Types of Grills: How to Choose the Right One
Grilled foods can provide various benefits, but how exactly do you choose the right grill?
Whether you’re cooking at home or in a restaurant, having a decent grill will enhance the way you make food. However, many types of grills exist, so you must learn about each of them if you’d like to get the best option.
In this guide, we’ll help you with the process by outlining several grill types and their benefits. In no time, you’ll know exactly what to look for in grills.
Read on to learn all about grills and how to choose one.
Charcoal
Charcoal grills are some of the most common and provide a ton of flavor to foods. If you’re familiar with a certain charcoal grill, you’ll likely have a simple time adapting to another one because most of them function similarly.
Air intake is extremely important when cooking, and it’s often located toward the bottom of a charcoal grill. When air enters the grill, it’ll pass through the charcoal and leave at the top of the grill. This makes the grill hotter by providing plenty of oxygen to the fire.
The main benefit of buying a charcoal grill is the adjustable air intake. When cooking, you can adjust it at any time to stabilize the temperature. Throughout the entire cooking process, you can expect to have a consistent temperature as long as you have enough charcoal.
Charcoal Kettle
Kettle grills also happen to be some of the most common, and they use charcoal.
When choosing a grill, you’ll find many with simple shapes. Charcoal kettle grills are extremely simple, with nothing more than a round bottom and removable top. They also come with stands and grill grates.
To cook with a charcoal kettle grill, all you must do is place charcoal below the grates. Due to the grill’s simplicity, you can adjust the charcoal as you see fit. The open grates allow debris to fall away from the food and provide solid airflow while cooking.
Kamado
Kamado grills are similar to kettle grills, though they have an egg-like shape. They’re also made of thick ceramic, making them much heavier than kettle grills.
Like a kettle grill, airflow enters the bottom and leaves the top of a kamado grill. However, minor adjustments to the grill can drastically change the temperature because of its mass.
Many people use hardwood lump charcoal in their kamado grills because it produces less ash, but a kamado grill can make good use of any charcoal.
The main appeal of kamado grills is their ability to maintain high temperatures. You can also find a ton of accessories that help you get more out of cooking, such as a heat deflector, which evenly distributes heat throughout the food.
Pellet
If you love cooking at home, a pellet grill may be a good investment because it can both smoke and grill food.
Instead of charcoal, pellet grills use wood pellets that are loaded into a burn pot. Pellet grills use both wood pellets and electricity to maintain a certain temperature, so you don’t need to adjust much when you start cooking.
Pellet grills are stellar options when cooking things like brisket and ribs because they don’t require much monitoring. However, they require power sources, which can prevent you from setting them up wherever you’d like.
Gas
Like charcoal grills, gas and propane grills are popular options for anyone that wants to get the most out of outdoor cooking.
These grills use various burners to cook feed with direct and indirect heat. They also heat up fast, so you can start cooking within minutes.
A variety of accessories exist for gas and propane grills, including side burners, thermometers, and searing equipment. New accessories are always in development, so grill owners can keep things fresh at all times.
The main downside to getting a gas or propane grill is that you won’t get a smoky flavor in your food. To do this, you must use charcoal or pellet grills.
Choosing a Grill
When it comes to choosing a grill, you should first think about the type of food you’ll cook on it. If you want to cook a ton of BBQ meats, you should consider a charcoal or pellet grill. However, if you’d like to get things done as fast as possible, a gas grill would be a good option.
You should also think about the number of people you’ll cook for. Kettle grills, for example, aren’t suitable for cooking large amounts of food. However, you can cook things at different temperatures with a gas grill.
The last thing to consider is your budget. Because many different types of grills exist, you shouldn’t have a problem finding one you can afford. However, save some money before buying one to have more options. If you’re unsure of how much grills cost, you can read more on grills and smokers.
Browse Various Types of Grills Today
Now that you know about several types of grills start researching them online to familiarize yourself with different brands. The more info you can gather, the easier it’ll be to make the right choice. Choosing the right built-in grill for your outdoor kitchen can be a daunting task, but RTA Outdoor Living’s guide on how to choose a built-in grill can help simplify the process and ensure that you make the right choice for your needs and budget.
If you’re new to grilling, we encourage you to buy something small, such as a charcoal kettle grill. As you gain experience, you can upgrade to the likes of a kamado grill or gas grill.
Learn more about grilling by checking out the rest of our blog. We have several resources that’ll aid you.
