Lesson Three: Take care of your existing equipment.

Back when I was in college, my housemates and I cleaned our grill…never. We thought it added flavor to our food. We were stupid drunks.

In fact, a dirty grill can be an outdoor chef’s worst enemy. When food particles carbonize on the grill it can become stickier than a piece of Velcro flypaper. Nothing you do will prevent sticking. Also it is widely held that these bits of carbon can cause cancer.

So clean your grill. Constantly. Scrub it down before you put anything on it. Scrub it down after you are finished using it. A strong wire brush can do wonders. Note that if you have a porcelian finish on your grate you will need special brushes to keep it clean... a hard steel brush will damage the surface whereas a brass-bristle brush will be more gentle. Also it may pay off to use a cloth dampened with a little bit of veggie oil on it to wash down a grill. If the grate is rusty, toss it out and buy yourself a porcelian-coated replacement for under $25.

If you use a gas grill, once a year (at least) you should remove the grilling surface to get to the grate below it and clean it off. Empty the cart of any debris that may build up and block the drain. Clean the burner too... if you have a cast iron burner, wire brush it with a strong steel brush and if necessary, drill out the holes of any rust that may have sealed them off. When all the holes are clear, gas will leave the burner more evenly. You know how those push button ignitors are notorious for working for about a year before you have to switch to tossing a match into a cloud of gas? Lightly clean the ignitor prongs with a a small piece of sandpaper to restore it back to working condition. Consider replacing the brickets every year as well if your grill is used frequently.

These few minutes of maintenance will keep your grill, regardless of model and style, working hard for you for a long time.

Every few years you can give your grill a brand spankin' new paint job. And we're not talkin' Earl Shribe... Rust–Oleum has a line of high heat paint. It's designed to keep your grill looking like you just put it together, comes in five colors and resists heat up to 1200°F.

Lesson Four: Choose the proper fuel source of a new grill.

If your old grill is just plain shot--all the major parts are rusted out and replacements would be expensive or hard to find--then it's time to finally put it out to pasture.

We have all heard the gas-charcoal debate. Resolved: a charcoal grill is superior to a gas grill. But as Col. Potter would say, "Horsehockey!!" Those who would have you believe that charcoal is the only way to go ignore the benefits that gas grills afford.

Gas grills provide two main advantages: quickness and reliability. When you want a good cooking fire it is only a button press away. When you need to control your flame, it is as simple as turning a dial up and down. Choosing between direct and indirect heat can be done by simply turning half of the grill off. With a properly tuned and kept gas grill you will not have to worry about hotspots and cold spots; a concern that always comes with a charcoal grill.

Now there is going to be a charcoal enthusiast who will point out that gas grills do not provide the flavor that good old charcoal does. That may be true, but you can easily get around that. Invest in a small metal tray that can withstand high temperature. Take some soaked woodchips and put them in the tray. As the tray heats up you will achieve the same smoky environment that makes charcoal so popular. Just make sure you put the wood in the tray or you will have a fire on your hands- a fire that you don’t want. Instead of having hickory smoked ribs you will have ribs that taste like a forest fire.

There are benefits to charcoal grills too. Charcoal holds heat for a long time, and it does add to the flavor of whatever is being cooked. But it can take a long time to get to proper cooking temperature. It also takes a skilled hand to control the temperature. This is done by controlling airflow into the fire. If you are a hands-on person, who likes to control every aspect of their cookery, this is the choice for you. Most barbecue aficionados believe there is no substitute for charcoal or even wood. Our advice to you if you are dead set on charcoal, is to buy yourself a chimney. This is an inexpensive device that works on the principal that heat rises to help speed up the process of heating coals. It makes starting a fire simple and it does not require nasty lighter fluid. It is the choice of true charcoalers.

Now here's a twist... if you like the convenience of gas and the taste that charcoal adds to foods, Char-Broil may have the solution. The Char-Broil Charcoal/Gas grill converts from gas to charcoal grilling in just a few steps. You insert a stainless steel charcoal pan, add charcoal and ignite the briquets using the gas burners with no lighter fluid required. Most of the essential parts of this grill are stainless steel as well. For about $389 at Amazon it looks like a winning combo, but until we get our hands on one we'll reserve our opinion.

Electric grills have been gaining in popularity. They do provide convenience and low cost of fuel. That’s about it. The coils that heat up the grill operate on the same principal as a common toaster oven. This technology should stay in the toaster oven. Stay away from electric grills.

Infrared cooking systems are popping up too. These grills use radiant heat from ceramic burners. They burn nice and even, and get hot fast, but can be rather expensive.

Lesson Five: Choose the proper grill.

Depending on where and when you plan to use your barbecue your needs will be different. Barbecues come in all shapes and sizes and in all price ranges. You can get a simple gas or charcoal grill for under fifty bucks or upwards of five grand. Most grills at Lowe's or Home Depot hit the $200 to $300 sweet spot.

Large gas grills (500 cubic inches and up) can achieve high BTU output, such as 80,000 and greater. These are the grills that can get the cooking surface up to 600ºF in under 10 minutes. These grills usually have four or more burners for awesome control of the cooking surface. Slightly down the scale, average sized grills (375-475 cubic inches) can achieve anywhere from 30,000 to 50,000 BTU's and can have from two to four burners. For most people, two burners are acceptable. Four burner units typically have more features and are on grills that start at about $500 and only go up. Two burner units usually have an oval or H shaped burner. H burners distribute heat better in average sized grills. Smaller grills usually have oval shaped burners and tend to deliver a paultry 25,000 BTU's or less.

Some grills offer an extra side burner so all of your cooking can be done out of doors. If this interests you, you may want to keep in mind that unless the burner can achieve temperatures of greater than 15,000 BTU's they will only be good for keeping things warm. Also, depending on the location of your grill, side burners that rise above the side counter surface will end up getting too much wind and become practically useless. Look for side burners that are partially shielded and sit below the counter surface.

But its not just about the burners... the cooking surface should greatly influence your choice of grills as well. Stainless steel grates are the best due to their ability to withstand corrosion. Up until recently, stainless grates, burners and other stainless parts were only in expensive (read $1000 and up) grills. But stainless can now be found for as little as $300 (in a grill made by Char-broil and branded as Thermos, found here and in Target) and in stuff we would trust more like Jenn-Air (made by Maytag, distributed by Lowes) for $550.

Slightly cheaper and also good choices are porcelian-coated cast iron and porcelian-coated steel in decending order. Bare cast iron or (shudder) steel grates should be avoided. They will rust and eventually tear up your food if not maintained frequently.

What we consider a no-brainer is a thermometer. You won't know what's going on beneath your lid without one--still, there are grills sold without this crucial $3 add-on. If you're hooked on a grill (or stuck with a grill) without this gauge, even a moron can install one with 5 minutes and a drill.

Some grills have rotisserie attachments (very cool) or smoke pans. A grill from Coleman has a fryer/warmer on the side. This may be nice if you want fries with your burger, and it does get the danger of the deep fryer out of your kitchen, but all we see is potential for improper use and overheating while you've got this thing on your wooden deck. A fry basket is probably something you don't need in a grill. You do not have to spend a fortune on features that you’ll never use.

Additionally, you just may need to look at the wheels on the grill you are considering. If you have a deck or don't usually move your grill around, then four casters may be adequate. If you're going to be dragging your grill around the yard a lot, you may opt for a model with two large wheels instead.

Lastly, all we can say is use your common sense when choosing a grill. Ask yourself some questions... Will I use my grill as my main source of cooking? Will I be entertaining for large amounts of people? Do I eat alot? Will I be using my grill for tailgating? Will I be grilling or barbecuing (remember there is a difference)? Do I have a large backyard or am I going to be grilling on my fire escape?

So now you completed BBQ School. I don’t care if its December or August, Football season or Baseball season, get out there and grill. It’s always barbecue season. The Neanderthals knew it. Now you know it too.


If you are shopping for a new grill, we've created a very good starting point. See our grill directory on the next page.