Buying Your First Grill: Know What's Hot Off the Grill

Are you buying a grill for the first time, upgrading to a bigger one, or downsizing one? Which grill is the right one for you?

1. Is your grill budget: A. pretty limited B. fairly generous
2. You cook out: A. just once or twice a month in the summer B. every chance I get and every night
3. What you enjoy the most about grilling is: A. getting that smoky flavor of grill-cooked food B. being able to toss burgers or steaks on the grill at a moment's notice
4. Your favorite childhood treat to make was: A. s'mores over a campfire B. mini cakes in an Easy-Bake Oven
5. Your summer cooking motto is: A. be prepared B. carpe diem (seize the day!)

If most of your answers were A, invest in a charcoal grill. They're less expensive and smaller, therefore easier to store away. This grill will give a true smoky flavor. Make sure when buying that the grill is staple, sturdy, and easy to clean.

If you answered mostly B: a hassle-free gas grill is for you. You can light this grill and it's ready in 15 minutes or so. Look for a model with a fuel gauge and dual or extra burners. Get a good warranty, so a non-working part won't jack up your convenience.

Did you know that your backyard grill can do everything an oven can? You just have to know which of the two grilling methods to use. There's: Direct-heat cooking-This is placing food directly over the coals on a grill rack, similar to your oven broiler. The heat emanates from below. Hamburgers, steak, and sausage are best suited for this cooking method.

You can also saute' using this method. Set a skillet on the grill to heat it. Then, remove the skillet from heat, add oil, and place it back on the grill. You're ready!

Indirect-heat cooking-The hot coals are arranged around a drip pan so that the heat's restricted to the edges of the food. This causes food to cook slowly, like an oven. A pot roast, a whole chicken, or even a cake can be baked using this method! To achieve, place a drip pan the size of the food you're cooking, in the center of the grill and mound the coals around the pan. Place the grill rack and the food over the pan, so that drips don't hit the coals.