Planning for a summer barbeque session soon? Summertime would not be perfect without at least one outdoor barbeque.
Have you been looking for an outdoor grill for your family? Wondering which is the best grill?
The most comfortable grill to use is by far the gas grill. If you’ve been looking for a gas grill, you’ve come across brands such as Coleman, Weber, Broil King and more.
But, which of these brands is the best of them all?
Consumer Reports surveyed the reliability of the gas grill brands. None of the brands stood out as the most or least reliable, but they found some differences.
You can find out more about the most reliable gas grill brands from the consumerreports.org.
How to make a great gas grill purchasing decision
Your first decision, or thought, is how you like to cook?
- Do you like to place your meat on the grill, and just wait that it’s done?
- Or do you like preparing your food hot and fast?
- Do you grill directly over the flame, or indirectly?
Once you have concluded out what you want out of a grill, you’re ready to go comparing the models and buying.
Do you have a certain fixed price point in your mind? Well, leave some margin on your budget, as you may not have any idea what grills cost this year.
Second, you get what you pay for. Quality usually goes hand in hand with the price. So you need to make a more educated judgment in buying the gas grill.
Typical grill purchase takes place in a mass merchant store. Typically people look first at those biggest grills with big warming racks and high BTU’s, and a huge list of many other features. People get too impressed about those things and forget to check the basics.
The basics to look for:
- Are there really any decent heat control? Gas grills should have proper burner controls which allows you to produce different temperatures for the various cooking areas on your grill.
- Do you need to replace parts because they only last for a summer or two (the average mass merchant grill needs new parts in less than 2 years)? With the cost of replacement parts you could have invested for a better grill in the first place.
Avoid mistakes and look for the following:
- Consumer Reports. Buy a gas grill that will last for many years, check the Consumer Reports guides.
- Make sure the brand has a good warranty. That way you don’t need to buy spare parts that shouldn’t have broken in the first place.
- Make sure that the size of the burner is sensible to the size of the grill. If the heater is small, but the casting of the grill is large, there are old spots.
- Temperature. The grill needs to reach around 600 degrees to grill the steaks properly. You need to get that steak out of the burn as soon as possible so it does not dry out.
- Meat grids. Stainless, porcelain coated, and cast iron, all work if you clean them thoroughly. Most cheap mass merchant gas grills come with porcelain coated meat grids. They usually instruct to brush the porcelain grids off when hot. But brushing it hot might cause it to chip, and then they will rust quickly. And most cheaper grills only have one year warranty.
- Check out the flame taming designs and make sure they cover the whole burner. The grease from the food you burn causes most of the harm to the grill. If the heater is exposed out, it burns out fast. Flame tamer should be directly over the burner.
- Most grill housings and frames are pretty solid. Weather plays a big part in how well the grill will last. If you live on the coast, or other high humidity areas, then stainless or a thick aluminum usually will last longer. And if they rust, then the excellent warranty comes in.
Check out the durability of the materials as they go under extreme heat conditions. Most gas grills are made of durable materials (cast iron, stainless steel, metal sheets, or cast aluminum).
Types of Gas Grills
Gas grill usually uses natural gas or propane as it’s fuel source. It applies direct heat under the food to cook it.
You can choose the size of the grill depending on your family size and needs.
There are different designs: cart, flat top, and infrared-radiant.
- Traditional BBQ gas grill design is the cart design. It offers convenience and manageability. It usually has a wheeled-frame that carries the gas tank. It comes with a small side table where you can lay grilling tools or serving plates.
- Flat top design has a griddle-like flat surface where food is cooked without open-fire exposure. This is a trend for smokeless outdoor grilling.
- The newest gas grill design has an infrared radiant burner at the back of the grills enclosure. It offers more cooking options. You can, for example, roast a whole chicken with a horizontal rotisserie. Smaller cuts of meat can be cooked in the metal basket underneath.
Other factors you need to think about
- What features do you want?
- What is the price?
- Which brands do you like?
- How good is the warranty?
- What is the general feedback on Consumer Reports?
- How much is the heat amount?
Popular Gas Grill Brands
The leading brands include names like Coleman, Broil King, Weber, Kenmore, Char-Griller, and so on…. and the well known is Weber. Weber has a wide range of grill models, like gas, charcoal, and electric grills. Weber grills come with a 10-year warranty.
Conclusion
Identify your needs first. Try to have a budget in mind, but be flexible, and find out to the type of gas grills that interests you.
Nonetheless, whichever type of gas grills you are looking for, you can be sure to find the tips and pointers here to be practical and helpful. To sum up, you’ll get to know where to find the best deals, how to take care of your BBQ gas grills, and not to forget, get to learn some awesome gas grills recipes as well!