When choosing a grill, there a few factors that can help determine the right grill for you. Decide what factors of the following are most important to you and this will steer you towards the right grill decision.
• Convenience (If convenience and ease of use are high priority for you, then a gas grill would be your best choice as they can be set up just about anywhere and start with the push of a button and require little maintenance)
• Flavor (If you want to concentrate on flavor, then a charcoal grill may be better for you as charcoal imparts that distinct flavor on food that is associated with traditional barbecue grilling.)
• Size & Space (You need a grill that’s going to fit in your space requirements and meet your cooking needs. Consider how many people you are feeding- do you entertain a lot or are you cooking regularly for just 2-4 people? Here a tip: When determining grill surface size, only consider the “primary” grate not the warming rack. Many grills come with side burners and accessory racks that take up space so determine where you will place your grill and choose a grill size accordingly. And lastly consider what you are cooking. If you are you more of a hot dogs and burgers on the weekend for the family griller then a smaller gas or charcoal grill would work well. If you are looking to regularly cook something more advanced like brisket and ribs, then a larger 26-inch kettle grill would give you ample space.
So now that you know what to look for when grill shopping, here’s a listing of grill types.
Gas Grills
• Typically operate with propane gas and can be set-up anywhere and are ready to use quickly. As you use your grill, you will need to eventually refill your propane tank. (This Service is available at Weaver’s Ace Hardware) Make sure your propane tank is full and you don’t run out of propane mid-grilling.
• Easy to use and ignite with the push of a button.
• Easy clean-up- just turn the grill off and scrape the grates with a grill brush.
• Stainless steel construction resists corrosion and has contemporary design- often available in multiple colors.
• See our gas grills- Weber Grills, Charbroil Grills
Charcoal Grills
• Known as the purist’s choice as it is fairly simple in design and uses charcoal as its fuel.
• Charcoal imparts a distinct flavor that many grillers love.
• Require lighter fluid and charcoal briquettes to operate which need to be continually purchased.
• Available in multiple shapes and colors.
• Kettle charcoal grill is the most popular of charcoal grills (originally made by Weber). Designed to evenly distribute heat ensuring perfect cooking every time.
• A totally unique grilling experience is Big Green Egg- it’s a charcoal grill in an air-tight ceramic cooking chamber that retains heat and keeps food moist. Features patented Metal Top that controls air flowing through the cooking chamber and Flow Draft Door that controls the amount of air entering the fire box.
• See our charcoal grills- Weber Grills, Big Green Egg Grills
Smokers
• Used for cooking meats at low temperatures over a long period of time.
• Using different types of wood pellets will create unique flavors-hickory, apple, cherry, mesquite.
• Many smokers are available as combination grill/smoker.
• See our smokers- Traeger Wood Pellet Smokers
Fryers
• Turkey Fryer- frying a turkey is a great way to prepare a turkey in half the time. The turkey is fried in hot oil using a propane stove base and large fry pot until its skin is crispy and meat is tender. Special turkey racks and hooks make for easy preparation.
• Oil-Less Fryer- Oil free fryers are a safer and healthy way to fry your favorite foods. They use radiant heat instead of oil to heat your turkey or chicken.
• See Our Charbroil Oil-Less Fryer
Visit the Grill Center at Weaver’s Ache Hardware Fleetwood or Douglassville to see our complete grill collection. Our Outdoor Living Department can help answer any grill questions.
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