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3 burner vs 4 burner gas BBQ

Updated: 23 October 2026

A household of four is looking at hoods that all say three burners, while a friend insists a four-burner is the grown-up choice. The 3 burner vs 4 burner gas BBQ question is real, and Dunelm, Sahara, and Gardenbox do not agree on headcount. The six grills in our [3 burner gas BBQ comparison](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/3-burner-gas-bbq) are smaller than those charts assume. Stay with three when the meal fits the metal you can measure, and look past this set when you regularly need a grate around 2,500 cm² or more. There is no four-burner ASIN here, and we did not cook a comparison meal in a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

A household of four is looking at hoods that all say three burners, while a friend insists a four-burner is the grown-up choice.

Our top picks

Onlyfire Onlyfire tabletop 3-burner, 7 kW

Best overall

Onlyfire Onlyfire tabletop 3-burner, 7 kW
8.6/10about £229.99
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Modern Outdoor Living Modern Outdoor Living 410 mm grate

Alternative

Modern Outdoor Living Modern Outdoor Living 410 mm grate
5.8/10about £169.99
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CosmoGrill CosmoGrill Wabaya, black

Best value

CosmoGrill CosmoGrill Wabaya, black
0.0/10about £199.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Three charts, three headcounts
  2. 2.What these six grills actually measure
  3. 3.When three burners are still the right call
  4. 4.What a fourth burner does not fix

Three charts, three headcounts

Dunelm puts a three-burner at about six to ten people and a four-burner at about ten to fourteen. Sahara puts a three-burner at about seven to nine and a four-burner at about ten, and another Sahara post puts three-burner space at about 2,600–3,200 cm². Gardenbox leads with area: about 1,500–2,000 cm² for one to four, about 2,500–3,500 cm² for four to six, and a large four-burner for eight or more. Averaging those headcounts would invent a number none of them printed. Dunelm and Sahara lead with people per burner. Gardenbox leads with square centimetres. Burner count is the wrong first number.

What these six grills actually measure

The CosmoGrill Wabaya grate is 47 × 37 cm, which is 1,739 cm². The Onlyfire listings print 1,847.69 cm² and also 22 × 13 in. Modern Outdoor Living B09YMP4X4W prints 410 × 415 mm. Multiplying those millimetres gives 1,701.5 cm², and that figure is calculated from the printed size. It is not a field on the listing. B0B1DN3R7J prints no centimetre grate, so it cannot be placed on this chart at all. About 1,700–1,850 cm² sits nearer Gardenbox’s one-to-four band than the 2,500–3,500 cm² band they attach to four to six, and below Sahara’s about 2,600–3,200 cm². The Wabaya warming rack, 44.5 × 17.5 cm, holds cooked food. It is not primary grate. Four burgers and corn can take turns on 1,739 cm². Eight people’s chicken at one time wants the 2,500 cm² band these boxes do not print.
Onlyfire Onlyfire tabletop 3-burner, 7 kW

Testsieger

Onlyfire Onlyfire tabletop 3-burner, 7 kW
8.6/10about £229.99
View offer

When three burners are still the right call

Three burners are enough when the measured grate matches the meal, not when a chart promises six to ten guests. For about four to six people who cook in batches, about 1,700–1,850 cm² can be the right call. The Wabaya’s third burner is a 2.5 kW ceramic sear beside two 2.5 kW main burners. That is a hotter stripe and a quieter stripe, not three equal main burners and not a side hob. Stay here for a weeknight for four. These listings are the small end of the three-burner range. The hose and ignition checks are on the buying guide.

What a fourth burner does not fix

A fourth burner earns its width when you regularly need separate zones and a grate in the retailers’ band of about 2,500 cm² and up. That step is outside these six ASINs. Extra width is about area and about room to run a hot zone away from a gentle zone at the same time. It is not a prize for a higher kilowatt total. The Modern Outdoor Living rows state 9 kW. The Wabaya states 7.5 kW and the Onlyfire rows state 7 kW. A higher figure on a 1,700 cm² grate does not replace the missing centimetres. We do not claim that 9 kW cooks better than 7 kW. Look past this set when Sunday lunch is routinely eight people. Ask for the centimetres before you pay for the extra knob. Patio footprint, including folded side tables, belongs on the family garden page.

Common questions

Is a 3-burner enough for four to six people?
It is enough when you measure the grate and cook in batches. These grates are about 1,700–1,850 cm², which Gardenbox places nearer one to four people than four to six. Dunelm’s “six to ten” line assumes a larger three-burner. For about four people, with a hot zone and a gentler zone, three burners here can still be the right call.
Why do Dunelm and Gardenbox disagree?
Dunelm leads with people: about six to ten on a three-burner and about ten to fourteen on a four-burner. Gardenbox leads with area, about 2,500–3,500 cm² for four to six. Sahara is closer to Dunelm on headcount and also prints about 2,600–3,200 cm² for a three-burner. None of those lines measures these ASINs.
How big are the grates in this set compared with 2,500 cm²?
The Wabaya is 1,739 cm². The Onlyfire field is 1,847.69 cm². One Modern Outdoor Living cart prints 410 × 415 mm, which multiplies to 1,701.5 cm² as a calculation, not as a listing field. All of those sit several hundred square centimetres under 2,500 cm². One listing prints no centimetre grate, so it cannot be compared on area.
When does a 4-burner earn the extra width?
It earns the width when you regularly need more than one heat zone at once and a grate around 2,500 cm² or more. Gardenbox points to a large four-burner for cooks of about eight and up. That grill is not one of these six. Buy the centimetres, not the extra knob on its own, and keep this set if your usual meal fits about 1,700–1,850 cm².
Does a sear burner give you the same zones as three main burners?
It gives you two kinds of heat, which is the useful part for a small household. On the Wabaya the third source is a 2.5 kW ceramic sear burner in the grill, beside two 2.5 kW main burners. You get a hotter stripe and a quieter stripe. You do not get three equal main burners, and you do not get a side hob for a pan.

Related pages

Best 3 burner gas BBQ

3 burner gas BBQ

3 burner gas BBQ buying guide: burner, grate, hose

3 burner gas BBQ for a family garden: site and cover

How to light a gas barbecue: open lid, then shut down

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures for these ASINs. Retrieved 22 October 2026.

  1. GOV.UK: Fire safety outdoors (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. London Fire Brigade: Barbecue safety (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue: Barbecue safety (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Liquid Gas UK: Consumer Guidance Sheet 39 (August 2020) (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. BSI: BS EN 498:2012 outdoor LPG barbecues (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Gas Safe Register: BBQ safety (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Dunelm: Barbecue buying guide (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Gardenbox: What size barbecue is needed (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  9. Sahara: How to choose the right size gas BBQ (retrieved 22 October 2026)