About Gas Grills

Emma Snow asked:


Summer is here and the steaks are ready to grill, the only problem is that you don’t know exactly what type of barbeque grill to buy. There are many questions that need to be asked when buying a grill. Things such as cost, ease of use, other uses besides grilling, flavor and portability should be considered. The most important item in this list depends on what you want. This article looks in detail at the different categories and makes a judgment on which grills would be best in that category, charcoal, propane, natural gas or smokers.

Cost

If cost is the main factor, the grill to go for is charcoal. They start at $15.00 for a small, basic unit and only $30.00 for a standard 22″ kettle grill. Propane grills are the next lowest in price, starting at around $100.00 for a basic unit. A small smoker starts at around $130.00. Since natural gas grills are supposed to be hooked to a home’s gas line, they tend to be larger units, and more expensive starting around $300.00. They now have dual fuel grills as well that use natural gas most of the time but can also use propane; these are the most expensive with an asking price of $450.00 up.

Ease of Use

The easiest grill to use is probably the natural gas grill. It is hooked to your homes natural gas line and therefore doesn’t require you to buy large propane tanks on a regular basis. Getting a grill that has a battery powered or electric starter makes things even easier. Propane is probably the next easiest to use since there are no charcoal briquettes or wood chips to worry about. While it seems that a larger grill is a better grill, remember that larger also means a larger area to clean.

Additional Features

Natural gas or propane grills can offer additional cook spaces that a charcoal or smoker unit cannot. If you plan to cook full meals on your grill, gas burners and a warming tray come in handy. A rotisserie option may also be important to you depending on what you want to grill.

Flavor

If flavor is the most important item on your list, a smoker or a charcoal grill should be your first priority. Smokers are meant to slow cook over time and impart a smoky flavor to meats. You can choose the type of wood to smoke that will give you the flavor you are looking for. The only problem with a smoker is when you want a quick pork chop or hamburger, it isn’t so quick. Consider a gas grill for quicker cook meals and a smoker when you really want to impress the neighbors. Charcoal is the next best in the flavor department with no gas undertone. Gas grills can also impart a good grilled flavor, and now many gas grills have a smoker option on them.

Portability

When portability is the most imporant requirement, propane is the way to go. Charcoal grills run a close second. Small propane tanks make it easy to take your grill camping or to a tailgate party and you aren’t left wondering where to put the smoldering coals. Charcoal can work and there are several small portable units available; just make sure you have a plan for what to do with the used briquettes.



Carlos

Christopher Jent asked:


Consider some of the good reasons why you should choose natural gas appliances and amenities for your home. Certainly, you want your home to be a safe environment where your family can relax and feel comfortable. With natural gas you’ll find convenience and value for your energy dollar with more years of dependable service. Gas surpasses electricity on performance. It is also more cost-efficient. Being the cleanest source of energy obtained from fossil fuels, it helps promote a healthy environment adding no harmful emissions to the air. Listed below are the many uses of natural gas in the home along with their specific advantages

Natural gas for heating

Homes heated with natural gas all feel warm, comfortable, and draft-free. Even in the coldest weather, you can rely on a natural gas furnace while electric heat pumps may fail to adequately deliver heat. A gas furnace delivers air from the vent at about 130° F, while an electric heat pump needs to be as much as 40 degrees hotter. Over 70% of all new homes built currently use natural gas as the main central heating system. Gas furnaces bring a steady flow of warm air faster using less energy. The life of a gas furnace is usually double that of an electric heat pump. The pilot-less ignition and regulated zone heating can also save money on your heating bill.

Natural gas water heater

Heating water is the second largest energy user in the home. Waiting too long for hot water or, worse yet, running out of hot water too soon can be prevented by using a natural gas water heater. Whether you are showering or washing dishes, you want hot water fast and plenty of it. Gas flames provide instant heat, and today’s gas water heaters are even more efficient than older models. Using a natural gas water heater enables you and your family to enjoy long, relaxing hot showers.

Gas range top cooking

With a gas flame there’s no waiting for the burner to warm up or cool down. Contrary to an electric range, the cooking stops as soon as you turn off a gas burner. Cooking time is easily controlled on a gas range because it responds instantly to your touch. Foods can cook faster and more evenly. The pilot-less ignition of newer models eliminates the need for a standing pilot light. The flame burns only when the gas is turned on, cutting your gas usage by about one third so you can enjoy great food in less time. Nowadays, saving time is a great advantage.

Your clothes get dry faster with a gas dryer

Gas dryers outperform electric ones by more than a three to one ratio. Gas clothes dryers can provide significant cost savings without sacrificing performance features. Better temperature control from the natural gas flame allows your clothes to dry faster and more evenly. No more going to the dryer to find some clothes partially dry or even still wet. Features like pilot-less ignition, sensor controls, automatic cooling-down cycles and shut-offs, plus optional shorter cycles for de-wrinkling are all designed for better efficiency saving you money.

Natural gas fireplaces verses wood-burning fireplaces

Fireplaces burning wood can cause chimney fires, ashes and sparks. Clean-up is necessary and sparks can potentially harm children, pets, and/or furnishings. Just a flick of a switch can provide fuel-efficient, fuss-free flames from today’s gas logs and fireplace inserts. There is no need to buy wood and never mind about hauling and storing it. Enjoy a cozy fire instantly without dealing with the mess of a wood-burning fireplace. Gas fireplaces also offer the benefits of both radiant and convective heat.

Gaslights operate even during power outages

When a power outage happens, standard electrical lights go out, but the comforting glow from gaslights endures. Unlike electric lights, gaslights don’t attract insects. Gaslights add security and a warm welcome to entryways, driveways, patios, and decks near pool and garden areas.

Enjoy smoky, barbecue flavored food without the mess of charcoal or propane

There is no propane tank to fill, nor the wait for charcoal to heat up. Natural gas controls are right at your fingertips. Cooking outdoors can be safe, convenient, and reliable with natural gas barbecues. Natural gas flames can be fine-tuned with precision— something difficult to regulate with other barbecues. Another advantage to barbecuing with natural gas is that gas grills are easy to clean and virtually maintenance free.

Gas heaters for the pool, spa and patio areas

Natural gas patio and swimming pool heaters let you enjoy these areas more months out of the year. When warmed by natural gas, water temperatures in a spa or pool stay consistently comfortable. Patio heaters (available in an array of different models) can be used even in exposed outdoor areas. Natural gas patio heaters can keep you comfortably warm air for up to a 20-foot circular area.

Understanding the advantages of natural gas for your home makes the decision for using it easy. It is the choice for many new homes. Natural gas is stored at facilities managed by companies like, Triple Diamond Energy Corporation, which make sure to meet the seasonal demands as they increase. The energy is provided as needed without supply disruptions. Natural gas is stored underground in large reservoirs easily accessed through pipeline systems.



Luis

Barbecue Smoker Recipe Man asked:


Here’s the enigma of the barbecue grill…..

Two customers have complained today and one of my suppliers just isn’t providing the quality of materials that I need. In short it’s been a rough day “at the office”. I’m a bit down in the dumps but as soon as I get home and my heart lifts. My children greet me and are itching to tell me all about their day and there’s a wonderful smell of cooking coming from the kitchen.

I give my wife a hug and ask “Hey, what’s cooking?”

Tonight will be oven roasted chicken thighs on a bed of vegetables roasted in olive oil. A ciabatta loaf is warming in the oven and there’s a bottle of merlot open to breathe on the kitchen table to round it all off. What better way to start the evening?

I know without any further inspection that what my nose tells me smells good really is good simply because my wife has many years experience, she enjoys cooking and therefore knows the subject inside out.

OK so I may be taking it a little to the extreme to make the point and before you all start hollering back, let me point out that I do my family’s ironing and I clean the bathrooms so I’m part way from “Neanderthal” to “modern man”. I’m sure there’s plenty of us out there, sincerely I hope so.

My point is that considering all this talent my wife has and all her experience at cooking, why is it that when it’s time for a BBQ cookout it’s me that takes on the grill duties? The man of the house! What qualifications do I have? How much experience do I have?……… Zip….Nada…Niente! I can’t even follow the most elementary grill recipes.

If I were applying for a job as a car mechanic which garage in their right mind would take me on? Yet armed with the most appalling gastronomic CV I’m trusted not to poison the family and if that weren’t enough, we invite our best friends round in the honest belief that I won’t poison them too!

Ever been to a BBQ cookout where the hamburgers are burnt on the outside and frozen in the middle? I’m sorry to say that while we might have moved someway towards modern man with the housekeeping duties, we’re still eons away when it comes to the barbecue grill or meat smoker.

Now it has to be said that lighting the barbecue is definitely a man’s job. C’mon guys who doesn’t like playing with fire? So how ladies, do you eat safe in the knowledge that you’ll live until tomorrow? Well I’ve got one simple barbecue tip:-

Give him the matches and the firelighters but don’t give him any of the food - at least not for 45 minutes if charcoal, 15 minutes if gas. Believe me, if you bring it out any earlier it’ll be a cremation rather than a BBQ party.

My tip for good food is gentle cooking, heat is good and flames are bad. Fat dripping onto the coals creates the smoke that flavours the food but that same fat also can cause flames if the coals haven’t been allowed to settle. So in short, the coals should be hot and the flames not.

How do you keep your man away from the food without a padlock and chain on the refrigerator door? Give him a beer……or two! After all - I am a man!



Susan