Summer is the time to take your favorite foods outdoors and give them some extra fiery flavor. If you are in the market for some new tools (whether for the first time or to upgrade), we have some info to help as you are choosing a grill. You might not think so, but the grill can be an amazing freezer cooking tool. You can fire up a bunch of meats to cool, freeze and enjoy the charred flavor even on a rainy day. Or you can fill your freezer with simple marinades, burgers, and kebabs to pull out when company comes. Either way, here are some suggestions to guide you as you shop.
How to Choose a Grill: Gas
Pros
- Gas is quick and easy for weeknights as you don’t have to wait for coals to heat up. Just turn it on and shut it off when you’re finished.
- Great for the novice or the occasional grill cook as it is easy to work with and easy to clean.
- Perfect for simple, everyday grill foods like burger, hot dogs, boneless chicken or pork, or kebabs.
Cons
- Lacks the smokey, barbecue flavor of charcoal grills. Also not suited for smoking or slow cooking larger pieces of meat.
- While fairly simple to use, you do need to exercise caution in handling the gas tank and hoses and when considering storage for extra tanks.
How to Choose a Grill: Charcoal
Pros
- Charcoal gives that classic, barbecue, charred flavor to foods because of the coals or wood smoke.
- Simple, home versions are often cheaper than gas grills (although both types have higher-end versions at higher prices).
- Provides more cooking methods for veteran grill masters and those who want to learn the fine art of cooking over open flame or smoking meats.
Cons
- Takes longer to set up and tear down. It takes a good 30 minutes at least to get the coals hot for cooking, and the ashes have to be removed after they have sufficiently cooled.
- Can be more difficult to control the temperature of the coals making it difficult to evenly cook meats. Charcoal grillers need to master the art of arranging the coals for direct or indirect heat depending on the meat.
Choosing Grill Accessories
Here are a few bells and whistles to look for when you’re shopping. While none of these are strictly necessary, they can be helpful if you do a lot of grilling! We also included a few of our favorite grill accessories.
- A thermometer for the inside of the grill can help to ensure even cooking by regulating the grill temps.
- Sturdy shelves on the side give you a place to hold plates, condiments, and cooking tools.
- When choosing the size of your grill, figure that you need about 100 square inches per person (600-900 square inches works well for most purposes in the home).
- For those who choose charcoal, a charcoal chimney makes prepping the coals a lot easier.
- If you are in a hurry to light those coals or you just love gadgets and power tools, check out the HomeRight Electro Light Fire Starter. Get the coals blazing in under 3 minutes with temperatures of 1300 degrees, a powerful fan, and NO lighter fluid!
- For both types, stainless steel or cast iron grates are the best conductors of heat and will do the best job of creating flavor and those beautiful grill marks.
- A set of sturdy and LONG cooking utensils will help you work efficiently without burning your arms.
- A basic grill kit should include:
- For more advanced grilling add:
More Grilling Resources
For more tips, tricks and recipes, see the following posts!
- Best Backyard BBQ Tips
- National Hamburger Day Recipes
- How to Check Your Steaks with No Thermometer
- Summer Traditional Dump and Go Mini Meal Plan Vol. 1
- Spring Grilling Mini Meal Plan Vol. 2
- Spring Grilling Mini Meal Plan Vol. 1
- Summer Grilling Mini Meal Plan Vol. 1
- Spring Traditional Mini Meal Plan Vol. 5