I'm old school and anything with gas or burners isn't a barbeque, it's a outdoor cooker.
I am fortunate not to have close neighbours, so the smell doesn't annoy or attract them.
[Edited on 8/5/17 by spiderman]
I have a cheap gas BBQ thats a couple of years old and it hasnt lasted well, burner and plate is rusty, one burner valve is stuck.
Historically I have bought cheap ones (£50~60) and replaced every couple of years, so if I can find a decent one that's full of stainless parts
that will last a good few years i'm happy to spend £250 approx. There seems to be lots listed as stainless, but most just seem to have a
stainless body, and all the important internals are mild and i know wont last.
Locost: half an oil drum, expanded metal mesh and a bag of charcoal.
I'm old school and anything with gas or burners isn't a barbeque, it's a outdoor cooker.
I am fortunate not to have close neighbours, so the smell doesn't annoy or attract them.
[Edited on 8/5/17 by spiderman]
Now i've used gas barbeques and yes they're very convenient and work well and blah blah blah....
but i'm with spiderman here, a barbeque should have coal and uncontrolled fire and smoke etc!
Im 100% sold on the convenience and flexibility of gas, I understand many prefer the real thing, but im not one of them!.
No such thing as a gas BBQ, as already said that's an outdoor cooked.
for the amount they are used its worth considering the disposable barbecues. though you may need several/many for more than a few people.
no cleaning or storage issues
edit
but we did build one with a dexion tray with holes drilled in it, and half inch steel bars for the top. we could get those bars cherry red!
edit cherry not cheery!
[Edited on 8/5/17 by gremlin1234]
I have a hunter outback gas BBQ and am very happy with it
My brother has a "cheap" gas 6 burner. I helped my sis' in law choose it and went for size over quality, thats the way my bro is.
It is now about 2 years old and lasted very well. I used it yesterday. We pre cooked all of the food (kids and grand parents present so did not want
to risk anything) and just browned it off using the BBQ!
Ok, it did not have the taste of coals but was still nice. It gave the authentic crisp that you want. I dont know the make but I would just go for
what ever your budget stretches to.
The best piece of advice I can give, coming from someone that knows people with snazzy BBQs, is buy a good cover! As soon as the excessively expensive
cover tears or rips (probably within 12 months) BUY ANOTHER ONE!!
It wont go rusty if it has a good cover. Even nice BBQs suffer peeling vanish and rusty bolts when left to the elements.
Have fun.
For £250 get a used gas Weber, you won't regret it, though you won't get an all stainless one for that
It's true that charcoal is the original, Weber's famous for their charcoal kettle BBQ's, but they did a blind testing charcoal vs their
gas grills, something like 80% preferred the food cooked on gas, including lots of charcoal fanatics
They have "flavouriser" bars that sit above the burners and below the grills, the fat from the food drips onto them and burns off in the
form of smoke
I have both gas and charcoal BBQ's - all Weber, 4 in all and use my gas one the most, every roast joint that I've cooked in the last five
years has been on my BBQ, that's beef, lamb, chicken, pork and Christmas turkeys, my oven in the kitchen is barely used
I use it all year round, though in the summer, is at least 10 times a week. I just wouldn't do it that much with charcoal
If you can, get one with stainless cooking grids/grills, they take more abuse and are much easier to clean
I'm happy to advise if you need specific advice choosing one
I use a chimnea and an old fridge metal tray - tray needs to have the plastic (powder coat?) burnt off before cooking food on it.
Gas BBQ?? - No 
- simplest form is to lay bricks in a rectangular shape and rest a grid on top - you don't need fancy Weber, Outback blah
blah digitally controlled gas regulated sophisticated nonsense.
I was totally against gas BBQs but after spending a fortune on charcoal firefighters etc I got a gas one it's so much easier to use and quick which means we have more BBQ s but it does take more cleaning though .
Really it's down to personal choice, I use mine as an outdoor cooker and use it regularly, though I defy anyone to be able to tell the difference
between my gas and charcoal cooked food
I find it funny when it come to this time of year and people at work are talking of having their first BBQ of the year
My first of this year was on 1st Jan, whole salmon planked and smoked
If I was only using it a few times a year, then the whole experience of charcoal is great, but I might come home after a long shift and grill a single
piece of chicken for a sandwich
When I'm on nights, I may grill some fish for lunch and then later of grill something to take to work
No way am I going to mess about with coal for such quick and simple meals, as I say it's personal choice. I'm certainly not going to
apologise for having and enjoying a gas grill
[Edited on 8/5/17 by Toys2]
Best of both worlds here... got one of these for when I want to do it properly
and a cheap Camping Gaz one for when I just want to throw something on the grill outside.. Camping Gaz one is coming up on 2 years old, used all year
round, always covered when not in use; no rust or anything like it to date.
My Camping Gaz one is a bit like this one but without the side burner...
http://www.millets.co.uk/equipment/013267-campingaz-2-series-classic-exs-barbecue.html/484286
I believe some of the Camping Gaz ones allow you to put the grates etc in the dishwasher...
[Edited on 8/5/17 by stevebubs]
quote:
Originally posted by stevebubs
Best of both worlds here... got one of these for when I want to do it properly
and a cheap Camping Gaz one for when I just want to throw something on the grill outside.. Camping Gaz one is coming up on 2 years old, always covered, and no rust or anything to date.
My Camping Gaz one is a bit like this one but without the side burner...
http://www.millets.co.uk/equipment/013267-campingaz-2-series-classic-exs-barbecue.html/484286/?istCompanyId=b238823a-59fd-4816-9c36-7dd47877f2a8&i stItemId=raxrmtwix&istBid=tzil&gclid=Cj0KEQjwrsDIBRDX3JCunOrr_YYBEiQAifH1FkM07pttRmu4f4t1b80aFO-WashWH9mSMU5aWOJHvJMaAuB-8P8HAQ
[Edited on 8/5/17 by stevebubs]
[Edited on 8/5/17 by stevebubs]
BTW there is a gas option that you can insert into the masonry BBQ, so you don't *have* to cook using charcoal on it... oh.. and had one of the
Big K masonry BBQs at my last house...was still going strong after 15 years!! First thing I ordered when I bought the new place 18 months ago was
another...
[Edited on 8/5/17 by stevebubs]
If you can leave it till end of summer visit garden centres and b and q as they usually sell them off at a fairly reduced amount. Mine came from b and q 5 years ago stainless and still looking good 4 burner added the electric rotisserie and use it to cook whole chickens. Not ever given anyone the sh!ts so must be doing some thing right.
Agreed on waiting until the end of the season - I bought my Camping Gaz one in late Sept/early October and it was <£100
quote:
It is now about 2 years old and lasted very well. I used it yesterday. We pre cooked all of the food (kids and grand parents present so did not want to risk anything) and just browned it off using the BBQ! Ok, it did not have the taste of coals but was still nice. It gave the authentic crisp that you want. I dont know the make but I would just go for what ever your budget stretches to.
I'm with Loggy here a gas BBQ is quick and easy. I too have bought sub £100 ones before that do a couple of years before making their way to the
tip. Rusty plates and knackered burners being the end of them.
A friend of mine has a cheap gas BBQ (mild steel parts) and some rather nifty long handled wire brushes which he uses to clean the plates after
cooking. Seems to work well and he's now on his 3rd year with the same BBQ.
Loggy I know what you're after, but haven't seen one to point you at - if I saw one I'd probably buy one myself
quote:
Originally posted by nick205
I'm with Loggy here a gas BBQ is quick and easy.
quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
quote:
Originally posted by nick205
I'm with Loggy here a gas BBQ is quick and easy.
Arrrgggfhhh how many times, that is not bbq but gas cooker that can be used outdoors.
Bbq = Real old school barbecue happens when you place a large cut of meat or ribs in closed pit and let it cook indirectly (away from the fire) with the low heat and smoke of a charcoal and or wood fire.
quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
quote:
Originally posted by nick205
I'm with Loggy here a gas BBQ is quick and easy.
Arrrgggfhhh how many times, that is not bbq but gas cooker that can be used outdoors.
Bbq = Real old school barbecue happens when you place a large cut of meat or ribs in closed pit and let it cook indirectly (away from the fire) with the low heat and smoke of a charcoal and or wood fire.
Calm down guys he only asked for a gas recommendation
quote:
Calm down guys he only asked for a gas recommendation
From start to finish gas 15 mins charcoal 30 mins to go white ready to cook 15 mins to cook only one winner in the speed test and that's why my gas one gets used more .
quote:
Originally posted by SJ
quote:
Calm down guys he only asked for a gas recommendation
We need a 'Cook Off' to settle this!
Would be interested to know what you go with, i'm looking to buy a gas BBQ in the next couple of weeks and want to get something that will
last.
Am currently tempted by the Outback 3 burner that Home base are doing for £200 but there are some very varied reviews on quality of the brand out
there....
I found another cheap one in tesco. 4 burner for £80, 70 after i had used some club card vouchers.
Waiting works well. We bought one at B&Q at the end of season, years ago. It was reduced from £280 to £70 and very solidly built, with a lot of
cast-iron and a big mound of lava rock for the juices to drip on and burn. It lasted for many years, despite it being left outside all year round with
no covering.
It eventually succumbed to the 3" square wooden frame rotting. I should have rebuilt it, but I was working away a lot, had limited time available
for DIY and lots of other things going on, so I bought another cheap one. Nowhere near the quality, but it does for now.