01 September

Beginner’s Guide to Grilling

Grill

Looking for a budget friendly gas grill that is great for the beginner griller? Check out these popular gas grills!

One summer activity that we’re starting to get fired up about is grilling. Whether you’re a seasoned grill master or have never before ventured near an open flame, get out of the frying pan and get your hands on some good old fashioned backyard barbecue.

If you’re just starting out, here’s everything you need to know to learn the basics of grills, grilling maintenance and supplies, and grilling tools so you can get going!

Choosing a Grill

Charcoal and propane are the two main types of grills to decide between. There’s a few things to keep in mind when choosing which type will suit you best.

1. Charcoal

The grill you probably think of when someone mentions a barbecue, these grills are so aptly named because they use charcoal briquettes to heat things up. This traditional grill will have you feeling like a barbecue grill master in no time.

Pros:

Price: Charcoal grills usually tend to lean to the less expensive side, with standard units running at about one hundred dollars. High end grills with added features like side racks, temperature readers, and automatic fuel starters can be a pricier option, but any basic charcoal grill without the flashy features will cook your food just fine at a reasonable cost.
Taste: Charcoal purists argue that the smoky flavor charcoal creates will make using briquettes well worth any extra work. Taste is also created by the drippings of the meat hitting the heat source, then adding to the smoke which coats the meat in flavor.
Portability: These grills tend to be easily portable, as their main components can be as simple as a grate and receptacle. If you move frequently or want to grab your barbecue and grill in the park, this is an important point to consider.
Temperature: While gas grill temperatures can be monitored, charcoal grills in general provide higher heat so can be used easily for searing meats.

Cons:

Clean-up: Because of the ash and residue left from the charcoal fuel, clean-up can be messy. A little bit of charcoal dust can’t be avoided, but ash catchers and grill brushes can both be used to help the clean-up process.
Ease-of-Use: Charcoal takes time to light and often in the range of fifteen to twenty minutes to heat up. Flare-ups from meat drippings can also make cooking tricky, along with knowing how to regulate the temperature of the grill.

2. Propane

This type of grill uses propane to get the job done. Recommended as a good beginner grill because they have an easy dial for adjusting temperature, propane grills turn up the heat on any barbecue.

Pros:

Convenience: Firing up the grill is made simple with propane, where knobs control the temperature up and down. They also heat up in about ten minutes, relatively fast compared to a charcoal grill.
Clean-up: After finishing your cookout, you can just turn the gas dial down and shut off the propane without dealing with a messy cleanup.
Seasonality: Propane grills can be used more easily year round than charcoal grills because the propane heat source doesn’t rely on good weather to get started. Starting the fire with propane is a huge plus if you live in a colder area or just don’t want to wait until summertime.

Cons:

Price: Most propane grills come at a higher price than their counterparts, where some with all the extras can cost around ten thousand dollars. Accessories like side burners, spice racks, storage drawers, and rotisserie attachments can also be taken into account for price. Infrared propane grills also err on the expensive end of grill options. However, more simple gas grills retail for a few hundred dollars a unit for a standard grill.
Maintenance: Sometimes after a few years gas grills will require some TLC because of their many working parts like burners and venturi tubes. Cleaning all the complex internal parts increases the lifespan of the grill, but may get somewhat expensive in the long run.