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Best Side Burners and Power Burners (2026)
Choose your burner by budget and cooking style
Side burners under $1,000: single and double burner buying guide · Power burners for seafood boils and wok cooking · Five questions before buying a burner for Lowcountry boils.
Prices and selected specifications refreshed October 8, 2026. Prices may vary by fuel variant. Prices change — check the product page for current pricing.
Choose the burner around your regular cooking jobs. A single serves one saucepan, a double provides two separate cooking positions, and a power burner suits approved larger cookware or wok attachments. Check installation fit, fuel and the complete equipment budget before choosing. Use our single versus double guide or our power burner buying guide for a focused shortlist.
The honest test: do you need a power burner?
A conventional side burner provides everyday cooking positions; a power burner concentrates its output under one station. The exact heat range, grate and approved cookware vary by model.
Shortlist a power burner for regular larger-volume boiling or compatible wok cooking. Confirm cookware support and usable controls for the exact appliance. Pot size, water volume, wind and gas supply affect heating; no generic BTU figure guarantees a boil time. Frying suitability must also be confirmed from the appliance manual.
Shortlist a side burner for small pans, sauces and separate side dishes. Choose a double when two dishes regularly need independent heat. Match usable grate space to your actual cookware.
Cookware stability matters as much as output. Confirm the manufacturer's approved pot size, support and working height rather than assuming that an advertised appliance width establishes capacity.
Single, double or power: what each one is for
Single side burner. One cooking position for a saucepan or side dish. Compare Bonfire CBASSB or RCS RSB1 for affordable examples.
Double side burner. Two separate cooking positions with individual controls. Total output is split between positions; it is not equivalent to concentrating that total beneath one pot.
Power burner. A cooking station for approved larger cookware or wok arrangements. Some models also support low simmering; compare the documented heat range and controls rather than assuming all high-output burners have poor low heat.
Verified comparison: the burners worth shortlisting
Prices come from our catalog and may vary by fuel variant. Coyote ratings below were refreshed from its current manufacturer documents: C3SB 15,000, C3DB 30,000 total and C3PB 60,000 total BTU. Confirm current documents for the supplied appliance before installation.
BTU ratings describe published heat input, not a measured ranking of cooking results. Compare cookware support, low heat, installation and gas supply alongside output.
Named picks
Best side burner for most outdoor kitchens: RCS Cutlass Single Side Burner RSB1, $394
Best double side burner under $1,000: RCS Cutlass Elite Double Side Burner CDB1EL, $799
Best-value power burner: RCS Premier Pro Power Burner RJCSB3A, $1,119
Best power burner for wok cooking: TrueFlame TFPB, $1,799
Highest stated output: Alfresco Versa Power 24" AXEVP, $2,485
Best matched pair for an American Made Grills island: Atlas double side burner, $1,458
Best searing side burner: Alfresco Sear Zone AXESZ, $2,019
Match the burner brand to the grill brand — or accept that you didn't
Nothing stops you putting a $394 RCS burner next to a $4,000 Coyote grill, and functionally it will be fine. What you lose is the front panel. Knob shape, bezel finish, handle profile and panel brushing differ by brand, and in a single island run those differences read as a mistake even to people who cannot say why.
If matching matters, buy within the family: the Coyote C3DB ($1,049) beside a Coyote grill, the Atlas power burner ($2,493) beside an Atlas grill, the RCS Cutlass Elite burner ($799) beside an RCS grill. If the burner is going into a separate leg of an L-shaped island, or behind a door line, the mismatch stops mattering and you should buy on price and output instead.
Burners need their own liner in combustible construction
This is the cost people forget. If your island is framed in wood or another combustible material, the burner needs an insulating liner of its own — the grill's liner does not cover it, and liners are cut to a specific model's opening rather than being generic.
Budget for it as a real line item. The Coyote single side burner jacket is $439, the Coyote double side burner jacket is $489 and the Coyote power burner jacket is $449. On other brands: the Atlas double side burner liner is $445, the TrueFlame TFPB liner is $599, the RCS power burner liner is $639 and the Summerset PB2-PRO liner is $599.
Whether a liner is required for your build, and how it must be installed, is governed by the burner manufacturer's installation manual, your local code and a licensed professional — not by anything a retailer can tell you in general terms. Read do I need an insulating grill liner and the insulating grill liner FAQs, then shop grill liners.
What actually matters
Cutout width, not price, usually decides this. A power burner can want 24 inches of island run. A single side burner wants about 12. Draw the island before you shortlist, and take the cutout for your exact model from its installation manual.
Gas supply and fuel type. Order the natural gas or propane configuration matching your supply. Any later conversion must follow the exact model's approved parts and procedure. Order the one matching the line run to the island. See the natural gas and propane grills FAQs.
Gas sizing is a licensed professional's job. Adding a 60,000 BTU power burner to a run already feeding a grill changes the load on that line. Sizing, connection and clearances are governed by the manufacturer's installation manual, local code and a licensed installer.
Ventilation, if the burner sits under a roof. A power burner producing steam from a boil under a covered patio is a ventilation question in its own right. See our outdoor kitchen ventilation and hood sizing guide.
A lid, and a wok if you bought the burner for one. Several burners include a stainless lid; check yours. Coyote sells a wok for power burners at $149.
FAQ
How many BTUs does a side burner need?
For sauces, sides, sautéing and warming, 12,000 to 15,000 BTUs is sufficient and is what most single side burners on this page produce. Higher output is only useful if you are boiling or frying in volume.
What is the difference between a side burner and a power burner?
Output and purpose. A side burner is a range top for ordinary pots. A power burner runs 30,000 to 65,000 BTUs on a heavy grate built to support a full stock pot, for boiling, frying and wok cooking.
Can a power burner replace a side burner?
Some power burners have a documented low simmer range and can serve small pans too. A double side burner remains useful when you need two separate cooking positions. Compare the model's actual controls and approved cookware.
Do I need a double side burner or will a single do?
A double lets you run one ring hot and one low at the same time. If you cook multi-component meals outdoors, that changes what is possible. If the burner exists to warm one pot, a single is enough.
Do burners come with covers or lids?
Many include a stainless steel lid over the burners. Weather covers are usually separate — see grill covers and the grill cover FAQs.
Are these burners in stock?
Check the selected fuel variant for current availability and contact us for lead times before scheduling installation.
Final recommendation
Choose the cooking positions you will use. For two separate dishes, compare RCS CDB1EL and the models in our under-$1,000 guide.
For larger cookware or wok cooking, use the dedicated shortlist. Compare power burners by controls, approved cookware and budget, then check the installation before ordering.
If you are building a matched single-brand island, buy within the family and accept the premium — that is what you are buying it for.
Browse everything in side burners and power burners, or by budget: side burners under $1,000, side burners $1,000–$2,000 and side burners over $2,000. Related reading: the side burner FAQs, best built-in griddles, built-in griddle FAQs, the outdoor kitchen appliance checklist, the outdoor kitchen cost guide, built-in grills FAQs, RCS built-in grill FAQs, Coyote built-in grill FAQs and American Made Grills built-in grill FAQs. Not sure which way to go? Use help me find my grill, request a quote, or call our family-owned Charleston store at 843-212-7209.
More burner buying decisions
Explore all side and power burner buying guides: compare single and double cooking positions, fuel types, cookware, replacement fit, accessories and complete equipment budgets.
- Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.