How to Choose the Right Grill for Your Outdoor Area

Whether you’re about to organize the best BBQ parties for your friends, or want to make a cute al-fresco area for Sunday gatherings with your family, there’s nothing that can replace a high-quality outdoor grill.
However, being a grill enthusiast doesn’t mean being common with all the types and essential features your outdoor grill should be packed with. So, if you were about to hit the market and search for the perfect grill for your outdoor area, we put together a couple of tips to help you choose the right option for your household.

The Different Types of Fuels

There’re many different types of outdoor grills, and truth be told, not all of them are made equally. In fact, different grills use different types of fuels to run, and here’re the most common options:

Gas Grills

If you’re looking for a grill that will be very easy to handle while still delivering an authentic, juicy meat flavour, don’t hesitate to explore the huge range of outdoor gas BBQ grills on the market.
In fact, gas barbeque grills can use either attachable liquid propane tanks or get conveniently connected to your home’s natural gas supplies. Hence, the gas will distribute the heat evenly and all over the cooking surface, which will make it very easy to maintain control over the temperature, even if you’re not especially skilled in grilling.

On top of that, outdoor gas BBQ grills often come packed with smokers and side burners, which will additionally enhance the smoky flavour of your meat. Once you’ve finished grilling, you also don’t have to deal with ashes and the unpleasant petrochemical smell charcoal grills leave.

Charcoal Grills

Charcoal grills being mentioned, there’s nothing that can replace the ultimately smoky and juicy flavour they give to any type of food. Charcoal burns much hotter than gas or any other type of fuel to give your meat a crispy and crunchy texture from the outside while still remaining juicy and soft on the inside.

However, if you’re not especially skilled in handling grills, we don’t recommend getting a charcoal grill. Not only do they take more time to achieve the perfect temperature for grilling, but they also produce ashes and smoke that can seep into your food and damage the flavour. On top of that, you’ll have to deal with a huge mess afterwards, so it’s best to skip them unless you don’t mind cleaning.

Electric Grills

If you’re looking for the easiest and the most convenient type of grill fuel, you won’t go wrong by choosing an electric grill. These grills won’t require any fire, charcoals or conversion kits for gas, but they only need to get plugged into a wall or an extension cord to start. And not only will an electric grill heat up within a couple of minutes when plugged, but they’re also very safe, clean and easy to use.

However, consider that any food prepared using an electric grill won’t have the same crispy texture and smoky flavour as it would when prepared on a charcoal grill. Also, even though electric grills may seem very affordable, know that they aren’t very friendly for your electricity bills, especially if used often.

Pick the Right Material

Whether you decided to go for charcoal, electric or a convenient gas BBQ grill, don’t forget to consider the material it’s constructed from. The market nowadays is overflowed with many different grills made from a bunch of different materials, and the truth is that not all of them are equally good and sanitary when it comes to food.

Talking about sanitary materials for food preparation, stainless steel holds the number one place on the list. In fact, stainless steel has natural antimicrobial and antibacterial properties, and it’s no wonder it’s very widely used in the cooking industry. More specifically, stainless steel doesn’t feature tiny pores that can be penetrated by bacteria and microbes that can easily end up in your dish. On the other hand, stainless steel can withstand temperatures up to 300°C, making it even more hygienic and sanitary.
Except for stainless steel grills, you’ll also come across a wide range of aluminium and cast iron outdoor grill models. These materials also have great temperature ratings but aren’t as sanitary as stainless steel.

Get the Right Size

The grill’s size plays a huge role in your overall grilling experience, so make sure you don’t overlook it. Hence, when choosing the perfect size, remember to choose with your household size and your available outdoor space in your mind.

Considering your household size is important since not all the grills can accommodate the same amounts of food at the same time. For instance, if you’re about to prepare a meal for the typical 4-members family, a standard size grill of around 40x45cm should get the job done perfectly fine. But if you’re planning to organize grill parties for larger groups of people, consider getting a larger grill that can accommodate double the previously mentioned amount.

Finally, not all the grills are intended for entire households and parties, since you can also find compact and portable models. Even though they won’t allow you to cater to larger groups of people at once, they’re very convenient and take less space, and therefore perfect for small patios and for carrying on camping trips or day-long beach adventures.

Additional Features and Conveniences

Once you make your mind about the basic features, it’s time to take a look at the additional functionalities and conveniences that can come in handy when grilling delicious food. Some of these features will make your grilling experience better, while some of them can drain your wallet unnecessarily, so make sure you choose with your needs on your mind.

Smokers

Smokers are very valuable for everyone that wants to enhance the delicious smoky flavour when preparing food on a gas grill. They work by cooking the food at very low temperatures, which produces smoke that infuses the food and gives it a charcoal-like flavour.

Burners

Burners are responsible for controlling your grill’s temperature, and the more of them your grill features, the more food you’ll be able to prepare at once. At this point, know that experts recommend grills featuring up to 6 burners, especially for larger households. These grills won’t only allow you to prepare food for the entire family at once, but they also allow you to cook crispy meat at high temperatures on one side while slow-cooking vegetables, beans and different sauces on the other side.

If you still decided to go for a smaller grill with fewer burners, you can always go for side burners that will allow you to prepare some more additional food without crowding the main cooking surface of the grill.

Rotisserie Attachments

Rotisserie attachments are many BBQ enthusiasts’ favourite feature. These attachments will allow you to rotate the food within the grill chamber to roast it slowly so it can get a perfectly deep and rich flavour. They work even better when enhanced with smokers.

Different Devices

Finally, many grills come with devices that can make your cooking easier and more convenient. For instance, thermometers with digital displays are great to monitor the temperature and adjust it if needed. On the other hand, some grills may feature halogen lights on top of the grill, and they can be of great use for grilling at night.


Now that you know all the features to take into consideration, it’s time to hit the market and get the perfect grill to prepare ultimately delicious food for your family and friends.