• What kind of cooking do you prefer?
  
  
  • The most traditional grills are charcoal grills. Although blind surveys argue that fuel type makes little to no difference in taste, loyalists swear there is no substitute for charcoal’s natural flavor enhancement. Charcoal grills are the slowest to heat and the hardest to maintain; igniter fluid and fresh charcoal are required for each cooking session.
    
    
  • Cleaner, faster, safer, versatile, lower-maintenance options to charcoal grills are gas grills, which require no lighter fluid, produce less ash, feature easy-adjust heat levels, and eventually cost less to operate with more efficiently burning fuel. Mid- and higher-priced gas grills also come with at least two burners, giving cooks discrete cooking spots that can accommodate different temperatures. Gas grills use either replaceable propane tanks or come in natural-gas models, which can hook up to permanent fuel sources.
    
    
  • Electric grills, while generally more expensive than the other options, are far and away the easiest to operate and produce the most evenly distributed heat. Electric grills are flameless, powerful, compact, adjustable – and the least classic option of the three. Because they’re relatively powerful and can reach high temperatures quickly, they’re great for searing steaks and steak-like cuts.
    
    
  • If you like the idea of massive hunks of meat cooking for long hours at low temperatures, consider smokers, which come in electric, charcoal, gas, and charcoal/wood varieties. Smokers cook with dry heat and temperatures ranging from around 140-210 degrees.
  
  
  
• What should I know about grills?
  
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  • Cooking surface
    
    
    • Grilling area – Usually given in square inches, the grilling area is the best indicator of the grill’s cooking capacity. The grilling area references the primary cooking surface; higher-end products often include secondary cooking features like rotisseries and side burners for condiments and side dishes.
      
      
    • Burners (gas only) – Charcoal and electric grills have one large cooking surface. All but the least expensive gas grills are divided into at least two individually controlled burners, which allow cooks to treat different cuts or types of food with appropriate temperatures. The more expensive the grill, the more burners it is likely to offer.
    
    
    
  • BTUs (gas only) – The number of BTUs (or British Thermal Units) per hour produced by gas grills is indicative of the grill’s cooking power. BTUs/hr are usually indicated by burner; if a product indicates combined BTUs, you can divide the total BTUs by the number of burners to get an approximate value per burner. The more BTUs/hr, the more powerful the grill.
    
    
  • Temperature range (electric only) – Electric grill specifications indicate the product’s heating capability, e.g. 150-500 degrees. Higher temperatures are ideal for quick-searing meat and keeping the inside delectably rare.
    
    
  • Construction materials – Steel is the most common construction for all types of grills; porcelain-coated steel is easy to clean and retains heat well, while stainless steel is extremely durable and weather-resistant. Cast aluminum has better heat retention than steel but is less sturdy, even when powder-coated.
    
    
  • Handles (construction) – Most grills come with handles, either for lifting the lid or for pushing/pulling/carrying the grill from place to place. Be sure that the handles are made of durable yet non-conductive material (i.e. wood, glass-reinforced nylon, etc.) that will neither snap off nor burn your hands.
    
    
  • Design features – The more you pay for a grill, the more details you should get. These include things like trays to catch oil, grease, and/or ashes; air intake and vent controls; storage shelving; condiment trays; warming racks; and rotisseries or spit rods.
    
    
  • Accessories – Many grills come with optional accessories like covers, to guard against outdoors elements like weather and insects, and tool sets that include heat-resistant tools like scrapers, tongs, and spatulas.
  
  
  
• What should I know about smokers?
  
  
  • Fuel source – You can choose from electric, gas, charcoal, or charcoal/wood smokers.
    
    
    • Electric smokers provide consistent, adjustable, maintenance-free heat that stands up to any kind of weather.
      
      
    • Charcoal smokers, which generally cost less initially but end up costing more to maintain, infuse meat with classic charcoal flavor.
      
      
    • Gas smokers, like gas grills, are easier to light and adjust than charcoal smokers. They’re cleaner and require less maintenance.
      
      
    • Charcoal/wood smokers, besides affording users a choice of fuel source, combine charcoal tradition with beloved wood-smoke flavor enhancements from trees like hickory and maple.
    
    
    
  • Cooking capacity – Most smokers have specifications for how much meat they can cook at once. A good entry-level quantity is 50 pounds, although there are models that list capacity by cooking-surface area rather than weight. Higher-end smokers can handle more meat at once; they can also feature fire boxes, for supplemental grilling; rotisseries, for additional roasting sites; and warming trays, for condiments.
    
    
  • Construction materials – Steel, stainless steel, cast aluminum, and heavy-gauge steel are the only acceptable materials for smokers, whose effectiveness is largely dependent on heat retention.
    
    
  • Design features – Besides coming in space-efficient vertical and more conventional horizontal designs, smokers can come with distinguishing design features including: temperature gauges; racks and compartments for extra storage and cooking space; condiment warming trays; cool-touch handles; air vents; and grease holes to catch drippings.
    
    
  • Covers – Many smokers come with options to add covers, which help protect the integrity of the product at little cost.

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