If you're like most Americans these days, it'll be a gas barbecue for the home, and the smaller, traditional charcoal kettles or the hibachi for picnics.
Studies show that Americans are barbecuing twice as often as they did a decade ago, largely due to the increased popularity of the gas grill.
"It's convenient, lights right away with the push of a button, heats evenly and there are no messy coals to be discarded," said Margie Yoshioka, manager of Honolulu's Gaspro on Dillingham Boulevard.
Gas grill sales at Gaspro have increased the last five years, with about 100 of them being sold each year at the Oahu store, Yoshioka said.
The store carries the Rolls Royce of gas barbecues: the Weber Genesis and Spirit lines with Rolls Royce prices of $429 to more than $900. Gaspro's best-seller is Weber's Genesis 1000 at $529.
If those prices are a little steep, Eagle Hardware in Waikele carries eight models of two gas barbecue brands - seven by Fiesta and the Weber Spirit 700 - with prices from about $100 to $450, said Dan Marshall, assistant manager.
Plain or fancy, all gas grills have similar parts and work alike. The difference is in the detail, materials and craftsmanship.
At the heart of any grill are its burners. Above most of them is a grid covered with charcoal-like briquettes made of volcanic pumice, clay pyramids and metal plates that distribute heat to the food.
The cooking grate and lid sit above that material, and the whole assembly fits onto a wheeled cart that also supports a five-gallon refillable propane tank.
Grates can be thin, round rods, or wide flat bars.
The wide bars seal in juices better, prevent flame ups and are less apt to let flaking flesh like fish slip through the cracks. These grates are usually coated with porcelain that protects it against rust and makes them easy to easy to clean. Most grates are steel; some are iron.
There are other features to consider.
Most gas grills have either a single wooden handle across the front of the hood or a handle at each side. A front handle can be hazardous, since you reach directly over the fire when opening the lid. Plastic burner knobs can also be dangerous because they tend to get real hot when cooking at high heat.
A side burner is a nifty convenience. It resembles a burner on a gas stove and has its own heat control but can add as much as $100 to the cost.
Most gas grills come with an igniter that lights the gas with a spark. Most manufacturers install a protective shield to insulate the igniter from dirt and grime. And most grills have a burner that permits independent control of the right and left sides of the cooking area.
Less expensive gas grills may be harder to assemble, and rust within a year or two, depending on the outdoor location.
The more costly units may provide a larger cooking area, higher heat output, fold down shelves, condiment holders and extra burners.
Some even run on natural gas rather than propane.
"People want the ability to do everything on the unit: bake, broil, roast, and smoke," said Bob Watkins, Weber's Hawaii distributor.
Watkins is high on gas. "When you charcoal it takes 20 minutes to get a fire started; you cook hamburgers or steaks in 7 minutes, and then you still have this beautiful charcoal fire going. With gas, you turn it on, then turn it off."
For those who prefer the traditional charcoal grills, City Mill carries Weber kettles, like the picnic-oriented Smokey Joe grills, Go-Anywhere line, home kettle types and hibachis.
The Smokey Joe models, which run from about $45 to $88, are the store's best sellers, said Charlotte Maifea, housewares and garden department supervisor at the Nimitz store. The store sells at least 500 grills a year including some hibachis that cost under $10, she said.
"They're so cheap," Maifea said, "that people will use them once and leave them at the beach."
Seventy-five percent of Eagle's barbecue units sales are charcoal, Marshall said, and the reason again is that they are inexpensive.
"Even some of our imported kettle types at under $30 are in that disposable range," he said.
For those who can't decide - charcoal or gas - Weber has created the "Performer Grill line," which it describes as a cross between charcoal and gas. The Touch-N-Go Gas Ignition System model, about $300 at Williams-Sonoma in Ala Moana Center, uses gas to light briquettes quickly with a push of button.
Here are some of the benefits for both charcoal and gas grills to make it easier to determine which type fits best into your lifestyle.
- Hands-on cooking activity (building the fire)
- Wider range of less expensive grills
- Portable, easy to move.
- Traditional method of barbecuing
- Takes 20 to 30 minutes for coals to be ready.
- Preheats and is ready to cook in 15 minutes
- Easy to light
- Inexpensive to operate
- Easy cleanup
- Convenient and easy to use year-round.