Hit the Bricks

Actually, hit the briquettes. I know that 90% of people who have a backyard or a deck now own a propane BBQ and that's great. I love BBQ. I try to get on the grill throughout the year and I have some very strong opinions about which gas BBQs are the best (not Weber). The convenience of the gas grill has enabled people to grill year round, even when you're only plumping up a couple of ballpark franks. But in the rush for convenience, we've lost a little flavour.

Re-enter the charcoal grill, or as I like to call it, the weekend grill. Summer weekend days are meant to be sipped, not chugged. The charcoal grill is the perfect compliment to the patio lifestyle. It takes a little longer to heat up and once it's going you can't just shut it down, but I assure you, eating a burger will be a much more visceral sensation when said burger is cooked on a charcoal grill. It is not a replacement for your gas unit but it is a great compliment.

Weber still makes the grills that you know from the 70's. I don't think they do the big round grill in a burnt orange anymore, but the basic mechanics of the metal ball o' flame are the same. They are well built and they don't take up too much space. There are three models that you should consider for this summer's BBQ season. The One Touch Gold, One Touch Silver and the Smokey Joe (there are Silver and Gold for the Smokey Joe, but the only difference is a lid lock).

The One Touch comes in 18.5" or 22.5" configurations and the Smokey Joe is 14.5". There is not much difference between the Silver and Gold except that the Gold has an ash catcher for much easier clean up. The Gold is the one pictured above. The Smokey Joe has no legs so you will need a surface on which to place it. After considering how much grill space you need, price should be your primary determining factor.

In my opinion, the One Touch Silver 18.5" unit is the best value at $89.99 CDN.