Burners If you are going with a typical 2 burner grill, make sure the burners are in an "H" shape and Not an "I". The "H" burners spread the heat out more evenly across the expanse of your grill. "I" shaped burners tend to heat only down the center of the grill. Also Note that stamped stainless steel burners will last longer than aluminized steel burners, cast iron longer than stamped steel, cast brass longer than cast iron, and cast stainless steel are the longest of all. Fuel Source The various heat sources in BBQs are charcoal, propane, natural gas and electric. Each has its own respective benefits. Maintenance There is debate on how to clean a grill. Not cleaning it at all is Not the right approach, but you shouldn't have to spend much time cleaning it. Here is what to do: As soon as the food is removed from the grill, brush the grills with a grill brush for about 10 seconds. If you have porcelain-coated grills make sure you only use a brass bristle brush, never scraping the grill with the scraper that is usually attached to most brushes. Then turn off the grill immediately. After the grill has cooled down spray vegetable oil, such as Pam, liberally on the grill (this should also be done before you light the grill each time as well). What this does is loosen whatever food is stuck to the grill, knocking it into the bottom of the grill where it will be incinerated the next time the grill is pre-heated. Turning the grill on high for ten minutes will emulate a self-cleaning oven, but that is like using your grill twice. Of course you may forget you are burning off your grill, and it can easily be left on for 30 minutes or more. This puts your grill through the same stress as using it 3 or 4 times, meaning you will need to purchase new parts, or even a new grill, much sooner than you should have to. If you feel you just must burn off your grill, once a month won't really hurt anything, but religiously brushing for 10 seconds as soon as you're done cooking and keeping the grills well oiled is all anyone should have to do. To help make the grill easier to keep clean, don't apply tomato based sauces until the last few minutes before the food is removed from the grill. Marinade and baste the food with vinegar, citrus or soy-based mixtures to help make clean up easier. As far as using your beer to put out a fire in your grill, it is Not recommended. This is Not very good for your grill and it is also a waste of one of the most precious ingredients of the barbecue experience. Instead, keep a shaker jar filled with baking soda handy. When you get an eruption, sprinkle some baking soda over the problem area. | 
