I'm Buying a Grill

Believe it or not, I've never bought a grill before. The one I use now was given to me as a college graduation gift (I think). It works great and I've never really given thought to replacing it. The sad part is I am not replacing my grill, but buying a grill for my mom for Mother's Day. Forget the flowers, sappy cards and gift certificates to the spa. My mom wants fire and heat to sear pieces of meat. Now that is a gift for mom.

Since I research even the tiniest of purchases, I started my due diligence a couple of weeks ago to determine the perfect grill. It is amazing the wide variety of choices and options in today's market. Here is my plan of attack and hopefully it will help others in the market for a new grill.

Location- First you need to decide where you are going to set up your outdoor grill station. Ideally it should be at least 15 feet away from your home, shed or shrubbery (to avoid flare ups from burning down your house). If you have only a small space, you don't want some gargantuan grill unit. If you are going to grill in one area, yet store the grill in another area, make sure you get one on wheels. Grills are heavy and you don't want to lift hot, heavy metal around.

Usage- This is probably the biggest guideline for getting a grill. Do you grill for large groups of people and need a multi burner unit? Do you BBQ (which is different than grilling) for smokey flavor and want a smoker, charcoal or wood burning grill? Do you infrequently grill and just need something inexpensive and easy like an electric or gas grill? Than there are the options that go with the grills: side burners, smoke boxes, rotisseries, warming racks, storage areas, etc.

Fuel- This is where the debate begins. Some people are die hard about charcoal, but for me gas/propane is the way to go. Gas grills are a little more pricey, but it is really no fuss, no muss. You go outside, push the electric starter and voila, fire. In order to impart wood flavor, I soak a log in water and place it right ontop of the gas flame or take the wood chips you can find in the grocery store and put them in a disposable aluminum pan with holes cut in the bottom.

Material- Obviously 300 grade all stainless steel construction is the best (bring a magnet to the store to test it out), but this is very expensive. I actually don't get hung up on the overall material of the grill itself. Instead, I'm concerned with the grill grates themselves. I want cast iron or porcelain grates that are nice and thick. They should have some distance from the flame source to prevent too many flare ups, but close enough to get super hot. There are many excellent gas grills on the market for $300-$500. These are made of high quality material other than stainless steel and will last for nearly a decade (like my own grill). Just make sure you keep it clean and covered.

Cost- The range is costs for grills is ridiculous. You can get electric grills for under $100 bucks and stainless steel grill "kitchens" for over $10,000. The good news is once you answer the questions above, you will fall automatically into a price category.

I am not even going to talk about BTUs, but it is pointless. BTU's measure the amount of gas used, not temperature. Just make sure your grill has a thermometer or you buy a grill thermometer. This add on is crucial for both barbecuing (slow, low temperature cooking) and grilling (fast, high heat cooking).

Reviews of Grills

This summer I will feature a lot of different stories of BBQ and grilling (recipes, pizza on the grill, cleaning your grill, Big Green Egg review, dessert on the grills, add-ons, etc.).

This is the grill I bought for my mom.

Please let us know what your favor grill is, whether you like charcoal or gas, what add-ons do you have, etc.