Today we are spoilt for choice from a simple BBQ to an outdoor kitchen, even wood fire pizza ovens. Barbecues come in all sorts of shapes and sizes from six burner grills to portable table top grills, the best way to decide which BBQ is right for you is ask yourself –
● How often will you use your BBQ?
● What food will you be cooking?
● Who will you be cooking for?
Once you narrow that down you can look at the BBQ that has the right features for your style of cooking and will be the right size for you and your family.
BBQ’s come in two main types – gas and charcoal, which fuel is right for you? Gas BBQ’s give you an instant heat and they cook food quickly so they are perfect for when you want to cook, but you don’t have a lot of time. Charcoal BBQ’s take a lot of time to come up to heat, so they aren’t great for quick meals, or for winter days when you want to be inside. Charcoal BBQ’s are best suited for summer days and nights or barbecues with family and friends on the weekend when you have more time to enjoy the whole BBQ experience.
How much you should pay for your BBQ depends on how much you can afford and how durable you want your BBQ to be. Barbeques vary in price from disposable one use grills through to massive outdoor kitchens. You can also buy reasonably priced BBQ’s at DIY stores and while they have all the cooking features you need, the lower priced units are often cheaply made and aren’t durable, especially if you don’t have an undercover area to store it.
The better-known brands such as Beefeater are more expensive, but you are getting a BBQ that is of far better quality and durability, perfect for the Australian back yard and climate. They come with more features than cheaper BBQ’s and you can control the cooking temperature easily.
Most people buy a cheap barbecue first time around, which is a good way of finding out if you like cooking food on a BBQ, if you have the time to cook on a BBQ and if your family is enjoying the food you are preparing. If all goes well most people upgrade to a better-quality BBQ when the cheap one falls apart.
What size should you buy? If you are cooking for a family of up to 6 people a two-burner gas BBQ should be perfect, remember that while they heat up quickly and are easy to move, if you have more than 6 people to cook for you may want to consider a 3 or 4 burner BBQ so you can cook more food in one go. While you will be able to cook more, you need to consider your storage space.