Summer is almost in sight, and it’s time to start thinking of your plan for grilling season. There’s nothing better than gathering the people in your life for an outdoor, mouth-watering hearty meal straight off the grill. Better yet, you don’t have to worry about making a mess indoors. You may even have the bbq grill area already prepared — now you just need the bbq grill setup. Whether you’re looking to upgrade an old model, or buying one for the first time, it can be overwhelming to sift through all the different types of bbq grills.

There are pros and cons to every brand and type of grill, including price, size, ease of use, and lifespan. Many people also look for efficiency in their grill performance.

In order to understand which type is the most efficient, it’s important to discuss the range of types on the market right now. You may be surprised to find there’s more options than you think.

Grill Types

• Gas – gas grills are the most common type. This is because they’re easy to use, and heat up pretty fast, making them pretty dang efficient. They’re also going to be the more expensive of the types, depending how luxurious you want to go. Gas grills are automatically more efficient than charcoal and pellet, but some gas grills are better than others. For best efficiency, you’re going to want to look for gas grills with infrared burners and lower BTUs (how much fuel is used in a given time). Note the two different types of gas you can fuel your gas grill with.
  • Natural: less expensive and less dangerous, cooks food faster; however, it relies on a gas line, so you can only grill in that one spot.
  • Propane: portable, you can grill anywhere. Propane is heavier than natural gas, so that makes it more hazardous in the event of a leak.
• Electric – the main benefit of electric grills is that they produce no smoke, so they can be used indoors. This is great for people who don’t have a yard, or want to grill during freezing or wet weather. However, because of this lack of smoke, electric grills do not produce anywhere near the amount of flavor that is commonly sought after in grilled food. If we’re talking efficiency in the environmental sense, electric grills are pretty energy efficient because they heat up the fastest of any type of grill.
• Charcoal – if you want that smoky flavor, charcoal grills will produce the best result. However, charcoal grills are not very efficient because they take so long to preheat. Another con of charcoal grills is by nature they do not cook food very evenly, and there’s little control to temperature. They’re also just generally more messy than the other types of grills.
• Pellet – if flavor is your goal, you also can’t go wrong with pellet grills. Pellet grills use wood pellets as their fuel, and are easy to use because it’s generally just a button you push to start. The type of wood impacts the flavor type, so many people like that it’s a more unique and concentrated type of smoky flavor when compared to charcoal.

Conclusion

In summary, if you’re looking for efficient grills, your best options are gas or electric grills. While pellet and charcoal produce excellent smoky flavor, they’re not as efficient or temperature controlled. Gas and electric grills start up fast and can cook fast, so they’re both efficient in time and energy. Electric grills do not produce as much flavor, but they can be used indoors if that is important to you.

If you’re convinced gas grills are the route to go, choosing a gas grill can be a daunting task. If you’re looking for grill bands you can trust, Twin Eagles and Delta Heat both carry excellent variations of a gas multi purpose grill. They both carry a few of the best stainless steel grills on the market, in three different sizes.

Keep in mind the longest lasting grill is going to come with a heftier price tag, but it’s an investment that will pay off. With some brand name grills, you may be paying more for the name than the product. Usually, though, you can trust that luxury grill brands are going to produce luxurious meals and grilling experiences.