Barbecues

Barbecues: The Outdoor Cooking Essential That Turns a Garden Into a Kitchen

A barbecue transforms how you use your garden. It takes cooking — the activity that dominates the kitchen for hours every day — and moves it outside, where the cook gets fresh air, the house stays cool, and the whole family or friend group gravitates toward the grill because there's something irresistibly social about watching food cook over an open flame. Barbecuing isn't just a cooking method; it's an event. Nobody stands around watching someone use the oven, but everyone stands around a barbecue. It turns a meal into a gathering, a garden into a venue, and a Tuesday evening into something that feels like a celebration.

The barbecue market covers charcoal, gas, electric, and pellet models — each with different strengths, different cooking characteristics, and different levels of involvement from the person doing the grilling. Choosing the right type depends on what you value most: flavour, convenience, versatility, or the ritual of fire.

Charcoal Barbecues: The Purist's Choice

Charcoal delivers the flavour that barbecue enthusiasts chase — the smoky, caramelised taste that comes from fat dripping onto hot coals and creating aromatic smoke that infuses the food. It's the most traditional and the most hands-on: lighting, managing the fire, controlling temperature through vent adjustment, and dealing with ash afterwards. The ritual is part of the appeal for many people — the tending of the fire, the patience of waiting for coals to reach the right temperature, the skill of maintaining consistent heat. For others, it's a barrier. Charcoal barbecues take 20–30 minutes to reach cooking temperature and require attention throughout. If you want to light and forget, charcoal isn't for you.

Kettle barbecues (the classic round, lidded design) are the most versatile charcoal format — they grill directly, roast with indirect heat when the lid is closed, and even smoke when fitted with wood chips. They're affordable, compact, and the design has barely changed in decades because it works exceptionally well. Kamado-style barbecues (ceramic, egg-shaped) are the premium charcoal option — they retain heat extraordinarily efficiently, reach very high temperatures for searing, maintain low temperatures for slow smoking, and produce some of the finest outdoor cooking results available from any barbecue type. They're heavy, expensive, and addictive once you start using one.

Gas Barbecues: Convenience Without Compromise

Gas barbecues light instantly, reach cooking temperature in 5–10 minutes, offer precise temperature control via burner dials, and clean up with minimal fuss. They're the weeknight barbecue — the one you actually use regularly because the barrier to firing it up is negligibly low. Multi-burner models allow different temperature zones simultaneously: searing steaks on high while gently warming buns on low. Side burners handle sauces, sides, and anything that needs a pan rather than a grill.

The flavour debate between charcoal and gas is real but overstated. Gas produces excellent grilled food — the Maillard reaction (the caramelisation that creates flavour on grilled meat) happens regardless of the heat source. The smoky flavour specific to charcoal can be approximated on gas with a smoker box filled with wood chips. For most everyday grilling — burgers, sausages, chicken, vegetables, fish — gas produces results that are indistinguishable from charcoal to all but the most dedicated barbecue purists.

Accessories and Setup

Essential accessories: long-handled tongs (the most-used barbecue tool), a wide spatula for burgers and fish, a meat thermometer (eliminates guesswork about whether chicken is cooked through — the single most important food safety tool in outdoor cooking), a wire brush for cleaning the grill, and a set of skewers for kebabs and vegetables. A chimney starter (a metal cylinder that lights charcoal efficiently and evenly) eliminates the need for lighter fluid, which taints food with chemical flavour if residue remains when you start cooking.

Position your barbecue on a stable, level, non-flammable surface — paving slabs, concrete, or a dedicated barbecue mat on decking. Keep it away from fences, overhanging foliage, and the house walls. Have a bucket of water or a fire extinguisher accessible. These aren't excessive precautions — a fat flare-up on a barbecue positioned too close to a wooden fence becomes a genuine emergency faster than most people expect.

Covering and Storage

A fitted cover protects your barbecue from rain, UV damage, and bird droppings between uses — extending its lifespan dramatically compared to leaving it exposed year-round. Even weather-resistant models (stainless steel, powder-coated metal) deteriorate faster without a cover. Store charcoal in a dry, sealed container — damp charcoal is almost impossible to light and produces excessive smoke. Gas bottles should be stored upright in a ventilated area, never indoors, and checked for leaks at connection points before each use.

Browse barbecues from top brands — charcoal, gas, electric, kamado — and check our deals for barbecue and outdoor cooking bundles. Pair with garden furniture for a complete outdoor entertaining setup.