gbr@mb2c.UUCP (Jerry Ruhno) (05/29/84)
~r cook
Now that summer is almost upon us and the burgers are grilling outside,
does anybody know of a good barbecue grill to buy. I am not sure
whether I want gas or not. I have always used charcoal in the past
on small grills but now that I am ready to spent the bucks I don't
know which way to go. Any suggestions out there?
Jerry Ruhno
sb1!mb2c!gbrbrian@sdccsu3.UUCP (05/30/84)
yummy I've been cooking on the same gas barbecue (propane, not natural gas) for about 5 years now and I don't think I'd go back to charcoal. The gas grill is easy to use, you just turn it on and push the ignite button. 15 minutes later the coals are hot and you can grill things. During the warmup period (while the lava rock is getting hot) you can still bake potatoes or warm up things in pots. I find regulating the temperature easy; the settings on the flame valve range from 'keep warm' to 'blowtorch' so I can usually cook things like chicken without burning it. Took me several tries to get it just right but now I know where to set the knob. Once the lava rock has heated up, the flavor I get is similar to that of a bed of really good coals, except slightly less smokey. I've tried using mesquite chips soaked in water and sprinkled into the lava rock to add a smokey flavor - good for pork but I don't like it for steaks. Maintenance is simple: I just leave it on while we're eating and the grill and rocks burn clean. Once a month or so I use my shop vacuum to clean the ash out (I could just turn it over and shake them out but I'm lazy). A barbecue brush and some cooking oil on a cloth are all thats needed to keep the grill looking good. And besides the convenience: its cheaper! I pay about $6 for a tank of propane, and it lasts me about two months. Since we use the barbecue about twice a week (more in the summer), considering the $1.50 to $2 that it costs for 10 lbs of charcoal, which is about 3-4 fires, I think I've made back the difference in price by now. Drawbacks: You can't quite as easily take it to the beach with you - although it does quite nicely fit in the back of a pickup truck. If you run out of gas on Sunday it may be hard to find a fillup. (You could always keep a spare tank of gas in your garden shed.) And they do cost than a simple charcoal grill initially. And they do wear out. I'm going to buy a new one soon, not only because I want a large grill surface, but also because the combustion products of the propane have finally corroded the burner enough that I don't get even heat all over the grill. (I could buy a replacement burner for about $45 but I want a bigger grill anyway - and besides, $100 every 5 years isn't bad). -- -Brian Kantor, UC San Diego Kantor@Nosc ihnp4 \ decvax \ akgua ----- sdcsvax ----- brian dcdwest/ ucbvax/
chuqui@nsc.UUCP (Chuq Von Rospach) (05/30/84)
My personal preference is STILL charcoal and will always be a Weber kettle
(or equivalent). The Webber is very well made and can generate a very hot
fire. Using the lid allows you to cook things faster with minimal burning
or drying. I use mine (it is a small one, but what do you need for one
person?) a lot. It is almost as important as my food processor (*snicker*).
chuq
--
From the closet of anxieties of: Chuq Von Rospach
{amd70,fortune,hplabs,ihnp4}!nsc!chuqui (408) 733-2600 x242
I'm sure I have my death ray in here somewhere...eac@drux3.UUCP (CveticEA) (05/31/84)
I second the motion for a Weber kettle. They do a wounderful job on
roasts, steaks, etc. You don't always have to cook with direct heat.
They have attachments that allow you to pile the coals to the side
so you don't burn the bottom of your roast or chicken. My second choice
for grills is my JennAir range. The JennAir gives a good grilled flavor
because most of the flavor comes from the fat burning on the hot coils.
But during the summer, except on rainy days, my range has to take
second place to the Weber Kettle.
Betsy Cvetic
drux3!eacharvey@trsvax.UUCP (05/31/84)
#R:mb2c:-25000:trsvax:34100005:000:858 trsvax!harvey May 31 09:38:00 1984 I've been using a gas grill (Arkla) for the past two years and will never go back to charcoal. It's very easy to set and maintain the desired temperature, and is ready to use in 10 minutes after lighting it. You also don't have to put up with the mess of charcoal. Depending on your area, there may be a problem with spiders taking up residence in the gas supply tubes. You may have to clean them out once in a while. The major disadvantage of a gas grill is having it run out of gas. If you want to invest an extra $30.00, you can by a spare tank and keep it around. Whatever type of gas grill you get, make sure it has a gas guage in it. The best kind is the one that's built into the gas bottle, however the ones that weigh the bottle are satisfactory. Harvey Lefer ...!convex!ctvax!trsvax!harvey ...!microso!trsvax!harvey
deborah@avsdS.UUCP (06/02/84)
I bought a Weber charcoal grill last summer, and I don't think I'll ever barbecue with anything else ever again. It's almost impossible to overcook anything in a Weber using indirect heat and the cover. I have smoked brisket in mine with good sucess (though it takes many hours), as well as cooked salmon and trout over direct heat. I like the vanes in the bottom that control air flow and double as cleaning sweepers. The metal is very high quality, and the grill (the silver part) is easy to clean. -deborah gronke bennett fortune!dsd!atd!s:deborah or ucbvax!atd!s:deborah