With the wide variety of barbeques available on the market, it can be a daunting task to attempt to purchase one. There are large and small ones; gas or barbeque; black, white, silver, and bright colours. How are you to choose?
Well, let’s take a look at a few key factors that you should consider when purchasing a barbeque grill.
- Do you prefer to grill with gas or would you prefer to be more traditional and grill with charcoal? It is vital to know which one you prefer prior to purchasing so that you don’t waste your time looking at the other type.
- How often will your barbeque grill be used? This is important as well because if you will be using it frequently, you may want to spend more money and purchase a higher quality grill.
- How many people will be enjoying the fine food cooked with your barbeque grill? Based on this information, you will determine the size of the grill that is needed. You’ll need a larger grill if you plan to cook for an abundant amount of people.
Choosing a charcoal or gas barbeque
This is where it can get hard for many individuals. Many people want the ease that gas provides while some simply want the flavour and traditionalism that charcoal provides. Let’s take a look at benefits of both of these types of barbeque grills.
Benefits of charcoal barbeques:
- The most obvious benefit is that it is a conventional method of cooking – it’s old-fashioned. The charcoal provides a magnificent and a unique flavour to the food.
- Some barbeques, known as kettle barbeques, have a lid that allows you to roast food. This is the ideal barbeque if you plan to cook a brisket on your grill or something comparable.
- Charcoal is rather easy to light; however, if this type of barbeque is chosen, you must keep in mind that the charcoal needs to be lit anywhere from 30-45 minutes prior to the time that you plan to begin cooking to ensure that the temperature is ideal so that your food is perfection when it comes off. The heat can be adjusted by raising or lowering the grill.
- If you plan to travel, portable models of the barbeque grills are available on the market and provide the freedom to be taken anywhere from camping, the beach, or even to a friend’s house.
- Charcoal barbeque grills have storage features such as shelves, side tables, or side hooks. These features make it easy to have your condiments or barbeque grilling utensils handy and right by your side.
- With charcoal barbeque grills, you have to remember that the ashes will need to be removed once cooking has ceased. Some grills have easy cleaning systems or even an ash catcher that is removable.
Benefits of gas barbeques:
- When looking at gas grills, you need to make sure that you find a barbeque that will go accordingly with your cooking requirements. Kilowatts (kW) are used to measure the heat output for the gas barbeques. The best one to find is one the features adjustable heat controls.
- There is no wait period with gas barbeques – you can begin cooking practically immediately after ignition by a push-button.
- You can purchase a gas barbeque that has extra side burners or racks for warming that will allow extra places for you to cook and keep food warm. This will allow you to cook more than one food concurrently.
- If you plan to entertain a large group of people at any time, especially on a regular basis, a gas barbeque would be ideal as they cook much faster than charcoal barbeques.
- Gas barbeques also normally have more than one burner. The more burners that you have, the more heat that is provided. This is ideal for specific types of food or when you need to have the ability to control the amount of heat that is put off.
- No need to worry removing ashes after cooking, as there are no ashes with gas grills. Gas barbeques do feature a drip pan that will catch all the fat from the food, though, which will need to be removed and cleaned after cooking.
Cooking area and grill features
It is important to decide how many people you will be cooking for when deciding on what type of barbecue that you want as well as the size.
If you plan to cook for a small number of people, such as one or two people, then a small barbeque would suit you just fine. If you plan to cook for two to four people then a barbeque grill that is a bit larger would be ideal. Now, if you plan to cook for four to eight people then you would need a large barbeque grill and if you plan to cook for a large amount of people, more than eight, it’s best to get a very large, extra-large, barbeque grill to ensure that it suits your cooking needs and requirements.
When it comes to grill features, look for the following:
- In order to prevent rust and weathering, try to find a barbeque grill with a porcelain enamel finish. Not only will it prevent the aforementioned, but it will also help transfer heat more resourcefully.
- Stainless barbeque grills provide the simplicity and ease to clean as well as durability.
- Cast iron barbeque grills will hold the heat in significantly well.
- If you choose a charcoal barbeque, be sure to find out with the ash collector that is removable. It speeds up the cleaning process and makes it a lot easier.
- Look for heat distribution plates, as these will help the heat to spread consistently allowing the food to be cooked equally.
Useful cooking accessories
You want to make certain that you not only take care of your home barbeque grill but that you have all the possible tools that you will need to get the job done efficiently.
- Barbeque cooking utensils
In order to cook, you’ll need barbeque cooking utensils. Find some long-handled tongs as well as spatulas, skewers, and the like. The longer the handle, the more ideal it will be for you – it will help ensure you don’t burn yourself.
- Barbeque grill cover
First, to ensure that your grill is well kept and is free from some Mother Nature occurrences, purchase a grill cover. It will help the grill last longer and protect it from a variety of elements.
- Barbeque cleaning brush
You will want to ensure that you have a barbeque cleaning brush. Find one that has brass bristles as these won’t scratch or rust your grill.
- Kebab turner or skewer
Don’t forget to purchase a metal skewer just in case you need it. More importantly, purchase one that has a holder. The holder will help keep the food off the grill.
Barbeque safety
If you have a lid on your gas barbeque, be sure to close the lid once cooking has commenced. After closing the lid, turn the heat on full blast and allow it to sit for about 10 minutes or so. This will help clean the barbeque by burning any lingering food. Afterwards, clean with the barbeque brush (brass bristles is recommended). This way your barbeque grill will be ready the next time you use it.
Finally, as pointed out before, purchase a cover. The cover will help protect your barbeque grill from most types of weather conditions and will help prevent damage and rust.