Charcoal Grills

• There are two major types of charcoal grills: portable and professional. A portable grill is usually wheeled and can be moved easily from one spot to another and taken on camping trips or on picnics. Round-bottom "kettle" grills garner the best reviews, as they allow for even heating with their rounded sides. At the top of the list is the Weber 751001 22.5 One Touch Gold Charcoal Kettle Grill. It comes in at under $200, has a porcelain enameled bowl to prevent rust, is lightweight and has easy-to-find replacement parts. The second type of charcoal grill --- a professional grill --- can also be portable, but will wind up costing you more money. These BBQ grills often come with a gas ignition system and are exceptionally durable. Top of the list in this category is again from Weber --- the 1421001 Performer Charcoal Grill. It comes with a plastic work table and a full control temperature with a built-in thermometer, and turns out restaurant-quality smoked meats.
  
  

Gas Grills

• Gas grills are not as cheap as charcoal grills and most cooks feel it best to invest between $400-$600 to get the best construction and durability. The Char-Broil Commercial Quantum is an infrared gas grill that cooks at temperatures almost twice as hot as any other gas or charcoal grill. It comes with a stainless steel flat perforated grill as opposed to the traditional bar grill. With the infrared cooking temperatures, there isn't any cleanup or scrubbing with a grill brush --- all of the residual food and grease is turned to white ash, which can then be bumped off with a simple bump from a grill fork or spatula. The Ducane Affinity 4100 is another grill that uses stainless steel burners and cooking grates, has durable construction and a good warranty. It has a 12,000 BTU burner for high heat and a cooking area that is 693 square inches. With no frills, the Ducane is cheaper than grills offered by Weber, but with the same quality.
  
  

Smokers

• Smoking meats is a great alternative use for an electric grill. Specially designed BBQ grills known as smokers are easy to come by and make great smoked meats without much fuss and can be used alternatively as a BBQ grill. Highly recommended in this category is the Brinkmann Electric smoker, which gives big taste for its small size and is quite economically priced. The Bradley BTIS1 Original Fully Automatic 4-Rack Outdoor Food Smoker is a bit more expensive, but is digitally controlled and can smoke quite a bit of meat --- enough for a party or a family gathering. It requires specially made Bradley briquettes which are made of compressed sawdust, and can cook continuously for up to eight hours.
  
  

Electric Grills

• Electric grills are a great choice for the cook who wants the taste of a grill but without the smoke or fuss of cooking on an outdoor BBQ grill. These smokeless indoor grills use two contact griddles that press the food and sear in the flavors by high contact heat. One of the best is the Cuisinart Griddler GR-4. Its stainless steel chrome design is rounded, it has three temperature controls, and it cleans up easily. This is a great choice for a busy family who wants either quick grilled sandwiches or Panini. Single-sided open grills are an excellent choice for apartments. Highly recommended is the Sanyo Indoor Electric Grill HPS-SG3. With temperature control and an easy-to-clean Teflon grilling surface, these grills will cook six Ribeyes easily. Also highly recommended are the George Foreman grills, the Weber Electric Grill, and the fast Sunbeam Rocket Grill.