Getting Ready To Grill & Chill - Choosing Your Grill

Grilling season is right around the corner! It's time to start thinking of your outdoor entertainment for the spring and summer and the kind of grill you may need to pull it off.

Here are six points to consider when deciding on a grill:

• How often will you be using your grill?
• How much space do you have to dedicate to use and store your grill?
• What kind of fuel source do you prefer to grill with? Charcoal or Gas?
• How many people and how often do you plan to grill or barbecue for?
• What types and quantity of foods will you be grilling or barbecuing?
• What cooking methods do you want to use on the grill? Smoking, grilling or both?

After addressing these questions, take a look at some of the grill types below and find out what fits your grilling style and needs.

• Hibachi & Portable Grills - Hibachi means "firebox" in Japanese. Originated in Japan, these are usually made of cast iron or steel. They are small in size, which makes them convenient to take along for picnics, the beach, camping trips or tailgating parties if you are planning to cook a small amount of food.
• Kettle Grills - These are round and dome-shaped with three legs and contains vents above and below the grilling rack to allow for temperature control. You will want to choose one with a large enough cooking area, deeper bowl for good heat and air circulation a a tall domed lid to allow plenty of space for roasts and whole birds.
• Charcoal Oven Grills - These are great if you want to cook with indirect heat and infuse smoky flavors to your food. They usually contain a smoker on the side with a closeable lid allowing you to cook you food low and slow making your meat tender and juicy. This is the method I like to use.
• Gas Grills - Fueled by propane, gas grill use lava rocks or ceramic briquettes set over burners. The are less messy and take less time to heat than a charcoal grill. One the down side, you don't get the same deep smoky flavors as you would with charcoal and wood. You could use a steel smoke box with soaked wood chips to help with this.

This should get you started on choosing the right grill that best suites your grilling style and needs. Take your time, look around, compare features, quality and pricing so you can be confident that the grill you choose will make for a fun and successful grilling season with many more to come.

Veronica Lee~

http://www.veronicaleeshomestylecuisine.com/