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WHICH? REVIEWS: Barbecues
Which? have tasted dozens of sausages to find you the best barbecues! Which? tested both charcoal and gas barbecues looking for ease of use, assembly and cleaning as well as great taste.
Whether you opt for a gas or charcoal barbecue is largely a matter of personal preference.
Choose charcoal if you want a traditional, authentic outdoor cooking experience and don't mind waiting a while before you start cooking. Charcoal is ideal for weekend barbecues and get-togethers with family and friends where the barbecue will be the centre of attention.
Choose gas if you want instant heat for quick, easily controlled cooking. Gas is ideal for mid week or after work barbecues where you want to get going fast.
You can find out our Best Buy recommendations by taking out a trial to www.which.co.uk. Below, we explain more about the features of barbecues.
Gas vs charcoal barbecues
Barbecues are either gas or charcoal. Gas models use bottled liquid gas, available from DIY stores and petrol stations, and consequently provide a continuous heat source.
Charcoal models use either lumpwood or charcoal briquettes and will remain hot until they have turned to ash. Both types have their pros and cons, it's largely a matter of personal preference whether you opt for a charcoal or a gas barbecue.
Gas
Pros: Quick to pre-heat, easy to control heat, constant heat source
Cons: Lack of authenticity, can be complicated to assemble, gas bottles are hired - the initial outlay is around £50, they are also very heavy to lift
Charcoal
Pros: Traditional primitive cooking experience, authentic smoky flavour guaranteed
Cons: Takes around 45 minutes to pre-heat, controlling the heat takes practice, irregular burning of coals can produce unpredictable heat spots
Main barbecue features
Grill
This can be wire or cast iron. Cast iron is more durable but heavy to remove for cleaning.
Burners
Burners are positioned under the grill on gas barbecues. They heat up the grill directly or heat a vaporiser bar or lava rocks.
Warming rack
A warming rack can be used to keep food warm away from direct heat, or warm up sausages or burger buns.
Regulator
This attaches to the gas bottle to regulate gas flow. The type of regulator required depends on the type of gas used - check your instruction booklet for the correct type.
Side burner
You'll find this on some gas barbecues. You can use it to heat sauces.
Shelving
Shelves are useful for resting plates and tools during cooking or resting condiments on.
Hood
Close the lid to roast or smoke food. Always light with the lid up.
Extra features to look for
Fat collector / drip tray
Located under the grill on gas barbecues to collect fat run-off.
Ash catcher
Positioned under the grill on charcoal barbecues to collect ash and fat.
Air vents
These help control the temperature on charcoal barbecues. Open the vents to make coals burn faster and hotter. Always light the barbecue with vents open.
Griddle/hotplate
Use this to sear meat before cooking on the grill or for smaller items like fish that may fall through the grill.
Thermometer / temperature gauge
Some models come with a thermometer of temperature gauge to monitor the heat of the grill when cooking with the lid closed.
Lava rocks
These absorb and spread the heat more evenly on gas barbecues. Juices dripping on to lava rocks evaporate and help give food a smoky flavour.
Vaporiser bar
This is positioned over the gas flame, and generates the barbecue taste as fat drips on to the hot vaporiser.
So what's the best barbecue for you? By taking out a trial to www.which.co.uk you can discover all you need to know about barbecues and find out our Best Buy recommendations.
(c) Copyright Which? Ltd 2009, all rights reserved.
