Plancha barbecue buying guide: fuel, zones and fittings first

Updated: 23 October 2026

You are staring at flat plates, cartridge planchas and a wood fire bowl under the same best plancha barbecue search, and the star ratings look interchangeable. They are not.

You are staring at flat plates, cartridge planchas and a wood fire bowl under the same best plancha barbecue search, and the star ratings look interchangeable. They are not. This buying guide puts fuel and the gas fitting ahead of any badge, then zones, plate and weight, so you leave with a shortlist shape rather than a crowned winner. The plancha barbecue comparison holds the three saved amazon.co.uk prices and the table. Named picks sit on best gas plancha UK. Prices are GBP shelf figures from 21 October 2026.

Our top picks

Badge	Product	Fuel	Burners	Weight	Note	Price	Offer
Best overall	Campingaz Campingaz Othello 1 CV gas plancha	CV 470 Plus cartridge	1 at 2.8 kW	10.5 kg	9.2	about £159.99	View offer
Best value	BIG HORN BIG HORN 4-burner gas plancha	Gas, type not stated	4, 10 kW listed	16 kg	8.8	about £179.00	View offer
Alternative	BIG HORN BIG HORN wood-fired plancha	Wood	None	18.6 kg	8.4	about £189.99	View offer

Best overall

Campingaz Campingaz Othello 1 CV gas plancha

9.2/10about £159.99

View offer

Best value

BIG HORN BIG HORN 4-burner gas plancha

8.8/10about £179.00

View offer

Alternative

BIG HORN BIG HORN wood-fired plancha

8.4/10about £189.99

View offer

On this page

1.What counts as a plancha barbecue
2.Cartridge, cylinder gas, or wood
3.Zones, plate, and weight
4.What the listing must say before you buy

What counts as a plancha barbecue

A plancha barbecue is a flat cooking plate with its own heat source under it. It is not an open grate, and it is not a loose steel insert you drop onto a barbecue you already own. On the kept shelf the three shapes are a Campingaz cartridge tabletop, a multi-burner gas tabletop, and a wood-fired bowl with a stainless ring. Cheaper tabletops near £75 to £103 were not kept. A Dellonda trolley at £269.98 with a stated patio-gas regulator shows what a written fitting looks like.

Cartridge, cylinder gas, or wood

Fuel is the first filter. The Campingaz Othello 1 CV at about £159.99 runs on a Campingaz CV 470 Plus cartridge. The amazon.co.uk bullets say the hose and regulator are included and the cartridge is not. That is not Calor patio gas at 37 mbar. The BIG HORN four-burner at about £179.00 lists four adjustable burners and 10 kW. The English bullets do not name the gas category, the pressure, or a regulator, even though the best-sellers rank sits under propane grills. Until the manual names what you may connect, treat that row as unfinished for purchase. The BIG HORN wood bowl at about £189.99 burns wood. BS EN 498:2012 does not govern a wood fire the way it frames a gas barbecue. If you are still choosing gas against this bowl, use gas plancha vs wood fire pit.

Testsieger

Campingaz Campingaz Othello 1 CV gas plancha

9.2/10about £159.99

View offer

Zones, plate, and weight

One 2.8 kW burner on the Othello can sear. UK reviews say it does. It cannot keep a cool corner while the rest of the plate runs hot. Four burners on the BIG HORN gas plancha can hold different settings if the gas supply matches the appliance. The wood bullets describe a flat stainless area plus a central open-flame rack. That is a different split, not four knobs. The Othello lists enamelled steel at 30 by 45 cm with a grease hole and a removable tray. The four-burner lists an enamelled plate, a PTFE-free attribute and a drip tray, without a cooking-area measurement in the capture. The wood bowl lists about 2,827 cm² of coating-free stainless on a 60 cm ring. The Othello is listed at 10.5 kg. The four-burner is 16 kg with no trolley. The wood bowl is 18.6 kg and 87 cm tall.

What the listing must say before you buy

Before you pay, the listing or the data plate has to name the fuel, say whether a hose and regulator are included, and show where fat or ash goes. On the four-burner the English bullets leave gas type and regulator blank. That gap is a stop. On the wood bowl, expect assembly in practice even when an attribute says none is required. GOV.UK allows UKCA or CE marking on gas appliances for the Great Britain market. Northern Ireland follows its own CE or UKNI-plus-CE path. These three units were not inspected for a mark. BS EN 498 does not print an efficiency percentage you can shop by. This page does not crown a winner.

Common questions

Is a plancha the same as a griddle plate for my existing barbecue?

No. A plancha barbecue here means a flat plate with its own burners or fire. A loose plate that sits on bars you already own is an accessory. Several accessory plates were left out of this set for that reason.

Will any gas plancha take a Calor patio-gas cylinder?

No. Most UK barbecues use patio gas at 37 mbar, but cartridge models are the exception. The Othello bullets specify a Campingaz CV 470 Plus cartridge. The four-burner’s English bullets do not name patio gas or a regulator.

Do I need more than one burner?

Only if you want separate heat zones in the same cook. One burner can sear well and still force every piece of food into the same heat. Four burners help when you want a warm side and a hot side at once, after the gas fitting is clear.

Does the Othello include the cartridge and a lid?

The bullets say the cartridge is not included. Hose and regulator are named in the bullets. A lid is not listed on the current capture, even though some UK reviews describe one.

Why is the four-burner ranked under propane if the bullets do not say propane?

Amazon’s rank is not a specification. Treat the English bullets and the manual as the source for gas type and regulator. Until those name a fitting, do not buy a cylinder for it.

Is the wood bowl a plancha or a fire pit?

Both, on the listing: a 60 cm stainless plate for cooking, and a bowl that works as a fire pit when the plate comes off. It is still a wood appliance, not a gas plancha with different packaging.

What should I check on the data plate before I pay?

Fuel type, any stated pressure or cartridge system, and whether hose and regulator are part of the kit or a separate purchase. If the plate is blank where those belong, walk away until the seller answers in writing.

How to use a plancha

Portable plancha for camping