Buying a barbecue: a guide

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/jun/13/buying-a-barbecue-a-guide

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With the summer sun beating down there is nothing finer than alfresco cooking. If you are going to use your barbecue regularly then investing in the right one can improve your cooking experience.

We grilled some experts for their tips, to help you shop for a barbecue without getting your fingers burned.

Prices range from around £10 to more than £3,000, depending on the size of your chosen grill, the number of features it boasts and the quality of its construction.

However, Toby Shea from the British BBQ Society says the price tag is not solely a guide to quality. "Feel the product and if one is considerably heavier than another it means it is made with better steel," he says. "Porcelain-coated charcoal barbecues are good as they tend to offer better resistance to heat and scratches and are harder wearing."

Gas or charcoal?

The main choice involves how you want to cook your food: over gas or charcoal. Your budget might make your mind up for you, as gas machines tend to be more expensive.

Charcoal barbecues require more time to get going as the embers need to be piping hot to cook the food properly, although if you invest in a chimney starter you can speed up the process be cooking in 15 minutes.

Shea suggests avoiding self-lighting charcoal as it is impregnated with chemicals to get started and designed to heat up quickly, but also die quickly.

The taste from a charcoal barbecue is distinctive. "You can really taste the difference of food cooked on chargrilled wood, because it is cooked slower it keeps the moisture in, making the meat more succulent," says Dave Squires owner of Barbecue Chefs. Shea suggests that with a gas barbecue you can mimic the flavour profile of charcoal by using wood-chips in foil with holes in it, but there is still a difference in taste.

Gas barbecues allow you to start cooking almost immediately. As the temperature is regulated, gas tends to cook more evenly than charcoal. On some machines with multiple burners you can cook food at different temperatures. This is handy for foods that require varying heat intensities.

The cost to run

With gas you often "rent" the cylinder, with companies then charging each time for the gas you purchase. A typical cost for gas-only is around £30 for 13kg, which should give around 12 hours' cooking time.

A typical 7kg bag of charcoal should cost between £7 and £10 and provide enough fuel for up to three medium barbecues.

Other considerations

Many barbecues come without a hood, but it is worth looking for one that does have a lid, says Shea. "It makes it a lot more versatile than an open grill," he says. "You can control the heat more, cooking food throughout rather than burning the outside and leaving it raw on the inside."

With a gas barbecue you have multiple burners, Shea suggests going for a minimum of three. You can have two burning and leave the heat off one, put your meat over the direct heat giving it a bit of colour, then move it over to the burner that is off, closing the lid and the heat inside the barbecue should cook it without burning.

With charcoal, it's a similar process; you fill one side with charcoal, initially cook the food under it, moving it to the other side and closing the top to heat throughout. A food thermometer is a useful addition to ensure the food is properly cooked.

When considering the size of barbecue think about what you're going to cook. Shea says, "The trend is people are cooking large lumps of meat and a standard size grill is perfectly adequate." If you are going to cook plenty of burgers and sausages for a big group you may want a bigger grill space. For the largest of parties a barbecue with a warming rack could be useful to keep "ready to eat" food warm while continuing cooking.

If you are intending to use food that would possibly slip through the grill (slithers of meat, vegetables or even eggs) then a model with a griddle may be useful. Other models have side burners for sauces, boiling potatoes or vegetables. A gas barbecue would benefit from an adequate area for grease collection when cleaning.

Also consider the practicalities, such as where you will store the barbecue when not in use. If it is placed outside a fitted cover is a good investment.

The choices

There are plenty to choose from. We have price-checked some of the bestsellers and those that are well-reviewed by customers. If you have a model to recommend please tell us in the comments section below.

Charcoal

The Landmann Piccolino gets good consumer ratings. It has a 37cm cooking grill with warming rack and a lid with clips so you can take it with you on trips away. It is cheapest at Amazon at £32.99.

Lovo's Party Charcoal BBQ is teetering on the edge of five out of five stars from more than 170 Argos customers. It has a dual cooking area that opens up. The cooking area is 65x36cm and the barbecue has side shelves for storing the food. Priced at £74.99 with Argos.

Weber's One Touch Premium kettle has a cooking diameter of 57cm with a hinged grate to add more charcoal without moving the food. The lid and bowl have been made with porcelain and enamel-coated steel. It has an integrated thermometer and also has a one-touch cleaning system. Best-priced with Fires-Cookers at £163.80.

Gas

The Bondi G450 4-burner Gas Barbecue is made by B&Q and scores highly with reviewers on its website. It has a surface area of 3505cm², vaporiser bars to enhance the flavour of food, a removable fat collector and side burner. Priced at £214 with B&Q.

The Outback Meteor 4 Burner Gas Barbecue has a cooking area of approximately 68x44cm, a porcelain-enamelled hood and bowl and porcelain coated cast iron grill and griddle and uses lava rock. It also has a side-burner and warming rack for extra cooking space with a fixed side table. The red version is priced at £299.99 with BBQ World – £50 less than some other retailers are charging.

The hooded Weber Spirit Classic E310 3 Burner Gas has a porcelain enamel body, Flavorizer Bars, porcelain enamelled steel cooking grate, warming rack and a removable grease tray. The cooking area is 61x45cm and it is priced at £439.99 with WOWBBQ. It comes with a 25-year warranty.