How to use a gas barbecue the first time
Updated: 23 October 2026
The cart is built, the patio is free, and you want the first cook to light without a fireball or a garage full of gas. How to use a gas barbecue, the first time, is mostly sequence: outdoors, lid open, joints proved with soapy water, one burner lit, then a shut-down that starts at the cylinder. The [Gas BBQ comparison](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/gas-bbq) is the catalogue. This page does not rank those listings. A 37 mbar patio clip and an EN 417 cartridge are not the same connection. Your own manual still leads if it disagrees. Updated 23 October 2026. We did not lab-test these barbecues.
The cart is built, the patio is free, and you want the first cook to light without a fireball or a garage full of gas.
The cart is built, the patio is free, and you want the first cook to light without a fireball or a garage full of gas. How to use a gas barbecue, the first time, is mostly sequence: outdoors, lid open, joints proved with soapy water, one burner lit, then a shut-down that starts at the cylinder. The Gas BBQ comparison is the catalogue. This page does not rank those listings. A 37 mbar patio clip and an EN 417 cartridge are not the same connection. Your own manual still leads if it disagrees. Updated 23 October 2026. We did not lab-test these barbecues.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Form | Ignition | Lid gauge | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Weber Weber Q 1200N with stand | On a stand, one burner | Electronic ignition | Built-in lid thermometer | 10.0 | about £389.00 | View offer |
| Best value |  Campingaz Campingaz Party Grill 400 | Cartridge camp stove | Push-and-turn piezo | Not stated | 9.2 | about £96.01 | View offer |
| Alternative |  CosmoGrill CosmoGrill Original 4+1 | Garden cart, 4+1 | Piezo | Built-in gauge in the title | 8.8 | about £199.99 | View offer |
On this page
Before any knob is turned
Stand the barbecue outdoors, on level ground, clear of fences and sheds. London Fire Brigade says not to barbecue on a balcony or bring it inside to cool. The NHS says not to use one indoors or in a tent, because of carbon monoxide. Match the fitting on the gas BBQ hose and regulator page. Keep the cylinder upright beside the cart, not under the burners. Knobs off, then open the cylinder slowly. Soap-test the hose ends, the regulator, and the side-burner joint. Bubbles mean stop, tighten once, and test again. If they return, leave it off. Do not hunt for the leak with a match. TOV reviews describe a side-burner leak. That is this stop.
Lighting one burner, then the others
Open the lid fully before you light. If the soap test passed, open the cylinder, turn the first control to high, wait two or three seconds, then press the igniter. Weber’s UK order is lid, cylinder, first control, short wait, igniter, then the other burners. If the piezo clicks and nothing lights, turn the controls and the cylinder off. Wait about five minutes. Your manual wins if it prints a different wait. A side burner that smells of gas is not a fault to push through.
First cook and shut-down
Once a burner stays lit, close the lid and let the barbecue heat. Weber’s first-time setup describes a 15–20 minute burn-in with the lid closed, to clear manufacturing residues. Treat that as a first-use step, not every Tuesday sausage. There is no single preheat that fits a 2,000 W camp stove and a six-burner cart. Use the lid thermometer if the listing has one. Do not pour lighter fuel onto a gas barbecue. At the end, turn the cylinder off first so the hose can empty through the burner that is still lit, then turn the knobs off when the flame dies. Do not wheel the cart while a burner is lit. Let it cool outside. Rain is a reason for a lid, not a reason to finish the cook in a tent or a garage.
When to stop
Stop when you smell gas after the joints should be tight, when bubbles return, or when a side burner hisses. Turn the cylinder off, keep the lid open, and do not light anything nearby. A fixed gas pipe is Gas Safe work. A freestanding barbecue hose is not that job. If someone has symptoms and you suspect carbon monoxide from a barbecue used indoors or in a tent, the NHS routes are 999 in an emergency, 111 for urgent advice that is not an emergency, and 0800 111 999 for a suspected gas carbon monoxide leak. Get into fresh air. Burner count and site, before you buy, are on the gas BBQ buying guide.
Common questions
Do I open the lid before I light it?
Yes. Light with the lid open so gas cannot collect underneath it. Weber’s UK note starts with the lid open, then the cylinder, then one control, then the igniter. Close the lid only after the burner is burning. If the lid was shut while a valve was open, turn everything off and wait.
How do I test for a leak without a flame?
Put soapy water on the joints with the knobs off and the cylinder just opened. Bubbles mean a leak. Turn the cylinder off, tighten, and test again. If bubbles return, leave it off. Do this before the first flame and after any hose change.
What if the piezo clicks and nothing lights?
Turn the burner controls off and the cylinder off, then wait about five minutes. Your own manual still leads if it prints a different wait. After the wait, lid open, try one burner again. If you smell gas, do not treat it as a flat battery. A Campingaz with water in the cartridge well needs to dry before it will light.
How long should I preheat?
There is no universal minute count. Weber’s 15–20 minute closed-lid burn is a first-use residue burn. Use the lid gauge if you have one, and follow the time your manual prints.
Do I turn the knobs off or the cylinder off first?
Turn the cylinder off first, let the remaining gas in the hose burn out, then turn the knobs off. That leaves the pipe empty rather than shut at the barbecue with pressure still in the hose. Change cylinders outdoors, with the barbecue cold. Do not drag a lit cart across the patio to reach the bottle.
Can I finish cooking in the garage or a tent if it rains?
No. The NHS says not to use a barbecue or camping stove indoors or in a tent. London Fire Brigade says not to bring it inside to cool. Rain is a lid-down problem, or a reason to stop. That includes a quick finish under a gazebo that is closed in.
The side burner smells of gas. Do I keep trying?
No. Turn the cylinder off, leave the lid open, and do not press the igniter again. Soap-test the side-burner joint once the area has cleared. UK reviews on the TOV 6+1 describe a side-burner gas leak. If the smell continues, move away and use 0800 111 999.
Related pages
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.
- NHS: carbon monoxide poisoning (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- London Fire Brigade: barbecue safely leaflet, April 2024 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Liquid Gas UK: Consumer Guidance Sheet 39 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- BS EN 498:2012, outdoor LPG barbecues (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Pennine Gas: safe use of barbecues (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Hamilton Gas Products: which regulator for a gas BBQ (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- CADAC UK regulator and gas guide, 2024 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Weber UK: Q 1200N (retrieved 22 October 2026)