# New barbecue time



## taylor8 (Mar 26, 2010)

Time to purchase a new barbecue, looking for 3 or 4 burner ideally with a hot plate, any suggestions, not got a huge budget and would prefer gas??


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## bigeyd (Feb 28, 2009)

I've gone back to charcoal from crappy gas,I don't know why but it just didn't taste the same with gas so now I've gone big time with a smoker barbie http://www.longacres.co.uk/weber-bb...3CI18jR_EooiG9T-qQIvaTXAYoTRIwA0iXBoC6BLw_wcB


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## ncd (Dec 12, 2005)

I've recently bought one of these : https://www.tesco.com/direct/tesco-4-burner-gas-bbq-with-side-burner-black/130-0863

Not used the side burner yet, but the main bit has been brilliant for a budget gas bbq. Yes I know the bbq traditionalists will be up in arms and coming at me with their pitch forks, but it's suits for what we need with minimum fuss.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk


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## bigeyd (Feb 28, 2009)

ncd said:


> I've recently bought one of these : https://www.tesco.com/direct/tesco-...-side-burner-black/130-0863.prd?source=others
> 
> Not used the side burner yet, but the main bit has been brilliant for a budget gas bbq. Yes I know the bbq traditionalists will be up in arms and coming at me with their pitch forks, but it's suits for what we need with minimum fuss.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk


Or the ones who will say 'just drag your cooker out into the garden'


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## ardandy (Aug 18, 2006)

Weber all the way for me. They do both.


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## packard (Jun 8, 2009)

What's not a huge budget, I would rather go over quality not quantity in terms of grill space Weber for me everytime.


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## Alfieharley1 (Jun 8, 2014)

Weber again here


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## dholdi (Oct 1, 2008)

ardandy said:


> Weber all the way for me. They do both.


Absolutely, mil got us one when we moved to this house 12 years ago.
Its still going strong despite being left out in the garden for all of those 12 years without a cover.


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## Zetec-al (Feb 28, 2011)

Have a look on this website.

www.gardentrends.co.uk

Some great BBQ's on there but not weber. Beefeater is a very good brand too look at.


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## ollienoclue (Jan 30, 2017)

Don't do it. Get yourself a fire bowl and grille to fit on it instead.

I detest BBQs, all they do is sit in the rain and go rusty or get in the way in the garage.

Nice copper firebowl now, light it up with charcoal, cook dinner on it, then remove the grille and then chuck on a couple of logs (which were originally destined for the wood burner) for folk to sit around and keep warm when the sun starts to fade.

If you are really keen you can get a flat griddle and do eggs and all sorts on it. Something I learned on a camping trip with one of those '4x4 offroading wild camping holiday' perverts.


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## Dapman (Feb 9, 2014)

Concrete Landermann for me! Permanent in the garden had it for 20 years now and it's still the same reliable BBQ.
It smokes great food, pit style charcoal with a great electric auto rotisserie for legs of lamb and great whole chickens for that real deal taste. Cast iron griddle for burgers and steaks.
Always there ready when we need it!
Quick Nilfisk jet wash down, no rust and it's ready for the next time!


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## dholdi (Oct 1, 2008)

Dapman said:


> Concrete Landermann for me! Permanent in the garden had it for 20 years now and it's still the same reliable BBQ.
> It smokes great food, pit style charcoal with a great electric auto rotisserie for legs of lamb and great whole chickens for that real deal taste. Cast iron griddle for burgers and steaks.
> Always there ready when we need it!
> Quick Nilfisk jet wash down, no rust and it's ready for the next time!


We need pictures


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## Dapman (Feb 9, 2014)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Landmann-Salerno-Masonry-Garden-Barbecue/dp/B00V2GLY7Y


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## Arvi (Apr 11, 2007)

Looking to do a BBQ this weekend. Anyone recommend any coal lighting bags from the likes of Homebase/Tesco/Sainsbury. Also getting some chicken strips from the butchers as part of a deal. whats the best way to cook these as they will just slide through the grill slats. Someone said you can get foil dishes with holes in them - anyone know where does them?


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## uggski (Jun 29, 2016)

Outback are good as well.


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## ardandy (Aug 18, 2006)

ollienoclue said:


> Don't do it. Get yourself a fire bowl and grille to fit on it instead.
> 
> I detest BBQs, all they do is sit in the rain and go rusty or get in the way in the garage.
> 
> Nice copper firebowl now, light it up with charcoal, cook dinner on it, then remove the grille and then chuck on a couple of logs (which were originally destined for the wood burner) for folk to sit around and keep warm when the sun starts to fade.


Cheap BBQ's go rusty, Webers don't. Mines left out uncovered all year round and looks perfect to this day.

Firebowls aren't great for food as stuff is meant to be cooked with the lid on!

If you're looking, you're not cooking!


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

I use a Weber Mastertouch with rotisserie, Theuros t1 and Monolith kamado - all charcoal beasts. I also made a DIY tandoor using terracotta pots, and its amazing for doing tandoori meats and homemade naan. Also have an Uuni pizza oven for family pizza days! With a half decent bit of kit you can cook year round - I cook outside at least once a week every week of the year, and now the evenings are better it will be 3-4 evenings a week. All roasts, slow cooked meats and pulled lamb and pork, fish, Christmas turkey, curries, kebabs and just about anything else that you can grill or cook in an oven get cooked outdoors here  

Buy something quality and it will last. Cheap stuff will just rust and fall apart. The problem is that most people just use the BBQ to cremate a few sausages and burgers and never learn how to actually control temperatures and cook properly. Quality BBQ designs really help in this, and a lid becomes essential if you want to cook good food - even cooking burgers and sausages is far superior with a lid.

Firebowls are ok for a bit of show and for cooking in bowls suspended above them. Most food really doesnt want to be cooked directly over flames or hot coals, except for very short periods of time to sear the outside. Anything over about 1/2" thick needs to be cooked indirectly away from the direct heat of the coals or gas. Then sear it for colour and flavour.


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## Starbuck88 (Nov 12, 2013)

With a Gas BBQ, if you use the Lava Rock does it give it the BBQ taste?

As seems everyone we know has Gas BBQs without that and you might as well just cook on your indoor hob?


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

lava rock is simply there to get hot and then dissipate heat - it adds zero flavour. Weber gas BBQs use metal V shaped covers over the burners to do the same thing.

You might argue that fat drips onto the rock or covers and then evaporates, but thats not BBQ flavour, its just the smell of burning fat and is actually pretty unpleasant on food! The BBQ taste and smell comes from smoke from smoking wood chunks, or from the gases given off while burning charcoal. Meat also only takes on the smokey BBQ flavour while its cold or just heating up. As soon as the meat starts to reach any temperature on the outside then it can no longer take on the smokey flavours. Its why the best BBQ flavours are only achieved by low n'slow cooking when the meat very slowly rises in temp while in a wonderfully smokey BBQ (with a lid on) for hours and hours. I like to cook my pork shoulders at about 110c for about 12 hours and they have fist sized lumps of apple or cherry wood arranged on the coals so they gradually burn during the first 2-3 hours of the cook. After that no more smokey flavour is going to develop.

Gas BBQs have a place and are certainly convenient, but personally I only have charcoal these days or occasionally real wood fires. If you know what you're doing you can get a charcoal BBQ up to temp almost as quickly as getting a gasser properly heated as well.

There is a superb BBQ and smoking site that is well worth reading through if you want to progress fro charcoaled sausages to real cooking

http://amazingribs.com/


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## Starbuck88 (Nov 12, 2013)

Bigpikle said:


> lava rock is simply there to get hot and then dissipate heat - it adds zero flavour. Weber gas BBQs use metal V shaped covers over the burners to do the same thing.
> 
> You might argue that fat drips onto the rock or covers and then evaporates, but thats not BBQ flavour, its just the smell of burning fat and is actually pretty unpleasant on food! The BBQ taste and smell comes from smoke from smoking wood chunks, or from the gases given off while burning charcoal. Meat also only takes on the smokey BBQ flavour while its cold or just heating up. As soon as the meat starts to reach any temperature on the outside then it can no longer take on the smokey flavours. Its why the best BBQ flavours are only achieved by low n'slow cooking when the meat very slowly rises in temp while in a wonderfully smokey BBQ (with a lid on) for hours and hours. I like to cook my pork shoulders at about 110c for about 12 hours and they have fist sized lumps of apple or cherry wood arranged on the coals so they gradually burn during the first 2-3 hours of the cook. After that no more smokey flavour is going to develop.
> 
> ...


Thank you, as I suspected there's not substitute.

I would like to learn how to cook on a BBQ properly as I've never actually really done it. Now we have our own place etc I want to get a BBQ and start 

Thanks for the link, just scanned the home page and now I'm hungry.


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Just had a look at that site too. Pretty good. [wipes drool off chin]

Cooks

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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

You can do a lot worse than go to one of the Weber BBQ courses they run all over the country.

The key to good BBQ cooking is temperature control - being able to cook indirectly away from the heat source, to be able to cook over direct heat without cremating your food, and how to keep your heat source at a steady temp for long periods of time, from maybe 1-14 hours etc. That only works if you have a BBQ with a lid and with good adjustable vents top and bottom as temperature is all about airflow. A quality device like a Weber is actually stable and repeatable so you can easily repeatedly cook at the same temps simply by using the the same vent settings and same amount of fuel etc just like setting the temp control on the oven. Takes a little work to learn, but its also good fun and of course who doesnt fancy a few more gadgets 

The Amazing Ribs site is probably THE best site in the world for learning the techniques and myths about BBQ and grilling. Once you get the hang of it you'll be cooking amazing pulled pork, gorgeous veg, cracking desserts and doing everything you can do indoors. Last year, when I got my new kamado and finished our huge garden rebuild, I cooked all our dinners outside for 4 weeks on the trot! Only the occasional boiled veg or bit of rice etc was done indoors. Our Xmas dinner turkey and trimmings for 10 was all done on 2 BBQs outside and was probably the best turkey I've cooked in 25 years of Xmas dinners - roasted sprouts, amazing smokey stuffing, home cured and home cold smoked bacon..... 

Last nights 1.5kg tomahawk steak - 20 mins indirect and then seared over high heat for 60 secs per side to medium rare. Heaven!


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## tmitch45 (Jul 29, 2006)

Looks great Cookies! Beats the burgers I'm going to end up cooking in the oven in a bit as its about to pee it down! Have you been on one of the course then? what was it like how long did it last? cost?


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