When thinking of that delicious smoky flavor in food, charcoal grills come to mind. The problem with charcoal grills is, people don’t find them as convenient as gas grills. But even with a gas grill, you can still get a nice, smoky flavor added to your food. Want to know how to add smoke to a gas grill? First of all, you need the best smoker box for gas grill out there. Then just follow these steps and start enjoying smoky food straight from your gas grill!

Things You Will Need to Add Smoke to a Gas Grill

In order to begin, first you must gather your supplies:

1. Hardwood smoking chips
2. Bowl
3. Water
4. Heavy-duty aluminum foil
5. Fork or knife
6. Gas grill

Steps

Now you must follow a set of steps to prepare your gas grill for smoking.

Step One: Choose The Right Kind of Smoky Flavored Wood Chips

Smoky flavored wood chips are exactly what they sound like: wood chips that impart a smoky flavor to your food. They come in a variety of flavors from the very popular hickory to fruit selections such as apple. Oak, mesquite, cherry, and hickory are of the smoky flavor variety. Here is a wood selection guide provided above, describing the different wood flavor details that might be helpful in choosing the perfect wood chips.

Step Two: Soak the Chips in Water

Before using your selected flavored wood chips, soak them in water for 30 minutes. Then drained them.

Step Three: Make a Foil Smoke Pouch

In order to make a foil smoke pouch, you need an 18” square of heavy duty aluminum foil, a knife or fork, and your wet wood chips. Put your chips inside the square, wrap it tightly, seal it, and poke holes in the top. The holes will allow smoke to come through and cook your food. Place this pouch in a cold grill, under the grate. Put it in the back corner of the grill, on top of lava rocks or flavor bars. This is your makeshift smoker box.

Some gas grills come with their own smoker boxes. In this case, you can put the wood chips in the compartment made for them. The grill will do the smoking for you.

Step Four: Put the Cooking Grates in Place

Using a paper towel, grease up your cooking grates with cooking oil such as canola. Then put the cooking grates in place, making such everything lines up right.

Step Five: Cooking

Turn on the grill with all the burners on high. Close the lid. Do not open the lid unless checking on the food. Do not check too often as this will allow the smoke to escape.

Tips

In learning how to add smoke to a gas grill, there are a few things you should keep in mind aside from getting the best smoker box for gas grilling.

1. Preheat the grill before using it to cook.
2. Start cooking when a significant amount of smoke is coming out of your grill.
3. You must smoke your food for at least 20 to 30 minutes. Less time than this and the smoke flavor won’t absorb into your food.
4. Smoke pouches can also be used on a charcoal grill. Just put the pouch on the hot coals.
5. Some grills come with a smoke box. In these cases, you don’t need to make one. Also, grill stores also sell smoke boxes as a separate accessory, so you can buy your own.
6. A cup of chips lasts for about an hour. If you’re going to cook longer than that, use more chips.

Warnings

Never use treated wood as smoke chips. They’ll taste terrible and could be toxic. Also remember, never use wood chips if you aren’t sure how to use them. Always purchase wood chips from stores that sell food-safe grade chips.

Learning how to add smoke to a gas grill is actually quite easy if you follow these simple steps. You don’t need to get a smoker for that delicious smoky flavor; just get the best smoker box for the gas grill and learn how to do it on the grill you already have! Also remember, Grills Forever is always there for you to make your journey to be a grill master a bit simpler.

The post How to Add Smoke to a Gas Grill: Did You At Least Try? appeared first on Grills Forever.

Any barbecuer who has been around the block would tell you that the most important thing to look for when considering to buy a grill is to decide what matters the most to you such as speed, efficiency, convenience, and flavor.

However, everything comes down to personal preference and that’s why it’s important to choose a grill that fits your lifestyle perfectly and that will make every meal an amazing one.

Types of Grills

Gas Grills

Gas grills are the most popular grills being sold in the United States. Quick to reach optimal heat temperatures and efficient liquid propane consumption makes gas grills an attractive purchase for the casual barbecuer who likes to make some burgers and ribs for a family get together or a party without putting in too much time or effort. On top of that, they cool quickly and are easy to clean. There are a lot of different variations to the types of gas grills, let’s get started.

1.Freestanding Gas Grills

Freestanding gas grills have a major advantage over your classic big grilling that they can be easily transported and moved around without extra hassle. Easy, and convenient, like an outdoor high powered microwave.

2.Built-In Gas Grills

A built-in gas grill is much smaller than a freestanding or full sized gas grill. They are designed to take up a minimal amount of space and to sit soundly on top of an island cooking base. Perfect for barbecue aficionados who are limited by space but still want to experience the pleasure of delicious home cooked barbecue food! Generally, freestanding grills are less expensive than your standard grill. The flexibility built in gas grills provide is perfect for those who are looking to design a backyard cooking space.

3.Infrared Gas Grills

Infrared gas grills work by igniting elements such as propane or natural gas in order to head ceramic tile. The benefit of this is that the heat from the grill spreads equally across the entire cooking surface, allowing users to quickly sear and prepare their foods and cook burgers, steaks, vegetables, kebabs, veggies, fish, and sausages the same way a normal gas grill can.

4.Natural gas grills

Natural gas grills have been seeing an increase in popularity during recent years. Efficient, fast, functional, and easy to use. Natural gas grills are usually powered by the same pipeline that connects the gas line that you use inside your home.

Things to be considered

• Best for:Anybody who wants some delicious and healthy grilled meat, vegetables or fish fast and conveniently made without any extra hassle during a weeknight or weekend. Perfect for anyone who wants to pop out a tasty quick burger or steak without spending too much time on grilling.
• Disadvantages:The heat from gas grills does not get as hot as charcoal grills, also consider high costs. The general consensus is that foods cooked on gas grills carries less of a “classic bbq” taste than charcoal grills.
• What to Look for:We recommend looking for a grill that has various heat sources, good propane consumption. Pay attention to the grill material – is it stainless steel? Is it thick or thin? Does the size of the grill fit within your constraints?And of course, how many burgers you can cook at the same time.
• Price range:Gas grills can cost anywhere between 100$-2,000$+ Depending on the size, type, quality, and name brand.

Charcoal Grills

Charcoal type grills are the second most popular type of grill. They require store bought charcoal to function. The coal is lit with fire and lighter fluid, and burns out over the course of a few hours. These grills are best suited for people who have a little bit more time on their hands to mess around with the whole coal process. However, after getting their hands a little dirty, barbecuers get to enjoy fine, smoky, classical barbecue food of a unique quality that’s hard to match on other grills!

1. Charcoal Kettle Grills

Charcoal Kettle Grills are much smaller than your standard sized charcoal grill, and thus are easier to transport around. Ideal for those wanting to bring that classic smoky barbecue flavor with them wherever they go. Perfect for an on the go bbq.

2. Kamado Grills

Traditionally Kamado grills were designed to be a movable type of grill. The idea for these grills originated in Japan, though it has become rather popular in the United States as of recent. Sometimes known as the Kamado style cooker. It’s recommended that lump wood charcoal be used when utilizing these grills so that the food retains its natural taste and doesn’t get contaminated with metals or charcoal residue.

3. Traditional Charcoal Grills

Aah, the traditional charcoal grill. For those seeking the ultimate flavor. Usually made with thick cast iron. These grills are heavy duty, and the quality of the food made in these is pure mouthwatering pleasure.

Things to be considered

• Best for: Those who want a little bit of extra flavor once in a while and don’t mind spending the time or getting their hands a little dirty with charcoal for those extra elements of flavor to satisfy the taste buds. Definitely for the more serious and experienced grillers out there.
• Disadvantages: Takes longer than a gas grill to get started, usually followed with a messy cleanup process. Coals can take up to 30 minutes to heat up. Difficult to keep hot in cold temperatures and heavy winds. Charcoal can sometimes cost more than propane gas.
• What to Look for: When buying a charcoal grill, it’s important to not cheap out, as this is an investment. Keep your eye out for the type of grates your grill comes with, cast iron or stainless steel are the best. Make you sure you’re ready to put in the effort to clean these grills. And remember to always have some coal on hand!
• Price range: Small portable charcoal grills are usually cheap and cost anywhere from 20$-200$. You can get a standard grill anywhere from 150$ – 1,000$+. Depending on the size, type, quality, and name brand.

Electric Grills

These types of grills are easy and simple to operate. Perfect for people who would like to use a grill indoors. Traditionally, Electric grills draw their grilling power from a 120v or 220v power source, such as a power outlet. Generally, the 120 models are usually smaller and more compact than the 220 ones. But these grills are so easy to use, its literally plug and play, perfect for an in-house bbq.

Things to be considered

• Best for:Apartment dwellers, and for those who don’t want anything to do with the inconvenience of most traditional grills. Electric grills equal plug and play.
• Disadvantages:You don’t get the traditional bbq experience. And you can’t use these grills if you don’t have an outlet or power source nearby. So forget grilling in the middle of nowhere!
• What to Look for:Look for electric grills that are easy to start up, have a timer, doesn’t hog power, and matches your price.
• Price range:Most Electric grills can be purchased for below 200$, Depending on size, type, quality, and name brand.

Wood fire Grills(Pellet grills)

Wood fire grills were the first grills ever used by man. Probably because no barbecue tastes as good as a wood fire barbecue! Usually these types of grills are sold as open grills without a good. Wood grills provide a unique smoke taste to anything that they are used to cook. It’s hard to beat that flavor.

Things to be considered

• Best for:Anyone who is interested in traditional old style grilling and bbq’ing and being a little fancy and doesn’t mind spending time to get that irreplaceable woody, smoky taste.
• Disadvantages:Takes a long time for the fire to get roaring and to burn down well enough to start cooking. However, you need to constantly keep an eye out for when you need to replenish he wood. Can be costly.
• What to Look for:Wood grills are pretty easy to pick out. Make sure it’s safe and that the flame is easily controllable. Go by something stylish and within your price range.
• Price range:A Wood grill can cost anywhere between60$-1,000$ Depending on size, type, quality, and name brand.

Ceramic Grills

Ceramic grills have been seeing a growing increase in popularity recently. They work wonders retaining optimal temperatures, the air flow on these grills is usually more limited than on others, and thus the meat comes out juicier. Perfect for maintaining steady temperatures over many hours. These grills are ideal for cooking efficiently and fast.

Things to be considered

• Best for:Barbecuer’s who like to cook large amounts of food over a long period of time without having to go through a setup process over and over.
• Disadvantages:Ceramic grills are more expensive than most other grills on the market. They also weigh a lot so they aren’t easy to move, which can be a big drawback for many users.
• What to Look for:When buying a ceramic grill, you need to look for size and thickness of the material, and figure out how much food you are going to cook at the same time to make sure that the high cost of a ceramic grill makes sense.
• Price range:Ceramic grills can cost anywhere between400$-2000$+Depending on size, type, quality, and name brand.

Portable Grills

All general grills come in a portable size. Some are actually provided with inbuilt gasoline or charcoal heat sources.

Things to be considered

• Best for:Those looking to cook on the move or anyone who simply wants a smaller grill. Ideal for beach trips, parties, and tailgating.
• Disadvantages:These grills are much smaller in size compared to their counterparts, so the surface area would be limited affecting the amount of food you can cook at the same time.
• What to Look for:It all depends on preference and the amount of bang you can get for your buck. Pay attention to material, energy consumption, and surface area.
• Price range:Portable grills can range anywhere from10$ + Depending on size, type, quality, and name brand.

What’s your style?

In the end picking a grill all comes down to personal preference and style of cooking. For those who are looking for something quick, easy, and efficient, a gas grill would be the way to go. Want to enjoy a juicy steak or burger from the comfort of your apartment? Check out electric grills. Don’t mind spending some time to get that awesome smoky flavor to your food, consider ceramic, wood, and charcoal grills. Like to travel and cook on the go? Anything portable will fulfill your bbq needs.

Final words

There’s a lot to consider when picking out the perfect grill for your needs. Approach your decision with care! Hey, and if you pick one grill and decide that you fancy another, remember, there’s no wrong in having two grills if you have enough space! In fact, the most important thing is to enjoy your food and have fun – exactly what the Grills Forever team always cares about!

The post 6 Major Types of Grills: Which One Do You Want? appeared first on Grills Forever.

You probably can live without having a vertical gas smoker- but you cannot just keep having leftover casserole or that Turkey the entire week- not after you have had a taste of fine American Gourmet once. After that, you will have realized what real food should taste like, and this is something that you can only get by having your own gas smoker.

So if you want to get rid of those same old recipes, make something that really makes a meal worth and have the meal of your life every time you cook- then a gas smoker is what you need. Let us now go ahead and see what are some of the biggest benefits that will push you to buy a vertical gas smoker today!

Change is Great- Especially When it Comes to Food

Change can be fun, and when it comes to food, it can be deliciously better than anything else that you have been eating until now. You will be able to cook the salmon or roast in a completely different and tasty way. With a gas smoker, it will be possible for you to add new flavors to your meat to make a completely new dish. You can infuse flavors into meats, poultry, fish and even wild game- all by just using a different flavor of wood chips. Some of the flavors that you can add or mix to get your own custom taste include those like mesquite, hickory and applewood among others.

Cooking with a Vertical Gas Smoker is Very Easy

Contrary to what it may sound like, using and making delicious meals with a vertical gas smoker is so easy- even if you have never used one before. Add the water (or do not if it is not needed), keep in the food you want to cook and start at the desired setting and the cooking begins! No need for any complex maneuvers or recipes.

Cook a Range of Dishes and Cuisines

Using a vertical gas smoker, you can make a range of dishes and cuisines. For instance, Brinkmann smoker can be converted into a grill that is around the height of your waist, which makes it ideal for cooking hamburgers, grilling some corn on the cob or pizza or many other things when you are not using it to smoke your new catch.

An Unbeatable Flavor

Smoked fishes and meat are extremely delicious and even healthier than other cooking methods. When you smoke them, the process enhances the tanginess that BBQ sauce or that special rub you used on it has. With smoked fish, you get the right amount of saltiness in it, along with a sweet & sour tinge of BBQ sauce. You can even do the same with venison jerky or your special homemade beef.

More Affordable

While smoked salmon is extremely expensive, finding smoked venison is impossible altogether! However, if you have your own vertical gas smoker, then you can save on a lot of money by catching your salmon or elk/deer and then smoking it on your own! Any items that are already smoked in the store will cost a lot more than those that are not prepared yet, so smoking food on your own is guaranteed to save you a big amount of money!

Making an Impression With Your Cooking Skills

Yes- a man who can cook will always be appreciated, but any woman that knows her way around a smoker will be even more amazing. You could be trying to do something nice for your spouse, impress a date, your friends, family or your boss- using a vertical smoker for creating the perfect meal is one of the best things that you can do. In fact, smoked trout, salmon or even jerky given in the form of a gift is something that will be quite appreciated.

Long Lasting Equipment

With chrome porcelain-coated water pans, grates coated with chrome and heavy-gauge steel used in the overall construction, you can be sure of getting a lot of years of service without any major problems.

A Host of Features that You Will Love

With dual insulated and functional doors, the operation of a gas smoker is quite convenient, for it also provides easy access to the food and water pans, along with the adjustable vents. Along with that, the ignition is integrated into it, which can be used to start the powerful burner. If you go in for a smoker with a large cooking space, then you can cook for a large number of people at a time, and all of this will come occupying less space due to the vertical design.

Great for The Price

You can easily get a long-lasting and functional smoker at a great price, that will double up as a grill and make delicious food every time!

Making Cooking Fun

With a gas smoker, making your own food will be the most fun it can ever be. Cooking is an integral part of our lives, and doing it outdoors with a vertical gas smoker is one way to make it really enjoyable!

Thus, a vertical gas smoker is not just a piece of cooking equipment- but a lifestyle change. Buy one now to turn your meals delicious, healthy and fun to prepare, and Grills Forever is here to help you with that!

The post 10 Hot Reasons to Get a Vertical Gas Smoker appeared first on Grills Forever.

If you are interested in making delicious food in your own home, then having the right equipment is something of a necessity. The market is full of appliances that can satisfy your quest for delicious food, and one such thing that you can get are home smokers and grills. Any food that is cooked through smoking is not only quite healthy, but also helps meat and fish to retain the natural flavor, since in a smoker; they are cooked by indirect heat. There are a number of methods that you can employ for smoking, but using electric smokers is amongst the more popular ones.

One of the most known names in the market when it comes to smokers is Char Broil. Char broil smokers are electric smokers, which mean that these run on electricity without any fuel requirement.  You can use Char Broil smokers not only for smoking, but also to barbecue and grill your favorite fishes and meat. These smokers work using water, which is heated to vapors that smoke the meat.

However great it may sound, you need to know the basic pros and cons of a smoker before you purchase it, and the same stands for Char Broil smokers. Let us know go ahead and see what these smokers offer and where they lack to help you make an informed choice when shopping for smoker-grills.

Advantages of Char Broil Smokers

Ease of Use

The first and the biggest advantage that you get with this range of smokers is that they are not only extremely easy to use, but are portable as well. They are ideal for grilling as well as barbecuing any fish and meat with ease. A Char Broil smoker can be used in the garden; or carried along for a delicious trip. The quality of materials used in the construction of these smokers makes them durable, and the temperature adjustment dial helps ensure that you can cook at the precise temperature that you want to get the best results.

Requires Electricity to Work

Char Broil smokers are just like any other modern equipment- they run on electricity, and not on coal or any type of fuel. This means that once you have purchased this smoker, there is no need to make any additional purchase in the form of coal or fuel to use it, for it will work great with the electricity that you get in your home. It provides a large cooking area, along with water pans to covert the water to vapor for uniformly smoking the food. This easy use helps you create delicious food for as many people as you want to prepare.

Disadvantages of Char Broil Smokers

Complicated Assembly

When you get a Char Broil smoker, it not ready to use, and there is assembly that you have to perform. The problem here is that this is not as easy for novice users, and even those who have some experience with a smoker will find this assembly to be rather complicated. The water pan that is provided with the smoker will get damaged after using the smoker for a while. While you cook in this smoker, it will be essential that you control the temperature at the right amount else you will end up with uncooked meat or a dish that is not properly cooked. The smoker has only three points to help in temperature control, which is not enough considering how precise a control of temperature is needed while smoking.

Controlling the Amount of Smoke Required

There is no doubt about the fact that controlling the smoke is very important in a smoker, but this is quite complicated in Char Broil smokers. There is no good device in this smoker that can help you to control smoke. The only way to do this is to use the lid provided with the pan. However, this lead does not make it possible for the smoke to spread evenly in every direction, which will cause you many problems as you try to cook your meals in it.

Thus, with this, the most significant of merits as well as demerits that come with Char Broil smokers have now been covered. Never let advertisements or a single factor guide you as you shop for smokers- for the right smoker-grill will give you the best for your money and last for years to come, providing perfectly cooked meat every time you use it.

With these points in mind, you will be better able to determine if a Char Broil smoker is the best choice for you, and if you should prefer it or not. When you make an informed decision while shopping for home smoker-grills, you can be assured of getting the best that your money can buy in the form of a durable smoker. Also here at Grills Forever we have thoroughly reviewed Char Broil smokers to help you choose your best fit.

The post The Good and The Bad of Char Broil Smokers appeared first on Grills Forever.

A question that often comes along for many of us “flavor enthusiasts” is: Is Gas Grill Healthier Than Charcoal?

Here at Grills Forever, we will address many of the benefits and potential health issues between the two options so you can decide which you’ll use with confidence.

Why We Love Charcoal Grills

Charcoal Grills bring a unique, rich, smoky taste to the table that is unmatchable. They are cost effective. Charcoal grills really bring the authenticity and simplicity to the event of grilling that we can all love and appreciate. I personally love watching the charcoals turn grey. Charcoal grills make for a healthy option when trying to consume less fat. The fats on meats drip away from the meat rather than soak into it if you were cooking them in a pan or skillet.

Why We Love Gas Grills

Who doesn’t love the convenience of turning a handle and clicking a button to get things going? Gas grills are quite convenient to use. You simply get them going and have knobs to change the intensity of the heat. Typically, gas grills are available in larger sizes with multiple racks which provides you with more cooking space. Meats still produce natural smoke when sizzling on the grill which does in turn enhance the flavor compared to cooking in a pan or skillet. When it comes to temperature control and overall cooking control, gas grills are usually favored.

What Are the High Temperature Cooking Problems?

HCA’s (Heterocylic Amines) are produced when proteins are cooked at very high temperatures. HCA’s have been discovered to give cancer to lab animals. There has been no study indicating the same results for humans. This gives the gas grill a huge health advantage over the charcoal grill due to the fact that you are able to have much more control over the amount of heat and flame that the foods are exposed to. With charcoal grills, it is much harder to control this and therefore leaves it at higher risk of creating more HCA’s present in the food. Gas grills are favored when it comes to temperature control.

What Are the Dangers of Charcoal?

First off, if you are using petroleum-based lighter fluid, you are adding a health risk on the spot separate from charcoal. It itself produces Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) and leaves petroleum residue on the food and in your precious lungs! The average bear does use lighter fluid in order to get their coals burning so make sure you do some research for alternative solutions to get your coal burning. You can check out electric coal starters (typically $10-20) for a healthy approach of lighting your coals. Charcoals are also a little more unpredictable when it comes to the intensity of the flame which can put you or others at harm of fire and/or risk of burn. Charcoal also produces carbon monoxide, a deadly gas if inhaled directly. Make sure to separate yourself and be in a well-ventilated area if doing charcoal grilling to further decrease health risks.

Which One is Healthier?

As it may be known that many cooks prefer to use charcoal to cook to further enhance the flavor of their feasts, it is a route that should be less traveled. To prevent some of the harmful carcinogens and HCA’s, it has been a practice to marinate your meats for 30m or longer to reduce the negative effects absorbed into the food by cooking with charcoal. It may actually reduce up to 90% of the harmful chemicals absorbed that have been told to cause cancer. 10% is still more than I’d like to play with personally. On rare occasion, charcoal is a great choice for flavor filled entrees.

Gas Grills are much more healthy. There are no known chemicals being absorbed into your foods except the equivalent risk of HCA’s (when food is cooked at high temperature). However, the temperature control on gas grills gives you the opportunity to eliminate that risk entirely. Gas grills still provide the same benefit of charcoal grills when it comes to leaving the cooked product with less fat. However, there are less physical risks and many less health risks involved when using a gas grill.

Is Gas Grill Healthier Than Charcoal?

Is Gas Grill Healthier Than Charcoal? Yes. There are certain ways to minimize the health risks involved with charcoal grilling e.g. marinating, using alternative options to ignite the coals. However, there are too many factors that make it a health risk to actively cook with charcoal. If used in moderation, it is probably just fine to grill with charcoal. If you are a grilling enthusiast, using a gas grill is essential. You provide yourself with an overall superior product, especially when it comes to your health.

The post Is Gas Grill Healthier Than Charcoal? Get the Answer Now! appeared first on Grills Forever.