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Outdoor barbecues are popular all around the world. They are enjoyed for the camaraderie as well as delicious eating. Barbecues can be informal family get togethers or tough culinary competitions.

There is one thing they all have in common though, and that is the need for an outdoor barbecue grill.

The outdoor barbecue grill has a cooking surface that is composed of metal bars. The bars are mounted above the fuel source which puts out intense heat with temperatures in the 500 degree Fahrenheit range. This intense heat is the distinctive feature of grilling.

Just as there are many types of outdoor barbecues, there are also many types of barbecue grills. The two most commonly used are the gas grill and the charcoal grill. They come in various shapes and sizes with a variety of features.

These types of grills are easy to obtain and can be purchased at most shopping centers. Let's take a look at these two types of outdoor barbecue grills.

Gas Barbecue Grills

Just like the name suggests, the gas barbecue grill uses gas for a power source. This type of grill is typically more expensive than the charcoal grill. Fuel for it is fairly inexpensive and readily available. It is easy to set up and even easier to get it ready for cooking. Just light it and place your meat on.

They don't make much smoke at all but the flames will flare up, therefore care must be taken when choosing a safe location for your grill. The temperature can be easily controlled which is a nice feature and makes cooking easier.

Charcoal Barbecue Grills

Charcoal barbecue grills are the cheapest grills you can buy. You can get a small table top model or a larger one which stands on its own base. They are easy to put together but sometimes are not very stable. The drawback to charcoal grills is that you have to allow heat up time for your charcoal to become ready to cook over.

Sometimes getting the charcoal to catch fire isn't easy either and requires the use of lighter fluid or starter, which ads an element of fire danger. Charcoal barbecue grills are probably not for you if you need to prepare meals in a hurry or need a consistent cooking temperature.

Charcoal grills create smoke and have flames which flare up and should be placed in a safe location and never used indoors. This type of outdoor grill can be messy to clean up after cooking also.

However, charcoal grills are extremely popular and are easy to transport which makes them the logical choice for camping trips and the occasional outdoor barbecue.