Wilko Gas Barbecue 2 Burner Review

Reviewed by Louise Totton

With the summer holidays fast approaching, and the several stretches of sunny weather we have already had, thoughts inevitably start to move towards inviting good friends around to enjoy the garden, dig out the paddling pool, crack out the beers and, of course, a good old barbecue.

My eldest daughter is fortunate to have a summer birthday, so when it falls on a weekend I tend to host a party in the garden rather than the coop everyone up inside at a softplay. It means the adults in the family can enjoy the celebrations as much as the kids, and we can have a bigger guest list. I have always used the trusty, old charcoal barbecue before, but the inevitable stress of whether it will properly light and how well the temperature can be controlled does cause a little stress on the day. It’s fine once it’s going but takes a long time to heat up and cool down, which is a concern when there are lots of excited young children around. I had been considering buying a gas barbecue for a little while, so was really pleased to have the opportunity to try out Wilko’s Ga Barbecue 2 Burner model in time for my daughter’s 8th birthday.

The barbecue arrived flat packed, and at first glance, the number of parts did seem a little overwhelming. However, full instructions were supplied along with tools and I was soon well underway with building my new toy. I was able to assemble it myself, although a second pair of hands would have made the job a little easier. The parts were clearly identifiable and all fitted together well, and I found the instructions were clear and easy to follow.

A gas bottle is not included with the barbecue, and must be purchased separately. The outside of the box makes the type of gas that needs to be purchased, as well as the fitting and bottle size clear (11kg-15kg propane gas bottle).

Once built, the barbecue doesn’t fold down easily, so requires a shed or garage for storage, but this doesn’t take up any extra space than a standard charcoal barbecue. It’s a very simple matter to then wheel the barbecue out of the garage to a suitable place, connect the gas bottle and fire it up. It heated up quickly, and we were soon getting the sausages and burgers on the grill.

As well as a main grill for cooking, the barbecue also has a separate shelf for keeping cooked food warm whilst more food is cooked on the main grill. This is kept high enough up that it doesn’t continue to cook or burn, it does just keep warm. There is also a hinged lid, which is great for cooking larger cuts of meat, like chicken on the bone. With the heat turned lower and the lid down, the meat cooks slowly but evenly, meaning that it is cooked through to the bone with no raw chicken surprise as you eat.

This is a budget barbecue at only £60, but it is plenty big enough for a family of 4-6, and if you get cooking early and stack the food on the warming shelf, can cater a larger function too. The shelves either side of the cooking area are ideal for cooking utensils, paper plates and burger buns. One slight negative is that whilst the barbecue has wheels, there isn’t a handle. This does make it a little awkward to move around but isn’t a major issue.

One of the main benefits of this over a charcoal barbecue is that it heats up quicker, there are no embers that take hours to cool down, and I think you’d be far less likely to run out of gas than charcoal if you fancied a bit more to eat later. It cleaned down really easily, and then can be popped into the garage ready for the next occasion. As it only used a fraction of the gas bottle, an impromptu barbecue would be easy as you would have everything you need except the food immediately on hand and ready to wheel out on the next sunny weekend.

I really liked this barbecue, and think it’s great value for money.

Approx size: H 98cm x W 101.5cm x D 58cm

Rating: 4.5/5

RRP: £60 (was £70)

Available to buy from Wilko here.