What is the Difference Between Propane and Liquid Propane?

One question we get a lot is “What’s the difference between propane and liquid propane?”

The simple answer is…nothing.

The terms propane and liquid propane are used interchangeably in the grilling industry.

In fact, propane, liquid propane, propane gas, and LP all refer to the same thing when we’re talking about grills.

To get a bit more technical, propane gas is put under pressure when it’s stored in a tank, and in that pressurized state it’s turned into a liquid. When you open the valve on a propane tank to use the grill, that liquid propane is actually boiling back into propane gas, which is then sent into the grill through the hose/regulator. When liquid propane boils into a gas, it drops down to about -43.6 F, which is why propane tanks feel cold to the touch, and it’s also why condensation can form on them on hot, humid summer days.

Hopefully, this takes a little bit of the mystery out of propane gas grills!