4 The Love of BBQ

-by Evan Beck (guest writer)

Barbeque season is officially here!  Everyone knows a backyard barbeque is one of the best parts of summer fun. A delicious burger or a succulent steak hot off the grill go hand in hand with summer backyard celebrations. Father’s Day, Graduation, Fourth of July – these are great opportunities for a backyard barbecue party. But with lots of summer sunshine, every weekend could be an opportunity for barbecue get together with friends and family.

The HomeTailer team loves a great barbecue, and that starts with a great grill. Not all grills are made equal, and opinions can vary quite a bit. But ultimately all grills can be broken down into four major camps – Gas, Charcoal, Electric, and Kamado. We’ve reviewed and summarized the rankings from grill masters and experts all over to help you select the best barbecue grill. All hail the Grill Master!

GAS GRILLS

Gas grills are the #1 grills sold today. Ease of use is their main appeal. Gas grills fire up quickly and start grilling fast with no preparation (except for fuel if you’re using propane versus a direct gas line).

Being that it is the most popular grill out there, there are plenty of options to choose from. We ran the numbers and found two gas grills that consistently ranked among the top in the category. These are the Char-Broil Performance 300 2-Burner Gas Grill and the Weber Spirit II.

Char-Broil Performance 300 2-Burner Gas Grill – $202.46

One of America’s favorite barbecue grill brands, Char-Broil has a clear winner in the Performance 300 series. Experts love this grill for its cooking power, ease of use, and its durability.

The Char-Broil Performance 300 2-Burner Gas Grill features stainless steel burners that emit flame from the top for even cooking. With rust-resistant porcelain-coated cast iron grates for easy cleaning, this grill is made to last.

The Weber Spirit II – $349.00

Experts rate the Weber Spirit II with the highest heat-consistency score of any gas grill they’ve tested.  It features three stainless steel primary burners, which produce a total of 30,000 BTU of heat.  Not a large grill in size, but big enough to satisfy your family backyard barbecue or your friendly weekend barbecue parties. This grill will impress you with its ability to generate and sustain heat.

CHARCOAL GRILLS

Barbecue purists will argue that when it comes to barbecues, charcoal grills have no equal.  These grills deliver the smoky aroma and flavor characteristic of the best barbecues.

Weber Original Kettle 22-inch Grill – $165.00

According to expert pick lists, the Weber Original Kettle 22-inch grill stands out time and time again because of its classic design and excellent price point.

This is a sturdy and quality grill.  With a cooking area of 363 sq. in., it accommodates burgers or steaks for up to 13 people. Your friends and family will not go hungry. This is the grill most of us learned to cook on because it was the one your parents owned. They probably still have it, and that says something right there.

Char-Broil American Gourmet 30-inch Charcoal Grill – $129.99

Coming in a close second is the Char-Broil American Gourmet 30-inch Charcoal Grill. If you have a large family or love to host large barbecue parties, this grill is for you. It is ranked as the best big grill in the market according to Business Insider.

This grill features a 568 Square inch grilling space over cast iron grates with a 272 Square inch warming rack. This space is large enough for 20-24 burgers. Is this big enough for your weekend or summer holiday entertaining? Large side shelves provide ample room for your grilling utensils, another appealing feature.

ELECTRIC GRILLS

Apartment dwellers, balcony owners and indoor grill lovers can rejoice! Electric grills have come a long way. Today’s electric grills can deliver a fantastic grilling experience that will have you saying “No coals? No problem!”

Here are the top two contenders making just about everyone’s list.

Weber Q-1400 Electric Grill – $269.00

Experts agree, this little grill is much-loved by users who prefer an electric grill. With 189 square inches of cooking space on porcelain-enameled cast iron cooking grates and a 1560-watt electric heating element, the Weber Q-1400 produces grilling quality on par with that of a gas grill, sans fire and with the ease of electricity.

George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor Grill – $94.79

The granddaddy of ’em all, George Foreman was one of the first brands to bring electric grills up to par with their solid fueled brethren.

Perfect for a balcony party, or an impromptu indoor move due to inclement weather. This grill features 240 square inches of circular grilling surface which can grill 15 burgers all at once either indoors or outdoors. And like all the George Foreman models, it includes the patented “grease-draining” feature that removes up to 42% of grill fat without losing any of the taste.

KAMADO GRILLS

A Kamado grill is ceramic or stainless shelled grill fueled by lump wood charcoal. It is extremely versatile and can grill, smoke, roast and bake. Sometimes called the “Cadillac of Grills” owing to both its heft (averaging 100-200 pounds) and its hefty price tag. This style of grill may not be quite as popular, but their fan base among professional chefs and casual grillers alike is strong and growing.

Kamado Joe Classic II – $1,199.00

It’s called the Classic for a reason. Kamado Joe grills have made the top lists of just about every review out there. The Classic II continues that tradition and some. It has 406 square inches of cooking space can maintain heat from 225 to 750 degrees. Great for 10-12 fillets or chicken breasts or quickly baking pizza.

The multi-level design doubles your cooking space to allow for multiple cooking options. But it’s the innovative air lift dome that reduces the weight of these typically heavy grills by 96% that gets it on our list. Plus of course, the ease of clean up and better temperature control that ceramic grills offer.

Blaze 20″ Cast Aluminum Kamado Grill – $1,799.00

Traditional kamado grills are heavy beasts. All that ceramic helps create better temperature control, and allows the grill to get to temperatures over 700 degrees with no issue, but it comes at a cost. Blaze has taken a different route, and created the first ever solid cast aluminum kamado grill. The results have been nothing short of amazing, earning it the coveted title of Best Overall Kamado Grill by the BBQ Guys. The thick aluminum manages to retain heat just as well as its ceramic cousins, but can be moved easily and if tipped over, won’t break as its fragile cousin would.

So whether you’re cooking for the clan in the backyard, firing it up at your next tailgate, or simply answering that hankering for something to BBQ, remember you’ve got options. Happy Grilling!