By Tim O’Dell, Chili Dawg’s Foods of Fire
It is the Holiday season. We want to shop for gifts but, “What do we get the person who has everything?”
Why not get them something the entire family can enjoy? Why not get them a grill or a smoker? Everybody wins for many years to come. But do you get a grill or a smoker?
It depends. If they’re looking for a quick meal with not much preparation, many choose the quickness of a natural gas or LP gas grill. They heat up fast, the heat is relatively easy to regulate and they can produce a quality meal in a short period of time.
There are many gas grills from which to choose. The features of a gas grill will vary depending upon the different manufacturers. Grills can be simple with no bells and whistles or they can be complicated with side burners, sear burners, automatic start buttons, lights and more.
People buying a gas grill will do well to first decide on what features are important to the recipient and then shop and compare for features and price. Charcoal grills, pellet smokers and wood smokers offer a variety of results and time requirements. These decisions should not be made lightly.
Charcoal grills offer a great barbeque flavor for any kind of product, meat, fish, or other dishes. They do however require a bit more time to fire up and managing the heat requires practice to become proficient. These come in all sizes with various options so, once again, features and price must be considered when looking at charcoal grills.
Pellet smokers allow for some awesome cooking with a great allowance for time management. You can set the temperature to the desired heat level and manage the internal temperature of the food product with outstanding accuracy. These smokers also come in various sizes offered by several manufacturers and the price points will vary. Research is advised when contemplating the purchase of a pellet smoker.
Wood burners, or stick burners, are a completely different story. Though the most fun for avid cookers and barbeque chefs, they are not an exact science. The temperature has to be watched as the air flow and fuel burn must be monitored to maintain a constant temperature. Competition smokers offer some interesting features and there are literally hundreds from which to choose. But when turning out an excellent meal with this type of cooker - by watching over the entire process - the result can be unmatched satisfaction.
Though you can buy these gifts at big box stores and chain stores, specialty stores offer an alternative that should be pursued. The personnel at these specialty stores can give great advice on gas grills, charcoal grills, pellet smokers and stick burners as this is there field of expertise. These stores and their personnel should be used as a resource for both the barbeque novice and the experts.
For a successful gift for the person who has everything, do some research, and then decide, will that person like to GRILL or SMOKE.