Think
grilling is just about flipping a few steaks on the barbie? Sure, but
with today’s tools of the trade you can also rotisserie, sear, sautŽ
and sizzle to your taste buds’ content. To find out what’s hot this
summer grilling season, we talked to local grill meisters about their
top picks. We found everything from a cute baby grill to big gas
giants. Read on to find out how you can make perfect grill lines, sear
an ice-blue steak or turn out the best-cooked dog.
Little Grillin’ Buddy
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| Photo courtesy of Weber. |
Cute!
There’s no other word for the Weber Q 100 found at City Mill. This
compact grill is super-portable—perfect for a small lanai or for
transporting to beach cookouts or tailgate parties.
Small
it may be, but this powerhouse is designed to provide all the firepower
you need to grill big. Inside the Q 100 you’ll find 8,500 BTU-per-hour
input, a stainless steel burner and a spacious 189-square-inches of
cooking area.
While
many portable grills have the solid flat surface of a griddle, the Q
100 is a true grill with open flames beneath the porcelain-enameled,
cast-iron cooking grate. This futuristic looking grill wins raves for
its super-fancy sear lines.
The
Q 100 also sports a removable drip tray and push-button ignition. It
uses disposable, 14.1-ounce liquid propane cylinders and comes with a
limited five-year warranty. Weber Q 100, $159.98. City Mill 533-3811
(Honolulu store) or visit www.citymill.com.
Tools of the Flame
You’ve
got the grill fired up, the steaks are marinated—now you just need the
perfect accessories. Executive Chef stocks Outset BBQ Grillware, that
offers high-end grillware products that will turn any outdoor cookout
into a swanky affair.
Take
the matchstick lighter. This is the perfect accessory for the grill
master who has everything. Available in either seven or 14 inches, the
matchstick lighter looks like, well, a matchstick—albeit a fancy one
with a copper tip.
The
rosewood hot dog grill must be the classiest way to cook hot dogs.
Crafted from fine rosewood and stainless steel, you pop your dogs in,
they cook to an even perfection, then you lift them off with the nifty,
dog-shaped utensil.
Executive
Chef also carries Outset’s nonstick copper skillet. Slice up your red
peppers or portobello mushrooms and throw them in this fine-looking
skillet. The holes let through the barbecue’s flavor, but stop your
food from falling to certain charred death below the grill racks.
Outset
BBQ Grillware, including matchstick lighter $8.95 for 7 inch, $9.95 for
14 inch; rosewood hot dog grill (small), $24.95; nonstick copper
skillet, $37.95. Executive Chef at The Ward Warehouse, call 596-CHEF
(2433) or visit www.executivechefonline.com.
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| above: photo courtesy of Viking Range. below: TruSear Infrared Burner |
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Serious Searing
In true Viking Range style, the Ultra Premium gas grill promises to let you grill like a pro.
The
VGIQ models carry Viking’s TruSear Infrared Burner, which will really
put the sizzle in your barbecue. It can cook everything from thick
steaks and chops to seafood and vegetables. The sear zone is so hot
(30,000 BTUs) that it will quickly sear and caramelize the outside,
leaving you with a nice, ice-blue, rare inside (if that’s what tickles
your taste buds!).
The
Ultra Premium grills are built from rugged stainless steel and come
loaded with 25,000 BTU stainless steel burners, an infrared rotisserie
burner, a warming rack, a removable smoker tray and a thermometer on
the canopy that lets you know the best zones for warming, smoking and
grilling.
There are easy-clean drip trays, and the heavy-duty cooking grids are porcelain-coated to prevent food from sticking.
Ultra
Premium 41-inch grill, $3,800; 53-inch grill, $5,400; TruSear accessory
only, $1,200. Viking Range Corp., call 845-8018 or visit www.vikingrange.com.
Big Grillin’
This
five-burner beast is the largest grill in the Bull Outdoor Products
line. It’s a drop-in model, designed to work with the barbecue islands
created at Island Grills & Outdoor Products.
The
Brahma’s hot point is its infrared rotisserie back burner. Holding up
to 25 pounds, it delivers a high, searing heat that renders anything
you’re cooking juicy and moist. This is a great feature for the price.
The
Brahma is a rugged-looking grill with fashionably chunky knobs and
heavy-duty stainless steel housing and grates. Built to last, this is
304-grade stainless steel—the best you can get in a grill.
The
Brahma offers loads of cooking space and plenty of fire power, with
15,000 BTUs on each of the five burners. And, those burners are made
with durable cast brass, a step above the more common stainless steel
burners.
The Brahma comes in both natural gas and liquid propane models. Bull 38-inch Brahma grill, $1,900.
Island Grills & Outdoor Products, call 949-7059 or visit www.islandgrills.biz.
All In the Family
Never
again run in and out of the house while grilling outside and preparing
other dishes inside. The Viking Range family of outdoor cooking
appliances and stainless steel cabinets makes it easy to boil water for
corn-on-the-cob, stir-fry veggies and grill the perfect steak.
Available
from Northstar Pacific Inc., Viking’s 20-inch stainless steel
wok/cooker sizzles on a burner that cooks at 27,500 BTUs for fast,
high-heat cooking. And, the set up is versatile. Add a custom center
trivet to convert the porcelainized, cast-iron burner from wok ready to
stock pot ready.
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| Photo courtesy of Viking Range. |
Northstar
Pacific can also assist you in choosing the perfect Viking cabinetry
configuration. The hearty, stainless steel cabinets, with
professional-style handles, seamlessly coordinate with Viking’s
muscular appliances. All cabinets are 30 inches deep and feature
fully-extending drawers.
As
pictured, Viking 41-inch outdoor gas grill with gourmet-glo rotisserie,
$3,512.50; grill base with warming drawer and storage, $3,030;
double-side burner with steel cabinet base, $1,592.50; wok/cooker with
steel cabinet base, $3,327.50; beverage dispenser, $2,400; additional
storage cabinets, $2,208.75. Northstar Pacific Inc., call 949-7048 or
visit www.vikingrange.com.
