10 Best Portable Pontoon Boat Grills Mounts and Marine Boat Bbq Grills (Gas) Review

There's nothing quite like a barbecue. It's not only a great way to eat, it's a great way to spend time with family and friends on your pontoon boat. The easiest way to get the cooking done is with a gas barbecue grill for your boat. Reliable lighting, even heating, and plenty of workspace make the job a pleasure. The best gas barbecues will give you succulent food with that smoky aroma we love, time after time. But specifications can be confusing — and making the wrong choice could turn out expensive to correct. After a great deal of testing (and tasting) we have our final selection. Each of the gas barbecue pontoon boat grills in the product list above came top in its class, and carries our seal of approval. If you'd like more detail to help you decide which model to buy, please read the following comprehensive report.

TOP Pontoon Boat Grills Comparison Table

1. The Best Marine Pontoon Boat Grill, Stainless Steel, Adjustable Control Valve [Magma]

2. The Best Portable Tabletop Pontoon Boat Grill (Marine Boat Bbq Grill) +Mount [Cuisinart]

3. The Best Portable Pontoon Boat Grill (Marine Boat Bbq Grill Mount) [Arnall's]

4. The Best Marine Pontoon Boat Grill (Propane BBQ Mount) [Coleman]

5. The Best Marine Pontoon Boat Grill (Barbeque/Bbq Mount) [Springfield]

6. The Best Portable Gas Bbq Pontoon Boat Grill with Folding Tabletop Legs for Pontoon Boat [Camco]

7. The Best Portable Propane Gas Pontoon Boat Grill Mount with Temp Gauge (Bbq Grill) [Char-Broil]

8. The Best Kettle Gas Grill/Bbq Mount for Pontoon Boat [Camco]

9. The Best Large Stainless Steel Marine Pontoon Boat Grill (Bbq Mount) [Dickinson Marine]

10. The Best Pontoon Boat Grill Mount (Marine Boat Bbq Grill) [Magma]

People are thinking about cooking outdoors as they always do in the summer and they're thinking should I do I want to cook on board my boat, maybe on the dock. Marine boat bbq grill makes it possible to do any and all of those. So we're going to give you five questions to think about before buying.

Pontoon Boat Grill Fuel type

First question you have to answer - is what kind of fuel do you want to use. Gas is gas, right? Comes in a canister. Connect it up and away you go. Not quite. There are two types of gas commonly available: propane and butane. They are similar, but not the same. Most pontoon boat gas BBQs are designed to use propane. Technically speaking, it burns at the same temperature as butane, though butane releases more energy for the same volume. In practical terms, you'll never notice the difference. The thing that might be important, if you like to barbecue in the winter, is that propane doesn't freeze, but butane can. It's best to stick with the gas recommended for marine barbecue, which is almost always propane. Butane will do the same job, but you need to change the gas regulator. Most brands makes a some of models that use heating elements that just plug into the wall that run off the standard 110 volt power, those are good for home use or possibly on board your boat. They also make two models that can use charcoal briquettes. But by far the most our customers buy propane bottles or LPG liquid petroleum gas most of which are powered by those little one-pound cylinders. You can also buy an extension hose that will take the propane from your onboard system that's powering your propane stove or range and bring that up to the deck and then you can connect your barbecue into your larger propane tanks.

Form factor

The second question to ask is whether you want the circular form factor or whether you want a rectangular form factor. The reasons pro and con on each of these frankly it's a matter of personal preference. A lot of sailors seem to like the circular model it snows very compactly and it clamps onto your stern rail with just a single mount. Other people prefer the more traditional style of a rectangular style grill. The choice is yours.

Marine Grill Size

It's important to check physical size. Photography can be deceptive, and pontoon boat BBQ grills are often bigger in real life than they seem in pictures. It may not be an issue if you've got plenty of space of your boat. Flexibility is offered by side tables that fold or are removable. These give you a relatively compact BBQ on one hand, but the opportunity to make extra space available when you need it. The smaller sizes tend to be around 162 square inches. Larger barbecues like will have up to 315 square inches. Now obviously more square inches just means more opportunity for cooking foods at the same time. One of the features that the larger models will have to is sort of a warming rack so if you're not directly grilling. You can still do things like baked potatoes or possibly keep food warm in the upper area which is a feature that isn't available in the kettle boat grills style.

Infrared or direct heat

The fourth feature to look for is whether you want infrared or do you want direct heat. Infrared broiling is really common now with home barbecues where there's a perforated screen between the flame and the food, and as a result when the juices drip down they vaporize create smoke but you don't get that flare-up. Other people like the traditional style of grilling where you have a protected burner and a drip guard over it. Where you do get a chance of flare-up but frankly it works perfectly well, so your choice whether you want infrared or whether you want direct flame - is up to you.

Performance

Gas grills are rated in British Thermal Units, or BTUs. One BTU is the amount of heat required to raise a pound of water by 1°F. What does that mean in real terms? Not a great deal — but you need a way to compare the performance of one boat barbecue with another, and those are the units you get! What's important is not the absolute maximum BTUs, it's the balance between power available and cooking area. You want enough heat to maintain temperature across the whole grill. As a general rule, that means approximately 80 to 100 BTUs per square inch from a standard gas burner grill for the primary cooking area — not including warming racks. Infrared models use heat more efficiently, so only need 50 to 80 BTUs per square inch.

Materials

Cast iron has always been popular for barbecues. It's cheap and durable, though it will rust over time. Powder coating of the outside increases overall protection. Aluminum is light, doesn't rust, and is easy to clean. Great for side tables, but not for cooking areas. Chromed or nickel-plated steel is often used for racks. It's inexpensive, is easy to clean, but does deteriorate over time. Stainless steel has all the benefits of aluminum, is more durable than chrome or nickel plate, looks great, and is better at taking bumps and knocks. It does tend to add to the price, though. Porcelain coatings have become popular both for appearance and ease of cleaning. They can also add to the cost, and care is required not to chip or scratch them. Let's be honest, most BBQ grills don't always get great treatment! Even the best barbecue will “mature” over time. While aluminum and stainless steel will never rust, heat will eventually color them. Other finishes and coatings will almost certainly get chipped or marked eventually — it's the nature of barbecuing. That said, the manufacturer will give instructions on how to look after your barbecue properly. It may not be your favorite job, but occasional maintenance undoubtedly extend its life. As far as general construction is concerned, you do tend to get what you pay for. There are plenty of cheap gas BBQ grills around, but thin steel and low-grade components don't make for a long working life. Investing a little more will get you a grill that will not only last longer, it will be nicer to use, too.

The kind of mount for grill

The fifth thing you want to consider is what kind of mount do you want for your grill. You'll notice that rectangular models have four fold down legs makes, it very simple to put them on a surface and they're very stable. So if you want to cook on a deck or a dock or dock box or something like that, they have all the mount that you're going to need. In the case of this kettle you can see that we have a three-legged mount that will go on any surface. That 's an optional piece you simply unfold it lock a little locking screw on it screw it on the bottom and you're ready to go, very very handy. But what if you want to connect it to your boat? Well in that case there are a whole variety probably 15 or 20 different mounts. One of them is the mount that they use for taking one of their kettle styles and putting it on a one inch or 7/8 inch rail. This allows you to extend it out over the water or to actually extend it in towards you. Very simple mount probably the most common mount that you'll see out there. As you get into the larger rectangular models you need to use a dual mount, for example dual mount that mounts to a 7/8 or 1 inch push boat or pulpit. The reason that you need two mounts is because the barbecue is so heavy that you in order to stabilize it you need to spread out the load a little bit. So this is a dual mount horizontal for larger rectangular barbecues or grills. Next is the same idea but it has extending legs so if you want your grill closer to you or further away from you over the side of the boat to give you some more room, dual extended horizontal run round rail mount works for your larger rectangular grilles. How about if you've got a fishing boat that you also want to grill up a little fish on? Well in that case you can use the rod holder mount. Now rod holder is obviously going at different angles and it would be hard to figure out how to mount your barbecues or your grill so it's perfectly flat. so in this case, this goes down inside your rod holder and then you've got this lever lock so you can open it up and flatten out your grill so it's perfectly flat and lock it down. So it doesn't matter what the rotation of your rod holder is and it doesn't matter what the angle of your rod holder is, really a cool mount. Finally, the pedestal mount. Now the pedestal mount is used where you want to bolt down to the surface of the cockpit, the sole of your cockpit, a little round dish and then you can screw in the pedestal and the pedestal then supports the bottom of the grill. And this is a really nice arrangement if you grill a lot and you want a really stable mount. You'll find one that works for you, that either clamps to a round rail, a square rail, a pole holder, the bottom of your cockpit, wherever it's all described in this review. Grilling food on board a boat is one of life's little pleasures, especially when it's freshly caught fish. All brands have a wide range of propane, electric and also charcoal grills with a wide variety of sizes and features and including some great mounts to allow you to adapt them to whatever type of boat you have.

Features

One of the big advantages to a gas BBQ grill is easy lighting. Push-button electronic ignition should ensure the burners fire up first time, every time. Bear in mind the ignition runs off a battery, which will need replacement periodically. A temperature gauge should be provided with every grill. It's usually mounted on the top of the cover where it's easy to see. Warming racks are a big benefit, so you don't have to try to juggle the cooking times of different foods. Side burners also add flexibility. The latest new idea around barbecuing is "flavor enhancement technology," or something similar. The concept is that by circulating juices you can improve the taste of your barbecued food. While it might sound like a bit of a gimmick, owner feedback supports our own results — it works. It's certainly worth considering. Deflectors and guides are used to channel fats and grease away from burners. This not only prevents flare-ups, and potential fires, it can also make cleaning easier. Some models have a gas fuel gauge, which should ensure you never run out with dinner half cooked! The gas tank may be on a pull-out shelf, making it easier to change. Wheels or casters are a good idea, so it's not difficult to move your BBQ around. There should be a means of locking them, so the grill stays in place while you're cooking. Tool hooks or racks keep things handy, and provide convenient storage. If you're going to keep your BBQ grill outside, a fitted cover is a very good idea. Many barbecue grills require some assembly, but it's usually minor things, like fitting racks and side tables. BBQ grills have lids for two reasons: first, to keep the heat in while cooking. Second, to keep the weather at bay. Always close your barbecue once it's cooled, to keep the elements from damaging it. If you're making kabobs with wooden skewers, soak them in water for a few minutes first. They'll still be stiff enough to spear your meat and vegetables, but they won't catch fire easily, once on the barbecue. It's tempting to keep checking your barbecue grill, but every time you lift the lid the temperature drops, and the flavors escape. Modern gas grills have reliable thermostats. Unless you're cooking something that needs constant attention, try to leave your barbecue closed as much as possible.

How much does a BBQ grill cost?

You can pick up a cheap gas grill for under a hundred bucks. They work. They might not last very long. If that's your budget, we feel you'd be better off investing in a quality charcoal barbecue. You're not really going to benefit from the advantages of gas grilling at that price. So how much do you need to spend? You can get a very good, entry-level grill for around $200. It'll be big enough for the average family and will have all the basic features. If you look after it, you'll get several years of great food — which is the main reason you buy one, after all. And what about a really stylish grill, from one of the top brands? If you have $300 to $400 to invest, you have a whole world of BBQ delights to choose from. Great looking, high-quality grills, with exceptional build quality. At this price, it's pretty much a question of putting together your wish list and taking your pick. Just about everything you want falls within this price bracket. The only reason to spend any more would be if you want a giant. $500 will get you a huge BBQ grill with enough cooking space to feed the whole neighborhood!

FAQ

Let's go over some frequently asked questions about pontoon boat grills.