Top Picks: The Best Grills Under $400 for Perfect Outdoor Cooking

People don’t know much about the difference between BBQ and Grilling. If they are throwing a BBQ event or getting invited to one, people picture themselves having fun cooking up steaks or sausages or chicken wings or sweet corns or marshmallows or potatoes on the grill. The term they’ve been using is incorrect. If you want to be precise, it would probably be better to refer them as grilling parties rather than BBQ parties. Here are some differences between grilling and barbecue. Read more now on Get the best bang for your buck with our selection of the best grills under $400.

Source of Heat

In general, grilling can be thought of as a form of cooking that is done quickly at a very high temperature. BBQ parties are usually based on this style of cooking. It is done over a charcoal grill, with the heat coming directly from the flame. If you’re using either a grill that is powered by gas or charcoal, food cooks very close to heat sources. This can lead to charring. BBQ cooking is characterized more by slow and low temperatures. Real barbeques cook food using indirect heat.

When to cook?

Cooking time is based on the temperature of the food. As previously explained, food cooked by heat is more quickly grilled. Seasoned grillers know this and will use expensive cuts of high quality meats for grilling. They can cook in no time at all when these meats are grilled on an open flame. The meat is usually seared outside, and the internal juices remain. This makes for an incredibly tasty dish. The time required to make a real BBQ is usually a few hours. However, there have been cases where the meats were cooked for several days. It is not uncommon to hear BBQ-lovers refer to “low and slower” cooking. Once you understand how much time it takes, you can see why. Typically in a barbeque the less expensive, harder cuts of meat are used. By cooking these cuts of meat at low heat for an extended period, the juices will be retained and they’ll become tender.

Flavor

You will not be able to taste any flavors that are a result of the heat source when you grill. Grilled food is usually more flavorful than other types of meat. This may be because the most expensive cuts are used. Grilled and barbecued meats have a completely different taste because both meats fully absorb smoky flavors. For barbecues there are many types of wood that can be used, and this gives meats their own unique taste.