Charcoal grills in the shape of squares and circles impart a smokey flavor to dishes. Barbecuing and barbecue grills generate more heat than just the food they cook. As a result, they frequently elicit heated disputes about which is superior: gas or charcoal, or if a square-shaped grill is ideal to a round grill.
Square-shaped grills outperform round-shaped grills when it comes to the number of styles and uses available. On the other hand, round-shaped grills have become synonymous with portable outdoor barbecue grills in many people’s imaginations as the classic and emblematic shape.
Rectangular BBQ grill
Square-shaped grills are available in various configurations, including portable models for outdoor usage, drop-in cooktop models for custom-built outdoor kitchens, and electric models for use both indoors and outdoors. The grill can be fired up with gas, charcoal, or electricity, depending on your preference. These materials include stainless steel, solid cast iron, and enamel-coated cast iron, creating square-shaped grill grates that elevate the food above the heat source.
- Portable barbecues are available in freestanding forms with wheels, allowing the grill to be transported to other locations as needed.
- Portable barbecues in the shape of squares are also available for use at home or when camping, and they are very convenient.
- A rectangular cousin to square-shaped barbecues, Hibachi grills have cast iron bodies and either two square grill plates or a single rectangular grill plate.
- Hibachi grills are similar in appearance to square-shaped grills, but they have a more extended grill plate.
Round BBQ grill
Kettle grills are round-shaped grills that are often used for cooking. The round grill, with its well-known design, has become an iconic symbol of outdoor grilling. Furthermore, for many people, the shape is connected with the Weber brand name much more so than with the kettle category name, as shown in the image below.
- Weber grills are considered the forefathers of the kettle grills currently in use in the United States. The brand name is linked with round-shaped portable barbecue grills.
- In common with all round portable grills, they contain a half-circle-shaped lower compartment for placing and lighting charcoal, a solid round-shaped grill plate, and a removable half-circle-shaped cover with a dome-shaped opening for accessing the charcoal.
- In addition to cooking foods directly over the flame, round grills can be used to cook foods with indirect heat to smoke foods and cook foods with direct heat to sear dishes.
Does Grill Shape Matter?
For barbecue lovers in the United States, the backyard barbecue is an essential aspect of summer—or any time of year. Because of the pandemic, backyards have increasingly become the preferred gathering places for those who want to use their time with their families and loved ones; or remain socially isolated. The grill is truly the focal point of your backyard, much like the range is the focal point of your home’s kitchen.
When it comes to spending for a grill, you’ll have a few options to select from, including gas, charcoal, and pellet grills, which are a relative newcomer to the market. Whether in a traditional charcoal grill or a more specialized kamado grill, the use of charcoal allows you to exert better control over the cooking process. You can manage the amount of heat produced by the size of the fire you construct.
Grill shape and size
Because charcoal briquettes all burn at approximately the same temperature, the size and form of your grill will determine how much heat is concentrated or spread during the cooking process. Models with a broader cooking surface, such as most barrel barbecues, can cook more dishes simultaneously but over a thinner coal bed. This them preferable for burger and bratwurst cookouts.
Compared to other grills, kettle and kamado grills have deeper and narrower coal beds, concentrating heat for searing. When the dampers are closed, it can slow the rate at which the coals burn for lengthy, slow cooking.
Airflow
The heat produced by charcoal grills is controlled by airflow. More air traveling over the coals causes the fire to burn faster while restricting airflow keeps the coals slightly lit, which is ideal for low-and-slow cooking on the grill. A model with a tightly fitting lid and sturdy dampers or vents are what you’re looking for.
Adjustable Coals or Cooking Grates
Foods cooked near the embers sear faster, but they are more prone to burning before they are fully cooked. Therefore, it’s best to look for grills with a coal bed or grilling grates that can be moved with a crank; this will provide you still another way to manage the flames and heat.
Why Make a Rectangular Grill?
For a grill, a rectangular shape is far superior in terms of design. In contrast to a kettle grill, a rectangular bottom to the grill allows the entire grilling region to be the same distance from the charcoal, resulting in even heat distribution throughout the grilling zone.
When cooking with a full grate, there is no need to constantly rotate food from the cool periphery to the hot center, as is frequent on small kettle grills or big kettle grills.
- Setting up your grill for offset grilling or smoking is crucial when using a charcoal barbecue. The rectangular design also allows the griller to have a top vent that is offset from the center.
- First, make a stack of coals at one end of the grill to do this. Then, place your meal at the other end of the container, with the vent immediately over it. As a result, the heat will be directed up the meal and across it before exiting the vent.
- To keep your food from drying out, it is possible to lay a pan of water beneath the meal, as seen below. This will enhance the humidity in the grill and prevent your food from drying out.
