Planning to host a barbeque party in your backyard? That’s exciting! But do take note that no matter how well you marinate your meat or how you prepared the ingredients for your barbeque, the result and the success of your cookout will also be dependent on your grill. But before you go grill shopping to get the best propane grill for your next cookout, take our tips to guide you with your decision.

If you are just going to grill a steak for two or you will only be casually barbequing on the weekends, all you need is a basic grill. No need to splurge on the expensive ones that you will not very often. However, if you will host regular barbeque parties with your neighbors, friends, and relatives, that’s a whole different story.   

When you buy a gas grill, you want to be able to use it for a long time that your grandkids can enjoy it, too. The longevity of the grill will depend on the materials used to make it. Don’t cheap out on your grill. A cheap one will be made of galvanized sheets and aluminum. These materials rust and are damaged easily. The heat will also weaken them in time. Go for the ones that may last a lifetime. Grills made of aluminum are usually the best. They are easy to maintain and don’t break down easily.

When grilling, you want to be able to put as many items on the grill surface at the same time. This saves time and effort. One thing to consider when buying a grill is how big of a grilling surface you need. If you are grilling several types of food like chicken, burgers, hot dogs, different kinds of seafood, and vegetables, might as well have a wide-surface grill to accommodate all of them. You wouldn’t want to be left out on the fun. No one would want to be behind the grill the whole day while the rest are already partying.

Porcelain-coated cast iron or porcelain-coated wire grates are the most common; they hold the heat nicely to create beautiful grill sears. However, stainless-steel grates are far better and are excellent in spreading heat evenly. They are easy to clean and look great, too. Of course, they cost more than the others. 

The best gas grills have “flavorizers.” These are the tented bars that protect the burners from the drippings and other materials that may fall on the grill. They vaporize the drippings from the barbeque to add the flavor back to the food.

Check how many burners there are on the grill. A single burner is less expensive but may have downsides with its performance. Since there’s only one burner, not all the grill surface will have an equal amount of heat. There may be cold spots, so you need to move the food around to ensure even cooking. Having two or three burners are better especially for grilling several items at the same time. You will also have the option to have different cooking zones because you will be able to control the heat where the burners are located. Steaks may be on the area with high heat and veggies can go to the low-heat zone.

There are many other accessories you can get for your grill, like the rotisserie, side burners, utensil holders, and racks. They come with additional cost. If you need them and you will be using them regularly, then you may choose to get an accessory. If you don’t think you will need a lot of extra for your grill, you may opt out of getting one. You wouldn’t want to waste your money on these extras that you won’t really use a lot.

Barbeque is a healthy way of cooking. Excess oils are removed from the food, and the open fire adds so much flavor, too.  Get the right grill for you, and you will have a lot of fun-filled weekends with friends and family over good food.