Tips How To Choose An Outdoor Barbecue Grill For Your Small Apartment
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Outdoor barbecues are popular all over the world. Often in family gatherings, there is a barbecue where people tend to enjoy the warmth of the fire and engage themselves in singing, dancing and making merry. The delicious grilled food acts as the icing on the cake. The small grills are often the cause of culinary competitions among the youth.
An outdoor barbeque grill is very important for such evenings. It has a cooking surface composed of metal bars, which are mounted above the source of fuel and puts out intense heat at above 500 degrees Fahrenheit. This heat causes the grilling.
Mostly there are two types of barbeque grills- charcoal grill and gas grill. They are available in a variety of shapes and sizes with a wide range of features. There are a few important things that everyone must consider before buying a barbecue grill.
1. BTU requirement
BTU is the ability of BBQ burners to produce heat. Infrared burners have better heat dissipation while cooking food and have a lower BTU/ area coefficient. So BTU is an important aspect of choosing your barbeque grill as no grill with less than 100 BTU/ square inches power can grill a steak.
2. Amount of burners
The number of burners in the grill should be chosen according to the family members. Although 2 burners are enough for a family of 2, 3 burners can easily satisfy 8 people. Even heat distribution is a bit difficult in 2 burners but nowadays with modern technology, the small grills are good enough.
During the grill, the burners should not be kept close to the meat as the direct contact of the flame with the meat can prove to be disastrous. The ideal distance should be between 3-5 inches.
3. Types of Burners
There are various types of burners available in the market.
- Stainless steel burner is the best and is made as a perforated tube. They are long-lasting and provide best blue fire.
- Cast iron burners can rust very quickly as the iron cannot be protected from the fat or anything else causing rust. These provide the fire with desired power.
- Tin burners are much less effective and develop rust inside a year. They are present in simple grills and are not able to provide the desired amount of heat.
- Infrared burners are for roasting meat and having crunchy edges. They are not suitable for delicate grills and if not stopped in time, they become dry and dark. They are used as side burners in good grills.
4. Distribution of Heat
Uniform heat distribution is one of the primary criteria of a good grill. It is the secret to juicy and tasty meat barbecue. If heat distribution is not uniform, the whole meat will not be cooked properly.
In some grills, the front part does not heat as much as the posterior part due to some faulty designs. This is another thing that should be looked at before buying a grill.
There are several ways to disperse the heat throughout the grill.
- Lava stones are often used for this purpose but are not a very effective method. Each stone would heat on its own and disperse the heat according to its strength. This leads to uneven heat, waste of gas and inefficient output. The stones even absorb fat, causing the meat to burn.
- Cast iron absorbs, stores and dissipates heat much quicker. These are much more efficient and cause a uniform flow of heat.
- Triangles are used in most modern grills. The conical shape of the heat plate absorbs the heat and sends it to the top. Sharper triangles cause more efficient heat dissipation.
5. The Material of the Grill
The body material of the grills is significant in the durability of the grills. Good grills are usually made of cast aluminium or stainless steel.
- Cast Aluminium grills
- A lot of grills are made of this material due to their ability to hold heat and distribute it evenly. It is also resistant to rust and as a result durable. The quality of casting varies upon the thickness and grade of aluminium.
- Stainless Steel grills
- These are the best material surface for grills. But for good performances, both the body and the frame must be of stainless steel.
- There are various models of stainless steel grills with different price ranges. Lesser model numbers contain higher amounts of stainless steel and the more they can withstand higher temperatures, causing less rust.
6. Lid of the Grill
The weight of the lid must be checked before buying the grill. The heavier the lid the better. Higher the weight of the lid, higher is its quality and can hold more heat inside, saving more energy.
7. Grates of the Grill
There are various types of grill grates that one can choose from.
- Cast iron grates are the best as they can transfer maximum heat.
- Stainless steel grates are good heat absorbents and they provide an added advantage- they can be cleaned very easily.
- Enamel coated grates are not highly recommended as they are used for laying the meat on.
8. Fat Drainage System
Often fat drops into the burners causing flare-ups. So a fat drainage system is necessary for the grill to function properly.
The best grills possess a drainage system for easy cleaning. Some new models possess diagonal grates which protect the burners and drains away from the fat. Infrared burners are less sensitive to fat and do not cause any flare-ups.
9. Brand
This is arguably one of the most important aspects which should be looked upon before buying a grill. The brands giving longer warranty periods must be chosen over those giving shorter warranties as they have greater confidence in their product. There might be some brands having lesser purchase price but higher repairing service prices. These things must be kept in mind before choosing your grill.
Conclusion
You can get the best choice if you keep in mind the above tips. These are extremely useful and can often provide delightful tasty food. These small grills do not take up much space. Just grill the meat and enjoy it with your family and friends.
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