Home LivingGardenBarbeque5 things I wish I’d known before buying a BBQBuying the right barbecue isn’t difficult, but avoiding these rookie errors can make the road to ownership a little less trickyWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Home LivingGardenBarbeque5 things I wish I’d known before buying a BBQBuying the right barbecue isn’t difficult, but avoiding these rookie errors can make the road to ownership a little less trickyWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Buying the right barbecue isn’t difficult, but avoiding these rookie errors can make the road to ownership a little less tricky
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Weber)
(Image credit: Weber)
Buying a barbecue is easy enough, but I’ve found that making sure you’ve purchased therightbarbecue is slightly less straightforward. Even if you’re willing to spend a decent amount and buy one of thebest barbecuemodels – of which there are many, I have to admit that I’ve been caught out after making some rookie errors.
One of the main considerations before you get into the detail, is deciding what kind of barbecue you want. A lot of that comes down to how much you’ll use it and your level of interest. It’s easy to get sucked in to the hype. The bulk of barbecues tend to look great on websites and in brochures, but the reality ofowningone can be rather less glamourous.
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1. Choose your fuel
(Image credit: Weber)
(Image credit: Weber)
First up, what type of barbecue you buy can make a big difference. There are charcoal,gas, wood pellet,electric, portable andsmokeroptions too, with plenty of variations on the theme. A good old charcoal barbecue can be a good bet, as they’re often competitively priced and deliver classic BBQ food with that certain taste and aroma.
Gas-power, on the other hand, is mighty convenient, though you’ll need to buy canisters to run it rather than dipping back into your bag of charcoal. If money isn’t an issue, a pellet grill is a good bet, offering ease of use and plenty of flavour potential for a, generally speaking, larger outlay.
2. Size it right
(Image credit: Evan Wise / Unsplash)
(Image credit: Evan Wise / Unsplash)
Secondly, it’s wise to get an idea what sort of size barbecue you should get. If you’re one half of a couple, or indeed a solo fan of barbecue, it stands to reason that you’re not going to need something humungous. However, if you do any kind of entertaining then it’s vital to ensure that your barbecue can handle more than a couple of burgers or kebabs.If you’re keen to invite larger numbers of friends and family to your social gatherings, it’s well worth investing in something more substantial, with perhaps a grilling area with plenty of cooking real estate. Being able to store cooked food once it’s cooked is handy too, even more so if you’ve got guests dipping in an out of your gathering. A hood over your barbecue can also help to keep everything ready-to-go as well.
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3. Look for durability
(Image credit: Pexel)
(Image credit: Pexel)
4. Explore the features
(Image credit: Masterbuilt)
(Image credit: Masterbuilt)
Buying a barbecue can be simple and straightforward, especially if you’re only after something basic. However, the range of barbecue options out there nowadays is substantial, and many come with all manner of features and functions that take them up a notch or two. Having a lid on your barbecue is an obvious benefit, but lookout for the likes of a thermometer, meat probe and digital display to assist if you’re looking for a helping hand.Another boon with a barbecue is ease of ignition, with many of the gas-powered models being a cinch to get started. If you’re not keen on struggling with charcoal and other fuel like pellets, this is well worth considering. There’s nothing worse than inviting people to a barbecue only to find that you either can’t get it started, or it only gets to optimum heat just as the enthusiasm for food is waning.
5. What about cleaning?
(Image credit: Ninja)
(Image credit: Ninja)
This is perhaps the biggest issue I have had with barbecues over the years. I’ve owned a few models that have been an absolute pain to get back to their former glory. So, I tend to look for easy clean features as part of the core requirements for any new machine I’m thinking of buying. Basic barbecues are quite good in that respect because they’re not as valuable, so you can afford to be not quite as fussy with the clean-up. However, there’s more to it than that…
Nevertheless, don’t let any of this put you off because when the sun comes out and the garden looks irresistible, you’ll want to be ready to hit the ground running. So, all you need to do now is bite the bullet, pick one of thebest barbecuemodels out there, and get grilling.
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