BBQ essentials UK 2021: the best tools for a perfect cook-out

How to choose a barbecue - which fuel?

There are three main types of barbecue fuel – charcoal, gas and compressed wood pellets.

Charcoal barbecues

Charcoal is far and away the most readily available fuel source and the most authentic. In fact, many chefs swear by it for imbuing flavour. Charcoal barbecues are also the cheapest to buy, which is hardly surprising given that they are so simple in structure and concept.

The main issue with charcoal of the lump-wood variety is that it burns quite fiercely and very quickly, so the key thing is to light it about 40 minutes before putting on the first sausage. Add the food too soon while the charcoal is still flaming and it’ll be scorched to a cinder and taste like burnt wood. Put it on too late and the charcoal may run out of puff before the food’s cooked through.

Briquettes are much easier to use because they burn for much longer and at a much steadier pace, though they take even longer to reach optimum temperature. However, choose your briquettes wisely because some of them are full of nasty chemicals. We would recommend Weber and Heat Beads.

Gas barbecues

Gas makes barbecuing really easy because you can tame or turn up the flame instantly simply by fiddling with a knob. Gas barbies also heat up really quickly and are ready to grill on in about 15 minutes.

Granted, gas may not be considered as authentic as charcoal but most people won’t be able to tell the difference. And besides, gas is considered safer if grilling in open air public spaces like campsites and wooded or dry areas. In fact, charcoal barbecues are banned from most campsites. So, if you want an easier, less volatile route to grilling then perhaps consider opting for a gas grill.

Pellet barbecues

The pellet barbecue is a relatively new addition to the pantheon of outdoor grilling, at least in the UK. But if you’ve ever used the system you’ll know that it’s the Holy Grail of grilling.

It uses compressed wood pellets – available in a variety of woods from maple and mesquite to cherry and apple – that gives grilled food an authentically woody flavour. It’s almost impossible to burn the food because the grill’s temperature is controlled by a computer processor.

In fact, a pellet grill behaves just like an indoor oven so that when you set the preferred grilling temperature, it remains within two degrees for absolute consistency. You simply put the food on the grill, close the lid and chat to your guest, turning the food just once or twice during the whole process.

The only issue with pellet grills is that they require an electricity source to run the corkscrew-like auger that feeds the pellets from a hopper. But this small inconvenience is more than compensated for by the effortless way it grills meats to perfection.

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