Summer BBQ With A Stainless Steel Charcoal Grill

Looking for a new grill for your summertime activities? There are two types: gas-fueled (propane or natural gas) and charcoal grills (of which stainless steel charcoal grills are a type), which use charcoal briquettes for their heat source.

Stainless Steel Charcoal Grills: Types Available

There are 5 basic types of charcoal grills available today - the 'stainless' in stainless steel charcoal grills refers to the type of metal used, rather than its design or shape. The five types are as follows:

The Kettle (Weber-style) grill - these are the typical roundish units, complete with a lid and cooking surface, complete with moveable vents and a pan for the collection of spent ashes. The lid makes it possible to grill even in bad weather (some have been known to do it even in the winter!) Kettle grills are available as stainless steel charcoal grills.

Brazier grill - A simple type, with the grill placed on top of the pan which holds the charcoal. Stainless steel charcoal grills are often of the brazier-type. As stainless steel charcoal grills the brazier-types usually do not have a lid or venting system. Stainless steel charcoal grills of the brazier-type are inexpensive and lightweight, but have no lid, so they are no help whatsoever if you are grilling in windy or rainy conditions.

Hibachi - These familiar Asian-style cooking units are usually made of cast iron and have two separate cooking sections, both of which have small grilling grids that can be adjusted up and down, to vary the distance from the heat source. The traditional type is made of cast iron (not too many hibachi models are available as stainless steel charcoal grills), and with proper care can last a very long time.

The Cart Grill - These units look a lot like a gas grill - the unit is on 4 legs, and is square in shape, with a lid that is on hinges. These are a popular choice in stainless steel charcoal grills. They have much the same features as their gas grill counterparts. Their principle limitation is that they are not very portable, but cart-type stainless steel charcoal grills are great for grilling at home where the unit will not need to be moved much.

The 'Redneck' Grill - This is a favorite type of grill in the US - made from a 55-gallon drum cut in half lengthwise. It makes a super grilling machine, and is great for grilling lots and lots of food for large crowds. It is possible to make these stainless steel charcoal grills, but most people just use the 55-gallon drum. They can be put together quite cheaply (provided that you have the right equipment).

Stainless Steel Charcoal Grills: A Perfect Choice For Beginners

The principle advantage that all charcoal grills (including stainless steel charcoal grills) have over gas grills is their simplicity of design. Gas grills have many more parts, and must be regularly maintained and serviced. Gas grills can also be very unsafe to operate, particularly if they are not maintained. Stainless steel charcoal grills you have no 'moving' parts - nothing to service. Many also say that they prefer the taste that charcoal used in stainless steel charcoal grills imparts to the food, to that of gas grills.