

A charcoal grill that claims it can fit eight burger patties may only be able to cook one prime rib at a time. The larger the surface size, the more vegetables and meats you can cook at one time.īe mindful of marketing copy advertising how much food will fit on a grill’s grate.

If you’re cooking for one or two people, you can afford to lose some cooking space, but for events and dinner parties, you should skew larger. The average full-size grill is around 400 to 500 square inches-plenty of room to make enough food for a backyard gathering. You can always make your own charcoal if you don’t have any on hand. Remember, charcoal needs airflow and time to get to the proper temperature. (Hot tip: If you don’t have a thermometer, the general rule is to test with your bare hands-if you can hold your hand five inches above your grill grate for no more than three or four seconds, you’re ready to cook.) Charcoal brand Kingsford recommends maintaining a range of 450 to 550 degrees to begin cooking. Grills work best at a temperature over 400 degrees Fahrenheit, especially when searing meat.

If your favorite recipes require on-the-fly adjustments, like changing the grate height and temperature, find a charcoal grill with the features to accommodate. More features can help with lavish fare, like seafood, steak, or brisket. You can get by grilling burgers and hot dogs with a compact, inexpensive charcoal grill. Show more What to Consider Cooking Preferencesĭon’t get carried away with obsessing over the most feature-heavy charcoal grill-consider what and how you’ll cook, and take it from there.
