Huffington Magazine Issue 50 | Page 102

BEST SUMMER EVER HUFFINGTON 05.26.13 CRAIG GOLDWYN LIFESTYLE FOOD SHUTTERSTOCK / INC is lost and more wood is needed than on a tighter grill. Because the mechanisms are more complex, gas grills tend to be more expensive than comparable charcoal grills, assembly of new gas grills is more complex that charcoal grills, and there are more parts to break and be replaced. THE TWO TYPES OF GAS With gas grills you have your choice of liquid propane (LP) or natural gas. LP gas comes in 20 pound steel tanks. If you have an LP grill you should always have a full backup tank on hand. Nothing is more annoying than setting a chicken on the grill, cranking up the lawn mower, and returning in 30 minutes to discover that the tank ran out and the bird is raw. Propane gas is ideal for grills because, when pressurized, it compresses and turns to liquid, making it easy to store in tanks. It also contains more cooking energy than natural gas as measured in British Thermal Units (BTU). A BTU is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one pound of water 1F. There are about 2,500 BTU in one cubic foot of propane and only about 1,000 BTU in one cubic foot of natural gas. L CON: With charcoal grills, there can be flareups that burn the food, which is a health risk.