The weather warms and the days become longer and people shake free from the clutches of winter hibernation to spend more time outdoors. Flowers bloom, grass grows, and grills shine. Looking around at your neighbors, you decide that you too would like to join the ranks of the barbeque masters. You imagine yourself, spatula in hand, wearing an apron that reads "Kiss the Cook" and serving culinary delights to your friends and family. You shake your head to clear the daydream away. The first step of this journey toward barbequing greatness is to purchase a grill.
There are several factors to keep in mind as you select your grill. The first issue you need to think about is location, location, location. Once you have your new grill, where are you going to put it? Knowing where you are going to put the grill will give you an idea as to how big a grill you can purchase. Will you be grilling indoors as well as out? Do you have a limited amount of space in which to store your grill? Do you live in a place where you can leave the grill outside for extended periods of time or do you need to bring the grill inside between uses? How many people will you use the grill to cook for regularly? If you have a family with six children with big appetites, buying a little portable grill that is only fourteen inches in diameter is probably going to be more of a headache than just cooking on a grill pan on the stove.
After you have determined the best location for the grill, the next item to keep in mind is which method you are going to use to fuel the fires under your food. A great debate rages all over the internet: propane or charcoal? Most of this particular argument is based on cooking time and flavor of the food. Supporters of charcoal say that you can taste the charcoal in the food. This is a personal taste preference. Supporters of propane say that propane is quicker. If you are going to be grilling between working all day and bringing the kids to sports practice, there is some merit in this argument. Researching this subject is the best way to go. Chat with those neighbors that have grills. Ask them which they prefer and why. Ask for a taste test demonstrating their grill's capabilities. In the end, the decision as to which fuel will cook your dinner is a completely personal choice.
Another item to consider is the monetary aspect of this purchase. Buying a grill can be either inexpensive or lavish. A quick search of "grills" under the sports and outdoors subcategory on http://www.amazon.com brought me 5,864 results. Not all of them were actual grills, but the grills ranged in price from just under .00 for a portable grill to ,275.00 for a New England Patriots MVP grill. With such a wide range of pricing, finding the perfect grill for you in your price range is possible. Decide how much you want to pay for a grill and let the shopping begin.
With all the different sizes, styles, and cooking methods out there shopping for a grill may seem daunting. Keeping these few points in mind will help narrow down what you are looking for and allow you to select a grill that will make barbequing for your friends and family everything you have dreamed of and more. After the grill is purchased and established at its new home, there is only one thing left to do...go buy yourself an apron.
