Side Burners & Power Burners

A standard side burner is a two-burner cooktop rated 10-15k BTU per burner — sized like a residential range and good for pots up to 12". A power burner is a single high-output ring rated 30-66k BTU designed for wok, seafood boils, turkey fryers, and any pot 14" or larger. You typically want both if the kitchen has room: side burner for daily cooking, power burner for high-heat events.

For a standard side burner, 10-15k BTU per burner is the sweet spot — enough to boil a full stockpot in 15-20 minutes. Below 8k struggles to hold a rolling boil. For a wok or turkey fryer, buy a power burner in the 30-66k range — a standard side burner won't get a wok hot enough for proper stir-fry sear.

Yes — an open patio location will blow standard side-burner flames off the burner ports. Bull, Coyote, and Summerset all sell factory wind guards sized to their side burners. Skip the guard only if the side burner is dropped into an island with a raised backsplash on 3 sides.