The Best BBQ Grills

The ultimate barbeque requires many things, good weather, group of good friends, possibly a beer or two, top quality meat and a good grill to cook it on.

So what makes a good barbeque grill?

Again and rather confusingly this again depends on a few things, your requirements and a few of your preferences. I will go over a few things I have learnt over the years, either cooking a barbecue for friends, family, at safari lodges or just for two and point out what I think is the ultimate braai grill in any given circumstance.

Gas or Charcoal BBQ?
I grew up on using wood which we let burn down until it formed coals, so essentially was a charcoal braai. We did however use a gas skottel braai for fry ups like breakfasts, where the gas essentially heats a large dish and so is perfect for frying. So for me there is no better option, just different horses for different courses:

There's nothing like the taste and smell of food grilled over hot coals, it fills the met with a distinct flavour that you cannot replicate with gas. Then there is the fun of getting the fire started and keeping it properly tended while you cook, it's a kind of hands-on, primal experience.

With Gas on the other hand you get a perfect fire at the push of a button, precision temperature adjustments and there is no charcoal set-up and the post-barbeque ashes. The choice is strictly personal and you need to consider how you plan to use your barbecue grill, will you grill every night or just on special occasions? Will that change over time? There is also the cost to consider, gas grills are more expensive to initially purchase, but they generally cost less to operate in the long run. You need to just pick the one that's right for you.

The Charcoal BBQ
I grew up on solid fuel braai's in Zimbabwe, back there we would almost always use wood as a fuel for a bbq and personally I still prefer it to using charcoal but I do recognise the environmental benefits of not chopping down all the trees to cook meat and here in the UK wood is pretty expensive, so charcoal is probably the way to go. If you can find wood, please make sure it comes from a sustainable source and it should be some sort of hard wood so that it creates long lasting coals. Back home the prized wood for any braai was that from a leadwood tree which as it's name implies is a very hard wood and burns for days (literally) In fact did you know that ball bearings were once made from the wood of a leadwood tree!

What to look for in a good Charcoal Barbeque:
The best thing about charcoal grill BBQs are their simplicity. At the heart of any good charcoal grill is the charcoal grate to place the fuel on and should allow air to circulate from underneath and let ash fall away. Above that is a cooking grate. Simple and uncomplicated.

The cooking grates need to be made from heavy-duty plated steel or chrome-plated aluminum. The thicker, heavier-gauge cooking grate the better as these will tend to last longer and distribute and retain heat better. Grates coated with porcelain enamel are a common step-up feature. The best grates are made of cast iron, stainless steel, or porcelain-coated aluminum or cast iron.

The overall feel of your barbecue should be of a sturdy solid construction, a poorly made grill will wiggle which is very annoying, these poor quality braais will also tend to rust very quickly.