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Heading into summer, we’re all looking forward to lighting up the barbecue. Here’s how to choose the right type for you

Text Catherine Steel

The mouth-watering scent of sizzling meat fl oats over the neighbourhood. It’s barbecue season. A big part of our Kiwi culture, barbecues are synonymous with sitting in the sun with friends and family, slowing down and enjoying great food.

Due to this year’s pandemic, Tony Deller, category manager outdoor living at Mitre 10 says, there has been a rush on barbecue purchases as Kiwis spend more time at home: “New Zealanders are doing up their beloved outdoors.”

If you’re investing in a new barbecue, how do you know which model to choose? The answer, says chef and restaurateur Nic Watt, of wood-fi red grill eatery Inca, is to consider how you want your barbecue to match your lifestyle. “Ask yourself, ‘What will I use it for? How will I use it and at what time of day?’”

Consider the space you have, who you’d like to feed and how long you want to spend heating your barbecue. Once you’ve worked this out, fi nd a model to match.

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Cooking tip

Avoid the risk of uncooked meat by using a meat thermometer – either digital or analogue. You can buy devices with temperature guides that cater for different types of cooked meat.

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4 1Portable barbecues Portable barbecues are your friend. Small and compact, they’re easy to pack up securely and move around.

“They’re a Kiwi way of life,” says Tony. “At the beach, on the boat or even at home.” These models are also ideal for those living in apartments with limited space or for taking camping.

“I use a Weber on my boat due to its size and portability,” says Nic. Choose one with either a single or double burner, and either gas or charcoal to heat.

Portable types have advanced over the years and now feature aspects that would typically be only found in standard-sized barbecues such as side shelves and lids to retain heat.

1 Matador Radiant Go Portable charcoal BBQ, $119, from Bunnings Warehouse. 2 Weber Q1000 Gas BBQ, $409, from Mitre 10. 3 Everdure Cube Portable charcoal BBQ, $249, from Harvey Norman. 4 Jumbuck Single Burner Portable BBQ, $178, from Bunnings Warehouse.

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2Built-in barbecues With so much of summer spent outdoors, it would be the icing on the cake if your home’s outdoor area can include a built-in barbecue. Make it an extension of your kitchen. Create your outdoor entertainment area around it, with a food prep space, tiles or paint hues to match your interior and lush potted plants – don’t forget some shade. Visually, it can blend in seamlessly with your home. 3

1 Jumbuck Comet Plus 4-burner built-In BBQ, $399, from Bunnings Warehouse. 2 Matador Palladium 4-burner BBQ Kitchen, $1899, from Bunnings Warehouse. 3 Gasmate Galaxy Kitchen, $7599, from Harvey Norman.

3Gas Popular due to their ability to heat quickly and easily, gas barbecues use connected LPG gas bottles as their fuel. This rapid heat time is useful for when the kids are starving and you need a meal served fast. Mainly, it features a mix of grills and hot plates, but can have elements such as rotisseries, woks or even pizza stones added.

“If you want a barbecue for cooking breakfast on during a nice summer morning, choose a gas model as it is faster to heat,” says Nic. “Wake up and put some sausages and bacon on, with a frying pan on the side. I have both charcoal and gas. Gas for quick, easy cooking, and charcoal for afternoon or evening cooking when I have more time.” You can, however, buy a hybrid barbecue, which combines charcoal and gas options, with separate cooking zones.

Many of these gas barbecues are on a stand and can be moved around on wheels, says Tony. “But they’re not portable, so can’t be taken from place to place. A common mistake is that people buy large freestanding barbecues but don’t use them in their entirety. Consider if you want to cook with the hood up or hood down, as these are two different styles.”

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1 Gascraft Odessa 6-burner BBQ, $469, from The Warehouse. 2 Gascraft Eldorado 4-burner BBQ with Side Burner, $549, from The Warehouse. 3 Beef Eater Bugg 2-burner Gas BBQ & Trolley, $999, from Harvey Norman. 4 Everdure Furnace 2-burner Gas BBQ by Heston Blumenthal, $1049, from Harvey Norman. 5 Broil King Baron BBQ, $1699, from Mitre 10.

4Charcoal With Covid-19 changing our relationship with our homes, there has been a move towards low and slow cooking with charcoal and pellet grills says Tony. “People will now spend more money on a second or third barbecue for their home.”

Charcoal barbecues use charcoal lumps or briquettes, that can be bought from your hardware store, as fuel. It can take time to reach your ideal heat but, when you do, you can cook food over high temperatures. The idea is that you cook over the embers, not the full flames. The smoky flavour that results in the food is a big attraction.

While Nic acknowledges gas is efficient and fast, he enjoys cooking on a charcoal barbecue for dinner. “It’s usually the time of day when you have more time on your hands to cook, you might be talking with friends in the afternoon sun as you warm the coals. There’s more of a ceremony to it. You put the charcoal on, light it and wait for it to burn. It’s fun, it just has a higher admin level. Yet it also provides a deeper, more aromatic flavour. Just ensure smoke doesn’t blow into your house.”

“I cook on a Big Green Egg, which is fantastic because it acts as an oven, holding the heat in and providing a beautiful, smoky aroma,” Nic says. “You can also cook larger cuts on it such as a whole joint – you could try a leg of lamb, a chicken or a duck, which are harder to cook on a standard open-top barbecue.”

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1 Everdure 4k Electric Ignition Charcoal BBQ by Heston Blumenthal, $3699, from Harvey Norman. 2 Charmate Smoker & BBQ, $699, from Mitre 10. 3 Big Green Egg kamado, $1499, from BBQs and More. 4 Char-Griller Akorn Charcoal BBQ, $699, from Bunnings Warehouse. 1

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Cleaning tip

Keeping your barbecue clean is an important part of its maintenance, says James Higgins, general manager of Outdoor Concepts. “When it comes to cleaning your barbecue, always clean surfaces before and after cooking with a wire brush. With regular cleaning, you will remove any remaining cooked food from your grills. There’s no need to sterilise your grill because the heat kills bugs anyway.”

Have yourself a berry little

Christmas Like a Cherry Ripe bar but raspberry flavoured, these little homemade chocolates are thoughtful gifts.

Combine ¾ cup dessicated coconut, 2 Tbsp condensed milk, 1 Tbsp crumbled frozen raspberries and ½ tsp salt, then set aside. Melt 300g dark chocolate. Dollop a little of the melted chocolate into a 12-hole ice cube tray, tilting to coat. Freeze for 10 minutes. Top with 2 tsp coconut mixture, then top with the remaining chocolate. Freeze for 20 minutes. Tap lightly on the bench to unmould. For the topping, combine 100g melted white chocolate with 1 tsp oil and a few drops of pink food colouring. Dip in the top half of the chocolates. Place on a lined tray and sprinkle with extra crumbled frozen raspberries. Freeze for 10 minutes.

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