Best LPG Hob for Mobile Catering UK: 2, 4 or 6 Burner Buying Guide

Last updated: August 2026

In 30 seconds:

• A 2-burner LPG hob suits a coffee or crepe unit that only needs a pan of water and a sauce pot. A 4-burner is the workhorse for most burger, curry and street-food vans. Go 6-burner only if you plate more than one menu at once.
• On propane, every Parry Alpha burner gives 4.35 kW — so the whole unit is 8.7 kW (2-burner), 17.4 kW (4-burner) or 26.1 kW (6-burner).
• Propane burn rate is 0.313 kg per hour per burner flat out. A 47 kg cylinder runs a 4-burner hob for roughly 37 hours with every burner wide open — far longer in real trading.
• Mobile catering hobs must be propane at 37 mbar. A natural gas unit is not the same appliance and needs a Gas Safe engineer to convert it.
• Prices start from £354 for a light-duty gas top and from £704 for a British-built Parry LPG hob.

Not sure how long a cylinder will last with your kit? Work it out first with the LPG cylinder run-time calculator, then come back and pick the hob.

Why burner count beats kW. Two pans on the go at once needs two burners, no matter how powerful each one is. You cannot split one 4 kW flame across two pots.

Why propane, not natural gas. A food van has no mains gas pipe. Propane comes with you in a cylinder and still vaporises down to about -42°C, so it works on a cold February pitch.

Why a hob and not a griddle. A hob is for pans: stock, curry, chilli, rice, boiling water. Flat-plate cooking – burgers, onions, bacon – belongs on a griddle. Most vans end up with one of each.

Honest summary. The mistake we see most is buying on price, ending up with a 2-burner unit, then discovering there is nowhere to put the second pan during a rush. A 4-burner costs a few hundred pounds more once, and you only buy it once.

Hob, gas top or boiling top: what is the difference?

The three names get used loosely. Here is what they mean on our shelves.

• Hob – a countertop unit with open burners and pan supports. Sits on a worktop or a stand. This is what most vans and trailers fit.
• Gas top – the same idea, usually a lighter-built import. Cheaper, thinner steel, fine for lower volume.
• Boiling top – heavy-duty floor-standing or bench units built for a fixed kitchen. Heavier, more powerful, more expensive. Rarely the right answer in a trailer where every kilo counts.

For a mobile setup, start with a countertop hob. It gives you the most cooking per kilo and per centimetre of bench.

How many burners do you actually need?

Count the pans you need on the heat at the same time at your busiest moment. That is your burner count. Then add one if you ever plan to grow the menu.

• 2 burners – hot water plus one sauce or soup pot. Coffee units, crepe and waffle vans, dessert trailers.
• 4 burners – chilli, curry, rice, water. The standard fit for burger, kebab, Caribbean and Asian street-food vans.
• 6 burners – multiple curries or a full event menu held at temperature. Festival and wedding caterers, larger trailers only.

Parry AG2HP 2-burner LPG hob

• Quick specs: 2 propane burners · 8.70 kW total (29,692 Btu/h) · 4.35 kW per burner · 0.627 kg/hr propane flat out · 300 x 655 x 205 mm · 10 kg · 3/4″ BSP male inlet · propane G31 at 37 mbar · 2-year Parry warranty · from £704
• Best for: small units where bench space is tighter than the menu – coffee, crepes, dessert, a single-pot special.
• What it runs: a stock pot and a sauce pan; a water pan plus one hot-hold pot; pans from 120 mm to 295 mm diameter.
• Don’t use it for: a three-pot menu, or as your only heat source in a burger van that also needs a griddle burner.
• Trade-off: at 300 mm wide it barely eats any bench, but you will outgrow it the day you add a second dish.

Made in Britain at Parry’s Draycott factory, with cast iron pan supports, a flame failure device on every burner and a body that comes apart for cleaning. See the Parry AG2HP 2-burner LPG hob for current stock.

Parry AG4HP 4-burner LPG hob

• Quick specs: 4 propane burners · 17.40 kW total (59,384 Btu/h) · 4.35 kW per burner · 1.253 kg/hr propane flat out · 600 x 655 x 205 mm · 16 kg · 3/4″ BSP male inlet · propane G31 at 37 mbar · 2-year Parry warranty · from £1,144
• Best for: the standard van or trailer running a real menu – the safest single purchase on this page.
• What it runs: chilli, curry, rice and a water pan together; two big stock pots plus two smaller pans; hot-holding while you cook.
• Don’t use it for: flat-plate work. Pair it with a griddle rather than trying to cook burgers in a pan.
• Trade-off: 600 mm of bench is a lot in a 14 ft trailer. Measure before you buy, and plan the griddle next to it.

Same British build as the 2-burner, with adjustable controls on each burner so you can hold one pot at a simmer while another runs hard. The Parry AG4HP 4-burner LPG hob is the one we sell most of.

Parry AG6HP 6-burner LPG hob

• Quick specs: 6 propane burners · 26.11 kW total (89,076 Btu/h) · 4.35 kW per burner · 1.880 kg/hr propane flat out · 3/4″ BSP male inlet · propane G31 at 37 mbar · 2-year Parry warranty · from £1,517
• Best for: event and festival caterers plating more than one menu, and larger trailers with the bench to spare.
• What it runs: four dishes cooking plus two held at temperature, all day.
• Don’t use it for: a small van. Six burners wide open pull 1.88 kg of propane an hour, and you will need the cylinder capacity to match.
• Trade-off: the most cooking per unit, but the biggest footprint and the highest propane draw of the three.

Infernus gas tops: the budget option

• Quick specs: 60 cm 2-burner from £354 · 60 cm 4-burner from £538 · 90 cm 6-burner from £669 · countertop · propane or natural gas versions
• Best for: a first season, a back-up unit, or a low-volume pitch where the hob is not doing the heavy lifting.
• Don’t use it for: seven-day trading. Lighter steel and lighter pan supports do not take the same daily hammering as the Parry.
• Trade-off: you save several hundred pounds now and give up build quality and the two-year British warranty.

We do not publish kW figures for the Infernus gas tops because we do not hold the manufacturer’s manual for them. If you need a verified heat input for a gas safety inspection, buy the Parry. You can compare the full range on the LPG hobs category page.

Side by side

Model	Burners	Total kW (propane)	Propane kg/hr	Width	From
Parry AG2HP	2	8.70 kW	0.627	300 mm	£704
Parry AG4HP	4	17.40 kW	1.253	600 mm	£1,144
Parry AG6HP	6	26.11 kW	1.880	Not published	£1,517
Infernus 60 cm	4	Not published	Not published	600 mm	£538
Infernus 90 cm	6	Not published	Not published	900 mm	£669

All Parry figures come straight from the manufacturer’s technical data for propane G31 at 37 mbar. Where a figure is not published, we leave it blank rather than guess it.

How much propane will it actually use?

Every Parry Alpha burner uses 0.313 kg of propane an hour at full rate. Multiply by the number of burners you actually have lit.

• 4-burner, all four wide open: 1.253 kg/hr. A 47 kg cylinder lasts about 37 hours; a 19 kg cylinder about 15 hours.
• 4-burner, realistic trading (two burners on full, two simmering): roughly 0.8 kg/hr. A 47 kg cylinder covers about 58 hours – a week of eight-hour days.
• 2-burner: 0.627 kg/hr flat out. A 19 kg cylinder lasts about 30 hours.

Those are hob figures only. Add your griddle, fryer and water boiler on top before you decide what cylinder to carry – the guide to LPG cylinder sizes works through the whole load.

Propane setup and gas safety

Mobile catering runs on propane. Never butane: it stops vaporising at around 2°C, so it fails on exactly the cold mornings you need it.

• Pressure: propane G31 at 37 mbar. Your regulator must match.
• Connection: 3/4″ BSP male on the Parry hobs, so the hose and fittings need to suit.
• Conversion: a natural gas Alpha hob converts to propane with the Parry kit (injector stamped 105, bypass screw stamped 50) – but only a Gas Safe registered engineer may do it.
• Flame failure: every burner has a flame failure device. If the flame blows out, the propane supply shuts off. Do not defeat it.
• Ventilation: the appliance needs a free flow of fresh air for combustion. Never block the vents, and never box the unit in.
• Standards: the Parry hobs are built to BS EN 203-1 and BS EN 203-2-1.

Your whole gas installation needs an annual inspection and a certificate before you can trade at most events – see the guide to the CP44 gas safety certificate. Hoses and regulators have their own replacement dates, covered in the LPG hose and regulator guide.

Fitting it into the van

Measure the bench before you order, not after. A 4-burner Parry is 600 mm wide and 655 mm deep – deeper than a lot of trailer worktops.

• Leave clear space at the rear and sides so air can reach the burners.
• Do not sit the unit on or against a combustible surface.
• Plan the griddle next to the hob, not opposite it – you will be turning between them all service.
• Countertop or free-standing on a Parry stand both work. A stand frees bench space but raises the working height.

If you are still deciding between pan cooking and plate cooking, read the best LPG griddle guide alongside this one. Most vans need both, and buying them together makes the layout easier.

Six mistakes to avoid

1. Buying 2 burners to save money. The second pan has nowhere to go. Buy the 4-burner once.
2. Buying a natural gas unit by accident. The listing must say LPG or propane. Converting later costs an engineer’s visit.
3. Ignoring the depth. Everyone measures width. The 655 mm depth is what catches people out.
4. Running butane because the bottle was cheaper. It will let you down below about 2°C.
5. Undersizing the cylinder. Add the hob, griddle, fryer and boiler together before you choose.
6. Skipping the annual gas check. No certificate, no pitch at most organised events.

Once it is fitted, a five-minute daily check keeps it safe and legal – the LPG maintenance and safety check schedule sets out what to look at daily, weekly and annually.

Frequently asked questions

What size LPG hob do I need for a food van?

Most food vans need a 4-burner hob. Count the pans you need on the heat at your busiest moment: two burners suit a coffee or dessert unit, four suit a full street-food menu, six suit event caterers running more than one menu.

How many kW is a 4-burner LPG hob?

A Parry AG4HP gives 17.40 kW in total on propane, which is 59,384 Btu/h. Each of the four burners is 4.35 kW at 37 mbar.

How much propane does an LPG hob use per hour?

Each Parry Alpha burner uses 0.313 kg of propane an hour at full rate. A 4-burner unit with everything wide open uses 1.253 kg/hr, so a 47 kg cylinder lasts roughly 37 hours of flat-out cooking and considerably longer in normal trading.

Can I run a mobile catering hob on butane?

No. Commercial mobile catering appliances are set up for propane at 37 mbar. Butane stops vaporising properly at around 2°C, so it fails in UK outdoor trading. Use propane all year.

Can a natural gas hob be converted to LPG?

Yes, on the Parry Alpha range. The conversion kit swaps the burner injectors and the valve bypass screws, and the work must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Buying the LPG version outright is usually cheaper than converting.

What is the difference between a hob and a boiling top?

A hob is a countertop unit with open burners, light enough for a van or trailer. A boiling top is a heavy-duty floor or bench unit built for a fixed commercial kitchen. For mobile catering, the countertop hob is almost always the right choice.

What size pans fit an LPG catering hob?

Parry recommends pans between 120 mm and 295 mm in diameter. Smaller pans sit badly on the supports and larger ones interfere with combustion and can be unstable.

Do I need a gas safety certificate for an LPG hob?

Yes. The hob forms part of your mobile gas installation, which needs an annual inspection by a Gas Safe registered engineer qualified in mobile catering. Most event organisers ask to see the certificate before they let you trade.