How to choose an outdoor grill: helping you determine the criteria

How to choose a BBQ grill

When choosing an electrical version, you need to consider whether it is contact or non-contact. In the first course, the dishes are placed on the embossed ceramic surface. There are open and closed models. There are such categories:

• One-sided. They are easy to control. Their prices are low. They have little protection against foul odors.
• Bilateral. Frying goes on both sides and quite quickly. Prevents unpleasant odors from spreading.
• Universal. They combine the functionality of item 1 and item 2.

How do I use the contactless version? The food is put on a skewer or skewers. They rotate in a container with hot air.

There are three variations of electric grills:

1. Floor. It is mobile, ideal for outdoor cooking. An extension cord is needed.
2. Desktop. The most compact. But you cannot cook massive pieces of meat or whole vegetables on it.
3. Integrable. Usually used in public catering.

Other criteria:

• Power. For one person, 0.8 kW is enough. For the company - about 2 kW.
• Surface area. The more people, the more it is.
• Determinant of readiness. A useful additional option for beginners.
• Automatic shutdown.
• Delayed start option.
• Mandatory presence of a pallet.

Among the manufacturers of contact versions, the leaders are Maxwell, Tefal and Phillips.

Outdoor barbecues for summer cottages of the Shteba and Klaktronic companies are especially in demand.

When choosing a coal version, the criteria are as follows:

• The type and quality of its material. The best options: ceramics, stainless steel, even cast iron.
• Wall thickness - at least 2 mm.
• Lattice material - stainless steel or cast iron.
• The size for your purposes.
• Lattice height regulation. Criterion for coal-wood models.

When choosing a gas barbecue grill, you need to follow these criteria:

• Gas cylinder safety.
• Excellent stability (for mobile versions).
• Lattice material. Cast iron is best.
• Number, material and positions of burners (burners). They are usually made of ceramics. Powerful models have 3-4 burners.
• The presence of side shelves.
• Sizes for your goals and the size of the company.

How to use the grill rack

Your product is ready. Now is the time to figure out how to use the barbecue and grill grate, although there is nothing fancy about it.

Melt the grill.

After the coals are ready, place a grate on top of the barbecue. Wait 5-7 minutes for the mesh to heat up, then turn it over to the other side. Moisten it with a few drops of oil so that nothing sticks while cooking;

Place the pre-marinated pieces of meat;

After the fat on the bottom of the meat will start to boil, turn it with a fork or tongs.

Repeat the process several times - until tender. The average cooking time for pork is 20-25 minutes, chicken is 13-16 minutes, fish is 7-10 minutes, vegetables are 5-10 minutes. However, it all depends on the thickness of the food, the composition of their marinade and the heat.

Finally, you need to clean the mesh. But we will tell you below how to clean the barbecue grill from carbon deposits.

More complex version

What distinguishes a stationary structure from a temporary barbecue is that it implies the presence of a small chimney and walls for protection from drafts, as well as a lower shelf on which firewood is kept.

Smoldering coal has a very low temperature. Therefore, the brickwork lays down on the cement composition, and not on the clay. After all, it is gradually washed away by the rains, and it loses its color from the cold.

To create a shelf and a hearth tray, it is necessary to embed (embed) reinforcing bars into the wall. A brick is laid on top of this wall. The arch is arranged according to a previously prepared sample. When the composition hardens, the sample is removed.

A plaque or asbestos is used to create a chimney. This type of barbecue needs minimal traction. Otherwise, the coal will constantly ignite and not smolder. For this reason, the chimney is kept low and provided with a top.

Under the hearth, you can make an area for storing and drying firewood. All masonry can be sheathed from the outside with decorative stone or tiles.

For better comfort on the side of such a barbecue, you can make an oversized table or shelf for food and dishes.

It is not necessary to use a stone to lay out the hearth. You can arrange a mobile metal pan for coal. It is convenient to kindle a large flame and prepare coals in it. It is easily placed on the site of the hearth.

Coal does not produce soot. For this reason, the inner compartment and the hearth do not get dirty. There are ready-made metal grills and barbecues for summer cottages on sale. They can be used as such a pallet. By design, they are a steel box with no top. In this case, the grate with food is placed on the walls of this tray.

If the walls are not high enough, then several protrusions are arranged in the walls of the inner compartment. According to the degree of coal combustion, the grate is deployed lower. It is so convenient to regulate the cooking process.

The barbecue can be equipped with a visor, give this structure an original shape and arrange decorative grates there.

Types of barbecues

The brazier, so to speak, is orthodox, which came to us from the countries of the Middle East, has a rounded shape... In fact, this is a separate brazier, which is fixed on the legs before cooking in it.

However, in our latitudes, the majority when the word "brazier" imagines rectangular metal structure with legs that can be of different lengths. This simple device is, in fact, an ordinary container in which a fire is made in order to then cook food on smoldering coals (the same shish kebab).

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Coal (or firewood that turns into coal during combustion) is poured onto the bottom of the barbecue, the side walls of which have special holes at the bottom, allowing to maintain combustion... When cooking on a grill over embers, skewers are most often used, which are inserted into special slots on top of the side walls of the grill.

If you use a grate to cook meat on the grill, then the second cooking method comes into play - conduction. This is obvious, since the solid body (that is, the grate), when heated, transfers heat to the meat (vegetables, etc.) in the place where the food comes into contact with the grate.

Here it should be noted that we are talking about an open grill. Since infrared radiation comes from below, from embers, we are forced to constantly turn the skewerto ensure even browning and to prevent the meat from burning.

You can also find barbecues with a lid on sale. However, in fact, a brazier with a lid ceases to be ... a brazier, and turns into a grill... We will talk about grilling a little later, but now we will take a closer look at what braziers we can use for cooking meat and other food.

The whole wide range of offered barbecues, with all the variety forms and various devicesthat facilitate cooking can be divided into the following types:

Portable grill

A portable brazier is usually a collapsible brazier. The design of this device is such that it's pretty easy to make outto put in a box or bag in order to go out into nature with it.

The wall thickness of a portable collapsible barbecue is on average about one millimeter (plus or minus). The weight of such a barbecue is small. But this is where its advantages, by and large, end.

The brazier is deformed not only from constant heating to temperature several hundred degrees... The elements themselves are quite easily deformed during assembly and transportation of the brazier, which makes it impossible for its long-term use.

Disposable grill

A disposable grill is a great option for those people who are not ready all the time. suffer with assembly and disassembly barbecue portable. In addition, many such devices are sold not only with skewers, but even with a ready-made set of coals (this is especially true for the so-called mesh barbecues).

Stationary grill

Brick grill is the most expensive representative of a stationary grill, which is usually installed in a gazebo or outdoors... Also, such a grill can be made of stone.

Since people often eat right there, near a stationary brick barbecue, this device for frying meat and the preparation of other food is equipped with a smoke collector with a chimney. This allows smoke to be directed away from the cooking and resting area.

Cooking meat on a brick grill does not interfere with wind and bad weather, since the hearth of the device is reliably protected brick walls... It is impossible not to mention also one more component, which is provided by a brick grill - about aesthetics.

Indeed, the walls of a brick barbecue can be faced with special heat-resistant tiles or used other modern materials for cladding and decoration of the barbecue.

With all its indisputable advantages, not every stationary brick brazier can provide convection cooking (as opposed to grilling). Why is the grill so remarkable and why in some cases this device is indispensable for cooking meat and other products?

About the choice of shape and design

It was already mentioned above that the shape of a barbecue can be round or rectangular. Which one to choose depends entirely on the preferences of the buyer. So, those who like to cook barbecue prefer rectangular options. After all, it is more convenient to place skewers on them.

In addition, for those cases where the barbecue will be located outside of any room, you should give preference to products that have a roof. She will be able to protect both food and the one who cooks from bad weather or the scorching sun.

It is worth adding that some manufacturers have added some useful additions to the barbecue design. They do not have any effect on the taste of the prepared dish, but they make the cooking process more convenient.

Such additions are:

• side shelves;
• hood;
• washing;
• countertop;
• stove;
• storage space for firewood.

These seemingly little things contribute to the fact that the use of barbecue is a real pleasure for those who love to create culinary delights.

Peculiarities

People have long fallen in love with aromatic meat, fish or vegetables cooked over charcoal. However, it is not always possible to get out into nature. With the help of modern technology, this issue can be easily resolved.

The products have other advantages as well.

• The benefits of eating such dishes are justified. Indeed, when cooking, you do not need to use oil, unlike frying in a pan.
• The preparation technology involves the formation of a crust, which retains all the juice with vitamins and microelements inside.
• The benefits of food can be preserved when cooking at home. Modern electric grills with infrared radiation allow you to prepare the most dietary and easily digestible food.
• The grill setting helps to diversify the poor diet of people with problem stomachs or those who are watching their weight. In this case, the food should be cooked without a fried crust. Fish and vegetables prepared in this way are especially useful.

However, such a device has its drawbacks. Some of them can cause significant harm to the human body.

• Foil is often neglected when cooking meat outdoors. However, this can lead to spoilage of the dish.Flames ignited in coals can burn food, and dripping fat impregnates the meat with harmful carcinogens.
• A large proportion of nutritionists believe that the constant use of grilled meat products is dangerous to human health. The crust loved by many on a piece of meat can lead to sad consequences for the body.
• Rotten branches and logs emit harmful substances during combustion, therefore they are not suitable for obtaining coal.

• The use of ignition fluids is also harmful. These substances will spoil the taste of the product and impregnate it with chemicals that are in the mixture and become more harmful when burned.
• Using newsprint to light the cooked food will harm. Printing ink contains lead, a substance that settles in the lungs and accumulates in the body.
• Grilling food from the microwave does not provide any benefit. Microwaves penetrate the food and deprive it of all nutrients.

Making a grill grate with your own hands

Today you can pick up almost any shape in the store. Why do many people still prefer to make their own barbecue grates?

• As a rule, grilles from manufacturers have standard sizes and may not always fit some barbecues, including homemade ones. And in order to fit them, it is necessary to completely redo the structure.
• If you want to make, for example, a product from cast iron, then by building it yourself, you will save a sufficient amount of money;
• You will be able to design the lattice as convenient as possible: weld the handles, make the required distance between the rods, etc.

The very process of how to make a do-it-yourself grill grate consists of the following steps:

1. selection of the characteristics of your design (shape, size, type);
2. selection of suitable material;
3. preparation of stainless steel rods and installation of the frame;
4. making and fixing the handle.

We also recommend that you familiarize yourself with our other article about do-it-yourself barbecues made of metal. Dimensions, photos and additional instructions from professionals are waiting for you!

Choosing the size, type and shape of the structure

Determine the required dimensions. Typically, the recommended barbecue and grill grates are 35 x 26 x 2 cm. This is enough to feed 3-4 people (1.5-2 kg of meat). If you want to make enough portions for 5-7 people (3-3.5 kg), then you should lay the length 70 cm and the height 4 cm. The width of the barbecue and grill grate in this case should be 45 centimeters.

Decide what type of mesh you want to make. Will a single design suit you (often used on the grill) or do you need a double one (described above).

Decide on the shape. The most versatile is considered a rectangular one - you can easily cook most dishes on it.

Choosing a material for manufacturing

Answering the question of what to make a grate for a grill, we note that when making a decision, it is important to be guided by the following rules:

• the material is fire-resistant and can withstand high temperatures;
• metal is not susceptible (or slightly susceptible to) corrosion and rust;
• the material is usually used for contact with food.

The raw material for the longitudinal frame can be ordinary steel, and for the mesh - stainless steel.

Cooking wire strands and making a frame (frame)

The implementation of this stage depends on what type of barbecue you have. With a more massive structure, we recommend doing as follows:

We take two rods 10 mm high, 8 mm thick, for the longitudinal base. You want to measure 450 mm in length and adjust them.

Cut off stainless steel rods with a diameter of 5 mm and a length of 250 mm.

Sand off the cut corners.

We make serifs for drilling through 15 mm. With this distance, the grill mesh will be the optimal size, allowing you to cook both large and small pieces of meat.

Use a center punch and hammer to make small holes along the serifs.

We drill holes in the longitudinal rods with a 5 mm drill.

Now we connect what happened: we push others, thinner ones into one longitudinal rod;

We push thin rods into the second longitudinal rod. Upon completion, we level everything with a hammer;

We use argon welding and weld thin rods to the base.

We clean the edges with sandpaper or a disc.

This grill will perfectly fit into special recesses made in the grill in advance.

Handle making and fastening

Upon completion of the installation, it remains to weld the handle.

1. We can weld two handles on the left and right side. This can be done if your grill is not made in the form of a fireplace, but, for example, as in the photo below.
2. We weld the handle (s) from the front of the grill as shown in the photo below. Suitable for use with a closed-type barbecue in the form of a fireplace, or on any other grill.

You can also use the classic wooden handle. The easiest way to buy it in a store than to do it yourself - it has a fairly inexpensive cost.

Description of the device

First, let's talk in more detail about what exactly is a barbecue. This word most often means a barbecue grill, and sometimes "barbecue" is called a dish or sauce. In our article, of course, we will talk about a device with which you can cook delicious meat, fish and vegetable dishes.

So, a barbecue is a container that can be round or rectangular in shape. Its volume may be different. From above, the container is covered with a grate. In the lower part of it there are special holes, the purpose of which is to regulate the air entering the device.

Some barbecue models also have a lid. It provides better quality frying of the dish. After all, when the lid is covered, the product warms up not only from the bottom and sides, but also from above.

Using a device such as a barbecue is very simple. For this, fuel is placed on the bottom of the container. It can be coal or wood. The fuel is ignited, and a grate with the food to be cooked is placed on top.

Classification by material type

Today, grill grates are sold in almost any store or supermarket. They are mainly made from refractory thin steel, which makes such structures extremely lightweight. However, the following materials were also distributed on the market:

• cast iron;
• stainless steel;
• iron.

They are popular because of their versatility. Such a grill for a barbecue can be used both on a stationary grill, and you can take it with you on a hike and put it on two supporting stones.

The lightest of all models is a stainless steel barbecue net - it weighs the same as a set of skewers. Each type of grille has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. Let's take a closer look at them.

Cast iron grill grate for barbecue

Since time immemorial, a cast iron grill grate for a barbecue has been one of the best materials for making dishes. By itself, it is an alloy of carbon with iron and the addition of silicon, manganese and sulfur. Thanks to this, the material can withstand high temperatures without deforming.

A cast iron barbecue grate is made by pouring cast iron alloy into pre-prepared molds from sand and clay... After the material cools down, the mold is removed and then the product is polished.

Structures made of such material are mainly used for cooking vegetables or meat, both outdoors and indoors.Due to the fact that cast iron heats up slowly, but retains heat well, the dishes are well and evenly fried.

The cast-iron grill and barbecue grill has several undeniable advantages over others, but also a number of disadvantages. They are all described in the table below.

Stainless steel grill

The term “stainless steel” generally refers to an iron-carbon alloy with a chromium content of at least 12%. These stainless steel grills and barbecues are extremely resistant to all types of corrosion, which makes them suitable for cooking various types of food. There are many types of material, however, several types are used for food purposes:

• AISI 304;
• AISI 304L;
• AISI 430;
• AISI 316;
• AISI 316L;
• AISI 316Ti;
• AISI 321.

Stainless steel grill grate with two handles

For the production of meshes, 15 meters of 3 mm round rods are used, which are bent accordingly.

The rods are welded together using argon welding

Grilles made of this type of material are most common in our market. The main advantages of grilles stainless steel for grills in the table below.

How to make a brazier out of bricks with your own hands - step by step instructions, drawings and photos, what kind of brick you need, pros and cons

Of iron

Iron is both durable and at the same time cheap metal and can easily withstand temperatures over 800 degrees Celsius, which allows it to be used both for the barbecue and for grilling.

For the construction, iron rods with a diameter of 6 or 8 mm and an iron mesh with a thickness of 1.5 mm are suitable. First, weld a rectangle - the frame of the grill for the barbecue. After that, cut the required mesh size to fit the frame. Next, weld in the corners around the perimeter

This material is not very practical to use - it is prone to fading and rust. In order to avoid this, it is necessary to carefully monitor it: clean and wash with water after each cooking, and sometimes clean off the rust that has appeared with special sandpaper. With poor care, the iron mesh can break over time.

Grille selection help - professional advice

If you do decide to buy a grill grate, rather than design one, the following tips from the experts will come in handy:

It is best to choose a deep grill and barbecue grate.

Who knows, suddenly today you are cooking fillet pieces on a flat grid, and tomorrow a recipe will come to mind, for which you will need to press the contents on top.
It is desirable that the handle is made of wood - at a high temperature in the grill itself, it should not heat up.

It is important that you can change the distance between the top and bottom walls of the grill - so you can easily cook first large pieces of chicken, and then thin pieces of vegetables;

Make sure that your design has mustache-clips - so it can hold on to the grill .. In the Russian market, several brands have won the greatest popularity

Each of them has its own distinctive features and focuses on a specific segment of buyers. The comparison table is shown below:

Several brands have gained the greatest popularity on the Russian market. Each of them has its own distinctive features and focuses on a specific segment of buyers. The comparison table is shown below:

In conclusion, it should be said that the production of grills and barbecues is only gaining momentum today. The average price for a stainless steel grill grill ranges from 400-600 rubles, depending on the region.

Whether you want to buy a barbecue grill in a store or make it yourself, you must take into account many nuances so that, in the end, the design performs exactly the functions it should. We talked about the most popular types of grids, and which one is better is up to you. Good luck!

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Barbecue in the form of a fireplace

This design is stationary. They are built mainly of stone (including brick). The building turns out to be rather cumbersome, but it has a wonderful design. a variety of this design is a barbecue cauldron made of bricks. In it you can cook not only meat, fish and vegetables, but also the first and second courses. How to use a stationary barbecue? Let's figure it out.

Features of firewood ignition

Using wood as fuel, take a look at our tips on how to start a barbecue:

• all firewood must be burned in a specially designated firewood basket. Only it is designed for high temperatures, unlike the rest of the barbecue;
• from tree species it is best to take birch or oak. They will create a mild heat for you and give a special flavor to the meat;

How to light up with charcoal

The most popular fuel for barbecues is charcoal, which has been burned for at least 20 minutes and has gray ash.

Here are some guidelines for people using coal:

• if you are cooking dishes for which you need to maintain a high temperature for a long time, add 5-7 new coals every 15-20 minutes;
• try to immediately remove the dust that forms from the combustion of coal. It usually accumulates in the lower compartment of the barbecue and can often block the oxygen supply to the main coals. As a result, the overall temperature in the barbecue can drop by several tens of degrees;
• it is best to extinguish the coals by covering the stove with the top lid. It may take from one to one and a half hours to completely cool the structure.

How to fry properly

There is only one tip on how to properly grill on a barbecue - watch the temperature carefully. Very often, the meat of novice cooks simply burns out due to the fact that they walked away for a couple of minutes and did not have time to follow the process.

If necessary, reduce the heat by lifting the grate up. The whole cooking process boils down to the following:

1. prepare the food that you will cook on the barbecue;
2. light the coals (firewood), prepare them to the desired temperature;
3. Place the meat on the center of the wire rack. The heat is strongest there. Cover with a lid;
4. when you fry and a small crust appears on the meat, move it to the edge of the grate where the heat is weaker;
5. Place vegetables in the center of the wire rack. Close the lid;
6. remove from the barbecue as vegetables and meats are ready.

Care

Caring for a fireplace barbecue should be more thorough than other types. If it is not used, then it is better to completely clean it from burnt and cooled raw materials.

In addition, special attention must be paid to the lattice, removing all unnecessary from it. The best way to do this is to use a brush and water.