Barbecue grills: tips for choosing

Perhaps every adult has an idea of ​​what a brazier is. It allows you to cook meat, fish, vegetables on an open fire, thanks to which the dishes acquire a unique taste and aroma. Modern designs are real multifunctional devices equipped, for example, with a barbecue.

As soon as the summer season opens, lovers of country recreation begin to pamper themselves with barbecue and other dishes cooked over an open fire. The first assistant in this is the grill. Street barbecues are structures, in the lower part of which there is a furnace. The incoming heat allows cooking at the top of the appliance.

The products are strung on skewers and set at the top. The heat comes from the lower and partially lateral sides of the barbecue, therefore, for its even distribution, the barbecue has to be fanned, and the skewers must be periodically turned over.

Modern barbecues often have additional functions., thanks to which their use becomes even more convenient and functional. One of these devices is a barbecue grill, the brightest feature of which is the presence of a grate in the upper part of the structure.

Such a unit, like a barbecue grill, has a more closed lower part, arranged like a brazier. This makes it possible to regulate the heating temperature, since there are dampers at the bottom. Opening and closing them and regulates the air supply, which means the intensity of combustion.

If the barbecue has a lid, then it "turns" into a closed grill, which, if desired, can also be used as a mini-smokehouse.

The popularity of the barbecue grill is primarily due to its versatility. It can be used to cook both traditional kebabs on skewers and grilled dishes. If you have a lid, you will be able to bake a large piece of meat or fish whole, cook homemade smoked meats.

Manufacturers offer a variety of sizes, shapes and designs., so everyone will find the option that suits him. You can choose stationary structures that will become the basis of a summer kitchen or terrace, as well as portable counterparts. They will help out if it is planned to rearrange the brazier around the site. Among the portable models, there are many that fold and take the form of a suitcase, as well as collapsible structures. Collapsible and prefabricated barbecues are a great solution if you are planning a picnic in the countryside. They are mobile and lightweight. True, their service life is somewhat shorter than that of stationary ones.

The devices are made of refractory materials - metal, refractory and fireclay bricks, therefore the finished structure has high fire safety indicators. Heating up to significant temperatures (on average 600-700C), and then, cooling down, these materials do not crack and do not lose their qualities.

It should be understood that stationary and thick-walled portable models are more expensive than mobile and low-weight structures. However, the price of the former is justified - the service life of a good-quality barbecue is calculated in decades.

A little higher, we have already said that the brazier is stationary and portable. In addition, it is customary to distinguish designs depending on the material used:

They can only be stationary and have a different look. The simplest option is 4 walls connected to each other. They are distinguished by a long service life, high heat temperature, long cooling.

As a rule, brick barbecues are installed in the summer kitchen area and are complemented by countertops, a sink and other devices for preparing a full meal.

Along with brick, aerated concrete versions are increasingly being built. The material is heat resistant and affordable. In addition, one block of aerated concrete replaces several bricks, which allows for faster completion of construction. Reinforced aerated concrete blocks from sibit are also suitable for this.

Barbecue grills made of metal, more often cast iron, can be both stationary and mobile. In terms of their technical properties, these can be both close to professional units and the simplest collapsible structures.

In any case, even a thick-walled cast-iron brazier will have less weight than a brick one of a similar shape and size.

Cast iron structures heat up quickly, which shortens the frying time. They do not deform under the influence of high temperatures, therefore the service life of the device is up to 100 years. At the same time, food cooked in such a device may acquire a slight specific flavor. Cast iron barbecues are also very expensive.

A more affordable alternative is stainless steel barbecues. They warm up more slowly and most likely will have to change designs at the end of the season. This is due to the small thickness of the walls of the barbecue, which is why they burn out and deform. In addition to the low cost, the design is lightweight and mobile.

The simplest metal barbecue grill has the shape of a rectangle on legs. The rectangle has a bottom, longer end walls and side walls. In other words, it looks like a box. In the lower part there are technical holes, in the upper part there are recesses for installing skewers. The legs can be adjusted in height. For easy portability, the design is equipped with a handle. Square and round barbecues are also convenient and practical.

The basis of a brick barbecue is also a rectangle made of bricks. Given the large size of the structure, care should be taken to prepare the foundation with a depth of 40-45 cm. The design of such a barbecue resembles a box with a roof, equipped with a blower.

• As a rule, the box itself is metal, lined with brick. It is important to choose a thick-walled heat-resistant structure with a metal wall thickness of at least 5 mm.
• The cylindrical grill is also convenient and ergonomic. The lower part of it is installed on a small foundation and dug into the ground.

• If we talk about devices operated indoors, they are small in size and mostly streamlined. An example of such a barbecue is Finnish, intended for installation on a veranda or in a summer house. An obligatory element of this type of structure is an exhaust hood with a pipe.

• Smokers can also be recommended for outdoor use. True, you need to choose its variation "grill", then the smoker will be equipped with a grill.
• Barbecues of unusual shapes deserve special attention. As a rule, this is an imitation of technology (a locomotive, an airplane, a ship), animals, structures that resemble a house, household items (chests, pots).
• Braziers, laconic enough in shape, can be decorated with forged elements, which turns them into a real work of art.

Speaking about the size of the barbecue, they mean the indicators of its length, width, height and depth. All these indicators are interrelated and ultimately affect the quality of frying food, safety and durability of the barbecue.

First of all, you should decide on the length of the barbecue. For a medium-sized company, you can recommend a grill, the length of which is at least 100 cm. You can simultaneously fry meat on it for 7-10 people. For longer structures, it is imperative to provide additional legs.

The minimum width of the barbecue should be at least the length of the skewer, that is, 40-45 cm. More advanced barbecue models have a width of 50-80 cm.

The depth of the barbecue is determined by how intense the combustion is required. The deeper the grill, the more fuel it requires. The minimum value is 15-20 cm. It is clear that a large brazier must have sufficient depth, otherwise the heat generated will not be enough for cooking.

The height of the barbecue is usually 85-90 cm. In this case, the growth of those who are going to cook barbecue should be taken into account. If the barbecue is too high or low, it will be inconvenient to use it.

A brazier equipped with a barbecue function has a more complex design. In addition to the mandatory elements (containers for fuel and food), they are equipped with a grate, a lid, and draft dampers.

One of the most useful barbecue gadgets is a thermometer. Its presence will allow you to cook real meat delicacies of various degrees of roasting. Different types of meat, as well as the size of the pieces, require different temperatures. The presence of a thermometer will allow you to understand whether it is worth closing the dampers, adding fuel, etc.

Another detail, without which it is impossible to imagine a barbecue grill, is the grill grate. It can be made of stainless steel (affordable, economical option), cast iron (practical, durable, but also more expensive). In shape - round (universal), square, have specific shapes (for example, for frying whole fish).

The barbecue cover is also useful in the device. Thanks to its presence, you can use the barbecue grill as a smokehouse, protect products from contamination while you are not cooking.

By the way, you can get a multifunctional complex for frying meat by purchasing a brazier insert. The insert is the simplest brazier in terms of design, which can be placed in a brick brazier or barbecue, installed on a tabletop and even in a fireplace insert.

You can assemble the simplest design of a barbecue grill with your own hands. First of all, you should decide on the size and shape of the structure, so first the drawings are drawn up.

Then you need to weld a rectangular structure. The parameters are considered to be average sizes: 90 cm - height, 15-20 cm - barbecue depth, 90-100 cm - length and 40-50 cm - width. These values ​​can be changed based on your own needs.

The bottom of the upper part should have holes, it is better to make primitive flaps. Then you can regulate the intensity of the heat.

• When choosing a barbecue grill, first of all, you should consider where and how often it will be used. For a country house and a year-round summer cottage, a stationary structure can be recommended. It will delight you with a long service life, will take its rightful place in the summer kitchen or in the gazebo and become a decoration of the site. However, such a grill must be protected in the autumn-winter period.
• If you want to avoid the hassle of taking care of your oven in winter, choose mobile devices. They, like stationary ones, can be quite large and attractive, and if necessary, they can be brought into the house, garage, shed, or rolled up, if we are talking about a fireplace on wheels.
• If you do not have a lot of space or you need to fit the barbecue in an existing complex, pay attention to the models located in the corner. The corner design has all the necessary functionality, but is compact.

• Do not forget that the grill is part of the exterior, so it must be combined with it. Fortunately, the diverse design of modern structures allows you to do this, in addition, there is always an option to make a device to order.
• For those who periodically arrange forays into nature, mobile structures are recommended. Folding is considered more reliable than prefabricated. However, if any part of it fails, the entire structure will have to be disposed of.
• Today manufacturers offer mobile hanging barbecue grills. They have special brackets and can even be hung on a balcony. The dimensions of such structures are small; at the same time, you can cook meat for a maximum of two. However, in some cases this is what you need.

How to build a brick brazier with your own hands, see the video below.