If you have decided to buy a charcoal BBQ then read on. If you don’t yet know whether you want a gas BBQ then have a quick look at our guide to choosing a charcoal or gas bbq.

Construction

A good quality BBQ will feel solid and sturdy and shouldn’t wobble around when you touch it. Look out for a porcelain enameled finish and sturdy legs and wheels. If you think the steel looks a bit thin for cooking on, then think about how buckled it will be after you have cooked on it a few times. If the legs are flimsy now, consider how bent they will be after a little dragging in and out of garage or around the garden.

Assembly

How much of that construction above comes from you assembling it properly? Some of the more complex BBQs can take hours to put together. I remember building a bargain B&Q one a couple of years ago. The 15 wooden slats were boring, but simple compared to the 50+ screws needed to create the cooking area and leg/frame arrangement.
The better manufacturers don’t let you go wrong — they make assembly easy with fewer quality parts.

Warranty

If a manufacturer offers you a 10 Year guarantee it means they are confident in their product.

Service and spares

Spare wheels, cooking grates, lids etc. Can you purchase spare parts for your BBQ? Probably not if it is one of the summer specials that appears in Asda, Tesco, Lidl etc. If you buy a brand such as Weber, then you can. You might wonder why you would need spares. Well, when you have a BBQ with a 10 year warranty that simply works and lasts, you might want to treat your self to a new grill, or be safe in the knowledge you can buy a new lid after the kids have been using it as a steel drum.