Why you say BTUs?

The basic underpinnings of a gas grill

are really quite simple: first come burners

to create heat. On top rests a system to

disperse the heat from the burners to the

cooking surface—they can be inverted

v-shaped metal bars (like the Flavorizer®

bars pioneered by Weber), lava rock, or

ceramic briquets. And on top of them, lay

the cooking grates. Now, while the heat

distribution system and the cooking grates

are crucial elements of a grill, the burners

are the heart and soul of the system. Not

only do they do the job of conducting the

heat, they also put control of the heat in

your hands.

What separates the “grills” from the boys

is the number of burners you have to

work with. Better grills generally have two

or more separate burners (not just control

knobs) which allow greater control of

heat. Most lower-priced grills have only

one burner shaped like an H, some with

one control, some with two controls.

Grills with one burner don’t allow

you to control heat as well as grills

with multiple burners and may result

in hot and cold spots on the cooking

surface. So do yourself a favor and

look for at least two, but preferably

three or more burners.

If you study the grill specs, no doubt

you’ll run across the grill’s BTU rating.

Here’s what that’s about.

BTUs—British

Thermal Units—are a measure of heat

input. A grill needs 35,000 BTUs to reach

a grilling temperature of 550°F. But

remember, sometimes less is more. Too

many BTUs can cause damage to burners

and reduce the life of the grill. Large

grills with expansive cooking surfaces may

require higher BTUs. If you are buying a

behemoth, make sure the burners are made

of high-grade stainless steel that can withstand

the heat.

WEBER’S

Girls’ Guide to Grilling