View Full Version : Choosing a good gas BBQ?
Any advice offered would be much appreciated. What does one look for in a fairly good natural gas BBQ? I see high priced ones, low priced ones and hear about all these BBQ's that fall apart despite high prices.
I need a modestly sized one not some huge monster A side burner would be nice. A tradename may not be very helpful since what is available in the US vs Canada often is quite different.
I started asking questions and got buried in features to choose from. I have no way of knowing if a feature is important or not.
What are some must-have features that make for a longer lasting and useful BBQ?
TIA.
We just got a new grill (I was fine with the old one, hubby wanted the new one). One of the features he was looking for was stainless steel cooking grates, both so they could be more easily cleaned and he also thinks they won't deteriorate/burn through like the iron ones. I liked my black grates, it wasn't so obvious that they needed cleaning. Now I'll have more maintenance. LOL.
One thing I would look for is one with easily obtainable (and replaceable) replacement parts. Mine is more on the cheaper side, but I have extended its life by replacing some parts that rusted or wore out.
gas bbq? i prefer pork myself.
The most important consideration if you really like to cook on a grill is probably the cooking surface area and the BTUs from the burners. Its obvious, but if you entertain all the time or have a large family you need a bigger grill and need five or so burners to get that big area hot. If most of your grilling is for just a couple people a smaller surface with three burners will work fine. In any case get the most BTUs you can afford in your chosen size. Hotter is better. A thermometer built into the lid isn't absolutely necessary, but is really handy. Of all my friends who have side burners on their grills I think I'm the only one who uses it, but I use it almost every time I grill so think about how you cook to decide if you would use it. FYI, it can keep a lot of heat out of the kitchen on hot summer nights. Really heavy duty steel, usually stainless to boot, construction is nice if you can afford it, but those grills can get pretty pricy. Go to the store and knock on the top of several grills and its easy to tell which ones use heavier gauge steel. If everything else is equal between two you are comparing, buy the one with the heavier steel.
Maintenance is required, but also what most people overlook. A relatively cheap grill can perform just fine for a long time if you take care of it. On the other side, my BIL has a $2,000 Weber that is only a year old and looks (and works) like it ran over a roadside bomb because he never cleans or covers it. Ceramic coated or stainless steel grates are great and will outlast cast iron IF you keep them clean. As in clean them off when you finish cooking, don't leave all the sticky stuff on there then burn it off next time you grill. Using a little non-stick cooking spray on the grates before you put the food on them makes clean up a lot easier. I buy a new grill brush just about every year. The old one gets a little rusty and gooked up with grease. They are about impossible to clean out so I just surrender and get a new one. It makes the clean up a lot easier. Buy a good cover and keep it on the grill when not in use. I just bought a new cover for ours and compared the $17 generic to the $65 brand name at Home Depot. Hated spending the extra $48, but it really was a no brainer. That said, if the budget only allows for the $17 version that is WAY better than no cover at all. Even if you're religious about covering them, grills still get dusty and dirty. Two minutes with a bucket of soapy water and a hose to rinse with once in a while is all it takes to clean it up.
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