15
Feb
Summer is here and with that barbeque season is in full swing. Is there anything better than a weekend barbeque session with the people you love most? Definitely not. And even though socialising is a somewhat foreign concept in this day and age, that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying some delicious food and basking in the sunlight.
You know the drill – you crack open a few refreshing summer drinks, lay out all of your favourite snacks and you start to prepare the main course. You can’t have a truly enjoyable experience without a mouth-watering meal, can you? Over the years, we’ve all heard lots of grilling stories gone wrong, and it’s not that Aussies don’t know how to cook, you just need the right tools to do it. It’s not the artist, it’s the instrument. It’s not you, it’s them. For this reason, you should carefully think about your options before deciding on the appropriate barbeque grill.
Before you dig into your food, here’s a shortlist of all the useful features every barbeque grill should have.
Burners are the heart and soul of your barbeque. Generally speaking, the number of burners ranges anywhere from 1 to 6, though most households will make good use of a 4 burner barbeque. Burners are usually made of stainless steel or cast iron, with an additional aluminium coating for ease of use.
It’s important to keep all of your heaters running smoothly so that they cook your food evenly. So if you decide to buy 4 burner bbq of quality to cook your favourite meals, you should check to see if all four units are in good condition. You don’t have to be a professional to know that having a huge flame coming up from your burners once you turn them on isn’t a good sign. So, once you’ve ensured that everything is in order, you can safely grill your meat.
When it comes to cleaning and maintenance, there a few simple steps to go about it. First, you should remove the power source, regardless of which one you have. Then proceed to remove the burners from their designated spot and use a grill brush or scrubber to wipe off the nastiness.
After you’re done, shake off some of the remaining debris from the burners and put them back in place. This process isn’t anything too complicated by any means, but the less burners you have, the easier it’ll be for you to clean. This is why many households buy 4 burner bbq which strikes the perfect balance between functionality and practicality.
You can talk about extra features and convenience all you want but if you don’t get the size right, it all goes down the drain. You should always measure your space and plan ahead. A large grill in a smaller backyard will appear cluttered and disorganised whereas a more compact version would be more appropriate.
Same as there are differences with the burners, given that you can choose to buy 4 burner bbq or bigger 5 and 6 designs, there are also a few different makes and models, and they all serve the same purpose. The part where they differ, however, is the execution. In order to cook your meal, grills need a power source, which is where the typology stems from.
These can be used both indoors and outdoors because they won’t smoke up the place or emit toxic fumes. This is because they’re attached directly to a socket and use a heating element to warm up the grill, which is quite convenient.
The downside is, well, they’re attached to a socket. Either you need to find one nearby or use an extension cord if you want to power up your device. Moreover, electric grills generally take a bit more time to fully heat up and get things going, which can make the cooking process tediously slow.
This model is either directly attached to a refillable propane tank or your home’s natural gas supply line in order to function. There is a lot of speculation as to which method is more effective and it’s difficult to pinpoint a straightforward answer.
Natural gas is certainly the more affordable scenario but that means you won’t be able to move your grill around since it’s attached to a constant supply. On the other hand, propane has a bigger price tag and needs to be refilled from time to time but it’s portable and easily customisable. You be the judge here.
Either way, gas grills heat up pretty quickly and give you full control over the temperatures at all times. As a result, the food you cook retains its savoury flavour and delicious appearance.
A classic choice, if you will, this one offers the traditional smoky grilling session. Over the years, it’s had numerous changes in appearance, with a sleek design and robust build becoming its signature features. Some models even have an adjustable vent which allows you to control the heat and monitor the temperatures throughout.
Also known as slow cookers, these models use the heat from smoke to cook your food. This, in turn, retains the rich flavours and tender feel of your food. So, if you’re willing to wait anywhere between 3 and 12 hours for your food to be ready and treat your taste buds to a one-of-a-kind experience, this is the grill for you.
Last but not least, you’ll be using hardwood pellets to power up this bad boy here. The most common choices are hickory, oak, or apple, all of which will give your food that extra edge when it comes to flavour.
