BURNHARD EARL Premium-Gasgrill 3-Brenner

Three main burners, a rear burner and an infrared burner in the side table

The EARL 3-burner is a stainless steel gas grill with a closed base cabinet. Three main burners sit under the grate. Two burners with their own job are added: a rear burner on the back wall of the grill chamber, intended for the rotisserie spit, and an infrared ceramic burner that sits in the side table and works independently of the grill chamber.

On Amazon it costs approx. €1,039 (Amazon page on 20.10.2026: €1,039.20), in the Burnhard shop approx. €1,199. The Burnhard price applies to the stainless steel version with cast iron grates, item number 945994; Amazon also lists the grill under this model number behind our link. Burnhard sells the grill in four variants, namely stainless steel or Black Edition, each with a cast iron or stainless steel grate. On the Black Edition, the outer skin of the lid is cold-rolled steel with a matt powder coating.

The manufacturer is Burnhard GmbH from Düsseldorf. In our Gas grills category, it sits in price between two models from the same brand: the FRED Deluxe+ below it and the Big EARL above it.

Housing, grates, ignition: what Burnhard states

The firebox is stainless steel, and its side panels and those of the lid are die-cast aluminium. The lid itself is double-walled, stainless steel outside, aluminium inside, with a built-in thermometer. The base cabinet is also stainless steel.

The three main burners are stainless steel tube burners at 3.75 kW each, 11.25 kW together. The stainless steel rear burner has 3.5 kW, the infrared ceramic burner 4.5 kW. Added up, that gives the 19.25 kW that Burnhard advertises. All burners are infinitely adjustable. Above the main burners lie W-shaped stainless steel flame tamers, which Burnhard calls “W-Shape Flavor Bars”.

The main grilling area measures 59.5 x 43.0 cm. Above it hangs a stainless steel warming rack of 59.5 x 24.5 cm, which you can pull out to a depth of 24.5 cm. The side burner hob above the infrared burner is 30.5 x 24.5 cm, and its grate can be inserted high or low. Both side tables each carry up to 10 kg and can be folded down.

With the lid closed, the grill is 136.5 cm wide, 62 cm deep and 120 cm high. Open, it grows to 75 cm depth and 152 cm height; with the side tables folded down, the width shrinks to 99.5 cm. On weight, the sources contradict each other: the product page gives 75.9 kg, the manual 78.3 kg, Amazon converted approx. 76.0 kg. The parts list in the manual lists four swivel castors, two of them with brakes; in the Amazon text they are called solid rubber castors.

In the product photo, the round thermometer sits in the middle of the lid, below it a row of five control knobs, which fits five burners. The left side table carries a cover, and a wooden surface is set into the right one. In the base cabinet there is a door on the left, and on the right three drawers lie one above the other, one shallow and two deep. Burnhard speaks of two large and one small stainless steel drawer. On the base cabinet sits a solid stainless steel bottle opener with a magnet that catches the bottle caps.

On ignition, the documents do not quite match. The product page describes a Kickstarter piezo ignition that lights each main burner individually, and for the rear burner a battery-powered electric starter. The manual speaks of an automatic ignition system whose ignition electrode runs on one AA battery, and its technical data say “piezo ignition”. In practice, that means for you: an AA battery belongs on the shopping list.

In detail: why the three burner types do not all run at once

Anyone who sees a grill with three burner types easily imagines using all three at once: the chicken on the spit, vegetables on the grate next to it, the steak on the infrared burner alongside. On the EARL, that only works in part. The manual is clear here: “The rear burner must never be used at the same time as the main burners.”

This splits the grill into two operating modes. Either the three main burners run and heat from below, in which case the rear burner stays off. Or the rear burner radiates from behind onto the food on the spit, in which case the main burners are off. In principle, this is the usual principle with rear burners: the meat turns in front of a heat source that radiates horizontally, and the fat does not drip into a flame below. For the infrared burner in the side table, the manual states no such restriction; it sits outside the grill chamber.

An infrared ceramic burner works differently from a tube burner. The gas burns on the surface of a porous ceramic plate, which glows as a result and gives off its heat mainly as radiation. Burnhard states up to 900 °C for it. How hot the grill chamber gets at most is not stated anywhere. The lid thermometer shows 250 to 370 °C in the suitable grilling range according to the manual, and according to Burnhard the temperature at the grate is usually higher than the one displayed. That is plausible, because the thermometer measures the air under the lid and not the grate above the flame.

A flame crossover connects the three main burners. If a burner goes out, for example in strong wind, it relights it automatically according to the manual. That is useful for grilling with a direct and an indirect zone: you leave, for example, one outer burner on and the other two off, and place the food over the cool side. How the principle works is explained in our guide Direct and indirect heat.

A calculation that puts the kW figure in context: 11.25 kW of main burner output on a 59.5 x 43.0 cm grate is around 2,559 cm², so about 4.4 watts per square centimetre. The Big EARL lands at the same value with 15 kW on 79.0 x 43.0 cm, the Broil King Regal 590 with 16 kW on 80 x 48.8 cm at around 4.1. Output per area is therefore not a distinguishing feature between these grills; the kW figure simply grows with the grate. It also describes gas throughput, not the temperature at the food.

For heating up, Burnhard gives two values. The product page promises the EARL is ready within 10 minutes. The manual allows for approx. 15 minutes with the lid closed and recommends, as an energy-saving tip, preheating for only 10 to 15 minutes.

Cast iron or stainless steel: which grate is worth the surcharge?

Our assessment: if you want to put your grates in the dishwasher, take stainless steel. If you are willing to season cast grates and bring them indoors in winter, you save the €100 that Burnhard adds in the shop for stainless steel grates. For the food itself, no difference is documented.

According to the manual, the cast grates are enamelled. This layer protects against surface rust and prevents food from sticking to the grate. You should still season them: with neutral cooking oil, expressly not olive oil, the main burners on HI, with the lid closed for at least 20 minutes. Stainless steel grilling grates do not need to be seasoned.

On washing up, the manual distinguishes precisely. Verbatim: “The stainless steel grates, flavor bars and smoke box may be cleaned in the dishwasher.” The cast grates are not on this list. For the winter months, the manual advises bringing them indoors.

In principle, cast iron stores more heat than a thin stainless steel grate thanks to its mass and gives it off at the contact surface. However, Burnhard does not state anywhere how heavy and how thick the EARL’s cast grates are, so the effect cannot be quantified for this model.

Gas, bottle and location

The EARL only runs on butane (G30) or propane (G31); natural gas is excluded. The appliance category is I3B/P(50), and the outlet pressure is 50 mbar. The supplied pressure regulator is fixed, built to DIN EN 16129 and DIN EN 16436-1 (standards that apply in Germany) and designed for at most 1.5 kg/h. The hose is pre-fitted and at most 1.5 m long. It is connected on the left in the base cabinet, below the burners, and you tighten the union nut by hand, without tools, so that the seal stays intact. Different bottle types and the exchange system are explained in the guide Gas bottle for the grill.

According to the manual, you replace the pressure regulator and hose after 10 years at the latest, even without visible damage. A new hose may again be at most 1.5 m long. A routine inspection of the gas system is provided for at least once a year, and repairs to it are carried out only by authorised specialist staff.

On consumption, the manual gives two connection values: 1145 g/h for the burners in total and 255 g/h for the rear burner. It does not break down which burners are combined in the 1145 g/h. If you calculate anyway, an 11 kg fill lasts just under 9.6 hours at full load at this total value, a 5 kg bottle just under 4.4 hours. The rear burner alone would last a good 43 hours on 11 kg. These are theoretical limits, because after heating up, every control is rarely on HI.

You check for leaks before first use and after every bottle change. All sealing points are sprayed with commercially available leak detection spray or brushed with soapy water, mixed 1 part soap to 3 parts water. Then open the bottle valve: small bubbles show a leak. Close the valve, retighten the nuts, repeat the check. If bubbles keep rising, the valve stays closed and the next step is the specialist dealer. A match or open flame is forbidden as a means of checking. You also check the hose and pressure regulator for cracks and damage before every use.

For the location, the manual lists a series of conditions, given here in full:

• outdoors only, never in a building, a garage or any other enclosed area
• sheltered from the wind
• away from moisture, splashing water and electrical cables
• minimum distance of 3 m from all combustible materials and 7.5 m from all flammable liquids
• a level, stable and fireproof surface
• the gas bottle protected from strong sunshine
• never directly against glass fronts, walls or plants, with at least 100 cm clearance to the rear, sides and top

In addition, the ventilation openings of the housing must under no circumstances be covered. The grill is not moved during operation. Before every change of location, you switch it off, turn the bottle valve closed and unscrew the bottle from the hose. What these clearances mean for small outdoor spaces is sorted out in the guide Grilling on a balcony.

Operation, cleaning and storage according to the manual

Before first use, you burn in the main burners for 20 minutes without food, leaving the rear burner off. You must never switch the grill on with the lid closed, and the lid over the infrared burner in the side table must also be open before lighting and during operation; the manual even recommends removing it. If a burner does not light after three to four attempts, you turn the control to OFF, close the bottle valve and wait 5 minutes before starting again. When switching off, you start at the bottle valve, then the controls go to OFF.

Aluminium foil and aluminium trays have no place on the grease drain tray or in the grease collection tray. If a grease fire breaks out anyway, you turn off the burners and close the lid until the fire has gone out. You never put out an oil or grease fire with water; the manual names a grease fire extinguisher or fire blanket. On clothing, it requires closed shoes, long sleeves and long trousers, no loose clothing and no highly flammable synthetic fabrics. You wear protective gloves as soon as hot components exceed the ambient temperature by 50 °C, and a running grill is never left unattended.

You clean after every use, emptying the grease collection tray and disposing of the grease in an environmentally responsible way. Beforehand, you remove the gas bottle and let the grill cool down. Flammable cleaning agents and oven cleaner are taboo. You may rinse out the interior with water, but no water may get into the gas nozzles. For the stainless steel surfaces outside, the manual rules out microfibre cloths because they would scratch the material. Which parts may go in the dishwasher is stated above under the grate.

For burning off, you turn the main burners to the highest setting and let them run with the lid closed for 15 to 30 minutes until no more smoke rises; the ceramic and rear burners stay off during this according to the product page. A thorough clean is due every 3 to 4 months and after long periods of disuse. You clean a clogged venturi tube with a needle or a pipe cleaner, and the insect and spider guard in front of it with a brush. More on brushes and procedure is in the guide Cleaning a gas grill.

The acacia wood chopping board must never go in the dishwasher and is stored dry.

For overwintering, the grill goes covered into a frost-free, dry room. You store the gas bottle outside the base cabinet. The grill may only stand in an indoor space if the bottle is disconnected and removed from the appliance.

Contents, accessories and open points

According to the product page, the following are included: the grilling grates in the chosen version, a smoker box, the warming rack, the reversible chopping board made of FSC-certified acacia wood, a 6 l stainless steel food container, a UV-resistant, PVC-coated cover, a gas hose with 50 mbar pressure regulator, storage hooks and the magnetic bottle opener. Not shown, but also in the box, are the flavor bars, grease drain tray and grease collection tray, the holder and base plate for the gas bottle, tools and the manual. You fill the smoker box with dry or damp pellets or wood chips and place it directly on the flavor bars.

It is delivered by freight in two packages, and shipping costs are €29 according to the product page. You should assemble the grill with two people, on a mat and with safety gloves, because some edges can be sharp.

The rotisserie spit costs €109 extra in the Burnhard shop, fits the EARL and Big EARL and is 76 cm long for the 3-burner. The product page lists further accessories: an EARL plancha griddle plate for €139 and a bundle of the EARL 3-burner, cast iron grates and grill side trolley for €1,649. Burnhard also sells spare parts for the series in the shop; examples listed there are a black lid for €249 and a stainless steel front panel for €54.90.

According to the declaration of conformity in the manual, the grill complies with the EU Gas Appliances Regulation 2016/426 and the standard EN 498:2012, and the type examination was carried out by Intertek Italia. The manual, which Burnhard links on the product page, bears the item numbers 945848 and 945610 and is dated December 2023. The technical data match the product page except for the weight.

We read the product page, manual and warranty page on 20.10.2026; we have never had the grill in our hands. The following points remain open:

• the maximum temperature in the grill chamber
• the grade and wall thickness of the stainless steel
• weight and thickness of the cast grates
• the consumption of the infrared burner on its own
• interior dimensions and load capacity of the drawers
• which weight is binding (75.9 or 78.3 kg)
• the country of manufacture and the market year of this variant
• a manual that expressly applies to item number 945994

These three alternatives are worth a look

The prices come from our price box, and the rating is our editorial assessment and not a measurement result. We looked up the technical details for the Big EARL and FRED Deluxe+ on Burnhard’s product pages on 20.10.2026; those for the Regal 590 come from our research on that grill. The best-of list Gas grills shows all models side by side.

When the EARL suits you, and when another grill does

First, the group size. Burnhard designs the EARL for up to 10 people. If you often grill for more, the Big EARL with a fourth main burner is the next step up; it costs approx. €1,499 in our price box, the EARL on Amazon approx. €1,039.

Then the rotisserie spit. On the EARL it is an accessory, and spit and main grate only run one after the other, not at the same time. If you know you will regularly turn chicken and rolled roasts on the spit, you should look at the Broil King Regal 590: it comes with a rotisserie set with an electric motor, but the grill costs approx. €1,649, the EARL on Amazon approx. €1,039. If, on the other hand, you only need the spit occasionally, you will get by with the EARL and the accessory spit.

Third, the infrared burner. In our assessment it is the reason to prefer the EARL to a plain three-burner, but only if you use it the way Burnhard intends: for food without marinade and without oil. Anyone who puts almost everything on marinated pays for a zone they can hardly use.

Fourth, space and weight. Allow for a footprint of 136.5 x 62 cm, 152 cm height when open, and the clearances from the manual. A grill of over 75 kg is moved on castors. If you have to move it often, the FRED Deluxe+ at 49 kg is lighter and, at approx. €929 in our price box, cheaper; its grilling area is somewhat smaller at 59.0 x 41.5 cm.

Fifth, the budget. On top of approx. €1,039 on Amazon (approx. €1,199 at Burnhard) come the gas bottle and, if desired, stainless steel grates and the rotisserie spit. If you are still unsure which type of grill suits you at all, you can start with the Grill finder.

The EARL is the wrong choice for anyone who wants to earn money with it: Burnhard writes that the grill is not intended for commercial use. And anyone who actually wants to grill with charcoal is also wrong, because the manual rules out charcoal, briquettes and lava stones for this gas grill.