There’s a lot of different grilling equipment out there. Grilling is more popular than ever before, and serious grillers take the cooking process as more of an art than a way to get food into your stomach. Naturally, the market has responded to this love of grilling by creating a whole bunch of different Grills.

Today we’re going to look at the different types of grills so you can decide which one would suit you and your family best.

What are the different types of grills?

There are a few grill varieties that are more common than others, and we’re going to explain the differences between them here. The different types of grills have their own pros and cons, and it’s important to know these before you make a decision.

Charcoal grills

Charcoal grills are the most iconic of the grilling models that you can buy. Charcoal fans will attest that cooking your meat over charcoal provides it with an unbeatable smoky flavour, and they’ll probably never switch over to using a gas grill.

• Charcoal grills are typically the cheapest of the common varieties. You must keep in mind that you’re going to have to pay for charcoal, though, but the price of charcoal is very cheap and in the long-run you’re still saving more money than you would be with a gas grill.
• Charcoal grills are very good at distributing heat evenly among the cooking surface which is ideal for properly cooking food. This also helps if you need to prepare many people’s meals at once.
• While they’re good at distributing heat, charcoal goals aren’t great for temperature adjustment since coals take a while to heat up and cool down.
• Charcoal grills can be difficult to clean. There is a lot of ash residue. Some grills have ash catchers or other cleaning perks that make it easy to get the ash out.
  • Make sure you never let your charcoal ash get wet. If it does, it will turn into a cement-like substance that’s next to impossible to clean.

Gas grills

Gas grills are a much more recent invention than charcoal grills, and some people swear by them. They may not deliver the same flavour that you’ll find in a charcoal grill, but they have a lot of other benefits.

• If you want to have control over the temperature of your cooking, gas grills are the way to go. They can reach a higher maximum temperature, and since you can easily turn the gas on and off, you have more flexibility.
• Gas usually costs a bit more than charcoal but these models still aren’t that expensive to maintain.
• Gas grills allow you to use direct and indirect heat depending on your preferences.
• Many gas grills are made of stainless steel and aren’t that difficult to clean.
• Gas grills may have great temperature adjustment, but they aren’t the best at applying heat evenly across your grill.

Hybrid grills

If you can’t decide between a charcoal and a gas grill, and if you have the finances, you should consider getting a hybrid grill.

• Hybrid grills combine the best of both charcoal and gas grilling. A hybrid grill usually has at least one charcoal cook station and one gas cook station. More advanced hybrid grills may have a smoker attached, or a convection grill attached.
• Hybrid grills are, naturally, more expensive than the individual components that make them up. However, you can’t go wrong with them.
• Hybrid grills are great for parties because you can cook food in different ways for different people. You can also cook a lot more at one time than you would be able to otherwise.
• Since you’re usually paying top dollar for a hybrid grill, they often have good cleaning features included.

Lesser-known grills

Two of the most popular foreign grills are the Hibachi and the Teppanyaki grill.

• Hibachi grills originated in Japan, and are basically just a round steel container that you put charcoal in and throw a grill on top of. Hibachi grills are incredibly cheap and very versatile. You can use them inside, since they don’t produce much smoke, or you can take them outside or bring them on camping trips. Despite their simplicity, Hibachi grills make food just as good as other grills. You just can’t make a lot of it.
• Teppanyaki grills are long, thin grills that also originated in Japan. They’re most often used for skewers, due to their shape, but can also be used to quickly cook meat and vegetables. Teppanyaki grills are particularly useful for large dinners where you don’t want to waste food. If you start running out of a grilled item on the table, you can fire up your Teppanyaki and quickly grill some more.

So which grill is the best?

Ultimately, it depends on your preferences and your budget. If you’re on a frugal budget, you might be most interested in a Hibachi grill because they’ll only cost you fifteen bucks. If you’re super strapped and still want to grill, you could even build yourself a pit grill.

If money is somewhat available, you could choose between gas and charcoal just based on your preference of flavour and your cooking style. Both are viable options that people have been happy with.

If money is no concern, then naturally, you’d want to get a hybrid grill with all the bells and whistles attached. A hybrid grill can combine both charcoal and gas, and include a lot of other grilling options that you won’t often find on their own. Smokers are sometimes included with charcoal grills – which would technically make them hybrids – but including one in a combination gas and charcoal grill makes it a much better deal.

Hybrid grills sometimes also include induction elements which are great for cooking things really quickly. These only come on the most expensive of hybrid grills.

So you see, there is no one best grill for everyone. But now that you know the different options, you should be able to make a good decision!

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