Buying a Charcoal Barbecue Grill, you need These Tips

Charcoal barbecue grills are a long-time staple of summertime . Gas grills have eaten away at their popularity over the years, but charcoal still has legions of fans. While they have some disadvantages to gas grilling, charcoal gives your summer outing fare a smoky taste at comparatively low cost. They range in price from $25 for the simplest models up to over $150 for bigger grills built to last. They are lighter than gas grills, and charcoal is a cheaper fuel than propane .

Charcoal grills come in a range of sizes, from small, portable grills to taller and wider grills to park in the back yard. If you are planning a tailgate party, you really need a portable grill . Most portables are tabletop models, but some come with legs that prop them up at just about three feet.
For the back yard, you can find a charcoal barbeque from the basic bowl-with-legs to barrel-shaped grills with wheels, a small table, a thermometer and storage baskets. The basics you should look for in a grill for your back yard include about 300 square inches of grilling space, an ash compartment for easy cleaning, sturdy cast iron body.

One regular hindrance with cooking on charcoal is that it doesn’t cook evenly. The porcelain enamel coating portable grills helps spread the heat, minimizing hot spots in ordinary stainless steel or aluminum grills. Several portable charcoal grills also have multiple air vents, giving you a little more influence over how hot the coals burn.

Another complaint with charcoal is that it is not easy to light and it takes a long time to get good hot coals. There are a few chimney starters available to get the charcoal hotter quicker and because they use paper, they eliminate lighter fluid residue. Still , none of the most popular and widely-distributed portable charcoal grills include them. Chimney starters usually cost about $15 .

Using charcoal does mean that you need to clean up the ash . However, many grills are equipped with a small bowl attached to the underside to catch ash coming out of the vents, while bigger grills have separate removable compartments that catch ash. The porcelain enamel coating makes cleaning much easier than plain stainless steel.

The number one necessity for portable charcoal barbeque grills, however, is a locking lid. People at picnics and tailgating get togethers can bump grills and tables alike with disastrous results.

The great thing about portable charcoal grills: you can get them anywhere. For spontaneous trips, you can pick up quality grills, like Weber, at Walmart, Home Depot, Ace Hardware and Target. If you’re shopping around, you can also order from Amazon.com