If you’re a BBQ enthusiast, you probably know how much joy Sunday backyard BBQ parties with your most loves ones can bring. But as much as preparing delicious and savoury meat requires many chef tricks such as using the popular BBQ rubs and cutting notches on your meat, know that none of it would be possible without a good backyard BBQ. This is why we put together a couple of tips to help you choose the right one for your next BBQ party.
Types of BBQs
When choosing a BBQ, the first thing you need to do is to choose the right type that will match your needs, preferences and BBQ skills.
Gas BBQs
Starting from the gas grills, they are the most popular and the most favoured type among grill enthusiasts. This is due to the ease and convenience they offer since they use an attachable liquid propane tank or a natural gas which is connected to your home’s natural gas supply. This is very useful since the gas distributes the heat all over the cooking surface, which means that you’ll have maximum control over it even if you’re not that skilled at grilling.
The best part about these BBQs is that they usually come with side burners and smokers, which means you can have the authentic smoked flavour of the charcoal BBQs with the convenience of gas ones. As a cherry on the top, they’re one of the cheapest BBQ options on the market.
Charcoal BBQs
If you’re an experienced and skilled BBQ maker, make sure you go for a nice charcoal BBQ. This traditional BBQ type won’t only create caramelized texture and distinctive smoky flavour, but they also won’t drain your wallet at all.
But if only have the barbequing enthusiasm without any skills, make sure you skip them. Charcoal grills are one of the hardest types to use, since they produce a lot of smoke, take more time to heat and achieve the perfect temperature and can’t be turned off, but left to cool on their own. This means that if not handled well, they can be dangerous for your guests and the surroundings.
Electric BBQs
Electric BBQs are the modern type that became very popular due to their ease of use. They’re very convenient since they don’t require any gas or fire, but they’re operated by simply plugging them into a wall or extension cord, and they heat up within a minute.
But even though they’re way easier and safer to use than any other type, have in mind that electric grills won’t deliver the authentic, blunt and smoky meat flavour as the other ones. Also, if you use them regularly, they’ll significantly increase your energy bills.
BBQ’s Construction
Once you decide about the perfect type for you and your backyard, it’s important to think about the BBQ’s construction.
BBQ Materials
BBQs can be made from many different materials, and to ensure your food’s safety you should never compensate for their quality. So, starting from the most popular materials, it’s not even surprising that many people go for stainless steel BBQs lately. This is due to stainless steel being one of the most durable materials able to withstand temperatures up to 300°C and the most hygienic one too since it doesn’t have any pores which can be easily penetrated by different bacteria, germs and dirt that can end up in your dish.
Aside from stainless steel, materials such as aluminium and cast iron are also considered good, since they’re also producing high cooking temperatures, but they’re not as sanitary as the stainless-steel ones.
BBQ Sizes
BBQs also come in many different sizes to accommodate different amounts of meat. So, if you’re about to cater for a small group of 4 to 6 people, a standard-size BBQ will be more than sufficient. These BBQs have a cooking area of around 40×45 cm and are one of the cheapest options on the market.
On the other hand, if you have a larger group of people that attend your BBQ parties, make sure you go for a larger grill that will be able to accommodate a sufficient amount of meat for at least 8 people. But have in mind that such grills are a little bit more expensive, and most of them require different fuels to operate.
Aside from the classic backyard grills, you can choose a portable one that can come in handy if you want to switch your BBQ party’s location from the backyard to the patio, or simply for your day-long camping or beach adventures. But have in mind that these grills are made to be portable and compact and they usually can’t accommodate large amounts of meat.
But aside from choosing the right size to cook the right amounts of food, it’s also important to consider your available outdoor space. If you’re having a large backyard that is perfect for BBQ parties, you’re lucky since you can always get a larger BBQ, but if you’re about to grill some delicious meat on your cute little patio, then make sure you go for a smaller one.
Burners
Burners are the part responsible for distributing the heat through the distribution plate which is situated directly under the burners. This means that the number of burners also plays a big role in the amount of meat your grill will be able to “accommodate”.
So, if you’re about to organize occasional grill parties for only a couple of people, then a two to three-burners grill will do perfectly fine. But if you’re popular for the large Sunday grill parties in your backyard, then don’t hesitate to explore 6 burner grills to ease the grilling process for yourself. Not only will they give you greater control over the cooking amounts, but 6 burner barbeques are also very versatile- you can keep one side of the BBQ cranked to prepare ultimately crispy meat, while the other is on low temperature for slow cooking or keeping the food warm.
Aside from that, burners can also come in many different shapes and materials. But even though the shape will highly determine the flame distribution, it’s important to take notice of the material’s properties and abilities. While aluminized burners can distribute heat faster, stainless steel is the best choice again, since not only have they great heat resistance and distribution properties but as we said before, stainless steel the most hygienic material on the market.
Heat Elements
But even if you decide to get one of the many powerful 6 burner grills on the market, know that it would be in vain if you don’t choose the right heat element. Not only are they very purposeful to spread the heat all over the grill’s surface, but they’re also valuable to absorb some of the smoke and prevent the food’s grease from dripping directly on the burners. This makes the heating element the ultimate barrier between the food and the flames, so make sure you choose it wisely.
One of the most commonly used heating elements are ceramic briquettes since they’re great for distributing the heat efficiently and evenly all over the surface. But have in mind that ceramic briquettes need to be replaced every few years, which will additionally increase the costs for maintaining your grill.
On the other hand, many gas and electric BBQs use lava rocks since they heat up and disperse the heat very quickly. Lava rocks are also great to collect the juices and the fat that are dripping down from the cooking area and transform it into smoke that gets absorbed into the food and gives it an authentic flavour. But same as the ceramic briquettes, know that lava rocks should also be replaced once a year.
So, if you’re looking for a permanent heat element, make sure you go for a grill that features a heat plate since not only are they the most long-lasting solution, but they’re also very easy and convenient to use, clean and maintain.
Grates and Cooking Surface
Finally, the last part to take notice of is the cooking surface or the grates of your new BBQ. And since this is the surface where you’ll place the food and cook delicious meals, make sure they’re made of high-quality materials only.
For instance, stainless steel is the winner against the other materials once again, due to the heat distribution and rust-resistant properties we mentioned before. But have in mind that stainless steel grates are best cleaned through scraping with a brush while they’re still warm, which makes them a bit harder to clean.
On the other hand, materials such as steel and cast iron can be cleaned once they cool down. But even though they’re very easy to clean and maintain, have in mind that if not coated with porcelain, these materials tend to rust and corrode over time.
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