It’s April, and the outdoor season will soon be here. Most of us like to spend the long summer evenings with our friends or relatives, and have a barbecue together. But not everyone likes to get out the charcoal, start it, and then wait until the coals are ready to put on the steaks or any other item.
These people have another option nowadays: buy a gas grill for their patio or BBQ deck. It’s a lot more convenient, since you’ll have no more steaks or juicy burgers burned black by flames. The new gas grills now come with units that will provide a hard wood smoke flavor, by adding chunks of wood to the smoking box.
When you are looking to buy a gas grill, you can better choose one that will offer the features that you like and will use. As always, don’t pay for what you don’t need but take one that will offer quality and performance for a reasonable price. The prices of such gas grills vary between $100 to $2,000. So before you start your shopping tour, be sure what price range you want.
What should you look for in a gas grill?
-Porcelain coated grates, which are easy to clean.
-Adjustable grade position, which can allow high heat searing if the grill doesn’t offer a separate searing feature.
-Adequate hood height, if you are looking to roast whole birds or big chunks of meat.
-Enough shelf space for your BBQ tools and accessories.
Look closely at the overall construction of the unit. Welded seams, high gloss finish and a high BTU rating are things to look out for. A higher BTU means that the grill will heat up faster and has good searing ability. This means it is better to buy a high BTU grill with fewer features than one with low BTU and lots of gadgets.
A few examples of affordable gas grills are:
-Charmglow Stainless Gas Grill for just $79 – compact and portable, with 202 square inch of cooking surface and a three year warranty. You can order it at www.homedepot.com.
-CADAC North America Safari for $119 – functions like a standard camping stove and heats pots and pans. When you throw on a BBQ top, you have a conventional gas grill. Comes with many other accessories (for instance, for when you want to wok, or want to make pancakes).
Charbroil Patio Caddie Gas Grill for $149,99 – an affordable little grill for small families or when you live in an apartment. It has 10,000 BTU’s and 187 square inches of cooking space. Has a wide basis on wheels and a push ignition button. The only downside is that it hasn’t got a storage space for cooking utensils.
Brinkman 4 Burner Gas Grill for $169 – a bit larger grill with more substance. Has 40,000 BTU’s, and 649 square inches of cooking surface, a warming area, and a preparation unit. Great when you have a big family, or many friends!
