2 Delicious Ways To Upgrade Your Backyard Barbecue

The weather’s getting warmer, the flowers are blooming and backyard barbecue season is upon us. For many, this means entertaining family and friends, trying new BBQ dishes, or building a backyard barbecue. One of the best parts about summer is spending more time outdoors and experimenting with a new backyard barbecue menu.

There are two ways you can upgrade your grills this year to step up your BBQ meals and impress your loved ones. One is choosing a backyard BBQ that can show off your cooking skills while your family and friends watch in awe. Another is picking a high-quality, trendy grill that’s multi-functional.

Backyard barbecue entertaining

If you love to entertain guests and hold backyard barbecues, then finding a backyard grill that’s perfect for entertaining is the way to go. One of the best types of grills on the market is hibachi-style grills. These barbecues generally have a flat grilling surface and counter space to place any ingredients or dishes. Additionally, some models can have enough room for people to sit.

What is hibachi?

Hibachi is when you cook meat, seafood, or vegetables on an open-grate design with charcoal as its heat source. It translates to “fire bowl” in Japanese. However, in the U.S., hibachi-style cooking is usually teppanyaki cooking, where food is grilled on a flat, solid surface.

Generally, hibachi dining in the U.S. is popular due to the entertainment aspect. Restaurants will usually have a chef cook your food right in front of you. The chef may even put on a show by showcasing their fast chopping skills and spatula flips. Hibachi food in a restaurant typically includes grilling fried rice, veggies, and a choice of meat, such as steak or chicken. In terms of home cooking, purchasing a hibachi table barbecue can bring the unique hibachi dining experience right in your backyard.

Backyard Hibachi

One barbecue that can give you that hibachi restaurant dining experience is a Backyard Hibachi grill. These backyard barbecues are made in South Louisiana and crafted with great attention to detail. Each grill is made up of locally sourced cypress and handmade by artisan grill makers. A group of friends founded Backyard Hibachi in Lafayette, Louisiana. They wanted to combine a communal dining experience with cooking meals in their backyard.

Why should I buy a Backyard Hibachi?

A Backyard Hibachi is not your typical barbecue grill. Most grills have an open grate design that’s perfect for creating those grill marks. However, Backyard Hibachi has an ultra-thick, flat cook plate that acts more like a cast-iron skillet. An adjustable liquid propane gas burner directly heats the cooking plate and provides versatile cooking temperatures. You can cook steaks in searing temperatures or prepare eggs using the grill’s low or medium heat setting.

This outdoor hibachi grill is one of the more versatile cooking devices. You can grill, sauté, stir-fry, or steam various types of foods. The flat plate also makes cleaning up a more straightforward process.

Backyard Hibachi features

There are many features of the Backyard Hibachi grill that make it perfect for entertaining friends and family. A laminated, solid wood top wraps around the grill, providing plenty of surface area to place ingredients, food, or drinks. There’s also room for guests to gather around to chat while you cook. The grill’s high-gloss finish provides additional durability.

The flat grill is made of commercial-grade steel and has a removable drip pan that’s dishwasher safe. Backyard Hibachi grills have almost six feet of cooking space, perfect for a backyard BBQ dinner with the family. The grill also has an auto spark ignition and adjustable heat settings and can reach temps up to 650 degrees. Another great feature is the heavy-duty caster wheels that enable easy maneuvering. The Geaux is the brand’s most portable model. It has the same standard features and ample cooking surface as the other models. However, it’s more compact and lightweight.

Pellet BBQ Grills

What if you don’t like entertaining? What if you prefer to focus on cooking the most flavorful barbecue meal? Choosing a pellet grill may be the better option. Pellet grills have become one of the hottest trends on the grilling scene in recent years. One of the biggest reasons for their growing popularity is that they produce better flavors than standard charcoal and are more convenient than gas.

Pellet grills combine elements of various cooking devices — smokers, charcoal and gas grills, and ovens. Their source of fuel comes from 100% all-natural wood pellets that provide direct or indirect heat. These pellets infuse your food with smoky wood flavors such as pecan or oak. Pellet grills also have a wide temperature range, allowing for versatility that’s not generally seen with gas or charcoal grills. You can use them as a wood pellet smoker for various meats or use them for baking pies.

Z Grills

One of the top backyard barbecue grill brands is Z Grills. It is one of the best pellet grills on the market, making Forbes’ Best Grills list in 2019. The company has been manufacturing grills for more than 30 years but branched out and formed its brand in 2016. It’s a great option for a backyard barbecue smoker. All the company’s pellet grills have an 8-in-1 versatility, meaning you can grill, roast, smoke, barbecue, and many more.

Where are Z Grills Made?

Z Grills are made in China, but the brand has a California warehouse and is in Ontario, California. Its growing team consists of over 600 engineers, designers, researchers, and artisans. They all work together to produce innovative and dependable grills using premium materials.

Z Grills features

Z Grills’ products are made of heavy gauge steel parts and sound construction to enhance their durability. The one-button start-up doesn’t require lighter fluid. Its digital controller also ensures the grill maintains a consistent temperature. These features make Z Grills easy to use.

This brand’s highlight feature is the pellet grill, as it produces one of the best flavors compared to other charcoal and gas. Z Grills’ pellets are 100% all-natural hardwood free of additives, chemicals, and artificial flavorings. The outdoor barbecues are also very versatile, providing eight different ways to cook food. For example, you can use it as a Z Grills smoker to add a smokey flavor to the meat. Then you can turn up the heat to cook it thoroughly.

Z Grills 1000E Powerhouse Pellet Grill

This model is one of the best-selling Z Grills. It has an extra-large grilling area, with three tiers of cooking rack. In total, it has 1,060 square inches (0.68 square meters) of grilling surface. This is perfect if you love to cook a bunch of food for backyard barbecues. The grill also makes it easier for you to adjust to the ideal smoking temperature. The 1000E Powerhouse Pellet Grill model also has a unique ash cleanup system that makes cleaning up a much easier process. You just need to throw out the ash into the garbage. This ensures you can focus on producing the tastiest barbecue food for your friends and family.

Hosting a backyard barbecue is a summer staple. There are many options if you want to upgrade your grill. Backyard Hibachi and Z Grills are two of the best barbecues out there that can check off all the boxes.

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