Confession: I’m not the biggest fan of propane gas grills. While they certainly retain a useful spot in most backyard barbecue arsenals—especially for those quick weeknight meals—I find the overall experience lacks the fun and flavor of other grills and fuel types.

But that all changes with the Wildfire Ranch Pro 36”. This impressive piece of kit punches above its premium class, packing most of the quality and innovation seen in more popular luxury brands.

The Pro is available as a built-in, or you can go for the stainless steel grill cart, which is what I did.

Wildfire sent me this grill for free in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

First impressions of Wildfire Ranch Pro 36″

For the uninitiated, Wildfire Outdoor Living is the latest creation from Arizona-based RPG Brands, makers of Modern Flames Electric Fireplaces and Grand Canyon Gas logs. RPG is hoping to stand out in a crowded marketplace by giving the Wildfire lineup a sleek and stylish black stainless steel trim that will definitely turn heads.

And guess what? The Wildfire looks as good as it cooks. It quickly reaches scorching hot temperatures while putting a serious sear on anything you slap down on its laser-cut stainless steel cooking grates.

Wildfire Ranch Pro 36″ Gas Grill specifications:

What I like:

• Black stainless steel
• Laser cut cooking grates
• Spring-activated lid
• Generous storage space
• Dedicated back burner for rotisserie

What I don’t like:

• Difficult to clean grates
• Heavy/hard to move around
• Protective coating tricky to remove

Unboxing and build quality

The grill and cart arrived extremely well-packaged and protected. Pulling apart the layers of tightly wrapped packing foam, I was surprised to see even more protection, a sticker-like coating that needed to be peeled off the stainless exterior of the grill and cart (and some internal parts too, more on that later).

Clearly, Wildfire takes great care in shipping its products to ensure its customers feel confident in their purchase from the moment they open it.

Assembly and design

Assembly is a breeze and basically involves popping the four caster wheels onto the bottom of the cart. Once the cart is together and upright, you’ll need to grab a buddy to help lift the grill and set it into the cart properly.

It’s all very intuitive and a refreshing change of pace compared to other grills I’ve assembled.

Seeing the fully assembled Wildfire Ranch Pro 36” for the first time out of its packaging and under the sun, it’s a sleek and striking beast.

Lots of round, smooth stainless steel gives way to one of the grill’s more unique design elements: a black 304 stainless steel front panel that provides a bold, unique finish.

Whether paired with the cart or built into an outdoor kitchen, the black stainless is pure eye candy and a welcome change from the many other look-alike grills in this category.

The spring activated hood is a nice touch in addition to its three cast stainless steel burners and stainless, laser cut cooking grates.

The interior lights are well positioned and bright, easily illuminating the entire surface of the grill grates, which will come in handy during late-night cooking sessions. A generous upper rack sits right above a dedicated back/sear burner that can be used with a rotisserie (not included).

The cart, also finished in black stainless and sturdy side shelves, provides more than enough space and freedom to hold trays of food and/or utensils. The drawer and cabinet door open and close with just enough magnetic resistance to let you know things are safe and secure. The propane tank sits on a sliding track for easy access and is tucked away securely in the cart’s main storage area.

Cooking performance

Firing up the Wildfire for the first time was slightly confusing for me because I had a tough time figuring out the knobs. The problem isn’t with the ignition—the Wildfire lights up instantly and consistently—rather, the heat level indications on the knobs themselves aren’t clear.

Turns out, the arrow indication for high-medium-low is a bit hidden on the sides of the knobs.

I mistakenly had the grill set on the lower level for the initial burn-off. But once I took a closer look at the knobs, you can (barely) see where the main arrow/indicator is.

My guess is that Wildfire opted for a cleaner look on the knobs to match the rest of the grill’s aesthetic. It’s a small nit-pick but it would’ve been nice if the heat level indication was visible and easy to read.

But after that very small setback, I fired up the grill to high and all I can say is WOW. Within five minutes the temp probe on the lid reached 500°F.

After opening the lid I felt every one of those 48,000 BTU’s blast me in the face. Clearly, this grill was built for high heat cooking and searing.

Speaking of which, chicken, burgers and hot dogs all cooked evenly and tasted great. But I was most impressed with a marinated London Broil. No sous vide or reverse sear shenanigans, I just threw that sucker onto the scorching hot grates and was rewarded with a very audible sizzle that produced killer grill marks with the WF logo branded right in the middle!

Cleaning and maintenance

While the overall cooking performance of the Wildfire is very consistent and reliable, cleaning is more of a mixed bag.

Remember that protective sticker coating I mentioned earlier? Turns out the inside of the lid also receives a layer of this protection. Unfortunately, I didn’t find out until after I fired up the grill.

Once I made the discovery, it wasn’t easy peeling off the half-baked plastic. Definitely user error on my part but it would’ve been nice if Wildfire made this more apparent.

As for regular cleaning and maintenance, keeping the grill on for a bit after cooking burns off a lot of the gunk and turns it into a small amount of ash that collects in a generous grease tray that spans the entire length of the grill.

But the grill grates are a different story. Since they are stainless steel, it’s hard to determine if they are supposed to be scrubbed clean after every cook. Is some staining ok and necessary? Or should they be seasoned like cast iron?

After doing some digging and even after speaking to Wildfire’s CEO, it turns out there’s no right answer. Want to keep those grates looking pristine? Have at it and scrub them after every use. Want to turn them over so the dirty side burns off? No problem, you can do that too.

Truth be told, as well made as the grates are, they are a pain to keep clean and looking nice. I am currently stuck between styles; partially blackened and stained grates with small patches of pristine poking through. I’m hoping they completely darken over time.

Should you buy the Wildfire Ranch Pro 36″ Gas grill?

Small setbacks and gripes aside, I still give The Wildfire Ranch Pro a high rating. This is a premium grill that comes packed with features of more expensive grills. The build quality and design is top notch and the blistering heat it produces makes searing a breeze.