Barbecues with barbecue: tips on choosing

The fact that such a brazier, has an idea, perhaps, every adult. It allows you to cook meat, fish, vegetables on an open fire, so that the dishes acquire a unique taste and aroma. Modern constructions are real multifunctional devices equipped, for example, with barbecue.

As soon as the summer season opens, lovers of country rest begin to pamper themselves with kebabs and other dishes cooked on an open fire. The first assistant in this is a brazier. Street barbecues are structures, in the lower part of which the furnace is located. The incoming heat allows you to cook at the top of the device.

Products are strung on skewers and set at the top. The heat comes from the lower and partially lateral sides of the brazier, so for its uniform distribution, the brazier has to be fanned and the skewers turned over periodically.

Modern braziers often have additional features., thanks to which their use becomes even more convenient and functional. One of these devices is a barbecue grill, the clearest feature of which is the presence of a grill in the upper part of the structure.

Such a unit, like a barbecue, has a more closed lower part, arranged like a brazier. This allows you to adjust the heating temperature, since there are flaps in the lower part. Their opening and closing and provides adjustment of the air supply, and hence the intensity of combustion.

If the barbecue has a lid, then it “turns” into a closed grill, which, if desired, can also be used as a mini-smokehouse.

The popularity of barbecue grill is due primarily to its versatility. On it you can cook both traditional kebabs on skewers and grilled dishes. If there is a lid, it will be possible to bake a large piece of meat or fish, cook homemade smoked meats.

Manufacturers offer a variety of sizes, shapes and designsTherefore, everyone will find the option that suits him. You can choose stationary structures that will form the basis of the summer kitchen or terrace, as well as portable analogues. They will help out if you plan to rearrange the brazier on the site. Among the portable models are many of those that add up and take the form of a small suitcase, as well as collapsible structures.Folding and prefabricated barbecue grills - a great solution if you are planning a country picnic. They are mobile, have a small weight. True, their service life is somewhat less than that of stationary ones.

The devices are made of refractory materials - metal, refractory and fireclay bricks, so the finished design has a high fire safety performance. Being heated to considerable temperatures (on average, 600-700С), and then, cooling down, these materials do not crack and do not lose their qualities.

It should be understood that stationary and thick-walled portable models are more expensive than mobile and light weight designs. However, the price of the first is justified - the service life of a good brazier is calculated for decades.

A little higher, we have already said that the brazier is stationary and portable.In addition, it is customary to distinguish designs depending on the material used:

Can only be stationary and have a different look. The easiest option - 4 walls connected to each other. They are characterized by long service life, high heat temperature, long cooling.

As a rule, brick barbecues are installed in the summer kitchen area and are complemented by countertops, sink and other devices for preparing a full meal.

Along with brick, more often versions are being built of aerated concrete. Material differs in heat resistance, reasonable price. In addition, one block of aerated concrete replaces several bricks, which allows you to finish construction faster. Suitable for this and reinforced aerated concrete blocks from Cibit.

Barbecues, barbecue metal, often cast iron, can be both stationary and mobile. According to its technical properties, it can be both close to professional units, and the simplest collapsible design.

In any case, even a thick-walled cast-iron brazier will have less weight than a brick that is similar in shape and size.

Pig-iron constructions quickly heat up, due to which frying time is reduced. Under the influence of high temperatures, they are not deformed, therefore the service life of the device is up to 100 years. At the same time, food cooked in such a device may acquire an insignificant specific flavor. Pig-iron braziers also have a high price.

A more affordable alternative are stainless steel braziers. They warm up slowly and change the design, most likely, will have at the end of the season. This is due to the small thickness of the walls of the mangal, because of what they burn through and deform. In addition to low cost, the design is lightweight, mobile.

The simplest metal grill has a rectangular shape with legs. The rectangle has a bottom, longer end walls and side. In other words, it resembles a box. In the lower part there are technical holes, in the upper part there are notches for the installation of skewers. The legs can be adjusted in height. For convenience of carrying the design is equipped with a handle.Square and round barbecues are also convenient and practical.

The basis of the brick barbecue is also a rectangle, lined with bricks. Given the large size of the structure, care should be taken to prepare the foundation depth of 40-45 cm. The design of this barbecue resembles a roof box equipped with a blower.

• As a rule, the box itself is metal, lined with brick. It is important to choose a thick-walled heat-resistant structure with a metal wall thickness of at least 5 mm.
• The cylindrical brazier is also comfortable and ergonomic. The lower part of it is installed on a small foundation and dug into the ground.

• If we talk about devices that are operated indoors, they are small and mostly streamlined. An example of such a brazier is Finnish, intended for installation on a veranda or in a summer house. A mandatory element of this type of construction is an exhaust umbrella with a pipe.

• Smokers can also be recommended for outdoor use. True, you need to choose its variation "grill", then the smoker will be equipped with a grill.
• Braziers of unusual forms deserve special attention.As a rule, it is an imitation of equipment (locomotive, plane, ship), animals, constructions resembling a house, household items (chests, pots).
• Braziers of sufficiently concise form can be decorated with wrought iron elements, which turns them into a real work of art.

Speaking about the size of the barbecue, they mean the indicators of its length, width, height and depth. All these indicators are interrelated and ultimately affect the quality of roasting dishes, safety and durability of the brazier.

First of all, you should decide on the length of the barbecue. For an average company, we can recommend a brazier, the length of which is not less than 100 cm. It can simultaneously fry meat for 7-10 people. For longer designs, be sure to provide additional legs.

The minimum width of the barbecue should not be less than the length of the skewer, that is 40-45 cm. More advanced models of barbecue barbecue have a width of 50-80 cm.

The depth of the brazier is determined by how intense burning is required. The deeper the grill, the more fuel it requires. The minimum value is 15-20 cm. It is clear that a large brazier must have sufficient depth, otherwise the heat produced will not be enough to cook.

The height of the barbecue is usually 85-90 cm.This should take into account the growth of those who are going to cook kebabs. If the grill is too high or low, it will be inconvenient to use it.

The brazier equipped with function of a barbecue differs in more difficult design. In addition to the mandatory elements (containers for fuel and products), they are equipped with a grill, lid, damper for traction.

One of the most useful "devices" for a barbecue is a thermometer. Its presence will allow to cook real meat delicacies of different degrees of roasting. Different types of meat, as well as the size of the pieces, require different temperature conditions. The presence of a thermometer will make it possible to understand whether it is worth covering the flaps, adding fuel, etc.

Another detail, without which it is impossible to imagine a barbecue grill - is a grill. It can be stainless steel (affordable, economical option), cast iron (practical, durable, but more expensive). In shape - round (universal), square, have specific forms (for example, for frying fish entirely).

The grill cover is also useful in the device. Due to its presence, it is possible to use a barbecue grill as a smokehouse, to protect products from litter while you are not cooking.

By the way, you can get a multifunctional complex for frying meat by purchasing a brazier insert. The insert is the simplest in terms of design brazier, which can be placed in a brick brazier or barbecue, installed on the countertop and even in the firebox of the fireplace.

To assemble the simplest design of barbecue grill, you can do it yourself. First of all, it is necessary to determine the size and shape of the structure, so that the drawings are first drawn up.

Then it is necessary to weld a rectangular structure. The following parameters are considered to be medium sizes: 90 cm - height, 15-20 cm - depth of the brazier, 90-100 cm - length and 40-50 cm - width. These values ​​can be changed based on your own needs.

The bottom of the upper part should have holes, it is better to make primitive flaps. Then you can adjust the intensity of the heat.

• When choosing a barbecue grill, you should first of all consider where and how often it will be used. For a country house and year-round summer cottage we can recommend a stationary structure. It will please with a long service life, take a worthy place in the summer kitchen or in the gazebo and will decorate the site. However, this brazier must be protected in the autumn-winter period.
• If you want to avoid the hassle associated with the need to care for the "oven" in the winter, choose mobile devices. They, like stationary ones, can be quite large and attractive, and if necessary they can be brought into a house, garage, shed or rolled up, if we are talking about a fireplace on wheels.
• If you do not have a large space or you need to fit the brazier into the already existing complex, pay attention to the models located in the corner. The angular design has all the necessary functionality, but is compact.

• Do not forget that the brazier is part of the exterior, so must be combined with it. Fortunately, the diverse design of modern designs allows you to do this, in addition, there is always an option to make the device to order.
• For those who periodically arrange attacks on nature, we recommend mobile designs. Folding is considered more reliable than prefab. However, if any part of it fails, the entire structure will have to be disposed of.
• Today, manufacturers offer mobile barbecue grills hanging type. They have special brackets and can even be hung on the balcony. The dimensions of such structures are small, at the same time you can cook meat for a maximum of two. However, in some cases this is what you need.

How to build a brazier of bricks with your own hands, see the video below.