Barbecue Fuels

Barbecue Facts | Features | Popular Accessories | Safety Tips | Food Safety Tips | How to Choose the Right Grill  

Fuel for Thought

• Nearly every charcoal grill owner uses briquettes (one-third use the instant-light variety)
• Close to half use natural lump charcoal on occasion
• Close to two-thirds of charcoal grill owners use lighter fluid
• 9 percent fire up with a chimney-type lighter
• 8 percent use electric lighters

The chimney lighter is the fastest way to get the coals glowing, and requires only about 2 pounds of briquettes, a crumpled newspaper page, and a match. Many charcoal grillers are also cooking with wood chunks as their main full source either occasionally or often.

One out of five charcoal grill owners uses wood chips for flavour enhancement (mesquite and hickory being the most popular by far). For low ‘n’ slow barbecuing or smoking, the savvy barbecuer will use wood chunks, which burn considerably longer than chips.

Natural wood smoke flavouring pellets are fast gaining in popularity, are easy to use (no pre-soaking required) and available in 12 flavours, all natural and made from 100% of the wood indicated (hickory, orange, sugar maple, etc.).

Although some two-thirds of gas grill owners have their LP cylinders refilled; 30 percent find it more convenient to go to an LP exchange centre where they shop (this segment is growing rapidly). Nearly half of all gas grill barbecuers own 2 or more LP cylinders (so they never have to risk running out of gas while cooking outdoors!)

Gas grilling is now safer than ever as a result of the April 1, 2002, mandate from the National Fire Prevention Association that only cylinders with an overfill prevention device (OPD) may be exchanged or refilled. This prevents the cylinder from being filled more than 80 percent. Cylinders filled beyond 80 percent risk automatically releasing gas as the propane expands with increased temperature, which could create a fire hazard. Click here for HPBA’s Barbecuing Safety Tips.