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Propane or butane BBQ

Updated: 23 October 2026

The barbecue says gas. The shed already holds a blue bottle, a green patio cylinder, or nothing at all. Propane or butane BBQ is the matching problem: which fuel, which regulator, and whether the amazon.co.uk included line even ships a hose. Patio gas is propane with a 27 mm clip-on. Butane uses a different pressure and usually a different clip. A disposable cartridge is a third fitting. The [balcony gas BBQ comparison](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/balcony-gas-bbq) ranks the ten small grills. Figures for millibar and boiling points come from Calor and Liquid Gas UK, not from inventing numbers on amazon bullets. We did not light these units. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The barbecue says gas. The shed already holds a blue bottle, a green patio cylinder, or nothing at all.

Our top picks

CosmoGrill CosmoGrill compact stainless

Best overall

CosmoGrill CosmoGrill compact stainless
8.4/10about £119.99
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George Foreman George Foreman GFSBBQ1

Alternative

George Foreman George Foreman GFSBBQ1
8.6/10about £125.00
View offer
Char-Broil Char-Broil X200 Grill2Go

Rank 3

Char-Broil Char-Broil X200 Grill2Go
8.9/10about £157.97
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Propane, butane, and patio gas
  2. 2.The 27 mm patio clip is not a butane clip
  3. 3.Cartridges are a different fuel can
  4. 4.What these listings include

Propane, butane, and patio gas

Calor puts propane's boiling point near −42°C and butane's near −2°C. That is why outdoor barbecues in the UK are usually run on propane or patio gas in cold weather: butane struggles as the temperature drops toward freezing. Calor also says either gas can run a barbecue in principle, and that propane is the usual outdoor choice. Patio gas is propane sold for outdoor appliances, typically in 5 kg and 13 kg cylinders with a 27 mm valve. Liquid Gas UK's consumer guidance sheet 39 sets the regulator presets shoppers meet in Great Britain: propane regulators are nominally 37 mbar, butane regulators 28-30 mbar, under BS EN 16129 practice. Republic of Ireland connections differ. Irish propane fittings and a 35 mm butane clip are not the Great Britain patio click. Do not adapt a French or Irish valve onto a UK patio bottle.

The 27 mm patio clip is not a butane clip

A patio-gas regulator for Calor-style bottles is a 27 mm clip-on set for propane at 37 mbar. A butane regulator for many Great Britain bottles is a different pressure and often a 21 mm clip. Do not force a butane clip onto a propane valve. Match the gas, the cylinder connection, and the pressure marked for the appliance. If the data plate and the regulator disagree, stop. UK reviews in this set show what mismatch feels like. George Foreman GFSBBQ1 owners report a supplied regulator that does not fit a small screw-on cylinder, while others run patio propane successfully and complain the hose is too short for a caravan outlet. CosmoGrill black has a UK note that the supplied regulator failed out of the box. Onlyfire's two-burner draws complaints that the gas connections are not the right ones. Those are fitting problems, not proof that propane is wrong in principle.
CosmoGrill CosmoGrill compact stainless

Testsieger

CosmoGrill CosmoGrill compact stainless
8.4/10about £119.99
View offer

Cartridges are a different fuel can

Liquid Gas UK separates EN 417 cooking cartridges from CGA-600-style trade cylinders such as a 16.4 oz disposable propane cylinder. They are not interchangeable by guessing. Weber UK states that the Go-Anywhere Gas and the Q 1200N take Weber Q Gas or other EN 417 cartridges marked roughly 80% butane / 20% propane, direct pressure, sold separately. The Char-Broil X200 listing says a 16.4 oz disposable liquid propane cylinder, sold separately. Buy the can the manual names. Do not treat Char-Broil's 16.4 oz line as Weber's EN 417 cartridge. CAMPLUX FoldGo lists a gas valve and leaves canisters off the included list while also offering charcoal. That is dual fuel, not patio gas in a box.

What these listings include

Hose named on the saved amazon.co.uk included lines: CosmoGrill compact stainless and CosmoGrill compact black (propane regulator and hose), and the George Foreman GFSBBQ1 (UK hose and regulator). CosmoGrill's own product page states a 37 mbar propane regulator. The amazon line does not print millibar, so quote 37 mbar from the manufacturer page, not as an Amazon bullet. Not named on the included list: Weber Go-Anywhere Gas, Weber Q 1200N, and the Onlyfire two-burner. Oopsiou names no fitting. Char-Broil names the disposable cylinder as sold separately. Buy the bottle or cartridge that matches the regulator you actually receive, leak-test outdoors, and do not adapt across patio, butane, and cartridge systems. If you need two burners with a hose already in the box, the stainless CosmoGrill is the cleanest fuel story in this set. Lighting steps stay on how to use a gas BBQ once the fitting is correct.

Common questions

Should I use propane or butane on a gas barbecue?
For outdoor UK cooking, propane or patio gas is the usual choice because propane still vaporises in cold weather. Butane appears in many EN 417 cartridge mixes. Match the regulator to the cylinder. Do not mix clips.
What is patio gas?
Propane sold for outdoor appliances, typically with a 27 mm clip-on valve on 5 kg and 13 kg cylinders. It is still propane, not a fourth chemical.
What is a 27 mm clip-on regulator?
The common patio-gas regulator that presses onto the cylinder valve until it clicks and is set for propane at about 37 mbar. Calor and Liquid Gas UK describe that pattern for Great Britain patio bottles.
Can I put a butane regulator on a propane cylinder?
No. Pressures and clips differ. Forcing the wrong regulator is the mistake the fitting guidance exists to prevent.
Do these barbecues include the hose?
Some do. In this snapshot both CosmoGrills and the George Foreman name a hose or regulator on the included line. Several Weber and Onlyfire rows do not. Read that line before you assume a patio kit is in the box.
Is a 16.4 oz cylinder the same as an EN 417 cartridge?
No. Liquid Gas UK treats those families as different. Char-Broil's 16.4 oz disposable propane cylinder is not Weber's EN 417 cartridge for the Go-Anywhere and Q.
Why do reviews say the supplied regulator did not fit?
Because the bottle the buyer already owned used a different connection: a small screw-on cylinder against a patio clip, or a caravan outlet beyond a short hose. Confirm your cylinder before you open the box, and leak-test after you connect.

Related pages

Balcony gas BBQ buying guide

Best balcony gas BBQ

Balcony gas BBQ

Balcony BBQ rules UK: advice, the lease, and smoke

How to use a gas BBQ: leak-test, light, cool outside

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. London Fire Brigade: barbecue safety (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. London Fire Brigade: barbecue safety leaflet, April 2024 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK: fire safety outdoors (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK: nuisance smoke (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Liquid Gas UK: Consumer Guidance Sheet 39 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Calor: butane and propane (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Lockton: the risks of balcony barbecues (retrieved 22 October 2026)