Cooking on charcoal has become more and more popular over recent years, this may be down to the fact that we are now living in warmer climates or may may simply be down to the fact that eating and cooking outside is in our blood. Cooking on a charcoal BBQ or even a portable BBQ isn’t all plain sailing though. Of course making sure you have the right Charcoal BBQ, or Portable BBQ can put you on a strong footing.

Make sure you don’t let your head rule your heart when buying a BBQ often people will buy enourmas charcoal BBQ’s when in fact a small portable BBQ would suffice. Larger charcoal BBQ’s take up a lot more room, and also require more space than a portable BBQ, as they use more fuel they can also get a lot hotter so you will need to make sure you custom yourself to cooking times.

The best bet is to buy a Charcoal BBQ or Portable BBQ that will be the right size for the typical BBQ you will be holding, there is no point buying a larger one “to be on the safe side”. With a bit of planning you can still manage to cook for more people when needed every now and then. After all, its about the whole experience, not who has the largest charcoal BBQ.

regardless of what you decide, a charcoal BBQ or a portable BBQ, you will need to think about where you are going to place it for both cooking and storage. Not just for ease of use but other things such as wind protection, level hard standing ground so that your barbecue is safe even when it rains. The last thing you want to is upset your neighbors, so think about the smoke, have they got windows open or washing on the line?. The idea is to enjoy yourselves and having friends and family around isn’t going to be the quietest of events. Also try to choose a spot that is easy enough for people to access to get food but is not in a the way of any children that may be running around.

The safety of guests, pets and wildlife is paramount, regardless of whether you have a portable BBQ or a Charcoal BBQ. Consider anything that could set on fire or things that could be affected by the smoke. Also make sure that your charcoal BBQ or portable BBQ is fit for it’s purpose and is constructed of strong enough materials and isn’t likely to collapse or tip over while you are using it.