If you haven’t barbecued much previously then your first decision is GAS or CHARCOAL? Gas is gaining in popularity as a result of its undoubted convenience – within 10 minutes of deciding to barbecue you can be cooking, charcoal can take 30 minutes to reach cooking heat. Gas is immediately and simply controllable, just like a gas cooker, charcoal BBQs rely on moving the cooking grid closer to or further away from the charcoal. Gas is cleaner – no messy ashes to worry about.
Traditionalists swear by charcoal for flavour, but over the years hundreds of ‘blind tastings’ have been held to try to establish whether or not there is a difference in taste between charcoal and gas cooked food. The results are conclusive. There is no difference. So, for the majority of us, gas BBQs provide all the satisfaction of outside cooking without the dirt, drudgery and delays associated with charcoal.
When selecting a BBQ the following points are worthy of consideration:
Do you want it to be built-in or trolley-mounted? Bear in mind that built-in BBQs force you to cook in the same position regardless of external factors like the time of day and therefore the position of the sun and the proximity of the dining table. If it’s windy, which way is the wind blowing. You don’t want smoke bothering your guests. If you still decide that a built-in solution is right for you and you already have a traditional built-in charcoal BBQ, this can easily be converted to gas for the sake of convenience
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How many people do you need to cater for and do you just want to cook simple food like burgers, sausages and steaks or be a little more adventurous with spit-roast joints of meat.
A side-cooker is useful for stir-fried vegetables and hot side dishes. A solid griddle-plate is good for cooking vegetables, fatty cuts of meat and, of course, the ‘full English breakfast’.
There really is no limit to the degree of sophistication that is now possible with today’s BBQ products and accessories.
As with most other purchases however, there are a few things to be wary of.
Buy a tried and tested brand from a respected supplier who will give you good advice and who holds a good stock of spare parts. Look for someone who is able to build, test and deliver for you and who will offer competent advice and after-sales service.
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Introduction 
