Charcoal Grill Buying Guide – Your Passion is the Key

You can become a Pitmaster by following their example. I will show you how using these grill/smokers can help you become a Pitmaster as well. Your passion will be the key to becoming a Pitmaster. This charcoal grill buying guide will show you some of the grills to start out with for awesome flavor.

The learning curve with these grills is straightforward and easy to accomplish. In no time at all you will become a master of the grill and your enthusiasm will increase dramatically.

Learning your way around a grill or a smoker may take some time. Each time you grill or smoke something this gives you added experience; that you can use handy later on. One of the most important things you can do just starting out is to be patient.

Since, you are just starting your journey to becoming a Pitmaster; you will find that being patient will help you on your journey. The first few times you grill you will learn something new and exciting. There will be some days that don’t go exactly as planned but that is part of the process of learning. Your passion and enthusiasm will help you in your desire to become great at grilling.

A Charcoal Grill Buying Guide – Becoming a Pitmaster

There are a large variety of grills out there to help you become a Pitmaster. You may prefer charcoal, pellet, gas or electric. When you first start looking at grills for your home; you can be easily overwhelmed by the number of grills, how they work and the cost. Regardless, you will have to decide what type of grill best suits your needs and budget. Choosing the right grill for your budget is the first step; next, you will need to decide on the accessories for your grill.

Stay on Budget

You will need to have a budget before you select your grill! Having a budget will help you choose the grill that you can afford along with the right amount of fuel. I mention this because, while buying a grill is great, if you don’t have the money for whatever fuel the grill needs then you will have to wait to use your grill. The thing you want to do is grill and not just look at it.

Having the right tools to grill with makes the experience that much better. If you have selected a meat probe that has bluetooth abilities, you can insert the probe and keep track of how your meat is grilling while you spend time with family and friends.

The Royal Gourmet CC1830SC Charcoal Grill Offset Smoker with Cover

Commonly Asked Question About The Royal Gourmet CC1830 Charcoal Grill

We will start our review with the Royal Gourmet CC1830SC Charcoal Grill Offset Smoker. This awesome grill gives you enough room to learn about heat management and how to use your space wisely. Learning heat management is one of the basic keys to grilling successfully. The better you manage your heat, the better the outcome!

With the room available to use on this grill, you now have the ability to grill more than one item at a time. For example; if you wanted to grill corn on the upper rack while you are smoking a chicken then this is a great way for you to gain experience about heat management and timing your grilled items to perfection. Using this method allows you the opportunity for all of your items coming off the grill at the same time.

Quick Overview of the Royal Gourmet CC1830 Grill

Learning to Use 811 Square Inches of Cooking Area

This grill gives you 811 square inches for you to learn how to grill and to give you the option of grilling or smoking. The main grill area the where you can grill almost anything; you have the option of grilling up to 18 hamburgers at one time. So if you were grilling for 24 people at one time; there would not be a problem. The patties will come off the grill quickly enough for your guests to have a second hamburger without no to waiting.

Grilling steaks should not be a problem for you; once, you have your coals at searing temperature (400-450F) then your steaks will be tender and juicy. To have a perfectly grilled steak is actually quite easy to do.

First, using paper towels to pat your steak dry, it may take a couple of paper towels to do this. Second, season your steak with (kosher) salt; pepper(fresh ground) and garlic powder. Once you have your steak seasoned on both sides and the edges, it is time to put it on the grill.

If you steak is about 1 inch thick and well marbled it will take about 5 minutes per side to grill. This will give you a medium-rare steak, for one that is cooked to medium just increase the time by about a minute per side.

Grilling onions and mushrooms on a grill plate with your steak to one side makes for a tasty meal. Having the ability to grill all of your sides increases your enthusiasm for cooking. Once you learn to grill your sides, you find more people will be asking for your recipes and advice on how to grill.

Royal Gourmet Grill Price

Using the Firebox

Using the firebox is easy; the way I have found to set up the firebox is to use my chimney starter loaded with charcoal. Once the charcoal is at the right temperature; I release it into the firebox and start placing small amounts of wood on it at one time.

This allows your charcoal to ignite the wood faster; thereby while reducing the amount of white smoke. Your temperature will remain stable for long slow cooking.

Many people use the firebox when smoking large pieces of meat. For example ribs, turkeys , chickens, pork butt or brisket; these items take longer to cook therefore, taking more time. Keeping your temperature stable while smoking any of these items will give you great flavor and tenderness.

Having your heat at the right temperature is critical when smoking one of these items. I like to go low and slow. This allows all that smoke flavor to penetrate deeply into the meat and give that great smoke flavor.

Getting the temperature just right may take a little practice. Learning to use a chimney starter for starting your charcoal will save you time and money. It does not take long to learn how to arrange your charcoal for the best temperature for grilling.

After just a short period of time, you will have learned some of the different ways to have the right heat for grilling or smoking available for each type of grilling. To learn the basics of how to use this grill should be fairly easy to do. A charcoal chimney used properly for getting the right temperature is easy to master; learning how much charcoal to use may take a bit longer but once you have mastered that then you will begin to grill with more confidence.

Sophia & William 28-Inch Charcoal Barrel Grill Enhances Flavor

The Sophia & William 28-Inch Charcoal Barrel Grill Enhances Flavor by being large enough to grill or smoke evenly. Learning to grill or smoke on this grill should be easy to master. The versatility of this grill is well known. Once you learn how versatile this grill is; you begin to understand why it is so popular.

Common Questions About the Sophia & William 28-Inch Charcoal Barrel Grill

Managing Your Heat Effectively

As with any offset grill or smoker, managing your heat will be the key to having a good grilling experience. Learning to keep your heat at a constant temperature may take some time to master. However, once you learn to use your charcoal chimney for starting your charcoal; it becomes easier with time. Maintaining your charcoal or wood embers properly allows you time to grill the way you want.

I call these tips, the three bears.This first tip is what I call Papa Bear; if you can hold your hand about 6 inches above the grill for 2 to 3 seconds above the grate then, your heat is too hot. Papa Bear is always in a hurry, now you will have to wait a couple of minutes for it to cool.

Mama Bear is not iis as much of a hurry as Papa Bear. But she will often hold her hand 5-6 seconds above the grill, the heat is too cold so you will have to add more heat, this may mean that you will either have to add more charcoal or wait for the charcoal to heat up. Now for the last bear, this will be just right, if you can hold your hand for 3-4 seconds before moving it then you have nailed it.

A Quick View Of The Sophia And William Grill

Sophia and William Grill

Finding Your Flavor Profile

If you are new to grilling this tip will help you find the right temperature setting for grilling. This method will save you time and charcoal.

Once you get the hang of having the right temperature you will be ready to make a decision about which to use charcoal or wood. Using wood gives you more options as to the flavor profile you want. There are various different woods that have different flavors.

If you prefer a sweeter flavor then you would want to use cherry, apple, peach or pecan. Some people prefer a more smoky flavor so they use mesquite, hickory or post oak. Each of these flavors that you can use can affect the flavor of the spices or herbs that you prefer.

Making the Best Use of 512 Square Inches for Grilling

Making the Best Use of 512 Square Inches for Grilling is easy to learn. For smoking large amounts of meat you would probably want to use the firebox that is offset. One of the main reasons for this is to allow the smoke to penetrate the meat thoroughly. The advantage of doing this is to allow your meat to cook evenly.

If you are grilling your meat then setting up the charcoal for med-high or high heat will be the way to go. You will want to discover for yourself what the best temperature is for you. Time and experience will give you better ideas on what the best temperatures for you are.

Now that you have your temperature at the desired level you can begin to grill. With this grill you can grill 12 to 15 hamburgers at one time with no problems. Since hamburgers and hot dogs cook quickly, you would be able to grill more than enough for your grilling event.

For Great Tasty Vegetables and Fruits

This would also allow you to grill some vegetables for those who do not eat meat. There are several vegetables that are grilled most often. Some of the include asparagus, zucchini, squash, potatoes, chili peppers(sweet or hot), eggplant and romaine lettuce.

Some of the most desirable desserts are grilled fruits. These fruits are among the most grilled watermelon, peaches, apple, avocado, banana, pineapple, and cantaloupe. It only takes a couple of minutes to grill any of these for a great-tasting healthy dessert. You can find recipes for this in most grilling recipe books.

My Thoughts on The Sophia & William 28-Inch Charcoal Barrel Grill

This grill is a well-designed piece of equipment for all your grilling needs. You can cook almost anything with it. It heats up and cooks evenly. Following the directions makes it was easy to put together. I feel the portability of the grill is an advantage over other grills. I feel that you get quality and economy for your money.

The Outsunny Charcoal Grill

Welcome to the Outsunny Charcoal Grill. This is a small but powerful grill for the money. You have the ability to grill or smoke on this grill with no problems. Using the firebox gives you the luxury to smoke various different meats for longer periods of time.

Overview Of The Outsunny Charcoal Grill

Frequently Asked Question

Assembling Your Outsunny Grill

The assembly of this grill is similar to other grills of this type. You can either use the instructions provided or download the assembly instructions. The first thing you will need to do is lay all of the parts out for inspection. Compare the hardware to the instruction manual to verify that all of the parts are there.

Now that you have made sure that you have everything needed, look to be sure you have the right tools for the job. Following the steps should only take about an hour for you to have your grill ready for its first burn.

Outsunny 48″ Charcoal Grill

Preparing for Your First Grilling Experience

Before you can begin grilling, I STRONGLY ADVISE that you do a first burn. You may wonder what the first burn is? The first burn is what you do to check for gaps in your lid and to burn off any residue left over from the manufacturing process. Your first burn should have a temperature between 300F – 400F to find the gaps and burn off the residue.

Once you have completed the first burn and noted where your leaks are it is time to plug those leaks. There are a variety of materials available to use for stopping leaks. The one I have found to be the easiest to use is LavaLoc gasket and sealant.

Seal the Leaks

Lavaloc is easy to use, just measure out the amount of gasket, cut it, take the tape off the back and apply to the edge where it is needed. For leaks on the side of the main body put the tape below where the lid meets the bottom. This should take care of any leaks there, if not apply more to the area where the leak is.

The fire box area is one place where I would just use the LavaLoc sealant. You will want to do this before putting the firebox on. This will save the time of having to take the firebox off and then putting it back on. Also, once you have it sealed there is no need to do anything else.

Fire Up the Grill

Now that you have completed your first burn and made any adjustments for leaks, it is time to grill. You will have to make your decision as to what you want to grill first. Most people the first time or two in the United States will do something simple like hamburgers or steaks. The following video shows just how easy it is to grill hamburgers.

The important thing to remember is to let your heat do the work. If you are doing burgers and the patties are thin you will want your temperature to be around 350F -375F. The higher the temperature means that your burger will cook more quickly and you will have to flip them after about two minutes. You will probably only flip them once and then they are done. A thicker burger while tasty takes more time to cook. One trick I do learned is to watch the edge of the patty, when you can see the color of the patty turn an off-white or grayish color halfway up then flip the burger.

You will find that burgers will have flareups fairly often. Flareups are caused by the fat literally melting out of the meat leaving great flavor behind. Learning to grill your hamburgers for flavor and being moist may take a little time to master but it is a skill worth mastering.

Toasting your hamburger buns gives you a great crunch for your burger but actually enhances the flavor of your burger. Having a toasted bun helps support your burger but if you put your lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and on top of the bun you have great support for your burger.

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Moving Your Grill For Airflow

Moving your grill for better airflow is one thing that may not always be apparent to you. The wind will shift during the spring and fall months without warning. You need you grill to have the best airflow possible. The dampers can only help so much before they aren’t doing their job.

Having wheels attached to your grill gives you the option of changing the position of your grill for better airflow. Wind plays an important part in your grilling journey. Strong winds can make your grilling a nightmare until you change the position of your grill. Once you learn how to adjust for the wind you may have some ash blow onto your food as you are grilling. No one wants that; so a change may be your best move.

Your Charcoal Grill Buying Guide Helps You Find The Easiest To Cleanup

Your Charcoal Grill Buying Guide Lists The Outsunny Grill

The Outsunny 48 in Charcoal Grill is a great grill if you are new to grilling. You will have the ability to hone your grilling skills. It may be smaller than similar grills but you can use that to your advantage.

This gives you the opportunity to practice on your grilling techniques for better results. You have the advantage of learning how to use the firebox to your advantage to get the best results without literally burning up your money. Learning to control your heat will be one of the keys for great grilling experiences.

Having a smaller cooking chamber is an advantage for you to learn how much room you will need for what types of food. It does not matter if it is something you grill or smoke, the practice will cause you to get better as time goes along.

Now that you have your Outsunny grill you will be able to learn and master different techniques easily. You have taken the first step to becoming a Pitmaster. With continued practice you will be able to form your own recipes and your own style for tasty deliciousness.

My Choice Of Charcoal Grills

After reviewing the three grills, I selected the Royal Gourmet CC1830 Charcoal Grill. All of these grills are good but I selected the Royal Gourmet grill as the best one for a beginner. Let’s examine my reasons for my decision.

It may take time to decide on my final grill but for starting out the Royal Gourmet fits my budget and expectations better than the other two.

The size of this grill when comparing the costs is a better buy. Along with having 811 square inches of room to learn to grill allows you to perfect your grilling technique. You have your main chamber to work with to find the best and easiest ways to grill. You have the upper rack for either keeping food warm or for slow grilling certain items so they finish at the time with your main course.

As you are learning to use your grill, you will also learn to use the firebox effectively for better heat management. The firebox can save you a great deal of charcoal once you learn the best way to use it. Learning how to make the best use of your smoke will take time but the results are spectacular.

Overall the Royal Gourmet CC1830 Charcoal Grill is the best buy for the money and the room. Having enough room to learn how to grill and smoke is important when you first begin your obsession with grilling.

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Another Way To Grill Hamburgers

Burgers Are Better

Vegetables And Fruit Are What You Prefer Grilled

This short video will help show some techniques for grilling vegetables and fruits for delicious meals.