There’s no doubt about it. We Aussies love spending as much time outdoors as possible, whether camping in the wilderness or having a BBQ in our backyards. Backyard barbies are a great opportunity to spend some quality time with family and friends. And to make sure your steaks and burgers impress everyone and leave them wanting to come back for another get-together, you need to get the right BBQ and take care of it properly. Here are some things to consider.
How Many Burners Do I Need for My Grill?
This largely depends on how many people do you plan to cook for and your available space. A 2 burner BBQ is compact enough to fit in any cooking area. A barbie with 2 burners would be sufficient for a party of two, but a group of 5 or more people will have to wait in a queue to get their steaks served. On the other hand, a 6-burner BBQ will leave no one waiting. However, keep in mind the more burners, the more expensive and bulkier the BBQ would be. In addition, choosing a BBQ with more burners also means you’ll need to spend more on fuel.
With that being said, most people prefer a good model from the range of 4 burner BBQs. A 4 burner BBQ is a versatile choice as it can suit the needs of smaller and larger groups as well. It’s also not as big as a 6 burner model, which means it won’t take up a lot of space in your backyard.
As a safety measure, it’s recommended that your barbeque should be 0.5 – 1 m away from the house or any combustible materials. With that being said, it’s important to ensure that your grill has enough space to properly fit in.
What Type of Fuel Is Best?
How do you want to cook your food – over gas or charcoal? Charcoal barbeques as slower as the embers need more time to become hot enough to cook the food properly. If you want to speed up the cooking process with a charcoal grill, you will need to invest in a chimney starter which can help cook the food in 15 minutes. Food cooked on a charcoal grill has a distinctive smoky taste which many love.
On the other hand, with a gas grill you can start your cooking immediately. What’s more, gas grills allow you to regulate the temperature, allowing you to cook the food more evenly and precisely to your taste. Some gas BBQs with multiple burners also allow the option to cook food at different temperatures at the same time. This is quite handy if you want to prepare foods that require different heat intensities, like for instance vegetables and meat. While gas barbeques aren’t known for producing a smoky flavor, there are still ways to mimic the taste charcoal cooking provides.
What Type of Materials to Choose?
BBQ components are usually made of cast iron, stainless steel or aluminium. While cast iron barbeques are usually more affordable, they are prone to corrosion. As the cast iron parts start to rust, you will need to replace them with new parts. So, over time you can end up paying more than you would if you got a stainless steel BBQ in the first place. The benefit of stainless steel burners and hotplates is that they won’t rust and are also easier to clean and durable. And although stainless steel BBQs are more expensive, you don’t need to get something fancy. 4 burner BBQs made of stainless steel offer great value for money. On the other hand, you can also pick a BBQ with aluminium parts. Aluminium is thermally responsive, which makes aluminium grates great for speeding up the cooking time. However, aluminium is less durable than stainless steel and is more likely to warp or lose its finish over time.
How to Clean a BBQ Burner?
In order to get the most of your grill, you need to make sure that its burners are functioning properly. The burners directly influence the cooking time and the taste (and safety!) of the food, so it’s important to keep them clean. By doing so, you’ll also prevent some of the effects wear and tear can cause. With that being said, it’s a good idea to clean your grill after every use, and do some deeper cleaning once or twice a year.
To clean the burners, you will need to gather the right supplies – a de-greaser, a stainless steel cleaning solution and a grill brush. To access the burners, make sure the grill is off. If you’re using a gas grill, it’s a good idea to disconnect the gas tank. Then, remove the grates and spray some de-greaser on them. Let it sit for a few minutes and then remove any grime with the grill brush. Do this every time you use the grill. For a more thorough cleaning, mix a stainless steel cleaning solution in some water, and using a sponge scrub the burners gently. Make sure that the grill is completely dry before turning it on or closing the lid.
