barbecue-and-grilling

The Best Grills for Outdoor Barbecues

There's nothing better during the summer months than firing up the grill and barbecuing for family and friends. Today, more than 85 million American households own an outdoor grill.

There's an enormous variety of charcoal and gas grills, which come in hundreds of sizes, shapes, colors and prices. Consumers are demanding more features on their gas grills---from side burners and rotisseries, to sear stations and infrared burners. According to a survey conducted by Weber, 61% of consumers now own a side burner, while 32% own a rotisserie and 17% have a gas grill with an infrared burner. The survey also revealed that 89% of America grill owners are using full-size grills, rather than portables.

"As dedicated grillers continue to become more experienced in cooking a wider variety of foods, the barbecue is increasingly being viewed as an outdoor appliance," says Sherry Bale, public relations director for Weber Grills. "As consumers want good value for their money during these tough economic times, they're seeing the advantages of paying for a durable grill that will stand up to punishing weather and give them years of dependable service."

To figure out the best of breed, we asked our Luxist readers to nominate their favorite manufacturers of outdoor grills. The top five nominees are:

Jenn-Air
Kenmore
Lynx
Viking
Weber

Jenn-Air is known for its precision craftsmanship and distinctive styling while Kenmore, which has a line of grills, is also well-known for its broad range of home appliances it manufactures. Lynx was founded by a group of individuals who started out by manufacturing restaurant ranges while Viking makes grills that one might expect to find in a restaurant setting. Finally, there's Weber, which is a household name that is credited with revolutionizing the backyard barbecue.

Interested in finding out what the best online meat companies are? Check out the Luxist Award's Readers' Choice Nominees for Best in Online Meats.

Tags: awards-main, barbecue, barbecue-and-grilling, barbecuing, barbeque, grill, grilling, grills, Jenn-Air, Kenmore, luxist-awards, Lynx, outdoor grills, Viking, Weber

Best Online Meat Companies

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

According to Weber, one of the leading manufacturers of grills, hamburgers, hot dogs and steak are the three most popular grilled foods.

But where are the best places to buy meats for an unforgettable backyard barbecue?

To figure out the best of breed, we asked Luxist readers to nominate their favorite online meat companies. Each of the top five finalists has one thing in common---they all offer only the finest USDA prime meat available---and they all ship to locations throughout the United States (and elsewhere in some cases).

The top five finalists are:

Allen Brothers
Chicago Gourmet Steaks
Lobel's of New York
Ottomanelli Brothers
Peter Luger

Chicago-based Allen Brothers, which provides meats to some of the best-known steakhouses in the country, while Chicago Gourmet Steaks was one of the first steak companies to offer mail order. Lobel's of New York has been owned and operated by the same family for five generations while Ottomanelli Brothers is a New York institution with customers around the world. Peter Luger---famous its steak houses---is now selling its meats to customers through a new online service.

Tags: Allen Brothers, allen brothers steaks, awards-main, barbecue, barbecue-and-grilling, barbecues, barbecuing, barbeque, bbq, Chicago Gourmet Steaks, grill, grilling, Lobels, Lobels of New York, Luxist-awards, Ottomanellis, Peter Luger, Peter Luger Steak House, steaks