BARBECUE & GRILL BARBECUE & GRILL BUYING GUIDE BUYING GUIDE www.richshome.com www.richshome.com
BARBECUE & GRILLBARBECUE & GRILL
BUYING GUIDEBUYING GUIDE
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Rich’s Barbecue BUYING GUIDE
Rich’s Barbecue Buying Guide- www.richshome.com Page 2
If you’re reading this guide, you probably believe (as we do) that the outdoor
kitchen is the new indoor kitchen. There’s just something about cooking outside
that turns food into a feast, and creates lifetime memories.
Plus, the old style one size fits all barbecue has been replace with myriad
choices that allows the creation of succulent meals. With that in mind, we’ve
created a guide that will help you determine the type of barbecue that is ideal
for you and your family.
We’ll share the choices available in charcoal, gas, and wood pellet grills as well
as talk about where you should put your barbecue for the best flow from in-
doors to outdoors.
We’ll also make suggestions about the best accessories in order to maximize
your cooking experience for your family and guests.
We hope this guide will answer your questions. But if it doesn’t, call us. We love
talking outdoor cooking.
Introduction
Barbecue Buying Guide CONTENTS
Gas Grills– page 4
Do you like starting your cooking with
the press of a button? Then you’ll
probably love a gas grill. It cooks
through gas outlets right below the
cooking grate.
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Charcoal Grills– page 8
Is there anything like the flavor you
get from a charcoal grill? In a word,
no. It’s why BBQ lovers love cooking
with charcoal.
Wood Pellet Grills– page 13
How do you get perfect temperature
control as well as that scintillating
smoky flavor? Wood Pellet Grills of
course.
Recap– page 18
A quick review of the major factors
to consider when choosing your grill
Comparison chart– page 19
A snapshot of the grills we’ve talked
about to figure out which will fit you
best.
Gas barbecues are the most popular of the grill choices. Why? We’ll get to that
in a bit, but first a quick explanation of how gas grills work.
Gas grills cook by supplying gas into outlets directly below the cooking grate
inside your grill. This supply comes from a propane tank or natural gas hose
which mixes with oxygen which turns into a flame when a button is pushed—or
in some models a knob is turned and pushed inward.
Why Gas Grills Are The Most Popular
As mentioned above, they start at the push of a button
They’re convenient– they heat up fast, and cleaning? Easy.
Precision control of temperature- Want to cook different foods at different
temperatures at the same time? Not a problem. It takes only seconds to
adjust the heat on each burner.
Environmentally friendly– with the use of propane or natural gas, carbon
monoxide levels are low.
Economics– it’s simply cheaper to use gas than charcoal or wood.
They’re easy to maintain– no ash or mess when you’re done, just scrape off
the grate with a metal brush and you’re ready for your next feast.
GAS Barbecues
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FEATURES TO LOOK FOR
Mounted or Mobile?
Do you like the idea of
your barbecue being in a
permanent spot? Or will
you want to move it round?
Cooking Grids
Make sure your grids are spaced close
enough that smaller pieces of food won’t
fall through, but far enough apart that the
heat from below gets to your food above.
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Grill Lights-
If you enjoy cooking at night, you’ll
want to consider grills lights. A great
way to make sure your food is cooking
not too much, and not too little.
Infrared Burners-
When you cook hot (1,000 to
1,400 degrees) a chemical re-
action you know as “searing”
happens, which locks in
essential juices and adds
flavor to your meat. That’s
the benefit of infrared burners.
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ACCESORIES TO THINK ABOUT
Smoke Boxes
If you want that wonderful smoky flavor with a gas
grill, smoke boxes can give it to you. They’re filled
with wood chips and are attached or placed
inside a gas grill to give a natural wood flavor.
Rotisseries
The perfect way to get the perfect heat distribution
to your meat. Rotisseries attach to your grill and are
easily put on and taken off.
Warming Drawers
You want to keep your already cooked food warm
while you finish up the rest of your meal? Easy to do
with a warming drawer!
Storage Drawers
A convenient way to keep your grill tools, cleaning
supplies, and other accessories out of the way.
Two More QUESTIONS to Ask
What Are BTUs and Why Are They Important?
BTU (British Thermal Units) simply means the amount of heat a gas grill will put
out. The more BTUs, the more power, or heat, which means the more food you
can cook at one time.
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What Size Grill Should You Get?
This comes down to personal taste and style of cooking. If you’re the type that
is going to cook one thing at a time, then a smaller grill will work fine. But you’re
the type who wants to have multiple foods at multiple temperatures going at
the same time (and a lot of them) then you need a big enough grill not to slow
you down. (The standard size range is 30 “ up to 54 “.)
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CHARCOAL Barbecues
Gas barbecues might be the biggest seller, there’s nothing that will con-
venience a charcoal cook to exercise their inner chef anywhere else.
Do they take more time and attention than gas grills? Yes, but charcoal
enthusiasts will tell you it’s more than worth the effort. They claim nothing
comes close to the authentic BBQ flavor that only comes from a char-
coal grill.
As you likely know, charcoal is loaded in a chamber just below the grill
grate. The charcoal turn into embers which radiate a steady heat up-
ward. The temperature is controlled by adjusting top and/or bottom
vents which lets in more or less oxygen. Does that mean more touch and
feel is needed to get the temperature right?
Absolutely.
Charcoal cookers wouldn’t have it any other way.
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Why There’s Nothing Quite
Like a Charcoal Grill Flavor, flavor, flavor What happens when you slow smoke a piece of
meat? It absorbs all the smoke flavored scents. Lump charcoal puts off
aromas that penetrate the meat to a greater degree than gas grills can.
Easy Clean Up The inner workings of a charcoal grill are simple. No fuel
lines, no tanks, just a grill grate and the charcoal chamber. So clean up is
simple. Dump out your ash when done, scrape the grill with a wire brush
and you’re ready for your next gathering.
Movability Many charcoal grills come with built-in wheels for easy
portability. Plus they’re fairly light and can be moved by one or two people
even without wheels. Can you say cooking down on the shores of Puget
Sound or Lake Washington?
Temperature Range It’s big. By simply opening the air vents on your grill
you can easily go from cooking a rack of ribs at 225 degrees to whipping up
a pizza at 500 degrees.
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FEATURES TO CONSIDER
Place Setters
One of our favorite grills, The Big Green Egg,
offers a flat ceramic piece that sits inside the
grill just above the fire. It creates a consistent
temperature throughout the grill. Plus it lets
you put pizza plates or racks on top to hold
ribs.
Cooking Grids
Made from cast iron, grids are what leave
those perfect sear marks on your steaks.
Durable and easy to clean.
Grill Lights
As with gas grills, cooking at night means
you probably need light. You can add an
attached or freestanding grill light easily.
V-Racks
V-Racks are used to hold ribs upright. If
you’re cooking roasts or poultry, you can
flip it upside down.
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ACCESORIES TO THINK ABOUT
Grill Covers
If you’re going to leave your grill outside
during the cold, wet Northwest winters, a
cover will make sure your BBQ is protected
from the elements.
Traditional & Digital Thermometers
A simple and easy way to make sure your
meat or poultry has reached the right tem-
perature—and is cooked exactly to your liking.
Tools, Tools, Tools!
Of course you’ll need a fork and spatula,
but you might also consider meat claws for
shredding, flavor injectors, grid lifters,
basting brushes, and grill rings for cooking
artichokes, onions, poppers, and more, a
cinch.
Fire Starters
If you want that wonderful smoky flavor with
a gas grill, smoke boxes can give it to you.
They’re filled with wood chips and attached
or placed inside a gas grill to give a natural
wood flavor.
A Few More QUESTIONS to Ask
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What Size Grill Should You Get?
As with gas grills, this comes down to the type of cooking you want to do. Also,
if you want your charcoal grill to be portable, the smaller it is, the easier it will be
to throw in the back of your truck.
So Which Type of Charcoal Grill is the Best?
That’s kind of like asking if steak or chicken is better. It all comes down to
personal style and taste. At Rich’s, a lot of us love a ceramic grill because
it’s best at keeping heat in and cool air out, which means easier temperature
control. But others of us can’t imagine cooking on anything other than a
barrel style charcoal grill that gives a huge cooking area.
Charcoal Briquettes or Lump Charcoal?
Is there a difference? Yep. If you’re thinking economics, charcoal briquettes
might be your choice. They’re cheaper and offer a nice long, hot burn. But if
you’re looking for fast start up and a better reaction to oxygen and tempera-
ture changes, then we’d suggest you try lump charcoal.
Perfect temperature control. Tantalizing smoky flavor
Those are the reasons Wood Pellet barbecues have become the fastest
growing segment of grills in the US.
The Inner Workings of a Wood Pellet Grill
The pellets of a Wood Pellet stove are made from
naturally shredded wood that is compacted into
quarter inch round pellets.
The consistent size is the secret to giving precise temperature control.
The pellets are loaded into a storage bin attached to the grill, then a corkscrew
mechanism feeds the pellets into the area underneath the grill. (Motorized so
you don’t have to do it by hand.)
Wood pellets offer the best of gas grills and charcoal grills. You get the
simplicity of a gas grill, combined with the smoky flavor of a charcoal grill.
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WOOD PELLET Barbecues
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Why Folks Are Passionate About
Their Wood Pellet Grills The Flavor, of Course! By now you know the flavor that comes from a
Wood Pellet Grill is it’s biggest selling feature. The added benefit is they work
great not only as a grill, but as a smoker. Love northwest smoked salmon? If
so, this is the grill for you.
Set it and Forget It Where a charcoal grill takes attention, Wood Pellet
grills will hold a precise temperature for hours. Regardless of heat, cold, rain
or shine, you can set your temperature and know it will stay consistent till
you’re ready to take your food off the grill.
Ease of Clean Up As mentioned on the previous page, Wood Pellet grills
offer the simplicity of charcoal grills when it comes to clean up. Every 10
pounds of pellets result in only a half cup of ash. That’s it! (We recommend
removing the ash every 8 - 10 cooks.) Cleaning the grate is a few scrapes
with your metal brush.
Easy to Use Ready for a cook? Just fill the hopper with pellets, fire up your
grill, set your temperature and throw on your meat. Then sit back and let
that smoky flavor infuse your meal with tantalizing taste. It’s why a great
many competitive barbecuers whip up their prize winning dishes on a Wood
Pellet grill.
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FEATURES TO THINK ABOUT
The Fan System
The air flow that keeps the pellets burning comes from a convection fan.
This system also is what gives an even distribution of heat throughout the
grill resulting in a tender, juicy meal.
Size of Your Hopper
The larger your hopper, the more pellets it can store which means more time
where you can walk away and not think about what’s cooking on your grill. If
you’re the type that wants to slow cook for hours, a bigger hopper is going to
be your best choice.
The Steel
Stainless steel gives excellent heat retention and the same cooking results no
matter the outside temperature. And it holds up better in the northwest weather.
Wheels
The majority of Wood Pellet Grills come with wheels, unless you choose to
mount your grill We like the wheels because the idea of moving a Wood Pellet
Grill to different spot on a patio or deck just seems right.
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ACCESORIES TO CONSIDER
Pellets
Is there just one kind of pellet? Of
course not. Pellets come in a nice
variety that can enhance your food,
and can match up with what you’re
cooking. In other words, each type
of pellet has its own unique flavor.
Covers
As with any grill, keeping it protected from
the elements is essential to getting years
of high level performance.
Pellet Caddys
Pellets need to stay dry, and with the, shall
we say, abundance of rain in the northwest,
a caddy can make sure no moisture gets
into your pellets.
Portable Generator
The wheels make a Wood Pellet grill
portable, but there’s that issue of power.
If you’re the type that wants to take your
barbecue with you, a portable generator
is the perfect solution.
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A Few More QUESTIONS
What Size Wood Pellet Grill Is Best?
As you might suspect, since Wood Pellet grills are newer on the scene,
many people already have a gas or charcoal grill when they add a
Wood Pellet grill. Because of this, they might not need the biggest pellet
grill available.
They often combine their new Wood Pellet grill on a BBQ island where
they have access to both grills within reaching distance of each other.
How Hot Can a Wood Pellet Grill Get?
The range is 500 to 700 degrees. The larger the
grill, the higher the temperature you can reach.
If you’re thinking about searing meat—that’s
difficult with temperatures this low—you can
purchase direct inserts for direct searing.
Does it Matter What Brand of Pellets Are
Used?
It does matter. A higher quality of pellet will always
give better results. Like a finely aged wine, buying
finer pellets will give you better flavor in your foods.
We suggest looking for a dealer (yes, like Rich’s) who
has extensive knowledge and experience cooking
on Wood Pellet grills and give you those little tips
that take a meal from good to exceptional.
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RECAP on Grills
Gas Grills
Charcoal Grills
Wood Pellet
Grills
Gas grills heat up fast
Easy to clean, easy to maintain
More burners means more grilling space,
means cooking more items at different
temperatures
Accessories to consider: Smoke boxes, warm-
ing boxes, storage drawers, and rotisseries
The flavor is so tough to beat!
The traditional way to barbecue, so for some,
this is the only way to cook
With innovative grills like the Big Green Egg,
you’ll have barbecue like you’ve never had it
before
There’s a vast array of tools that can make
charcoal grilling more fun than any other way
There’s nothing like the unique smoky flavor
that comes from a Wood Pellet grill
Digital temperature control is the industry
standard
The quality of your meal depends on the
quality of the pellets you buy
No other grill let’s you so easily set the
temperature and walk away for hours
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COMPARE Your Options
GAS Charcoal Wood Pellet
Mounted X X X
Mobile X X X
Natural lump
charcoal
X
Ceramic
Insulation
X
Convection
Oven
X X
Grill Lights X X X
Infrared Burners X
Plate Setters X
Stainless steel X X X
Smoky Flavor X X
Auto Temp
Control
X
Consistent Fuel
Distribution
X X
Multiple Heat
Levels
X X
Temperature
Gage
X X X
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Final Thoughts
We hope this guide has addressed most of your questions, but if you
have more, we’d love to help. Call us or drop by any of our showrooms
and one of our grill experts can give you a demo or simply answer your
questions.
In the end, choosing a barbecue comes down to the features that fit
your style and the way you love to cook.
The most important thing about choosing a grill is finding one that will get
you into your backyard with family and friends more often.
Because the right grill can give you excellent meals, but great memories
are only created by being with the people you love hanging out with.
From our family to yours,
Larry & Marianne Chapman
Owners, Rich’s For the Home