Saturday, June
14, 2003
The Handyman
Flex your
outdoor patio
muscles with
grills and
accessories
By Glenn Haege /
Special to The
Detroit News
Quick, what do
the following
names have in
common?
Alfresco,
Aussie, Avanti,
Bodum, Bubba's,
Dacor, Ducane,
Dynasty, Flat
Rock, George
Foreman, GE
Monogram,
Kitchen Aid,
Krups, Lodge,
New Braunfels,
Solaire,
Sunbeam, Sur La
Table, T-Fal,
Thermador,
UniFlame,
Vermont
Castings,
Vieluxe, Viking,
Weber and Wolf.
If you guessed
that they were
all different
brands of
barbecues, go to
the head of the
class. If you
guessed anything
else, you are
probably as
confused as me.
With prices
ranging from
$49.99 for the
Aussie
Walk-A-Bout
Charcoal Grill
at Meijer to
$11,000-plus for
the big Solaire
(with built-in
refrigerator) at
American
Fireplace and
Barbecue, (248)
547-6777, how
can you be
anything but
confused?
Any one of them
can be used to
burn a hot dog,
and a really
good outdoor
cook can make a
gourmet meal on
even the
cheapest
equipment. So
what is the
difference and
how much should
you allocate for
a "good grill"?
And what does it
take to flex
your muscles and
show all the
other guys,
"you've got the
biggest barbecue
on the block."
Two obvious
answers: Quality
costs, and
something that
is built to last
is never flimsy.
Price is also
determined by
the technology
used. Purists
still use
charcoal. Most
people settle
for standard
burner
technology, now
called
"convection" on
pricier grills.
High-tech types
demand infrared
(much faster and
more control).
You can tell the
quality of a
grill by lifting
the hood. If it
lifts solid,
like a
high-priced car
door, the grill
was meant to
last. If it
lifts light, it
may well warp
from the heat of
cooking and
weather rapidly.
Cheap is never a
good idea. When
you are
literally
playing with
fire, you want
something solid.
Also, let's face
it, when you buy
something for
your back yard
that will be
used for
entertaining,
you want to make
a statement.
The trend is to
bigger, heavier
grills. Just
like their
kitchen
counterparts,
stainless steel
is the exterior
of choice.
Solid,
functional
barbecues start
around $500.
High-priced
grills start at
about $3,000.
Sad to say, even
$3,000 won't
make a
statement. A
barbecue in the
back yard is no
longer enough to
impress anyone.
Now you have to
have an outdoor
room.
To make a big
impression, you
need more than a
deck, barbecue
and patio
furniture. You
need at least a
wall of cabinets
anchored to an
extended potting
shed, a wet bar,
warming ovens,
wok,
refrigerator,
fireplace or
fire pit and an
Italian,
wood-fired,
bread or pizza
oven. To prove
you are one of
the boys, you
need a $2,300
stainless steel
Viking beer
tapper. Thanks
in large part to
California-based
trends,
certified
kitchen
designers are
getting into the
act. At the last
Kitchen and Bath
Show in Orlando,
they had a
seminar on
outdoor room
design that was
attended by
about 600
people.
It also would be
nice to have at
least one large
fountain or
waterfall and a
couple of
life-size
statues from a
place like the
Rock Shoppe,
(734) 455-5560.
You can find
most of the
basic
ingredients at
specialty stores
such as American
Fireplace and
Barbecue in
Ferndale, (248)
547-6777, and
Evergreen in
Clinton
Township,(586)
791-2277, and
Eastpointe,
(586) 778-7400.
Steve Brown of
American
Fireplace says
that he has the
largest
selection of
barbecues in
Michigan. The
selection
includes 15
grills in the
$3,000-$11,000
range and all of
the major
infrared grills.
Bob Wilk, the
General Manager
of Evergreen,
says since the
stores he
manages are
garden,
fireplace and
barbecue
centers, they
offer almost
everything
needed to equip
an outdoor room.
That includes a
huge selection
of convection
and infrared
grills, both
indoor and
outdoor
fireplaces,
outdoor
refrigerators
and coolers,
patio sets,
gazebos,
fountains and
statuary, as
well as a
complete
selection of
plants.
By the way, if
you don't know
the difference
between an
outdoor
refrigerator and
a cooler, the
refrigerator
looks like the
mini-fridge your
kid has in his
dorm room but
costs between
$1,300 and
$2,000. The
cooler looks
like a barrel on
casters and
costs about
$400. Although
meant for
outdoor use, you
will be better
off if you put
both of them in
the garage
during winter.
Not everyone
(including
myself) wants to
shell out all of
that money. The
Great Indoors
has a very
impressive
6-burner Kenmore
Elite for about
$1,500. If you
cook with
charcoal, the
timpani-sized
Weber Ranch
Kettle at
Evergreen makes
a heck of a
statement for
only $800.
I've written
about the most
expensive grills
and outdoor room
accessories so
that you have
sticker shock
while you are at
home before you
go barbecue
shopping. Expect
to pay at least
$500 for a
barbecue that
will last,
$1,500 for a
sturdy barbecue
that will put
out a lot of
BTUs and $3,000
for one of the
big babies that
folks will talk
about.
