Selecting Your Barbecue Grill

There are many styles of grills to choose from. First consider the type of food you will be cooking, the time of year, and the size of the group you'll be cooking for. Below are a few types of grills you may want to consider.

These grills are gaining in popularity. They are fast starting, easy to clean and fueled by refillable propane tanks or natural gas. The cooking temperature is easily controlled by adjusting the gas flame. Ceramic briquettes or lava rocks have replaced charcoal. The good thing about gas grills is that they offer year round cooking with direct heat or covered grilling for roasting.

Perfect for long, slow cooking these special covered grills have water between the food and the fire. The process here works by sprinkling dampened wood chunks on the fire providing continuous steamy and aromatic smoke that gives penetrating barbecue flavor. Removing the water the water pan and lid will convert the smoker into a brazier-style grill. 

They are kettle shaped rectangular and square. These grills are all designed for closed-hood grilling. The deeper firebox allows for indirect cooking of larger cuts of meat. You'll find air vents on the lid and base to help control ventilation. Many of them have optional accessories, like shelves that attach to the sides of the grill, and hooks to hold utensils within easy reach. Covered grills can also be used for direct heat grilling.

They're lightweight and go anywhere. Apartment balconies, tailgate parties, picnics in the forest, or the beach are perfect places to use portable grills. From hibachis to the smaller covered kettles, the portables are designed for direct heat cooking. Foods like hotdogs, burgers, steaks chicken pieces and kabobs can be handled very well with these convenient grills.

Their simple and inexpensive grills with shallow fireboxes. Normally fitted with adjustable grill grates, these are the most common type of grill. They are designed for direct heat cooking because the cooking is done relatively close to the coals. Braziers are perfect for cooking steaks, burgers, and chops. The more upscale units have hoods, rotisseries and air vents. All of them have grill grates that can be raised and lowered during cooking.