Choosing an Outdoor Grill

July 14th, 2006 | Author: Tony Shoptana | Category: Featured Posts, Home & Garden, Shopping Guides, Summer '06 | |

Weber 9973 Basket-Style Gas Grill Rotisserie, Fits Summit 650 & 675 Gas Grills Buying a grill is like purchasing anything for your home – it’s completely based on your budget and your lifestyle. Grills range in price from $50 to $5,000, so it’s important to know what you want. From your budget and your grilling/cooking experience, to the types of foods you’re interested in grilling, the results you’re seeking, and your cooking audience. So let’s take a closer look at the primary grill considerations…

IT’S A GAS. Gas grills versus charcoal grills. Gas grills are obviously more convenient. Hit a button, let it fire up, control the temperature, cook, eat, - done. Charcoal requires a little more work and you can’t control the temperature as well. Load the charcoal, use the lighter fluid, light, wait, check watch, wait, practice your foul shots, check watch, grill, eat, done. Charcoal simply tastes better if you love that true-grilled flavor. Need a compromise? They do make charcoal grills with a push-button ignition start system.

Weber 6750001 Genesis Gold C Propane GrillFINISH LIKE A WINNER. If you’re buying a grill with a painted finish, make sure the paint is heat-proof. Grills without a painted finish will rust. If you can afford to spend more and want something that looks sharp and holds up better over time, go for a stainless steel finish.

HOW BIG IS YOUR BIRD? Are you grilling just a few burgers or dogs at a time? If so, you only need 350 square inches or less. If you’re cooking large chicken dinners with a dozen ears of corn on the cob and a rack of ribs, you want 400 square inches or more. This may seem obvious, but many consumers end up spending too much on a grill that’s simply too big.

The Great Outdoors 5 Burner Stainless Steel LP GrillTHE JUGGLING CHEF. So you’ve found the perfect grill for the perfect price. You head out, fire it up, use your grilling fork to put on your marinated chicken and it hits you – there is absolutely nowhere to put all of your grilling implements. Whether it’s the wire brush, giant spatula, tongs, or even a pair of oven mitts – you need a place to put these items. Some grills include additional shelving designed to house your grilling accessories. Others offer hooks that allow you to hang your tools. Think about how many tools you use and where you want to place them in order to determine your needs.

FUEL YOUR FIRE. Gas grills are fueled by propane or natural gas. Liquid propane is much more common and is the preferred choice of most grillers, as it takes refillable propane. This allows your grill to be moved anywhere at anytime. This can be of considerable advantage if you’d like to move your grill around your property.

Weber Genesis Series 6721001 54\GET FIRED UP. Another factor is the amount of heat gas grill burners can generate – measured in BTUs. A common falsehood in grilling is that many grillers feel the higher the BTUs – the hotter the grill. This isn’t necessarily true, however, because the heat is also dependent upon the grill’s ability to distribute that heat. Factor BTUs into the equation when selecting your grill - but consider the size of the grill while doing so.

TOPPINGS: Don’t forget the critical little things. Not every grill comes with wheels, yet most people need wheels on their grill. Be sure the grill you choose does. Also, some of you like to cook sauces and side dishes on your grill – if this is your preference, you’ll pay more, but you can have everything on one cooking surface, which is a huge convenience. Make sure you understand whether or not you need to assemble the grill, and if so, how much work that will require. If you are assembling your grill, you need to know which tools will be needed.

Leave a Reply