Gas BBq's Want to purchase before weekend (16/7) advice!

pfpf

hi.
as per title.
my only experience of BBQ's are the disposable use once ones.

I am down to these two: they appear very similar, reviews are good.

has anyone got either of these or can you offer advice?

when only cooking for two using a 4 burner model can you just use say 2 burners and get good results over a smaller area, hence saving gas?

thank you.

http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/montana-4-burner-black-gas-bbq---collect-in-store-309870

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4509411.htm#pdpFullDesc

Ralph-y

please take this the right way ......;)

if you are after a BBQ for prestige / style / flamboyancy .....

then either ..........

but

how much do you cook for two ?

of course you may just cook for two ... 10 times ..... and then want to cook for 20 at a family do ....... in which case ignore me .....;)


when yo are only cooking for two ...... then the MSE reply would be but some thing far smaller / cheaper :money:

I have lusted over such .........

and I do cook ......


Ralph:cool:

pfpf

hi. thanks.

i had initially typed up for the OP about use/numbers of people but thought i was rambling so removed it

i have also seen a nice one on Amazon that is smaller but is around the same price....

thing is, i am my own worst enemy when buying anything, i research, read and research some more taking weeks and sometimes months to decide. i also read every review i can find for any given product - and that 1 star review makes me nervous even though there may be 99 5 star ones.....anyway....

we really could do with getting a BBQ for this w/e so this "quick decision" making is not me.

so as per my OP, any comments on the 2 listed or suggestions for others (smaller/cheaper) would be appreciated.

and..when only cooking for two using a 4 burner model can you just use say 2 burners and get good results over a smaller area, hence saving gas?

kwikbreaks

pfpf wrote: »

and..when only cooking for two using a 4 burner model can you just use say 2 burners and get good results over a smaller area, hence saving gas?

Each knob on the front is for an individual burner. If you only have one side turned on and only put food that side it will be very similar to just having a two burner BBQ.

If picking a big one like those two don't forget to give a thought to storage. A BBQ will deteriorate if left outdoors over winter even under a purpose made cover.

Chrishazle

Personally, I would not go for either of the 2 you list. First, they are not stainless steel so will deteriorate over time - which happened to my first 2 gas BBQ's. Second, neither has a back burner and rotisserie, which to me is essential.

OK, I'm talking more money than the 2 you list, but long term you will not regret it. I've had my SS BBQ 9 years now, it has 3 main burners, side burner, back burner and rotisserie, lives outdoors, gets covered for winter, and is still absolutely fine. Have a search on Ebay, you'll find similar SS BBQ's for £250 last time I looked. First time you rotisserie a chicken, leg of lamb etc you'll be amazed at how tender and moist the meat is!

pfpf

thanks peeps.

final question.

can you put a aluminium drip tray under the grill on the cooking side? ie. over active burners (direct zone)?

I have seen you can use them on the "indirect zone" but can't really find mention of the direct zone.

thanks again.

AndyBSG

pfpf wrote: »

thanks peeps.

final question.

can you put a aluminium drip tray under the grill on the cooking side? ie. over active burners (direct zone)?

I have seen you can use them on the "indirect zone" but can't really find mention of the direct zone.

thanks again.

They should already come with a drip tray.

The setup is that you have the grill and underneath that will be tent shaped metal plates so the fat drips down and runs down either side of these tent shaped burner plates and collects in a metal drip tray at the bottom.

So, all you do after use is wipe the grills down and slide out the drip tray to dump the collected fat and grease.

A great tip is to put cat litter in the drip tray as it soaks up most of the grease and makes disposing of it and cleaning much easier.

I picked up the Ultar 4 from B&Q a few weeks ago for £130 in their sale and have used it half a dozen times since with no problems(Only real grumble is the drip tray slides out of the back, not the front meaning I have to turn the BBQ round when cleaning to get the tray out).

You will need a cover for it(Got one off Amazon much cheaper than in store and much better quality) and for a Gas bottle you'll be looking at a minimum of 50 quid up front as you have to stump up the deposit. Also worth getting some anti rust spray for when it's stored outdoors in the summer months(I just use a bit of WD-40 before putting the cover on it after use)

Personally, I would advise a 4 burner because the price difference between a 2 and 4 isn't huge and if you're just cooking for two of you then you can simply use just one burner and for around £120-170 you should pick up a reasonable one.

kwikbreaks

AndyBSG wrote: »

A great tip is to put cat litter in the drip tray as it soaks up most of the grease and makes disposing of it and cleaning much easier.

Having no cat I've never tried this but I have visions of there being a bit of a bonfire if this is done... Anybody else doing this?

pfpf

thanks everyone.
i've bought one and its up. I ended up getting neither from my OP but the 2 burner one from Argos @ £59.99.
I've only built it and tested the burners work and all seems fine.

having never had a Gas BBQ, or ever used any gas appliance, how do I know the flames are burning as they should be? all the flames are ignited and evenly burning. they just don't look like the raging fire I thought they may be. more like lots of small neat pilot lights flickering in harmony. none protrude beyond the sides of the heat tent.

thank you.

Ant555

I have had a decent gas BBQ a few years now and to be honest if you use it often enough you will get to know the settings and the times for cooking on your own BBQ but I would say the following - not as an expert but as someone that enjoys cooking outside whenever possible.

1) Turn it on at least 10 minutes on low before cooking and leave the lid down to heat the grill.

2) Don;t worry about not having huge flames - its not that kind of a BBQ - think of it as an outdoor grill. If you have massive flames then things don;t cook evenly. ie sausages will look cooked very quickly but could be pretty raw on the inside.

3) Many cheaper BBQ's have cooler spots round the edges as I found this before I splashed out on my Weber Q BBQ so if this seems to be the case with you then simply cook with the hood down as much as you can on a medium heat - I almost never use the highest heat setting on mine and most of the time its 50-80% on the dial - but I also do appreciate some spots where I can stack stuff that just needs to be kept warm and not cooked.

4) Consider a griddle/plate as they are absolutely great once they get up to temperature but some can be quite small

5) Don;t worry too much about cleaning it spotless during the summer - after any cooking event when people have gone home, simply switch it on again with the hood down and leave for 15 mins to help get rid of large bits of stuck on food.

6) in my experience gas lasts for ages and I use ours a lot.

7) Don;t expect McDionalds/fast food cooking speed. I cook things slower with the lid down so I can enjoy the company and have a beer - when cooking on high heat I found I was tied to the bbq and watching for things burning all of the time and flipping burgers constantly! - Now I take it easy and try not to stress.

hope this helps

pfpf

Ant555 wrote: »

hope this helps

enormously. thanks so much.

first venture tomorrow. thanks again.

pfpf.