Barbecues for every backyard

There are so many different barbecues available – electric, charcoal or gas; portable, collapsible or fixed; with grills, hotplates, hoods, rotisseries, warmers, smokers and more. How do you know which is the best one for you?

Is big better?

A large four-burner looks impressive, but it might be more than you really need, making it unnecessarily expensive. Before you rush out and buy the biggest and best, ask yourself a few questions.

• How many people are you likely to be cooking for?
• How often are you likely to use it?
• What sort of cooking do you intend to do? There’s little point in buying a model that can cook pizza if you prefer to pick one up on the way home.
• Where are you going to position it? If you want your dinner guests sitting nearby while you’re cooking, allow room for a table and chairs.

Not enough room?

No need to despair that you are going to miss out on the Sunday sizzle just because you live in an apartment with a small balcony. There are many portable barbecues suitable for homes with limited space – right down to a $6 disposable charcoal grill.

For the seriously space-poor, a marine barbecue can be attached to balcony railings using mounting brackets. Designed for use on boats, it can be set up in no time; then when the party’s over just pack it up and store it, so you optimise the balcony all year round.

The balcony barbie

Again, consider the space available when choosing your model but if you’re planning on a balcony barbecue, there are other things to take into account.

• By-laws: some buildings don’t allow gas or charcoal barbecues on balconies. If you’re renting, check your lease.
• Safety: make sure the balcony is well ventilated, tie up loose curtains and keep a fire extinguisher handy.
• Be a good neighbor: take care to reduce smoke (keep the heat low and always use a clean greasetray and grill) and avoid cleaning up with water if it might flow onto other balconies.

The range of barbecues on the market is as varied as the ways you like your meat, but at least if you know how and where you want to do your cooking, the choice should be easier.