Yes, it is now wintertime, and that means that barbecuing all of your favorite meats just became a whole lot harder. Of course, there is nothing better than cooking a piece of meat over an open flame. For most people, this means using their propane BBQ.
Sure, some people might use charcoal or a real wooden fire, although propane grills tend to be the most convenient options to go with. With that being said, once winter comes around, you might find that it is way too cold to barbecue outdoors. So, you might think that taking your propane grill indoors is a good idea.
Yes, there are many people who have tried taking their small propane grills indoors, but is this a good idea? Can you use a small propane grill indoors? This is the main question that we are here to answer today.
As you are about to find out, using a propane grill of any size indoors, whether small or large, is not a good idea, and there are several reasons for this. Therefore, today we are going to explain to you all the different reasons why using a small propane grill indoors is not a good idea in the least.
Can You Use a Small Propane Grill Indoors?
The simple answer to this question is that no, you cannot use a propane grill indoors, no matter how big or small it is. In fact, there are many different reasons as to why using an outdoor grill indoors is never a good idea in any way. The simple answer to the question of the day is that you should never use a propane grill indoors. There are some very real health and safety concerns to consider here, so let’s take a look.
The Carbon Monoxide
The biggest hazard that you face when using a propane grill indoors is that of carbon monoxide poisoning. Whenever a gas such as propane combusts, a gas known as carbon monoxide is produced. This is a side effect of combustion. Whenever something is burned, especially a gas like propane, carbon monoxide will be produced.
Now, carbon monoxide is very hazardous to your health, as it replaces the oxygen in a space, and if you inhale enough of it, it effectively causes you to suffocate. If we are talking about indoor gas ranges and stoves, these come with special venting systems to ensure that all the carbon monoxide is vented outside of your home, therefore eliminating any risk.
However, an outdoor propane BBQ is not going to have any such venting features that will take the carbon monoxide away from the grill. Instead, all of the carbon monoxide produced by your propane grill is going to be vented right inside of your home, and that’s going to pose a serious health risk.
If you grill indoors with a propane BBQ, it can cause a deadly buildup of carbon monoxide, which can be lethal. It would not be the first time that people have been seriously hurt, or worse, by using a propane grill indoors. The bottom line is that using a propane grill indoors can quite literally end up suffocating you.
Gas Leaks
Another reason why you never want to use a propane grill indoors is due to possible gas leaks. The gas lines that allow the gas to travel from the propane tank to the grill are relatively weak when compared to an actual gas kitchen range. Those are relatively cheap components, and this means that at times, propane may be able to leak out.
Of course, you do not want propane leaking out into your home. For one, inhaling propane can be extremely dangerous to your respiratory health, and at times can even be fatal. There is then also a risk of a fire or explosion.
Propane is a highly flammable gas, which is why it is used for barbecuing. If that highly flammable gas leaks out into your home, and then comes into contact with an open flame or spark, it can cause a massive explosion.
Obviously, you don’t want your house exploding, so using a propane grill indoors is best avoided. Whether you forget to turn the gas off, there are weak tank valves, or gas leaks caused by other faulty components, you just never want that propane leaking out into your home.

Heat and Fire
Another reason why you don’t want to use a propane grill indoors has more to do with the fact that there is an open flame present with an extremely hot grill body, rather than the propane itself. When you BBQ, the grill can reach temperatures of 500 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter.
Now, unlike your kitchen stove that is very well insulated and doesn’t give off much heat, a grill is not well insulated and is going to give off a whole lot of heat. At the very least, it’s going to make your home really hot.
However, the bigger risk, more so than making your house hot, is that of a fire occurring. If the exterior of that grill reaches 500 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter, and it is near something flammable, such as a curtain, fabric, or something similar, it could very well cause a fire to occur.
That grill gets so hot that it may cause very dry wood to combust, plastic to melt, or fabrics to go up in flames. Yes, an outdoor propane grill is a very real fire hazard, which is why it should only be used outdoors.
Propane grills also have open flames, which are also fire hazards. The bottom line here is that if you don’t want to burn down your house, using an outdoor propane grill indoors is probably best avoided.
Smoke & Smell
The other issue to consider with propane grills is that they also produce quite a bit of smoke, especially when fat and grease come into contact with the open flames. At the very least, all of that smoke is going to make your house smell really bad, especially if you grill indoors multiple times.
Moreover, your smoke alarm is probably not going to appreciate all of that smoke either. If are indoors and use a propane BBQ, be prepared to have that smoke alarm constantly go off. Moreover, smoke is also not very healthy to inhale. Smoking just isn’t very good for your lungs, so it’s probably best to avoid having your house constantly full of smoke.
So, How Do I Grill Indoors?
So, if you can’t use a small propane grill indoors, then what can you use to barbecue indoors? Well, a simple indoor or tabletop grill will do the trick.
Of course, here we are talking about an electric indoor grill or electric tabletop grill, nothing to do with propane, gas, charcoal, or any type of open flame. No, you can’t use a propane grill indoors, just like you can’t use a charcoal grill indoors, and you obviously can’t light a real fire inside either.
An electric indoor grill will allow you to achieve nearly the same results as with a propane grill, all without the risk of burning down your house or poisoning yourself with carbon monoxide.
These indoor grills can be extremely affordable, yet still produce great results. OK, so maybe the results produced by an indoor grill aren’t going to be quite the same as when barbecuing with an open flame, but the results can be pretty close, not to mention that it’s much safer.
Conclusion
For your own safety, please never use a propane grill indoors. It is not safe in the least and can result in serious injury or death.