Consumer Reports Tests Grills, Barbeque Sauces
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — No Memorial Day weekend celebration is complete without a cookout, but just any grill won’t do.
Consumer Reports tested 70 gas grills to find the best without burning a hole in your wallet.
Steaks were seared at a high temperature to check for flare ups. Those with grates closer to the heat source were likely to flare most often.
Salmon and chicken were used for low temperature grilling.
“We also look at a grill’s ability to cook indirectly,” said Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman. “That’s because more people are slow grilling foods like whole roasts and whole chickens.”
Consumer Reports found the new infrared burners aren’t any better than standard burners and some get too hot and will burn your food. The best grates are made from cast-iron or stainless steel.
So, which grill made its mark? The Aussie Vantage Series 67C3 is a best buy at $250, but for a bigger bash, check out the Brinkman 810-1575W.
After you get the right grill, you have to add some spice to your food.
“The sauce is what really brings out the flavor,” said Chef Bosora, a professional rib cooker. “That’s really the key ingredient to barbecuing anything.”
Consumer Reports tested 10 sauces and found that most improved when cooked with meat.
One of the best was Target’s Archer Farms Texas-Style Barbecue Sauce.
“The Archer Farms sauce was spicy and smoky with lingering heat and a splash of cider vinegar,” said Ellen Klosz, of Consumer Reports. “It worked well as a dip and in cooking.”
For a thicker sauce, try Walmart’s great Value Original Barbecue Sauce. It’s not only tasty; it is the least expensive of the group.
Emeril’s Bam! B-Q and KC Masterpiece Original were also among the best.
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Consumer Report: Best Gas Grills
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It's grill season. But if your grill has seen better days, you'll be happy to know Consumer Reports just tested nearly 70 gas grills to find ones that sizzle without burning a hole in your wallet.
A passion for grilling is what fueled John Cavallo's very own catering business.
"I just love it," Cavallo says. "Words can't explain why I love grilling so much."
Whether you're grilling for work or your family, having a good grill is critical.
Lucky for grill enthusiasts, Consumer Reports spent the last few months testing gas grills to find the best.
Steaks are seared to see how well the grills perform at high temperatures and to check for flare-ups. Tests show grills with grates like this closer to the heat source are more likely to flare up.
Salmon is cooked to see how well a grill can handle low temperatures, and so is chicken.
"We also look at a grill's ability to cook indirectly," says Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman of Consumer Reports. "And that's because more people are slow grilling foods likes whole roasts and whole chickens."
Consumer Reports evaluated features, too.
"More manufactures are touting infrared burners, but in our tests we haven't found that they really perform any better than standard burners, and some of them can get too hot and you could end up burning your food," Lehrman says.
Cast-iron grates or stainless steel sear well and keep temperatures more consistent. a side burner is a nice convenience, too. And a gauge that shows how much propane is left in the tank is another handy feature.
In the end, Consumer Reports recommends several gas grills.
Among them - this medium-sized Aussie Vantage Series 67C3.
While it doesn't have a fuel-tank gauge, it's got a side burner and stainless-steel grates and at $250 it's a Consumer Reports best Buy.
If you tend to cook for larger crowds - say 30 burgers at a time or more - Consumer Reports named the $380 Brinkmann 810-1575-W a best Buy. It has coated cast-iron grates and a rotisserie burner, too.
The Brinkmann grill is available at Walmart.
Testers see which grills sizzle
A good grill can help make you a grill master.
It doesn't matter whether it's beef, chicken, or fish, if it comes off the grill, it just tastes better, unless, of course, you burn what you’re grilling. to help keep that from happening, you need a good grill. Consumer Reports says it’s worth paying for, and they just tested nearly 70 grills to find ones that will sizzle without burning a hole in your wallet.
Testers spent months searing nearly 550 steaks, 89 pounds of chicken and a boatload of salmon.
While searing steaks, they assessed how the grills performed at high temperatures, and whether there were flare-ups. They found grills that had grates closer to the heat source are more likely to flare up.
To find out how well the grills could handle low temperatures, they cooked salmon and chicken.
“We also look at a grill's ability to cook indirectly. That's because more and more people are grilling whole foods likes roasts and chickens," Consumer Reports tester Celia Lehrman said.
Testers also evaluated features.
“More manufacturers are touting infrared burners, but in our tests we haven't found that they really perform any better than standard burners, and some of them can get too hot and you could end up burning your food,” Lehrman said.
Cast iron grates or those made of stainless steel sear well and keep temperatures more consistent. also, side burners and gages that show how much propane is left in the tank are a few other nice conveniences.
In the end, Consumer Reports found quite a list of gas grills to recommend.
The best medium -sized performer overall is the Vermont Castings Signature series VCS300SSP for $950.
But for much less, there were two grills, which were named best Buys. One is a $250, medium-sized Aussie Vantage Series 67C3. While it doesn't have a fuel-tank gage, it's got a side burner and stainless-steel grates.
And, for even less money, the $200 Brinkmann model number 810-8412-S is available at Home Depot.
Consumer Reports also named the $380 Brinkman, model number 810-1575-W, a best buy, and top pick for larger sized grills. It’s available at Walmart.
The $270 Char-Broil Red Patio, model number 463250210, from Home Depot was a top pick for portable grills.
Keep in mind, once you get a great grill, no excuses, the meat should sizzle with perfection, every time.
