Grill Size Calculator
Enter how many guests you cook for, the main food, how many servings each and how many batches you will cook. The calculator gives the cooking area and a grill size class.
- Cooking area
- Grill class
- Burner power
Use the main grate area, not warming racks.
Area = servings × space per item × 1.25 ÷ batches. Twelve guests with a burger each need 375 sq in to cook in one batch. That is a medium grill, 300 to 500 sq in.
Grill size chart
Burgers, one each, one batch. Search for guests.
| Guests | Area | Class |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 125 | Small |
| 6 | 188 | Small |
| 8 | 250 | Small |
| 10 | 312 | Medium |
| 12 | 375 | Medium |
| 16 | 500 | Large |
| 20 | 625 | Large |
| 30 | 938 | Extra large |
Square inches.
Guests and grill
Burgers, one batch. Slide the guests.
Burgers are drawn on the grate.
How to size a grill
Guests to grate. Step through it.
Guests
Count them.
Leave a cool zone for moving food off the heat.
Gas, charcoal or pellet
Grill types. Compare them.
Convenient.
Classic.
Smoker.
Charcoal kettles are sized by diameter.
Before you buy
Grill checks. Tick each item.
Tick each item as you go.
Keep grills at least 10 ft from the house.
What you get
Grill sizing. Each tile explains one result.
sq in.
Size.
Servings.
Rounds.
BTU.
A crowded grill cooks unevenly.
Frequently Asked Questions
No question matches that search.
What size grill do I need?
About two hundred square inches of cooking area for four to six people.
How many burgers fit on a grill?
About one per twenty five square inches of grate.
What size grill for a family of four?
About three hundred square inches, a small to medium grill.
What is a good BTU for a gas grill?
About eighty to one hundred BTU per square inch.
Is a twenty two inch kettle big enough?
Yes for about eight to ten burgers at once.
Do warming racks count?
Not for main cooking, compare the main grate.
Everyone fed at once
Size the grill to your guests and food comes off hot together.
More size calculators
Each one has its own calculator, worked examples and answers to common questions.