Barbecues are synonymous with the English summer - as soon as the days get dry and warm enough you know it's time to crash out the grill and start cooking a few burgers, sausages or maybe something a little more adventurous. But not all barbecues are created equal.
The issue of whether you need a charcoal-burning barbecue, or a gas one, to get the best result is a long-standing argument, with some coming down on the side of the hot, smoky charcoal beast as the only way to cook outdoors. But, honestly, I've never been a fan.
Yes, charcoal imparts a certain flavour to meat. Usually the flavor or burnt wood and whatever chemicals have been added to make it burn quicker. So I decided to try a good-quality gas barbecue, and test the results for myself.
The eco argument over which is more environmentally friendly, gas or charcoal, is not a straightforward one. Disposable barbecues are terrible for the environment - single use, hard to recycle and generally not good all round.
Charcoal can be a sustainable fuel - if you get something certificated and locally sourced. But most of what we buy here in the UK (around 97% according to some sources) is shipped from places like Indonesia where forests are chopped down to make it.
Propane, on the other hand, is a fossil fuel so it has its own problems. But it does burn hot and efficient - meaning there are far fewer pollutants than with a charcoal grill. Either way, a barbecue is much less 'damaging' than most of our other activities.
So the grill I was trying out is the Norfolk Grills Vista 300 3 Burner gas grill with side burner from Hayes Garden World.
Delivered to my door in a big box that took two people to carry, it looks impressive and sturdy from the start. The grill comes ready to assemble and it took two of us just over an hour to put together, using a screwdriver and the in-box instructions.
Some of the instructions aren't the clearest, but we powered through and it all made sense. Where everything goes is very obvious, so no problems putting it together. Most of the gas and electrical ignition system is pre-installed so don't worry about making any mistakes there.
Once put together it is an impressive looking piece of kit, with three grills that have separate burners and adjustable temperatures, a side burner where you could cook with a frying pan or saucepan and a warming shelf.
There is storage space underneath, a prep shelf on the side and space for hanging your barbecue tools.
I snapped on the patio gas, very quick and simple, and the barbecue was up and running in minutes, There is a gauge on top to tell you how hot the grill is getting so drop the lid and wait for it to warm up.
Within three minutes it was 200C inside, so I dropped some chicken thighs onto the first burner. A few minutes later I added sausages and burgers next to the chicken, on lower temperatures, and dropped the lid to let everything cook.
25 minutes later, with a few turns for good measure, everything was done at the same time - thanks to the variable temperatures on the separate grills, I shifted it all up to the warming shelf and threw on a few kebabs and some halloumi (has to be done).
Again, by tweaking the knobs and getting the temperatures right they were ready at the same time. Last touch, warming and toasting some brioche buns - simple.
Start to finish everything took 30 minutes, with more than enough food for four of us. In fact we could have catered for double that amount without having to go back for a second round of cooking. It has a large cooking surface area and the heat is the same from front to back, so no wasted areas.
The fact you can just switch it on, and off, makes for the most convenient cooking experiencing. No messing around trying to get it to light, then waiting for the charcoal to turn white - this is quick and simple, on and off.
The side burner means you can easily be cooking pasta, potatoes or anything else you like at the same time. Then the clean down. The grills come off and were easy to wash clean in a sink - as were the burner covers. The grease mostly drips from a vent out the bottom into a cup, so that could go straight into the food bin (when cool).
Then just a wipe around with a little detergent and a sponge and it was good as new. From deciding to have a barbecue to packing it away in 90 minutes. Couldn't be simpler!
I love the simplicity and efficiency of this gas grill - and the fact it got all the food cooked right through at the same time with no expertise on my side is genius. Being able to turn the heat up and down at will beats a charcoal offering any day. And there is none of that charcoal smoke chasing you around and clinging to your clothes for days.
You can also add a pizza stone if you wanted to use this as a pizza oven, and if you want that charcoal flavour then chuck in a smoking box as you cook - keep the lid closed and you'll get the full barbecue experience.
Retailing at £449 the Norfolk Grills Vista 300 3 Burner gas grill with side burner from Hayes Garden World is currently on sale for £339 and comes with a five-year guarantee. It comes with free shipping.
Constructed from high quality, enamel coated steel, the Vista 300 is hygienic, hard wearing, and easy to clean.
Vista 300 Features:
- Hard wearing enamel coated steel frame
- 3.5kw back burner & side burner
- shelf storage space
- Side table
- Tool holder
You can find the full Hayes barbecue and grill range on their site.
