I’d like to have something propane fueled since it’s easy to setup and clean but I could be convinced to go another way.
Not interested in the newer griddle-style cooktops, having an insert would be nice but I don’t want to be stuck with it as my only option.
Doesn’t need to be fancy or super large, I’d think just about anything larger than the classic clamshell grills would work fine.
Also, anyone had experience with natural gas grills? I’ve wondered what it would be like to have a grill you’d need to “plug in” to a natural gas line a plumber would install for the purpose. Seems like it would save a lot of headache with buying and storing propane tanks and it would also allow me to hookup a generator if the need arose.
I’ve had charcoal before and never really tasted the difference, though that probably says more about my grilling skills than anything lol. And some things (like burgers) make a lot of smoke and just need to be cooked outside, preferably over an open flame. Either way I never really found charcoal to be worth the setup/teardown hassle.
Smoking I feel like it would be one of those things that I’d be stoked about having but never really do that often, so I don’t want to buy something just for that capability.
If you have smoke problems cooking burgers inside, your priority should be improving your hood vent, not getting a grill.
Aside from that, I’m inclined to agree with the GP that cooking on natural gas might as well be done inside and that you should get a charcoal/wood-burning offset smoker.
I’m afraid I’m gonna have to agree with you.
Use hardwood lump charcoal, not briquettes. Build a tall pile, not a wide one. Light it with paraffin wax or vegetable oil, not lighter fluid. Wait for the flames to die down and the charcoal to start turning grey. Spread the pile out and cook over the glowing coals. If flames lick up when you put the meat on, move the patties away from the heat.
Cover while cooking to trap heat and cook evenly, but open the vents on top and bottom to keep the fire going. An open-top grill won’t cook evenly.
Flip them once, maybe twice. Don’t play with the meat. Don’t smush them into the grill to flatten them. Cover them and let the grill do the work.
Use a meat thermometer to determine when they’re done. Eyes and fingers lie, the meat thermometer doesnt.
You want low heat, long duration (also called “low and slow”). If juice is running out, the heat is too high. Use indirect heat if you have to; coals on one side of the grill, meat on the other side. If you see smoke, the heat is way too high. That’s actually moisture in the meat turning into water vapor. If you keep them on the grill like that, they’ll be very dry by the time they cook.
When it comes to pattying the meat, use a spoon to make a bowl on top and bottom. If not, that’s how they cook up into meatballs on the grill.
When you’re done, save the leftover coals by closing all the vents and putting the lid on.
When it comes to smoking, that’s a whole other technique. But I’ll go ahead and tell you, if it doesn’t take all day or all night, you’re doing it wrong. Personally, I love the ritual, but I totally gey why a lot of people don’t. Not everyone likes managing a fire all day long or waking up throughout the night to check on it.