How to set up your barbecue - gas & charcoal BBQ guide
As soon as the warm weather starts in the UK, people across the country are ready for barbecue season to take hold. We’re going to take you through everything you need to know - whether you have a gas or charcoal BBQ grill, we’ve got you covered.
Let’s take a look at the differences between these two types of barbecues, how you can set them up, and how you can clean them when you’re done.
Here’s what we’re going to cover:
Gas vs Charcoal - does it matter?
How to set up a gas barbecue
How to set up a charcoal barbecue
How to clean your barbecue
Charcoal vs Gas Barbecues
Both gas and charcoal grills will do a good job of cooking a barbecue. However, there are a few key differences between the two. Let’s take a look at what these are so you can see which barbecue is right for you - or what you’re missing out on.
Charcoal
Charcoal barbecues naturally apply a unique chargrilled flavour to the food they cook. It’s much easier to smoke the food you make by throwing chunks of wood onto the fire, too.
Charcoal can reach much higher temperatures than gas grills can. For most cooking these extremes aren’t necessary, but there are some uses for it.
Charcoal grills tend to be cheaper than gas, and you can also find some smaller, more portable models to use.
Gas
Gas barbecues light much more quickly than charcoal ones. This means that you start cooking with less disruption.
It’s easier to adjust and control the temperature of a gas barbecue. You need to keep a constant eye on the food you cook on a charcoal grill, but you can simply walk away from your gas barbecue without worrying about your food getting ruined.
Gas grills are much easier to clean than charcoal ones. There’s no ash to contend with, and grease and drippings are usually channelled into collection trays.
Cooks might swear by one or the other, but it really is down to personal preference which barbecue works for you.
How to set up a gas barbecue
In order to set up and light your gas barbecue, you will first need a propane gas canister for fuel. We sell this in either a green, or lightweight green and white, canister - so make sure you have the right gas bottle, and follow these steps:
Green leisure cylinders and green & white lightweight cylinders both have a 27mm valve, and need to be fitted with the correct clip-on regulator. You can double check the size of the regulator by looking on the inside of the regulator.
Make sure the switch on the regulator is in the off position. Turn clockwise into the 3 o’clock position.
Remove the protective cap from the gas cylinder.
Place the regulator onto the valve and press down firmly until you hear a metallic click signifying the collar has locked onto the valve.
To start using your cylinder, turn the regulator anti-clockwise so it’s in the 12 o’clock position. The gas is now on.
When you’ve finished, turn the switch on the regulator clockwise to the 3 o’clock position.
If you need to change your empty gas bottle, turn off the regulator and push in the button on the regulator to easily lift it off the bottle. It is now safe to replace your gas bottle.
How to set up a charcoal barbecue
In order to light your charcoal barbecue, you will need to ensure you have enough charcoal to fuel your grill. From here, you can light your coals in a number of ways. You can use a chimney starter, lighter fluid, or use specialist charcoal to light the grill directly. Follow these steps:
Instant-lighting Charcoal
Specialist instant-lighting charcoal is the easiest way to light your grill. For some brands, it’s as simple as lighting the bag the coals are in. Otherwise, you’ll want to arrange the charcoal into a mound, as this helps spread fire between the coals.
Carefully light the edge of the charcoal using a match or lighter. The flame should start to spread.
You will know the coals are ready to cook when they’re covered in a grey ash. Spread them out and get started.
Lighter Fluid
Begin by placing your charcoal onto the grill and arrange them into a mound. This structure will help the fire to spread between the coals.
Follow the directions on the bottle of your lighter fluid and apply it carefully to the top and sides of the mound. Light the charcoal immediately afterward. It’s important to note that you should never squirt lighter fluid onto flaming coals.
You will know you are ready to cook when your coals are covered in a grey ash. Simply spread them out and get started.
Chimney Starter
Start by completely filling your chimney starter with charcoal.
From here, you’ll want to add kindling to the mix. You can buy purpose-made kindling for your chimney starter, but old newspapers will do just fine. Simply crinkle a couple of sheets so that they’ll fit across the bottom of the chimney, fully cover them with the chimney starter and set them alight. Check through the vents to make sure it takes.
You should eventually start to see the coals glow and flames flicker above. When they’re covered in a grey ash you can pour them out of the chimney and spread them out over the grill.
How to clean your barbecue
Gas and charcoal barbecues require different kinds of cleaning - but either way it helps to have the right cleaning equipment first. Both kinds of grill should be cleaned at least once every summer to keep them in good condition. You’ll find little “hacks” all over the internet to make it easier, but we’ll just cover the basics.
Gas Barbecues
Before you start cleaning your gas barbecue, make sure you have properly disconnected the gas tank. Read our FAQ to find out how to do this safely.
Remove the grill and the metal plates covering the burners. Scrub them clean and soak them in water if necessary.
Scrape the bottom of the grill surface for any charred drippings. You can also vacuum the inside of the barbecue for loose charcoal and food debris.
Put the metal plates and grill back on, reconnect the gas safely and switch the barbecue on high heat. This will make any leftover soap and detergent in the barbecue evaporate.
Charcoal Barbecues
Start by removing the grill grate, before emptying ash from the grill and ash catcher, if your barbecue model has one.
Spray oven cleaner across the grill grates and the rest of the grill’s surfaces. You can scrub the grates while the cleaner rests on other surfaces.
After some time, you should see grease stains start to fade - which means you can start to wipe away the grime, repeating as necessary.
Spray the grill and its grates with disinfectant and wipe that away. Then, rinse the entire grill with clean water and dry it down with a towel or cloth.
