What's the best gas BBQ?

Choosing the best gas bbq is an exciting mission, opening up a new range of culinary possibilities through Summer and Winter in your garden.

To make your decision as easy as possible we have outlined some thought provoking questions below which should help you choose the most suitable gas bbq for you!

IS A GAS BBQ THE BEST CHOICE FOR ME?

There is no wrong choice, both gas and charcoal bbq's are excellent choices, you will be able to cook equally adventurous dishes on both. There is one excellent brand that really stand's out for us and its Weber Gas BBQ's. They are renowned world-wide for their quality, style and function.

There is very little you can achieve on a gas bbq that you can’t on a charcoal bbq.  So, if you are swaying towards gas, here are some things that you might find helpful to consider when deciding what's the best gas bbq;

The benefits of a Gas BBQ:

There is one excellent brand that really stand's out for for us and its Weber Gas BBQ's. They are renowned world-wide for their quality, style and function.

Convenience: The biggest advantage of a Weber gas barbecue is the speed with which it can be lit and pre-heated. You can also easily adjust the temperature throughout cooking making it precise and easy to calculate cooking times and foresee results. 

Ease of CleaningCleaning a gas barbecue is really very straightforward. You just need to clean the cooking grates using a grill brush and wipe down the outside of your barbecue with a clean cloth and a recommended Weber cleaner.  Thoughtfully, Weber have added a Grease Management System which helps funnel away excess grease that is not vaporised by the Flavorizer bars into an easy-to-remove drip tray below the cook-box, so the image you may have engrained on your mind of sleeves tucked above elbows scrubbing your BBQ, is really a just myth for sure with a Weber Gas BBQ!

Long Term Investment: It’s true that gas barbecues tend to be a larger initial investment than charcoal barbecues, however, their running costs are lower.  Weber gas bbq’s are manufactured using premium quality materials that are designed to withstand even the Irish climate! With a choice of stainless steel or porcelain-enamel finishes on the Spirit II and Genesis II ranges, and a 10 year warranty on all parts, you can be confident your Weber barbecue will be part of your culinary equipment for many years to come.

Amazing Barbecued Food: When barbecuing, everybody really just wants that smokey taste you expect from a charcoal bbq. On a gas barbecue this is achieved by the innovatively designed Flavorizer bars that sit just above the burners. Juices from food smoke and sizzle as they drop onto the Flavorizer bars, saturating the food with that fabulous barbecue flavour. You can even add extra smokey flavour or specific wood flavours to your gas bbq using the Weber smoker box and smoker chips.

WHAT SIZE GAS BBQ SHOULD I BUY? 

How much space do you have on your patio? - Have a look and measure the space you have available for a BBQ, if the space is small, this will dictate the size of BBQ you will buy. Weber Gas BBQ’s range from 0.7m in width to 1.7m, so you have lots of variations in size to choose from.

Bbq at home or a gas bbq that can be mobile too? If you are looking for a statement piece, the Weber Spirit II or Genesis II is probably the BBQ for you. However, if you are looking for a BBQ that you can remove from its stand and put in the boot of your car for a day at the beach, then the compact Q series could be an excellent choice for you.

How many people will you BBQ for / size of your family? The main thing to consider when choosing a BBQ is how many people you imagine you will cook for. If you are a couple you might be quite satisfied with a 2 burner gas BBQ. If your family is 4-6 people, then you might look at a 3-4 burner bbq or if you fancy yourself as an entertainer and plan to use your gas BBQ to cook for groups of friends, then the 6 burner is the choice for you!

Choosing a weber gas bbq

Remember, you need space for indirect cooking - An important factor to remember when choosing a BBQ is that apart from searing steak or burgers, most food is cooked over indirect heat, i.e. you will cook to the side of the flame, not over the flame. The bigger the BBQ, the more options you have. For example, a 3 burner BBQ gives you the option to switch off 2 burners and use that space for indirect grilling while leaving the 3rd burner switched on. The 4 burner BBQ gives you even more space for indirect cooking, keeping in mind how many people you feel you will regularly grill for.

What other grilling features might appeal to me? The larger Weber gas barbecues include an innovative system, the Gourmet BBQ System (GBS) cooking grates. This means that the centre section can be replaced with a number of accessories, allowing you to cook all your favourite meals on the barbecue. You can find GBS compatible accessories that make anything from pizza to casseroles or even an early morning breakfast so easily possible, leaving all the cooking outside and your kitchen clean inside. There is absolutely no limit to the kinds of meals you can achieve on the BBQ. 

Another consideration, do you need a side burner? Weber Gas barbecues with side burners open more possibilities: cooking sauces or side dishes that can’t as easily be prepared on the bbq; sautéing vegetables while barbecuing larger items on the grill; or simply keeping your sauces and side dishes nice and warm until ready to serve. A side burner is the great addition for garden cooking as it enables you to spend more time outside chatting with your guests while cooking an entire meal. 

You will find the full range of Weber BBQ's at The Pavilion Garden Centre in Cork. We deliver Weber BBQ's nationwide in Ireland. If you need help choosing the best gas or charcoal BBQ for your family, call us here in Cork on 021 4888134. We are open every day.