Huffington Magazine Issue 50 | Page 103

BEST SUMMER EVER HUFFINGTON 05.26.13 CRAIG GOLDWYN LIFESTYLE FOOD Gas grills typically range from 15,000 to 60,000 BTU per hour. Manufacturers tout the number of BTU their grills can produce, but the number can be misleading. The number of BTU is not indicative of the heat it can generate. That must be calculated by BTU per square inch, something they never tell you. Natural gas is mostly methane. It must be delivered to the grill by a pipeline from your house so a certified contractor will be needed to do the installation, and the grill must be parked in a permanent location. Propane grills cannot be hooked up to natural gas without an adapter kit, and the regulator may need to be adjusted. Natural gas is cheaper than LP gas and you never have to worry about running out, unless you don’t pay your gas bills. WHICH TO BUY? I have one of each. Almost all my birds, fish, veggies, pizzas, and breads go on my LP gas grill, almost all my red meats go on my charcoal grill. If you’re starting out, and you want no fuss no muss, go gas. If you can afford it, get an infrared burner and a side burner. 2008 GRILL & SMOKER SHIPMENTS 57% GAS 41% CHARCOAL 2% ELECTRIC 14,397,000 TOTAL If you’re willing to put in a bit more time to gain mastery of your tool, then go charcoal, and look for one that let’s you raise and lower the coal. Or you could buy the CharGriller Duo, which does both. Not a great grill, but I’ll bet we see more duos in the future. I’m waiting for the trio. Charcoal, gas and infrared! Craig Goldwyn runs the BBQ/grilling site Amazing Ribs. L