Backyard barbecues all the rage

Boston Herald ^ | June 29, 2003 | Greg Gatlin

[stainlessbanner]

Commonwealth Fireplace & Grill Shop in Norwood sold more $4,000 stainless steel barbecue grills this past spring than it sold in the past three years.

The hot seller: Robert H. Peterson Co.'s 104,000-BTU Fire Magic Regal II, with six stainless steel side burners, a rotisserie backburner, cast-iron cooking grids, gourmet smoke hood, warming rack and electronic ignition system.

If that's not enough backyard firepower for you, Commonwealth Fireplace co-owner Bruce Keltie says Peterson offers a $7,000-plus version that will do everything but the dishes.

Who would have suspected sales of high-end barbecue grills would sizzle in a lukewarm economy and during a raw and soggy spring? But Keltie and other grill retailers say demand is ablaze, in part because more American families are staying put these days and investing in upgrading their homes - including the backyard grill.

Not everyone's spending $4,000, but many people are spending upward of $500 on new grills, retailers say.

``We're in the nesting business,'' Keltie said. ``People who might have taken five grand and brought the family to Disney World before the economy went south and 9/11 are now saying, `We're going to spend more time at home, fix up the house so it's like having a vacation every day.' They're looking at it as more of an investment.''

In 1995, there were less fewer 10 manufacturers making grills priced at more than $1,000. Today there are 40, according to the Hearth Patio & Barbecue Association. Sales of luxury grills are up 25 percent during the last five years.

``That segment has been the fastest growing,'' said Donna Myers, spokeswoman for the association.

A recent study by grill maker Weber-Stephen Products Co. found that 25 percent of grill owners admit to wishing they had a bigger grill with more bells and whistles than their neighbor's.

The same tendency to spend thousands of dollars on Viking stainless steel ranges and Sub-Zero refrigerators for the kitchen is migrating outdoors to the patio or deck. Grill retailers say people are setting up outdoor kitchens.

And they're increasingly designing and building them into new decks and patios.

``The kitchen stove was all they thought about in the past,'' said Dan Farrell, president of The Bar-B-Que Barn in Arlington. ``Now, when they're building a deck, they're making it with a cutout for a grill. People are building them into landscaping.''

American cocooning is also fueling growth of what industry insiders call ``the outdoor room'' an enclosed or screened deck, patio or porch often decked out with patio furniture, vegetation and, of course, a grill.

When it comes right down to it, it's a glorified porch, explains John Simley, spokesman for Home Depot.

Still, Simley said the giant warehouse retailer is seeing customers buy more materials to build outdoor rooms.

``This is a developing trend,'' Keltie said. ``It's not something that you were seeing five to 10 years ago. It's a much greater trend on the coast and in the South, but even in this area people are trying to extend the outdoor season.''

[Conan the Librarian]

I'll stick with my Char-Broil. We cooked a pizza on it last night. :)

[eno_]

Pointless.

Why bother cooking outside if you are going to use gas? Hardwood charcoal is the stuff, and a $200 Weber (if you want the deluxe ash-catcher) is more than enough.

[Support Free Republic]

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[IYAS9YAS]

Yep, cheaper is better. I'm looking into making my own barrel smoker/barbecue/grill. I've some good ideas. Problem is my welding. It's a little better than throwing a match at two pieces of steel, but not quite up to par yet.

[Vigilantcitizen]

4 grand ?!? Geez, I made fun of my best friend when he paid over $250.00 for a new grill.

[Richard Kimball]

Leave it to a bunch of latte-drinking, Bravo watching, Kennedy voting, metrosexuals from Bahston to think that BBQing didn't exist until they discovered it.

[Vigilantcitizen]

"Why bother cooking outside if you are going to use gas?"

Exactly.

[xsrdx]

BTTT for grill-envy...

Something about fire, raw meat, steel and flammable liquids that brings out my Cro-Mangon side...

[Basil Duke]

Last year in my backyard, I built a square, U-shaped grill out of spare fire bricks that a friend gave me, and I bought a grill top for ten bucks at Uncle Sam's, and damned if my steak and chicken don't taste just fine cooked on it. Some of the best meat I've ever eaten was grilled over a humble mound of coals produced by burning a few armloads of oak and walnut sticks gathered up in the woods near my home town in central Illinois. Four thousand dollars is insane - but then again, it ain't my cash that's being spent, so all the power to them.

[Vigilantcitizen]

Hell, building the fire is just more of an excuse/reason to drink more beer.

[big gray tabby]

Grill marks.

[Snowy]

Why bother cooking outside if you are going to use gas? Hardwood charcoal is the stuff, and a $200 Weber (if you want the deluxe ash-catcher) is more than enough.

bump!

[pabianice]

Yes, there's little to compare with standing over a blazing $ 4,000 grill in the Sun in your backyard when it's 105 degrees, feeling your face bake and crack, and the mosquitos are sucking you dry, and allergies are blowing you up like the Good Year blimp, sweat cascading down your face into your stinging eyes, the kids running and shrieking as they demolish the yard, the baby crying in its crib, your gout making your legs look like Hillary's, and your wife complaining that it's taking too long to cook the burgers for the guests. Understandable that you'd do this rather than undergo the torture of having a great burger in a cool restaurant, on a soft seat, with a cold beer, as you watch the game on the TV and get waited upon...

[stainlessbanner]

Hell, building the fire is just more of an excuse/reason to drink more beer.

Co'Beer! Inevitably, the tall tales and big 'ol fish stories will abound.

[cweese]

...excellent point! i can imagine the looks i'd get in new england as i cook on my $25 brinkman which has served me well for 15 years!!!...

[rdb3]

No gas, no way! If it is not Kingsford with logs of either mesquite, hickory, pecan, or apple, then it will not be allowed on my property.

I take my Q'ing seriously. And a gas Q just ain't no Q at all.

[Core_Conservative]

My god, you just took all the fun out of having the beer when you're done!

[stainlessbanner]

And a gas Q just ain't no Q at all.

Profound! Spot on, as you might say.

If I talked about dropping $4k on a grill, my buddies kick my tail, take the money, and buy me a hibachi.

[gc4nra]

On the low end, a New Braunsfels smoker/grill,on the high end a nice big Klose(both made in TX).

Try puttng some hickory, pecan, apple or cherry logs(cut 'em to fit) on top of the lump charcoal.

[IYAS9YAS]

I currently use gas because I get home late enough without having to worry about dinner being 2 hours from that. I do prefer charcoal. Cooks better once it's ready.

[Revelation 911]

[gc4nra]

Try here http://www.bbqpits.com

[gc4nra]

Try here http://www.bbqpits.com

[Vigilantcitizen]

That is sweet.

[gc4nra]

Klose?

[Desdemona]

Why bother cooking outside if you are going to use gas?

Because in some parts of the country, it's too hot to heat up the kitchen with the oven and too expensive to spend money on charcoal for everyday use. My parents have had an in-ground, natural gas grill for over 30 years and wouldn't trade it for a charcoal grill if you gave them the charcoal. It's much more efficient.

[rdb3]

The money I could make during high school football season selling smoked turkey legs, burgers, and sausage with that! And to think that something like that would hitch very nicely on my F-150.

Hmmm. . .

[Poohbah]

Commonwealth Fireplace & Grill Shop in Norwood sold more $4,000 stainless steel barbecue grills this past spring than it sold in the past three years.

Obviously a sign that the economy is deteriorating under Bush. :o)

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Why bother cooking outside if you are going to use gas?

Totally agree with you my man. Gas grills is another term for people who don't know how to barbecue or are too lazy to do it the old-fashioned way.

Give me a cheap Weber charcoal grill anyday and some Johnsonville Brats.

[Vigilantcitizen]

"The money I could make during high school football season selling smoked turkey legs, burgers, and sausage with that! And to think that something like that would hitch very nicely on my F-150."

No advertising required, the smell does that for you.

[ServesURight]

Why bother cooking outside if you are going to use gas?

Well said! Food cooked over a gas grill just isn't the same. It's the Democrats version of grilling because it's simple to just turn a knob and the heat comes on, plus you got all the snobby jerks yapping about how those mean-old Republicans pollute the environment using fire and charcoal lighter hehehehe.

[Always Right]

Boston? I figured they already banned barbeques for their contributions to global warming. Hmmmm, seems the good people of Boston have some work to do.

[mhking]

I've got a new Aussie Grill and a Baby Weber, and they still aren't quite enough. I'll probably get a smoker this winter. I started using lump charcoal (burns hotter and cleaner than Kingsford) and a chimney starter (no more sweet smell of lighter fluid) this summer and love 'em.

This fascination with gas grills makes little sense to me.

I guess the next trick is to get a bigger one, eh?

"Hold muh beer 'n watch this!" PING....

If you want on or off this list, please let me know!

[SpinnerWebb]

here we go again.... Devil's River Mountain Men

[Misterioso]

Totally off-topic, but did you know that only about 1,000 people contribute to keep Free Republic up and running? That is out of over 100,000 registered users on this site.

Boy, is this an eye-opener. So much for the character of the "supporters" of free enterprise on this board.

[TontoKowalski]

Why bother cooking outside if you are going to use gas?

Mr. Speaker, I rise in defense of gas grilling!

I do miss the fun of charcoal grilling, but I have to admit that the gas grill we've got is very convenient. It's nice to be able to step out on the deck and turn a knob and be cooking in a few minutes. It doesn't heat up the house.

I do think the flavor isn't quite as good, although that can be remedied somewhat with good seasoning. ,p> The main benefit is that we use our grill all the time. Even if we're just having burgers for supper, we'll grill them. We wouldn't go to the bother of doing charcoal for a little job like that.

Now, we do have a charcoal grill that we use for camping, beach, and so forth, and we still like it cooked that way, too.

So lay off your anti-gas bigotry!

[spectre]

Let me see...I could spend $4000 on a grill and cook a steak OR take my wife to the Outback 100 times for a sit down, excellently prepared and served steak.

Hmmm...

Choices, choices.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

``This is a developing trend,'' Keltie said. ``It's not something that you were seeing five to 10 years ago.

Our families were 50 years ahead of the curve!!! ;-)

[Xenalyte]

Now we just gotta procure more Kobe beef to go on our nice new propane grill, and we are SET. My God, that stuff is good.

[Xenalyte]

Leave it to a bunch of latte-drinking, Bravo watching, Kennedy voting, metrosexuals from Bahston to think that BBQing didn't exist until they discovered it.

What you said. We down here in Texas have been grilling since I can remember.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

Why bother cooking outside if you are going to use gas? Hardwood charcoal is the stuff, and a $200 Weber (if you want the deluxe ash-catcher) is more than enough.

Just retired a 15 year old Weber that I've used on three continents. Took it to the trash with full military honors! ;-)

[Xenalyte]

I thought CO-beer was only available at baseball games.

[Xenalyte]

That looks exactly like the grill on which Xena's Dad produces his striped masterpieces.

[Gabz]

We use both a gas grill and a charcoal grill and use hickory, mesquite or whatever on both.

All depends on what we're cooking and when.

But the idea of spending this kind of money on a grill is totally beyond me. I have 2 vehicles sitting outside that I paid less for combined than one of these things.

I think some people have more money than brains.

[TroutStalker]

Charcoal and mesquite

[ruppertdog]

Amen. My Weber charcoal grill works great, and the new wax/sawdust fire starters, which are like small chunks of fire logs, have negated the lighter fluid and matchlight charcoal that screws up the taste of the food.

[Ol' Sox]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in defense of gas grilling!

I'll stand with you!

I've got both my trusty old Weber charcoal grill and my Ducane gas grill. Different tools for different jobs. I would no more put a pork butt on the gas grill than I would spend 45 minutes prepping the charcoal to toss some lobsters on for the 5 minutes it takes to grill 'em. If I want some smokey flavor on my salmon, I'll toss some applewood chips in a pan on the gas grill. If I want some Smoked Salmon, then I'll invest a Saturday babysitting the charcoal.

Gas grilling is not a demoncratic method of cooking - you'd have to be an intolerant bigot to think so! ;^)

[zoen]

Ill stick with my good ol New Braunfel smoker. Tasty salmon and trout and hams and turkeys and ribs and jerky and on and on and on....

[zoen]

right on!