A gas braai lights in seconds, holds a steady heat and cleans up without ash. It will not replace a wood fire for everyone, but it suits a weeknight chop, a busy entertainment area or a complex where open fires are frowned on. Choices run from a small 2 burner on a stand to a 4 burner with a hood and side burner, or a unit built into a braai area. Tell us what you want and local suppliers will send free gas braai quotes, with no obligation.
2, 3 and 4 burner braais
- 2 burner: compact, for a small stoep, a flat balcony where gas is allowed, or two or three people.
- 3 burner: the common home size, enough to cook meat on two burners while keeping food warm on the third.
- 4 burner: for big families and regular entertaining, with room for direct and indirect cooking at once.
Portable and small gas braais also run off camping cylinders for the beach or a campsite. See 3 kg and 5 kg gas cylinders.
Built in or freestanding, hood and side burner
A freestanding braai on a stand or trolley connects to a cylinder with a regulator and hose, and needs no CoC. A built in unit set into a masonry braai area and piped from a cylinder elsewhere is a fixed gas installation, so a registered practitioner fits it and issues a certificate. A hood lets you roast and bake; a side burner handles pap, sauce or a pot of vegetables. Grids may be cast iron or stainless steel, and some models use lava rock or flat plates under the grid to spread the heat.
Cylinder size and connection
Most home gas braais run on a 9 kg cylinder standing on the shelf or beside the braai, with a low pressure regulator and a clamped LPG hose. A busy entertainment area may use a 19 kg cylinder so it lasts longer between swaps. Check the hose each season and replace it when cracked or hard. Test joints with soapy water, never a flame. Use a gas braai outside only, in the open air, never in a closed garage or indoors.
Cleaning and covers
Burn off the grids on high for a few minutes after cooking, then brush them. Empty the grease tray before it fills, and every so often lift out the grids and plates to clean the burners and check the ports are clear. A fitted cover keeps out rain, dust and coastal salt air, which is hard on stainless steel and cylinders alike. Close the cylinder valve whenever the braai is not in use.
What to include in your request
- Number of burners you want
- Freestanding on a stand or built in
- Hood and side burner, or not
- Whether you need a cylinder and regulator
- Delivery and assembly included or not
Gas Braais for different clients
- Homeowners: a 3 burner gas braai with a hood on the stoep for weeknight cooking
- Complexes, estates and body corporates: gas braais on patios where the body corporate does not allow wood fires
- Restaurants, takeaways and bakeries: caterers and food stalls grilling on large gas braais at markets
- Guest houses, lodges and venues: guest braai areas at lodges and self catering units run on gas
- Farms and smallholdings: a built in gas braai in the farmhouse entertainment area
- Factories, warehouses and workshops: staff year end functions catered on hired or owned gas braais
- Campers, caravanners and event hosts: a portable gas braai on a camping cylinder at the beach or campsite
- Gas installers, plumbers and dealers: event companies and outdoor kitchen builders buying braais in numbers
Frequently asked questions
What does a gas braai cost?
Does a gas braai need a CoC?
What size gas cylinder does a gas braai need?
How do I find a gas braai for sale near me?
Gas Braais by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg