Top Tips for Choosing an Outdoor Barbecue Grill
New Englanders are kind of notorious for grilling on their BBQ’s even in the middle of winter. It’s one of our little oddities that sets us apart from the rest of the country. We don’t like giving up our grills!
Since there are only 3-4 months of the year where it’s actually “grilling season”, it goes by quick and it never seems quite long enough so a lot of us will make sure we can still fire up our grill for Thanksgiving dinner and sometimes Easter too!
There are many grills to choose from nowadays and it’s hard to decide which one you should get. So many knobs, switches, and digital buttons, it’s hard to stay focused and know which BBQ to get! Plus one must be familiar with an endless number of utensils, cooking vessels, and styles as well.
Whether you want to limit or eliminate your reliance on the kitchen, here’s how to choose the best pellet smoker or portable gas grill for your backyard.
Open Grill
Open grills are metal or stone box boxes fitted with a propane tank, gas tank or direct gas line, or charcoal pit. Food is cooked directly over the open fire. Unlike most ‘grills,’ the distinction is the open surface. Such a setup is great for quick foods like burgers, wings, hot dogs, small steaks, and kabobs. Open grills are found in public parks, large outdoor venues, but one can get creative in the backyard with a bit of inspiration and opportunity.
Closed Grill
The closed grill is what most envision when considering an outdoor grill for a home or apartment. The lid allows for a variety of cooking styles. Aside from a direct grill method, users may smoke or grill indirectly. These grills are best for cooking thick steaks, tuna, and racks of ribs.
Charcoal Grill
It takes longer to cook meat with charcoal. When done well, cooking on a charcoal grill gives meat a cooked-in flavor that ‘s hard to rival. Also, particular models can be used to smoke food too. It’s accepted that charcoal grills cost more per use because one must replenish the charcoals each time. The best quality charcoal grill can handle a variety of meats, fish, and vegetables.
Gas Grill
Gas grills heat quickly and require propane tanks or a home’s gas line. Gas burns cleaner and is less expensive per use, which makes gas grills attractive to eco-friendly buyers. Moreover, while coals can be influenced by temperature and weather conditions, gas grills can be used all year.
Electric Grill
Electric grills rely on an electrical socket, which limits usage. The electric grills are compact, which makes them convenient for storage and travel. Ranging in size, you can find an electric grill that fits on your countertop or one to throw in the back of the truck and use in the stadium parking lot.
Kamado Grill
Kamados may be ceramic, metal, or of other material. They use wood chips or charcoal briquettes. Kamados give a great smoke and maintain high, consistent temperatures for a thorough and flavorful cook. Their design is a bit more compact than traditional gas grills, so this could be optimal for those with small porches, decks, and rooftop areas.
Infrared Grill
Infrareds heat quick and cook fast. Most models are electric, yet other types of grills may feature an infrared component. The style of heat is best for thicker cuts of meat, ones that are large yet require little preparation time. Infrared heat is too intense for some types of fish and vegetables.
Vessel Gril
A vessel grill features a hut-like enclosure where meat, bread, etc is cooked on the wall, fixed to the sides, or strewn across the vessel via a spit. Such an apparatus is used for high-heat roasting, great for flatbreads, pizza, chicken, fish steaks, etc. This is a tasty yet more expensive option, normally reserved for commercial settings.
Rotisserie Grill
Rotisserie style cooking is all about patience. The slow process makes meat crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. While food faces the fire (direct grilling), the food cooks next to rather than on top of the fire (indirect grilling). The process helps melt away the fat on the meat, which makes rotisserie optimal for whole chickens, ducks, and whole hogs.
Smoker Grill
Smoker grills feature a barrell that emanates a slow, gentle, yet tenacious heat. The style of preparation is best for tough meats that need tenderization such as racks of rib, brisket, and types of poultry. Food is indirectly via wood generated heat. While often used for commercial purposes, most properties could host a modest-sized smoker barrell.
Open Pit Grill
As the name implies, an open pit grill is more or less a campfire of varied size. Some Argentinians take pride in the number of large sized meats they can prepare at once upon an open fire. Whole lambs, goats, chickens, pigs, and beef ribs taste delicious when prepared this way. Depending on type of meat and preference, the meat is cooked directly over or next to the open flame.