Whether you’re ready for a grilling marathon or want an easy way to elevate each meal, there’s an outdoor grill to fit your style. Beyond your eating habits and schedule, understanding the many styles of outdoor grills and the benefits of each is crucial to choosing the right one for you.
Get started on your next grilling adventure with advice and tips from chef Jason Morse, Ace Hardware grilling expert and owner and executive chef of 5280 Culinary, about some of the most popular options that can help you turn up the heat.
The Everyday Grill
If you’re always on the go and looking for fast and easy meals that go from prep to plate within 30 minutes, a gas grill may be perfect for you. Gas grills offer fast heat up times, higher temperatures and faster cooking. You can prepare your proteins while the grill heats up and have dinner on the table in next to no time.
Even if you’re still a grill master-in-training, natural and propane gas grills are practically foolproof. They’re quick to ignite, require less cleanup after cooking and they’re versatile enough to allow for searing, smoking, plank, rotisserie and indirect grilling. Temperature control knobs offer heat control for even cooking and many models also include built-in thermometers to help ensure your food is perfectly cooked every time.
Hot and fast is what a gas grill delivers, and an option like the Weber Genesis II E-325 Liquid Propane Grill features an exclusive grilling engine, three powerful burners, a grill handle light, enclosed grill cabinet for storage and smart technology compatibility.
Time for Wood-Fired Fun
Wood-fired flavor takes time to create, but you can slice a little off the wait time with a wood pellet grill. These grills have shorter heat up times, medium-to-high temperatures and enhance the food with wood flavor. Wood pellet grills are also good add-on choices for pit bosses and first-timers alike since they can be used to reverse sear or add smoke prior to searing.
Pellet grills cook foods a bit differently than other types of grills. They use wood pellets as fuel, which adds a distinct flavor profile to your foods. Adjusting the type of hardwood pellets (such as apple, hickory, mesquite or oak) allows you to create a range of different flavors.
An option like the Traeger Ironwood 885 with Pellet Sensor can take your craft to the next level. This grill features a drivetrain designed for fast heating along with a super smoke mode, large capacity (10 chickens, seven racks of ribs or nine pork butts) and technology that lets you keep track of progress without standing over the grill.
Weekend Warrior Charcoal
Charcoal can add depth to the flavors brought about by grilling your food. While this grill type takes a little more time to get the fire established, it is a practical choice for large groups and ideal for an afternoon to kick back and enjoy the process. Charcoal grills are some of the most economical options, but still provide a traditional grilling experience perfect for classics like juicy steaks or backyard favorites like burgers and dogs with flavors that can make nearly everyone happy.
Charcoal briquettes or lump charcoal provide the fuel, heat and smoky flavor this kind of grilling is known for by cooking low and slow or on high heat for searing. While there are plenty of different charcoal grills to choose from, one popular option is The Big Green Egg XL. It’s a high-quality, versatile and easy-to-use outdoor cooker, offering a variety of cooking methods from traditional grilling and smoking to baking and roasting as well as precise temperature control and an efficient design to make lighting the charcoal simple.
With its selection of gas, charcoal and smoker grills and grilling accessories that can help turn your cooker into a wood-fired pizza oven, charcoal wok station or smashburger grill, a retailer like Ace Hardware is a one-stop-shop for all your outdoor cooking needs. You can also up your grilling game with rib racks, chicken thrones, Planchas (griddles) and more.
Visit acehardware.com or your local store to find the perfect grill and accessories.
