A new breed of electric BBQs is changing the face of outdoor grilling without losing any of the flavour. Our expert has the best to buy.
Like any red-blooded male, the Fred Flintstone gene in me loves a barbecue. I much prefer to be outside eating a semi-incinerated sausage that’s marinated in charcoal smoke to enjoying a perfectly grilled or fried one cooked in the boring old kitchen.
Putting food to the fire outside is ever more popular, too. According to the organisers of National Barbecue Week in May (who may admittedly be biased), sales of ‘grills’ – as barbie aficionados prefer to call them – are up 46% on last year; accessories by 24%.
But I do have a few problems with them. I’m never confident of getting the charcoal alight, and even less sure I can get it to glow evenly; I hate using starter bricks because I’m suspicious, albeit without evidence, that they slather your food with carcinogens; I feel unneighbourly smoking out our lovely friends next door, even though they sometimes smoke us out; and I’m not keen on dealing with the ashes when the party’s over.
I know there are gas barbecues but I’m not wild about propane cylinders in the garden – even though I don’t subscribe to the popular view among fellow Freds that gas is cheating.
Food cooked outside is fun, whatever. However, there’s a new, interesting alternative: electric outdoor grills. And with many of us having waterproof garden mains plugs, there’s an even newer category of hybrid barbies, which use the mains to get the charcoal going.
Although there are cheap imports, for an outdoor electric appliance, a trusted brand is probably advisable – and they are not cheap.
The Weber Lumin Compact Electric BBQ (1) RRP: £369, John Lewis, is the one you see most. It’s electric only, with no wood or charcoal needed, and designed with patios and balconies in mind.
Or there’s the Ninja Woodfire Electric BBQ Grill & Smoker (2), RRP: £449.99 Ninja, with the stand and cover – which can infuse your burnt offerings with woodchip smoke.
Up the price scale a bit comes the American Traeger make from Utah. We’ve tested its Ironwood 650 wood smoker grill (3), which at £1,499 (Auldton Stoves) is an awesome and sophisticated machine – even though for me it looks like Thomas the Tank Engine.
A cheaper smoker brand worth seeking out is British-owned Masterbuilt from £499, Masterbuilt.
However, my top choice in the quest to make charcoal grilling as effortless as possible would be from Australian brand Everdure, founded by chef Heston Blumenthal, and whose Fusion model is one of those rare charcoal/electric hybrids.
The Everdure Fusion costs from £699 (Stoves Are Us) – surprisingly reasonable given the sophistication of the machine.
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