Super gas grills for your Super Bowl bash
Any party that starts with an array of dips and ends with brownies is my kind of bash. Toss in the Super Bowl and a halftime show that dazzles, and suddenly that first day of February seems like a winner. Super Bowl Sunday is one of the top grilling days of the year and it’s estimated that over 30 percent of Americans will fire up their grills. Beyond burgers, why not use your gas grill to slow cook a brisket, turn out crispy pizzas, or sear fruit that adds zing to pitchers of sangria. To make your party super try these grilling tips from the experts at Consumer Reports. But first, more about the menu.
Leave it to Stephen Raichlen, author of the popular "Barbecue! Bible" to raise the bar for dips. He recommends grilling bell peppers to add a smoky sweet flavor in his recipe for grilled pepper and feta dip. Even onion dip gets an upgrade by grilling sweet onions. For more menu ideas check out the Super Bowl Party Recipes and Drinks on Epicurious.com, including their tips for building the ultimate nachos.
Three ways to make a basic grill more versatile
Add that smoky flavor (without a smoker). Soak wood chips in water for an hour, drain, and wrap in heavy-duty foil (1 cup per pouch). Hickory, oak, mesquite, and pecan are possibilities. Poke holes in the top of the pouches and put them under the grates above a burner. Use two pouches for a midsized grill, four for a large. Turn the heat on high until the pouches smoke, then lower heat to about 350°F—check with a temperate gauge.
Go slow. Cook briskets, pork shoulders, other tough cuts of meat, and whole fish or poultry on your grill. This grilling technique is known as indirect cooking. Consumer Reports tests grills for their ability to cook over indirect heat and you’ll see the scores in our gas grill Ratings. Preheat the grill and once it’s warm, set one burner on high and turn off the other. Put the meat over the burner that’s off. If you have three or four burners keep only the front and back or outside burners on; put the meat over the burners that are off. Keep the lid closed to retain heat.
Pizza, anybody? White stone pizza stones are harder to keep clean than darker ones, but all get really hot and require watching so the pizza doesn’t burn. You can even turn your gas grill into an outdoor pizza oven with the BakerStone Pizza Oven Box. We paid $150 for it and the pizzas were fun to bake and took about four minutes. Even more fun was eating the pizza. The crusts were crispy and toppings were nicely cooked.
Recommended gas grills to consider
You’ll see dozens of models in our gas grill Ratings. We test how hot and evenly heated the grill’s surface is after 10 minutes; heating evenness at the highest setting and also when the main burners are set to low; indirect cooking, a terrific way to slow cook tough meats until tender; temperature range, and convenience. Here are some top gas grill picks:
Small: Room for 18 or fewer burgers
Weber Spirit E-220 46310001, $450
Broilmate 165154, $200
Napoleon Terrace SE325PK, $600
Midsized: Room for 18 to 28 burgers
Weber Spirit SP-320 46700401, $600
Weber Spirit E-320 46710001, $550
Landmann 42712 (Costco), $460
Large: Room for 28 or more burgers
Napoleon Prestige Pro 665RSIB, $2,600
Kenmore 16156, $700
Master Forge 3218LTN(Item#6554) (Lowe’s), $650
—Kimberly Janeway
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