots on the grill that are unexpectedly hotter or colder than others. For example, the back right corner is a bit of a hot spot, while the back left corner gets very little heat. So, it takes some time to get to know your new grill’s perks in these ways.

As you finish cooking your food, you can move it to the upper rack to keep it warm, which provides a good amount of extra space. In addition, the fifth burner allows for searing at higher temperatures, heating up more than the regular surface.

When you are finished cooking on the grill, and after you’ve let it cool, cleaning the grill is pretty simple and typical of any grill with a brush and grill cleaner. In addition, the outer part of the grill needs to be wiped down periodically, too, as it was showing some dirt after just a few uses.

Changing the propane tank is simple and easy to access. You’ll also notice that the lid to the grill is quite lightweight and doesn’t slam shut when you are using it. This is helpful, but also could be contributing to some of the differences in heating across the surface — I’d hypothesize that maybe it isn’t keeping heat in as evenly as some other grills with heavier lids. Yet, it still works quite effectively.

Grilling performance

The Kenmore 4 Burner Gas Grill has four burners that do an excellent job heating up quickly and cooking a variety of foods thoroughly and in a reasonable amount of time compared to other grills. There are a few spots that are very obviously hotter or cooler than other spots. Here are the results on some classic, crowd-pleasing grill recipes.

Test 1: Chicken

Cooking meat on the grill was a frequent occurrence during the multiple months of testing, and throughout a typical week I cooked meat like fish, chicken, pork chops, and others frequently. In one such recipe, I marinated chicken breasts in Italian dressing, and cooked the meat at 350 degrees, which took around 5-10 minutes to heat to.

The thermometer said it maintained that temperature well throughout the cooking time, which was around 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through. The chicken turned out moist, but with a good level of crunch to the outside. I avoided cooking the chicken in the back left corner where I know the cool spot to be, and also more frequently checked on chicken in the back right corner, where it sometimes gets too hot.

Test 2 Steak

I tested the searing burner using a few steaks, after cooking the steak on the regular part of the grill. After cooking the steak to around medium or medium rare, I moved the steak over to the searing burner to finish up the outside without it further cooking the inside. Within a few minutes, including flipping the steaks on the searing burner, the outside had a nice, crisp, carmelized marinade finish, that you’d find in a local steak restaurant. However, the inside was not overdone, which helped control my ability to cook steaks for people in my family with multiple different preferences.

Test 3: Vegetables

I cooked asparagus on the grill, at around 400 degrees for just a few minutes. The grill heated up quickly, and the asparagus cooked evenly. I did not use a vegetable cooking basket, but probably should have, because skinnier vegetables will likely fall through the grates when you move them. This is because the grill grates on this grill move a bit when you are adjusting food, rather than staying perfectly still. So, there is slightly less room for error. But, the vegetables came out crunchy and delicious in just a few minutes.

Cleaning, storage & maintenance

You’ll notice that within a few uses, both the inside and outside of the grill will need to be cleaned, especially if you are grilling larger amounts of food or using the product more frequently. Compared to other grills I’ve used, it wasn’t quite as easy to remove food residue from the grates using a grill brush and cleaner. In addition, slightly more food stuck to the grates than some other options. So, if you do buy this grill, keep your cleaning materials handy.

If you know how to clean a grill, you'll know that the outside also needs attention, especially if you don’t use a grill cover, which is sold separately. Wiping down the outside of the grill is usually sufficient, and basic dust and dirt easily comes off.

You should frequently clean the grease pan by pulling it out and scrubbing it with a brush, which is a straightforward process without issue.

Maintenance of the grill is largely about changing the propane tank. When you have to change it, the hose you connect to the tank is close to the nozzle, so it can take a little effort to fit the tank into the spot, and to connect the hose to the tank. So, this is a slightly irritating part of the design that you need to account for.

How does the Kenmore grill compare?

The Kenmore 4 Burner Gas Grill is comparable to other mid range grills at this price point. If this was a product I was planning to use a few times per week, I’d consider leveling up to one that’s a few hundred dollars more that has a bit more of an intuitive, convenient, and sturdy design.

Compared to the best gas grills we've tested at a similar price and with similar features, this grill is slightly more difficult to build, with slightly more flimsy construction. It has more hot and cold pockets throughout the cooking surface which consumers should note. However, it’s a better-looking grill than some other options if that’s a consideration.

Should you buy it?

I would consider purchasing the Kenmore 4 Burner Gas Grill, but also would carefully research if other comparable options are a better fit, given how I would be using the grill. I’d like to see this grill modify parts of its design to be more user-friendly, and to see fewer hot and cold spots throughout. However, it did perform well at doing its job of cooking accurately to its temperature, and has a good amount of surface area with a lightweight lid that is easy to lift.

I think you should carefully consider the pros and cons of this grill before purchasing to ensure it’s right for your needs.

How I tested

I tested the Kenmore grill after it arrived at my residential house after requesting a media sample from the company, which they provided. I then built the grill using the instructions provided, and moved the grill to the porch for immediate testing over a few meals, then long term testing over a few months. I observed various features including the design and structure, along with the accuracy of the heating elements, the visual aesthetics of the product, and also how well it can be cleaned.

I conducted multiple recipe tests on various types of food on the grill, to determine how it would perform for a normal consumer’s needs. I also cooked for larger groups to see how much food could really fit and cook thoroughly, watching for hot and cold spots. Finally, I conducted extensive online research to determine what other users thought of the grill, comparing it to my own notes and observations.