Economic

Weber Go-Anywhere Portable Gas Grill
This is a simple grill, without many frills or gimmicks.  However, it is still a Weber, so you know it’s going to be good quality, and coming in at about $55, it is also a great budget option.

The Weber Go Anywhere, can be taken anywhere, just as the name suggests.  The legs swivel into handles, and its light weight design makes it easy to carry to different places.  The grill is fairly sturdy, and has a decent amount of cooking space (160 sq in).   The heat is distributed evenly, so works well for grilling.

There are a few disadvantages with this weber.  The cooking grill is made of steel, so is not always easy to clean, and the spaces are a little large, so pieces of food can fall through.  Also, it does not sit as sturdy as some of the most expensive portable grills on the market.

All in all, this grill is a great value.  For less than $60, you are getting a grill that will probably meet your needs if you are camping or going to the beach.    However, I would not recommend it for tailgating, for which you might want something a little more elaborate, and that you don´t have to worry about weight.

Somewhere in the Middle

The Tool Box Grill
This grill first caught my eye for its coolness factor.  It looks just like a tool box, so it’s pretty fun to carry it around.  However, more importantly, it’s not just a nice looking grill, its performance is also excellent.

The Tool Box bbq is easily transportable, which I find is its greatest advantage.  You just close the box, clip it shut, and you´re ready to.    The grilling area is 173 sq/in, which is quite large for a portable grill.  It’s plenty powerful with a burner that generates 10,000 BTU.   And you get all of this in a package that weighs less than 20 lbs.

There are two things I don´t like about the Tool Box grill.  One is that there are no side tables, which can be really handy when you´re out camping or hunting.  Many of the other grills in this price range do have some sort of table available.  I also do not like the quality of the grill.  It is porcelain coated and therefore easy to clean, but it is thin and wiry….once you´ve used the Weber Q-120, it just doesn´t quite cook as nice.

In general, this is definitely a great grill if you need to be lugging one around with you.  I highly recommend it for camping, hunting, or taking out to a park, and it works pretty decent for tailgating as well.  Most importantly, it’s a great value, only around $85.

The Bomb

Weber Q-120
This grill is a true beauty.  If you have the money to spend, and you like to grill away from home, this is the one to go with.  Not only is it fun to use, it’s a great size, and you´ll definitely impress your friends with its design.

The tagline for this Weber is “small on size but big on performance.”  This is about right, as the Q-120 is definitely a great performing grill.  My favorite thing about the Weber Q-120 is the huge (189 sq/in) porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grate.  Not only is it durable and easy to clean, I must say steaks cook beautifully on this!!  So much nicer than the cheap, wiry grills you often get on portable grills.  This Weber also has two fold out tables, which are very useful when you´re cooking away from home.  The grill is powered by your standard 14 and 16 inch travel size propane tanks, but if you prefer a 20 oz, you can use an adapter.   This grill is rock solid, and with a name like Weber, you know its going to be durable.  The only downside to this grill is it is quite heavy, but that will not be a problem if you are transporting it by car.  It is also very expensive for a portable grill, selling for around $200. However, it makes a great option if you’re serious about grilling – whether its camping, hunting, or day trips.

**There is also a Q-220 grill that is nearly identical, but slightly larger and more powerful**

Here is a list of question you will need to ask yourself to help you decide.

1. Are you an experienced griller?
A portable gas grill is far easier to cook with than a charcoal grill. If you are new to grilling, you definitely want to choose this option. When cooking with gas, you have a lot more control over the cooking temperature. You can quickly change the grill from very hot, to not so hot, and vice versa. With charcoal, you are not able to change the heat, only the distance of the food from the grill.

2. How important is convenience?
Natural gas grills are ultra convenient. Lighting one is easy, even if it is raining outside. Charcoal, on the other hand, can be very difficult to light, and nearly impossible if it’s raining. It is also much dirtier. Charcoal always seems to get everywhere, including all over your clothes, and the builds up black soot. Cleaning a gas involves little more than a quick scrape with a cleaning brush.

3. How important is cost?
Natural gas grills tend to be more expensive the portable charcoal grills. This is because they are more difficult to make. A charcoal grill is basically a grill on top of a metal container. On the other hand, a gas grill is a little more intricate, because of the gas. This makes it more expensive.

4. How important is the flavor?
Charcoal, without a doubt, cooks the most flavorful food. The smoke from the charcoal lends a great smokey flavor to the food that is being grilled, and really makes for a flavorful steak, chicken, pork chop. A true barbequing purist will always choose charcoal over gas. Natural gas is easy to cook with, however it does not add flavor to the food it is cooking.

5. Are you concerned about polluting the environment?
When it comes to the envirobnment, the debate between charcoal and gas basically comes down to which one is LESS damaging. Believe it or not, charcoal is worse for the environment than propane. Most charcoal is made from petroleum, sodium nitrate, and coal dust. When it burns, this all goes into the einvironment, Although propane is in no way good for the environment, it does pollute significantly less than charcoal.

So there you have it. When you are trying to decide what type of grill to look for, ask yourself these five questions. They should help narrow it down for you, and you´ll then be ready to start looking for a particular type of grill.

Burgers, Steaks, Chicken Breasts, Pork Chops (basically all cuts of meat without a bone).

The first and most important thing to do is light up the grill, keep the lid closed, and make sure it gets as hot as it goes. Clean the grill as good as you possibly can. While all this is happening, keep your meat out of the fridge. It will cook much better if it is at room temperature. Once the grill is heated, and your meat is at room temperature, you´re ready to start grilling! If you have a basting brush, put a bit of vegetable oil on it, and spread that over the grill. If you don´t have oil or a brush, you can cut a piece of fat off of your meat, and use that. This will help your meat to seal quickly when it touches the grill.

Next step – throw your meat on the grill. Close the grill, and let your meat cook for one minute. Open the grill, flip your meat, and close the grill again. Turn the heat down to medium low (or medium if you don´t have much time). The idea for the high heat at the beginning is to ensure the meat is seared on both sides. By doing so, you will keep all the delicious juices inside. However, it is super important to turn the heat down after the meat has been seared, or you will dry it out while it cooks. We all know how disappointing a big juicy steak or chicken breast is if its dried out.

Continue cooking the meat until it is finished, at low temperature. If you do not have much experience grilling, get yourself a nice meat thermometer, which is a great grilling accessory.  Using it will help you to know when your food is finished cooking, without having to cut it open.   This is very important, because cooking your food for too long will also dry it out.

Fish and vegetables

Fish and vegetables are usually cooked in tin foil, because they do not cook well right on top of the grill (although a few vegetables such as peppers, corn, and onions can be cooked using either method). The barbecue should be preheated to medium heat. You can then place the fish and vegetables on the grill. Keep it covered int the tin foil the whole time, which will help to keep it moist. Once it has passed the correct amount of time, check to see if it is done, and remove.

Another very popular method for cooking certain pieces of fish is on a piece of cedar, but we´ll touch that on another post.

Other
You can cook just about anything on a grill, you just have to know how. For example, most appetizers or snacks need to be heated, and you can easily do this on your grill by heating them up. Wrap them in tin foil, and stick ‘em in the grill until they are warm. Other appetizers, such as skewered prawns, sausages, or chicken tots, can be grilled by direct fire.

What is plank grilling?
It involves grilling meat or fish on top of a wooden plank.  The most common is cedar, but any other type of wood that smokes can also be used.  For example, cherry, maple, oak and apple are also fairly common.  As you cook your food, the wood plank starts to smoke from the heat, and that smoke flavors your food.

Where can you find wood planks?
Cedar plank grilling is the most popular form of wood plank grilling, and it is now easy to find single use cedar planks.  Many grocery stores have them, as do specialty food stores, and even some wal-marts carry cedar planks.  You can also order them from numerous online stores.

How to cook with cedar planks (the process is the same for any other type of plank grilling):

The very first step you will need to take is to soak your planks in water.  The bare minimum recommended is one hour.  However, you are much better off with four hours, and if you can do it overnight, that would be ideal.   You want the wood to be as saturated with water as possible, to ensure optimal results.    Make sure the planks are submerged completely in the water, and that there is a little bit of space between each one.  Start with warm water, as this will help to open up the pores of the wood.

The next step will be to make sure you´ve got everything ready for grilling.   You should have all your barbeque accessories out, including a spray bottle to put out possible flames on your cedar plank.  You should also have your food totally prepared.  Once you are ready to get grilling, take your wood planks out of the water.  They should be patted dry with paper towel or a clean cloth, so that there isn´t an access of water sitting on the plank.  Start pre-heating your barbeque to medium heat.  Use a barbeque brush to add a thin layer of olive oil (or any vegetable oil) onto the cedar plank.  Place the plank in the barbeque for a few minutes to pre-heat it.

Remove the cedar plank, add your meat or fish, and put back in the barbeque.  You shouldn´t flip your meat or fish, so your only job now will be to keep an eye out for flames on your wooden plank.  You shouldn´t be opening the barbeque too often, because you don´t want to lose the flavorful smoke coming from your wooden plank.  However, if it catches fire, you will need to use your spray bottle to put out these flames.  You may have to do this various times, it is normal.

Keep in mind that your food is cooking with indirect heat.  This means it will take significantly longer to cook than if it were on an open flame.  Keep a meat thermometer handy so you can easily tell when your food is ready.    When it is finished, turn off the grill.  Remove your meat or fish from the plank and place it on a serving plate.  You are now ready for a delicious smokey flavored piece of meat or fish.

Tips for success:

One you get a little experience with wood plank grilling, you´ll find that it is a fun, unique and easy way to grill.  Try experimenting with different cuts of meat and fish, as well as different seasonings.  Here are a few tips:

• this method works best with items that cook slowly, so the smoky flavor can really penetrate the food.  It is not recommended for small fish fillets or thin steaks.   What works best are large cuts of meat (small roasts), fat steaks, fat chicken breasts, entire fishes, or very thick fillets, such as salmon.
• try using flavored oils on the board, and rubbing the board with spices.
• try different types of wood, so you can identify the different wood flavors.  You will find different woods go better with different types of food.

How to select wooden planks for grilling:

• planks should always be untreated.  You do not want to be smoking your food with chemicals!
• they should be about 1 inch thick
• they should be about 1 ft long by half a ft wide

Safety Tips:

• when you are soaking cedar planks, make sure it is in a clean bucket, and keep it covered
• always have a spray bottle handy!
• once you are finished with the grill, make sure to turn it off, especially if you leave your wooden planks on top!
• be careful when removing hot cedar planks from the barbecue.   If you need to do this, make sure to do so with heat proof bbq gloves.  You can can also use tongs to move it to a pail of water.  However, be very careful while transporting it and it is best to have the pail of water beside your bbq.
• do not place recently used wooden planks on anything flammable.  It is best to place them directly in a pail of water.
• do not use cedar planks more than once

Looking for specific recipes?   Try Cedar Grilling.  They have lots of great recipes as well as other useful information.

Spatula
A spatula is the perfect item for flipping your meat, fish, burgers (and eggs if you are using a griddle). Tongs are also very useful, but for certain food, such as burgers and any item that may stick to the grill, you risk it falling apart. You can use also use other items such as a fork, a knife, and many other items. However, all of them will end up damaging your food, or you could end up puncturing the meat, meaning you will lose valuable juices.

Tongs
When you don´t need a spatula, you will probably need tongs. They are the perfect pair to your spatula. Flipping certain items can be difficult with a spatula. When that is the case, you should be using tongs. Also, to re-arrange items, tongs are much more useful.

Meat Thermometer
Unless you are a master griller, you probably can´t tell by touching your food if it is cooked to the desired temperature or not. The meat thermometer will prevent you from having to cut your food (losing juices, not to mention it looks bad). You can even get high tech ones that don´t require you to puncture the meat to take its temperature.

BBQ Lighter
If you don´t have a button to light your grill, you´ll definitely want a bbq lighter. It is far easier to use than a lighter because of its length, and also much safer. I recommend always having one on hand, because you never know when your grill´s built it sparker will break down.

Basting brush
Nothing ads flavor to your meat better than your favorite barbecue sauce, and the only way to properly ad this sauce is with a basting brush. This works far better than just squirting sauces on top, as the sauce will seep into your food much better.

BBQ Grill Brush
It is imperative that your grill is properly cleaned before cooking on it. Get a decent brush that is easy to use for cleaning.

Have you got all your accessories and your grill? Why not check out our Grilling Tips to help you grill juicy and flavorful food.