Buying Guide for BBQ Grills

The days are getting hotter and now is the time to invite all of your friends over to your home and have a good old fashioned barbeque. You walk outside into the backyard and you realize the first problem. You don’t have a good grill to cook the food. So now you’ve got to find yourself a good grill for a good price that you can count on for cooking your food now and in the future. However, you don’t really know the first thing about grills or what to look out for. This guide can outline the two different types of grills you can purchase and what to look for as well as some highly recommended and rated grill brands for you to check out.

Gas Grills

They are by far the easier to clean and handle, but what do you really know about gas grills? One thing you need to realize is that you really shouldn’t set a budget for this purchase. I know this may not sound very cost effective, but look at it this way. You may purchase a grill that is inexpensive compared to another model, but it may need replacement parts and other accessories that will drive up the total cost to you. Better to spend a little more now up front rather than finding out the hard way later in repairs and replacement parts.

That being said, there are a few things you need to look out for when purchasing a gas grill:

-Flame control. Make sure you are at least aware of how the unit you are looking at handles the flames. For instance, you want a flame tamer that is above the burner. Some grills have it to the side, and it just doesn’t do anything in terms of keeping the heat even. In fact it might actually negae the benefit from the tamer altogether.
-Temperature. For some foods, the heat must be higher. That means you want a grill that has a wider range of temperature for you to use. This will allow you to vary the different foods you’ll be able to cook on the grill.
-Check the warranty. Sometimes these units will need replacement parts very soon, and it’ll be upto you whether or not you have a grill that is covered by the warranty. This will keep you from having to pay for parts to replace broken ones on the grill.
-Grids. No matter the different material the grill may be made from, make sure you know exactly how to take care of it. That is key in keeping a grid from rusting quicker.

Brands to check out: Fire Magic Grills, DCS, Star Grills, Twin Eagles

Charcoal Grills

Charcoal grills are constantly lauded for producing better tasting barbeque. You get the natural flames that you cannot get from gas grills, but there is obviously less control and stability in the flames. Whatever the reason for you looking at a charcoal grill, these are some key points to consider when looking for the right one.

-Versatility. A grill that has a lot of versatility will allow you to cook different foods on it and make it an option for you for years to come. For example, a charcoal grill that allows you to change the height of the charcoal to get it closer or further to the grill itself will allow you to cook different types of foods.
-Durability. Make sure the material the grill is made out of is durable. Something like stainless steel is the best, but other steel would probably be just as good for you. Another underrated component is the thickness of said material. These grills need to last and this will be the combination that makes or breaks it for you.
-Warranty. Just like the gas grills, the warranty is very important. Maybe not as many parts to worry about, but always keep protection available for you.
-Cleaning. A grill that uses charcoal is a pain to clean, so make sure you find one that has a way to handle that task easily. The last thing you want to do is turn the entire grill over just to clean it.

Brands to check out: Fire Magic, Horizon Smokers, Hasty-Bake, EasyChef