Summer is the season of fine weather, outdoor fun and the great Aussie tradition – BBQ’s!

From juicy meat to chargrilled vegetables, BBQ dishes represent the quintessential Australian summer.

Barbequing is a social and communal activity where you can relax and chat with friends and family whilst cooking a meal to share.

With many BBQ options available, you can find the perfect one to suit your needs, whether you have a small inner-city apartment or a house in the burbs.

Things to consider before you buy:

• When shopping for your own grilling partner, ask yourself how often you will use the BBQ, the number of people you will cook for, and your budget.
• There are three different types of BBQs – gas, charcoal and electric.
• Gas grills can be propane-powered or natural gas. The propane-powered grills will include a number of features like temperature controls, side burners and cabinets. Propane powered gas BBQs are very popular, available in a range of sizes that are suited for all sizes of living spaces.
• Gas grills are also very easy to clean. Natural gas grills are known to heat up quickly. They are recommended for households that have an established gas connection since this is readily available and there’s an endless supply of fuel.
• Keep the location in mind of where you wish to place you BBQ. Is it on a covered patio? Or exposed to the elements? There are many different types of finishes on BBQ’s. Just two examples are, powder coated steel and stainless steel. Powder Coated Steel works best when undercover, as it does not handle the elements as well as Stainless Steel. Stainless Steel BBQ’s work in all outdoor entertaining spaces as they provide a nice ambiance and a modern feel to the space. They also do not rust and are easy to clean.

BBQs for small homes or apartments

A 2-3 burner gas BBQ is ideal for an apartment because they provide a substantial grilling area suitable to feed 4 to 5 people, yet are considerate of the limited space that comes with urban inner-city living.

If you live in an apartment that provides natural gas, then you should select a gas BBQ that is suited for natural gas lines. If you are unsure about natural gas, contact your strata or a major gas provider to determine the status of gas supply to your building.

Alternatively, LPG to natural gas converters can be purchased to allow regular LPG powered BBQs to be used. Be cautious, failure to use a natural gas suited BBQ or converter on a natural gas line is very dangerous and can potentially damage your BBQ due to different fittings and level of gas flow.

If you are not planning to use your BBQ often, then consider an electric-based grill.

Electric based grills are great for the odd occasion where you may be entertaining outdoors. Most electric grills have been developed with smaller areas in mind. Our team finds them easier to clean, quite energy efficient and more compact.

Recommended BBQ: The recently released BeefEater BUGG BBQ is a very suitably positioned BBQ for apartments, with two burners. Available in two different colours, the BUGG BBQ is looking to redefine the way we cook on a compact grill. The BBQ certainly is a game changer, being easily compactable into a carry bag yet having the full functionality of a larger BBQ with its higher hood.

BBQs for large homes with large backyards 

The most popular type of BBQ for larger homes is certainly the LPG gas powered BBQ, being a seamlessly efficient and fast grilling that requires little upkeep.

Gas powered BBQs are often a more permanent outdoor solution, many too large and bulky to easily move place to place hence why they are the most popular type for larger homes. We recommend a 3 to 5 burner BBQ for homes 3 bedrooms or larger as they cater for both outdoor entertainment requirements and the regular cooking needs of the family.

For the BBQ enthusiast who has the space, there’s no going past a charcoal powered BBQ.

Charcoal BBQs come in a range of sizes that are suitable for all types of living spaces and perfect for travelling. When using this type of BBQ, you can easily cook meat at high temperature, sealing in the juices, and at the same time cooking the meat in a slow manner. The end result is meat that is cooked perfectly with that authentic smoky flavour. However, charcoal BBQ’s also come with the downfall that they can be messy and difficult to clean, depending on the model of BBQ of course.

Recommended BBQ: There are many great BBQ models available for larger homes and backyards. Weber produces an exemplary range of quality BBQs suitable for homes of all sizes. The perfect model for larger homes is the Weber Q3200. Recommended by Choice Magazine in 2013 as a preferred BBQ, the Weber Q3200 can cater for up to 15 people and roast a whole turkey. Weber is a top quality brand, with an excellent reputation for producing premium BBQ products.

Whatever the occasion, a backyard gathering is always thoroughly enjoyed, so make sure you top it off with the perfect barbeque!

Do you have many BBQ’s in summer, what’s your favourite type of BBQ? Feel free to share in the comments below.

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