Kit Out Your Home with a New Barbecue Grill This Summer

The summer is here, and there’s no better time to invest in a new barbecue grill. If you love spending time with your family outdoors and sharing good food, this will soon become one of your favourite features of your home and garden. Barbecuing is one of the best ways to spend a weekend with your family, and everyone can enjoy cooking their preferred dishes on the grill. However, when it comes to selecting a barbecue grill, you’ll be surprised by the number of options on the market today. Let’s take a look at how you select your next barbecue and the top features to look out for.

How Often Will You Use Your Barbecue?

Are you purchasing your barbecue to use every week, or just from time to time. If you are planning to use your barbecue regularly, we encourage you to invest more in your purchase so that it will last you longer and come with an improved warranty. For anyone who only plans to use a barbecue occasionally, consider a cheaper and more portable model. They’ll be ideal for smaller outdoor spaces and are very lightweight and easy to clean with barbecue tools. If you do your research and decide all of the models on offer are too big, remember there are always disposable barbecues on offer, which you can just use for a one-off event. However, make sure you give these adequate time to cook as they are nowhere near as powerful as traditional barbecues.

How Many People are You Cooking For?

Each barbecue will be made with a certain size of cooking area. A smaller cooking area of less than 1800cm² will be enough for up to four people, but if you are cooking for up to six people, increase this to between 2000cm² and 2500cm². For anyone who likes to entertain for larger parties of eight or more, look for barbecues that are even bigger than this size. The more space you have, the easier it will be to cook a variety of foods. Keep this in mind if you are catering for different dietary requirements, as you’ll likely want to keep meat and vegetarian dishes on separate sides of the grill.

Gas Barbecues

When it comes to selecting a new barbecue, you have the option of either a gas or a charcoal barbecue. Gas barbecues are considered to be the more modern option, and they use propane or patio gas which is supplied in a cylinder. You will likely have to buy this separately, as most stores don’t stock this as well as barbecues. You may have to pay a deposit for the cylinder, and then you can just pay for it to be refilled when it’s empty. Gas barbecues will come with a regulator, which attaches to the hose of the bottle and then works to regulate the gas pressure. Keep an eye out for this to ensure you are purchasing a safe and secure barbecue.

Charcoal Barbecues

Charcoal barbecues are the more traditional option, and they heat your food with glowing embers, giving the food that classic barbecued look. Most models allow you to adjust the heat levels by raising and lowering the grill. Most people find these easy to use, and the charcoal burns cleanly. However, you may have to spend time cleaning the grill after each use to stop it from becoming too black and dirty. Some models do offer a one-touch cleaning system or come with a removable ash-catcher. These are well worth looking out for as they’ll make it quick and easy to clean up your mess.

Top Features to Look Out for When Purchasing a Barbecue

When purchasing a barbecue, consider the material your grill is made from. Chrome-plated grills will look very smart, but you will need to ensure you take good care of them and clean them properly after each use. Stainless steel is very easy to maintain, and it is one of the most durable options. Cast iron offers a great heat source and will hold the heat very well during cooking. Make sure you wipe down the grill with cooking oil before and after each use, as this will prevent it from rusting. Finally, porcelain-coated grills are easy to clean, and this material is designed to stop the coating from rusting. However, you will usually only find this material on the high-end models, which may set you back more than you expected.

We recommend finding a barbecue that has a kettle lid, as this can act as a windbreaker as well as a roasting hood. When the lid is down, the heat and smoke will travel more evenly around the food, and some even come with a thermometer to ensure your meat is being cooked at the correct temperature. It is best to look for models that have three or more burners, as you can turn off the middle burner to ensure the meat does not get burnt.

There’s so much to consider when choosing a new barbecue, but if this is something you are going to use regularly, you will want to take the time to compare your options. If it has been a while since you last purchased a barbecue, you may be surprised by how fancy some of the models are today. You’ll soon have a wonderful garden accessory that will impress everyone who visits and which will make entertaining for your family and friends even more enjoyable.