Abstract Laminar burning velocities are of great importance in many combustion models as well as for validation and improvement of chemical kinetic schemes. Determining laminar burning velocities with high accuracy is quite challenging and different approaches exist. Hence, a comparison of existing methods measuring and evaluating laminar burning velocities is of interest. Here, two optical diagnostics, high speed tomography and Schlieren cinematography, are simultaneously set up to investigate methods for evaluating laminar flame speed in a spherical flame configuration. The hypothesis to obtain the same flame propagation radii over time with the two different techniques is addressed. Another important aspect is the estimation of flame properties, such as the unstretched flame propagation speed and Markstein length in the burnt gas phase and if these are estimated satisfactorily by common experimental approaches. Thorough evaluation of the data with several extrapolation techniques is undertaken. A systematic extrapolation approach is presented to give more confidence into results generated experimentally. The significance of the linear extrapolation routine is highlighted in this context. Measurements of spherically expanding flames are carried out in two high-pressure, high-temperature, constant-volume vessels at RWTH in Aachen, Germany and at ICARE in Orleans, France. For the discussion of the systematic extrapolation approach, flame speed measurements of methane / air mixtures with mixture Lewis numbers moderately away from unity are used. Conditions were varied from lean to rich mixtures, at temperatures of 298–373 K, and pressures of 1 atm and 5 bar.