Barbecue grill

A grill cooks food with heat.

It puts heat under the food. This helps it cook.

Some grills use gas. They can be small or very large.

Other grills use coal. This is also called charcoal. Some people use small pieces of coal.

Some grills use power from a plug.

These do not need coal or gas.

Grills come in many shapes. Some are round like a bowl. Others are square. You can cook many things on them.

A barbecue grill cooks food using heat from below.

People use different ways to make this heat.

Some grills use gas. They use propane or natural gas as fuel.

Gas grills can be small or very large. Some have a flattop. This is a flat surface for cooking. Other gas grills use infrared burners. These burners use gas to heat a ceramic tile. The tile lets out infrared radiation to cook the food.

Other grills use charcoal. This is a type of coal.

When burned, charcoal turns into hot embers. Some grills use small charcoal briquettes. These are pieces of coal made in a set shape. Other people use natural lump charcoal.

There are many shapes for these tools. A kettle grill is round like a bowl.

A hibachi is a small, portable grill. It is often made of cast iron. Some grills use electricity. These use a heating element. They do not need gas or coal to work.

A barbecue grill is a tool used to cook food. It works by applying heat from underneath the food.

People use many different kinds of grills today. Some people like gas, while others prefer charcoal or electricity. There is often a big debate about which method works best. Different styles help people cook many kinds of tasty meals.

Grills work in a few different ways depending on their fuel. Gas grills use fuels like propane, butane, or natural gas. The gas creates a flame that cooks the food directly.

Some gas grills use an infrared burner to cook. This burner heats a ceramic tile to release infrared radiation. Charcoal grills work by burning charcoal briquettes or natural lump charcoal. When these burn, they turn into hot embers that radiate heat.

Electric grills are simpler because they use a heating element.

History shows that grilling has existed in the Americas for a long time. The Arawak people of South America used a wooden structure called a barbacoa.

Over time, the word barbacoa changed into the word barbecue. In the 1950s, most homes did not have a barbecue yet. Many people used the word broiler instead. In 1952, George Stephen created the famous kettle grill design. He was a welder who worked with steel spheres. He used a part of a metal buoy to make his grill.

Many interesting people helped shape the grills we use now. Edward G. Kingsford invented the modern charcoal briquette. He was a relative of Henry Ford and worked in Michigan.

Don McGlaughlin invented the first gas grill in the late 1930s. His company is known today as LazyMan. In 1954, his company made the Model AP. This was the first portable gas grill ever made. It was special because it used 20-lb propane cylinders. Before this, plumbers were the ones who used those cylinders.

Grills come in many shapes to fit different needs. A brazier grill is a very simple and cheap type. It is made of wire and metal with no lid.

A hibachi is a small grill that is easy to carry. It is often made of cast iron or aluminum. Some people use a kamado, which is a ceramic cooker. This design has been around for about 3,000 years.

You might also see a tandoor used in Indian cooking. This is an oven where food sits on long skewers. These tools allow us to cook food in many ways.

A barbecue grill is a device designed to cook food by applying heat from below.

While people use many different types, most grills fall into three main categories: gas-fueled, charcoal, or electric. There is often an ongoing debate among enthusiasts about which fuel source produces the best results. Grilling has deep roots in the history of the Americas. The Arawak people of South America used a wooden structure called a barbacoa to roast meat. Over many centuries, the term barbacoa was modified into the word "barbecue." This term eventually came to describe both the cooking process and specific pit-style techniques used in the southeastern United States.

Gas-fueled grills are highly versatile and come in many different sizes. They typically use propane, butane, or natural gas as their fuel source. The gas creates a flame that either cooks the food directly or heats up specific elements.

These elements then radiate the heat necessary to cook the food. Some gas grills can even switch between using natural gas and liquified petroleum gas. This process requires the user to physically change parts like the burners and regulator valves. Most gas grills follow a cart grill design. This means the grill unit is attached to a wheeled frame that holds the fuel tank and other features like side tables.

Modern gas technology has introduced specialized ways to manage heat. Some manufacturers add an infrared radiant burner to the back of the grill enclosure.

An infrared burner works by igniting gas to heat a ceramic tile. This tile emits infrared radiation, which is electromagnetic radiation in the infrared heat frequency range. This radiation is caused by the movement of charged particles within atoms. These grills are popular for searing food because they reach higher temperatures than standard gas grills. Another trend is the flattop grill. On these, food cooks on a griddle-like surface and is never exposed to an open flame.

Charcoal grills rely on burning charcoal briquettes or natural lump charcoal. When these materials burn, they transform into hot embers. These embers radiate the heat needed to cook the food.

There is a constant debate between users of different charcoal types. People who use briquettes like their uniform size and consistent burn rate. People who use natural lump charcoal prefer its high heat and subtle smoky aromas. Charcoal grills can take many shapes, including square, round, or rectangular designs. Some models include a lid or a venting system to help control the heat during the cooking process.

The history of the modern grill is filled with interesting inventions. In the early 20th century, Edward G. Kingsford helped develop the modern charcoal briquette. He was a relative of Henry Ford and worked in Michigan. He noticed that Ford's Model T production lines created many wood scraps. He suggested building a charcoal facility to use these scraps.

Later, George Stephen created the iconic hemispherical kettle grill design in 1952. Stephen was a welder who worked with steel spheres for buoys. He used the lower half of a buoy to create a grill that protected food from the wind. He eventually started the Weber-Stephen Products Company.

Gas grilling also saw major advancements in the mid-20th century. Don McGlaughlin, owner of the Chicago Combustion Corporation, invented the first gas grill in the late 1930s. His company is known today as LazyMan. In 1954, they developed the Model AP, which was the first portable gas grill.

This model was unique because it used 20-lb propane cylinders. Before this invention, those specific cylinders were used almost exclusively by plumbers. These historical developments moved grilling from a specialized task to a common household activity.

Many specialized grill types exist for specific cultural or functional needs. The brazier is a simple, inexpensive charcoal grill made of wire and sheet metal.

The hibachi is a small, portable grill often made of cast iron or aluminum. In Japan, the shichirin is a traditional charcoal-heated utensil.

For even more versatility, some use a kamado, which is a ceramic cooker. This design has existed for roughly 3,000 years and is excellent at retaining heat and moisture. Finally, the tandoor is an oven used for Indian and Pakistani foods. In a tandoor, meat is placed on long skewers and inserted through an opening at the top to cook above the coals.