The most important factor to ace the whole grilling process is to pick the right griller. If you are a fan of grilled or smoked food and you are looking for the perfect option, we are here to help.
A variety of grills are available on the market, but the trick lies in choosing the one that suits your requirement.
Check out the directions below to choose the right grill:
Fuel type: This is an important factor when it comes to grills. It not only determines the affordability but also the taste of the food. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages that we will discuss next.
Gas grills are generally the cart type and use natural gas or propane for cooking. This type of grill allows complete control over the heat and does not require refueling that frequently. The downside is, it is attached to a cylinder and cannot be moved frequently.
Charcoal grills are available in a range of sizes and designs. The best thing about charcoal grills is that it gives some smoky flavor to the food. The disadvantage is it requires a lot of cleaning and it produces ash.
Pellet grills can be quite expensive and require a lot of cleaning too. However, it provides a good smoky flavor to the food. These grills are available in barrel or cart-type designs.
Accessories and features: Like temperature setting, timers, remote control, side burner, wheel-mounted design, lock, etc. give a better grilling experience. Choose wisely so the grill does most of the work while you enjoy your time with family.
Grill size: This is another determining factor after you have settled with the type of fuel for the grill. Generally, a two-burner gas grill or charcoal grill is perfect for a family of 4 people. A grill of size 400 to 500 square inches can easily serve a small crowd at a party.
The different types of grills to choose from
Grilling is the most common way of cooking fish, meat, and poultry. Even grilled vegetables can have a new taste profile, different than fried and roasted ones. Grilling adds a certain kind of smoky essence to the food which augments its taste. Different types of barbeque grills are used to make gourmet foods. Each type has its features, benefits, and downsides that suit certain food types and cooking preferences. Let’s check the ups and downs here.
Gas grills
Gas grills are a great option for beginners to cook gourmet foods with minimal effort. They reach a high temperature in less time and also facilitate easy cleaning. Gas grills are generally fuelled by natural gas or propane gas.
However, there are other fuel options too like infrared gas grills that use infrared technology to evenly distribute the heat generated from gas. Gas grills are suitable for cooking meat and poultry, but the food often lacks smoky essence.
Charcoal grills
Charcoal grills use a bed of heated charcoal to cook the food. The temperature entirely depends on the use of charcoal. This grill gives a good smoky flavor to the food. These grills are available in two versions, traditional charcoal grills, and kettle charcoal grills.
The only drawback here is that it requires constant attention as the heat is created by the bed of charcoal. Also, it is time-consuming especially during the cold season, and less safe for beginners. Charcoal grills are difficult to clean as it produces lots of ashes.
Pellet grills
Pellet grills use wood pellets as fuels to impart a smoky flavor to the food. Often these wood pellets come in a range of flavors like maple, hickory, cherry, apple, pecan, etc. to lend added flavor to the barbecued food. It is a great choice for outdoor camping. However, pellet grills require frequent refilling.
Working as an oven, the wood pellets are fed to a container where an auger powered by electricity will burn the fuel to provide the heat needed for cooking.
Kamado grill
Kamado grills use lump wood charcoal as fuel. It’s a kind of charcoal grill that gives enhanced smoky flavor to the food. It is good for long grilling sessions and one of its main features is that it can reach high temperatures quickly.
As it is extremely heavy, moving from one place to another can be a problem, specially if you want to go camping or outdoor that is not your backyard.
Because of its clay or ceramic construction the price point is higher than other grills.
Electric grills
As the name suggests, the electric grill operates on power. The heating coils that most times will glow a vibrant red will transfer heat to your preparations, with full temperature control.
It can grill foods really fast and are hassle-free. The electric grill is available in portable and countertop models. They don’t offer the classic smoky flavor and are often limited to indoor use only due to the lack of power supply at camping sites.
Don’t forget to check out the awesome articles on our Bradley Smoker Food Smoking Blog for more tips & tricks.
