What type of grill

Pellet grills are less available than other more common grill types and can be pricey. Still, they plug in what could be easier than that to ignite? Real Simple Cooking School. By Betty Gold May 11, Save FB Tweet More. Natural gas burns cleaner, is cheaper to use anywhere from half to one-sixth the price and no more running out or needing to swap tanks halfway through cooking.

That said, with natural gas your grill becomes a permanent installation. You won't be able to move it around at will.

Liquid propane is still more commonly used and adds the convenience of portability. But you'll also have to plan ahead or do some rough estimations to guess how much cook time you have left on your current tank.

Fortunately, if you have a gas link hookup at your house, you may be able to purchase a conversion kit for your existing grill or so you can enjoy both types of fuel. The benefit to gas grills is ease of use and precision. It doesn't take 20 minutes to fire up a gas grill; just turn on the gas, press the igniter and wait for it to reach your desired internal temperature.

And if the grill is cooking too cool or hot, just adjust the dial. Cleanup and upkeep are much easier on gas grills, too, with no ashes to dump. Still, you'll be missing out on that smoky flavor unless you get a smoker box. While there are countless models to choose from with a handful of nifty features like side burners or a rotisserie spit , the main decision you'll have to make when buying a gas grill is how many burners you'll need.

More on Chowhound: What's the difference between barbecuing and grilling? Electric grills are generally much more compact and can sometimes be used both indoors and outdoors. Think George Foreman grills, but there are dozens of different styles and form factors -- countertop, pedestal, kettle, open face, cart, etc. One of the newer electric grill options available is a flat-top griddle with no lid.

Electric grills are the easiest to start -- just plug it into a nearby outlet and turn the control knob. As you would expect, however, they can only move as far as their power cord will let them go. If you don't have an outlet handy in your backyard, you'll need to relocate the grill or use an extension cord to bring the power to the grill. Electric grills are often great alternatives for apartment dwellers who aren't allowed to cook with or even store a gas or charcoal grill on their balcony.

Like gas grills, they lack the smoked flavor of cooking with charcoal but are an affordable, convenient way to cook that's getting better with time. Pellet grills have been around for over 30 years but have seen a resurgence in the last few years. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights.

Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Featured Video. Read More. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for thespruceeats. They come in lots of shapes and sizes, including the original Weber Kettle that introduced the charcoal grill design so widely recognized today.

Charcoal grills have their quirks though, so you'll need to be prepared to put in some work if you go this route. Charcoal grills burn using charcoal briquettes or lumps of charcoal. That's where the smoky flavor comes from. You'll need to spend a little more time lighting the briquettes and preheating the grill than you will with a gas grill. You'll also need to clean the grill and dispose of the charcoal ash when you're done grilling. Charcoal grills might not be as precise or customizable as a gas grill when it comes to cooking, but they have a distinct flavor and are the most affordable option.

Pellet grills, like the Traeger Timberline , burn wood pellets and have an onboard computer to heat up to your desired temperature and add smoky, wood-fired flavor to your food. Pellet grills yield tasty meat, especially when slow cooked, but the pellets can be expensive and harder to find than propane or charcoal.

Be prepared to call around or order online. Pellet grills use a hopper on the side to hold the food-grade wood pellets. Once you've ignited the grill with a switch and set the temperature, those pellets are moved into a burn pot by a rotating auger connected to the hopper. Once you've decided what fuel type is right for you, think about the size grill you need. Most small to medium charcoal grills and two-burner gas grills will do just fine if you're cooking for four people or fewer on an occasional basis.

The Weber Spirit E is a good example of a two-burner grill with plenty space.