Barbecues Buyers Guides
Before you buy a barbecue there are a number of points to consider including :
- How many people will you want to cook for? Larger numbers will require a larger cooking area.
- How often will you cook on your barbecue? Will it be robust enough to stand up to regular use?
- Do you value convenience and control over traditional cooking methods?
- The price you are prepared to pay for your new barbecue.
Choosing a a gas or charcoal barbecue
The most important decision is probably going to be which type of fuel you will choose for your barbecue. Look at the table below to see the benefits of each type :
| |
Charcoal Barbecues |
Gas Barbecues |
| Lighting |
Lighting can be tricky if windy or charoal is slightly damp, firelighters or lighting fluid can help. |
Lighting is instant and very easy as most gas barbecues will have a Piezo Spark ignition, so lighting is as easy as pushing a button. |
| Warming up time |
It can take 25-40 minutes depending on the size of barbecue / amount of charcoal being used to come up to the right cooking temperature. Too early and the food may burn if flames are high. |
It probably takes less than 10 minutes for a gas barbecue to come up to the right cooking temperature. |
| Cooking time |
It is generally slower to cook on a charcoal barbecue, and if catering for a large number of people you may need to top up the charcoal. |
It is generally much quicker to cook a larger amount of foood on a gas barbecue, as the heat can be achieved and maintained much more easily. |
| Control |
Control is limited to rasing or lowering the cooking surface / rack to get less or more heat. |
It is very easy to control the temperature simply by turning up or down the gas. |
| Taste |
Some people would say the only real barbecue taste is achieved by using charcoal, as the food will naturally get a smoky flame grilled flavour. |
Once a gas barbecue has been used a few times the fats on the lava rocks will help to smoke the food, or you can get wood chips to add flavour. |
| Cleaning |
You need to dispose of the burnt ashes once cold, and clean off the grill, but that's about it. |
No burnt coals to dispose of, but normally a drip tray to empty, and the grills to clean. |
| Costs |
Generally cheaper than their gas equivalent because they are a much simpler design. |
Generally more expensive but will often be much sturdier by design because of the extra weight they carry. |
Read our detailed Barbecue Buyers Guides
Once you think you know which fuel type is most appropriate for you, read our detailed buyers guides below :