It so happened that I love to do useful comparative reviews and sometimes share the results with you. And once there was a case when we gathered with friends and decided to cook meat. The choice was two ways of cooking: on skewers or grill. Wins laziness and grill. Even then, the idea arose that there must be something better than making a campfire, preparing coal, and closely monitoring the preparation of a fine meal. Gradually, all this was formed in the desire to test among themselves the different types of grills: grill for the grill, frying pan, grill and gas grill. Well, all the research and the advantages of a particular method below.
The idea of a comparative test originated at the exhibition “Hunting and Fishing,” when I saw an unusual grill pan with stripes. The consultants suggested that such dishes are produced here in Russia and are available to anyone. It remained the case for small, that is, to find a gas grill and get to the cottage for a comprehensive and tasty test. For those who like to watch, not read, made a video.
Testing method
So that the test does not turn into a merger, we need a technique. Therefore, we divide all the tests into several points. The first item is ergonomics. How easy and convenient to use the device directly in the preparation. The second item is ease of use. That is, how much and what effort will have to spend to cook a piece of meat. The third item is the cost and price / quality ratio. The fourth point is the result of cooking meat.
At the last point I’ll stop separately. For a direct comparison of the results, three identical steaks of beef, pork, and two identical types of sausages for frying were taken. Further, all the meat was simultaneously prepared using three different methods and the appearance and taste of the resulting product were compared.
Grill Grill
Price: from 300 rubles.
Ergonomics: 5/10
Ease of use: 4/10
Price / Quality: 6/10
Cooking result: 7/10
One of the most common and affordable means for cooking meat on coal. Sold from gas stations to country shops. The quality of the grille can vary from a one-time tin to a quality stainless steel. The price will also please many, since you can buy such a grill starting from 300 rubles and more expensive. It is quite simple to cook on it: put the ready meat, press it with the second half of the grid and turn it over until it is ready. But the method of cooking on coals has a significant drawback: it is necessary to constantly monitor the amount of coals and their heat. Coal can be ignited by dripping fat, or it can go out and have to be re-inflated. That is close attention and constant work. It is also necessary to recognize that cooking on coals is a brand of work and inevitable washing, if you do not want to smell like smoke afterwards. In addition, the grill does not always tightly grab the meat, and it can slip out when turned over. In addition, the thin bars of the lattice cut into the product and then have to be torn off from the hot metal. Well, and a significant drawback that arises from the cooking method: you can only make a fire outside the house.
+ Availability, cheapness, ease of use, wonderful aroma of smoke from ready-made meat
- Constant attention to the brazier or fire, brand work with firewood and coal, the inevitable smoke of clothes, cooking is possible only outdoors.
Kukmara grill pan
Price: 1412 rub.
Ergonomics: 7/10
Ease of use: 8/10
Price / Quality: 9/10
Cooking result: 9/10
If you want grilled meat, but there is no summer house or the weather is absolutely gloomy, then a grill pan will help. The first thing you liked was the square shape. There are models with a lid, but I took it without it. The size of the pan is 28x28 cm, so any steak or sausage can easily fit. The pan is made by casting aluminum, thick-walled, so it is a pleasure to cook on it. In addition, non-stick coating is applied, therefore, it will not be difficult to wash it afterwards. The strips for the characteristic pattern are well protruded above the bottom and the meat turns out really tasty and beautiful. In the case of camping use, I highly recommend taking a small camping gas stove, then the time to start cooking is reduced to a couple of minutes: unpack, light the stove and put the meat in the pan. That is, the grill pan is a versatile solution for cooking steaks or sausages, both at home and in nature. Minus, perhaps, only one - more than two normal steaks at one time you will not fry.
+ Ability to cook meat on the grill both at home and in nature, availability, non-stick coating
- Cooking no more than two steaks at a time
Gas grill Campingaz 2 series compact lx
Price: 17000 rub.
Ergonomics: 8/10
Ease of use: 8/10
Price / Quality: 9/10
Cooking result: 9/10
At first, such a gas grill is doubtful of ease of use, but this is only the first few minutes. To him you need to purchase a gas cylinder, gearbox and gas hose - this is done in any country or construction store. The gas grill itself is extremely simple: two gas burners, controlled separately. Two square removable grills that fit easily into the dishwasher. Frame with retractable tables, to accommodate any tool and meat on the sides of the grill. In general, everything is simple and effective. Cooking on a gas grill is different from a similar procedure on coals or a frying pan: meat on the open fire is caramelized, roasted and turned over. After that, the meat can either be put on a closed part of the grid-plate, or moved to another burner, where the smaller flame is adjusted. Drawing on the meat turns out great. Also, the gas grill, due to its size, allows you to cook meat and vegetables directly to a large company in one go. The grill is folded and moved on wheels, and its small size will allow it to be transported in the trunk.
+ Ergonomics, ease of operation, separate burners, excellent grill pattern on meat, the ability to cook for a large company, no dirt or smoke from the coals, because gas is used
- Price
results
Since we had a stationary brazier with a pipe, the wind did not inflate the coals once more, and the top of the meat did not cool as quickly as it would on a regular brazier.
Meat is cooked as usual, a little longer than on a frying pan or gas grill, but it turns out with smoke. It is even possible to forgive the subsequent washing of clothes for this aroma - after all, meat cooked on charcoal has its own attractiveness. But coal dust, ash, fussing with ignition and maintaining a constant temperature - this is a minus of this method of cooking. As for the result, the meat is excellent, but does not have a pronounced grille pattern.
We now turn to the grill pan from the Russian manufacturer Kukmar.
Thanks to the stove stove, you can cook at any point: even in the forest. And no one will blame for making a fire, because there is simply no barbecue, no coals, no campfire. You can even cook in the reserve. Preparation for the cooking process, as I said, is reduced to setting the tile on fire and heating the pan, that is, it takes no more than a couple of minutes. The meat is fried quickly even without a lid; the pattern, thanks to the profiles at the bottom, is very spectacular. You can cook both at home and in nature - for this versatility you can forgive even the absence of coal mist.
As for the results of testing the gas grill, we can say a lot of good words.
With one load of such a grill, you can feed a team of up to 10 people, you need to cook on it carefully so as not to burn the meat with open fire, but this skill is learned in a few minutes. The result of cooking meat, both in terms of volume, and in appearance and taste, only pleases.
And now the pictures from left to right: grill, grill pan, gas grill
On the sausages, it is clear that the grill did not leave the design completely due to the narrow ribs.
Snapshots of steaks from left to right: grill, grill pan, gas grill
From the grill there are small depressions on the meat, but a grill pan and a gas grill make it possible to achieve a beautiful pattern.
Conclusion
Perhaps it was the most delicious review of all time, but it's time to summarize. Barbecue and grill, while still the most common means for a picnic. This is partly due to the fact that I want to sit around the campfire and admire the flame, and partly from the habit. This method is bad because the clothes are inevitably soaked with smoke, and the meat can burn, if you do not follow them every minute.
Grill pan turned out to be unexpectedly good both in nature and when cooking at home. That is such a universal tool for beautiful cooking delicious meat was new to me. The expectations were justified, and I can safely recommend such a frying pan to all my friends, but for fans, it’s enough to add a camping gas stove to the set, like the one I chose.
Gas grill takes place a little more barbecue, but is devoid of the disadvantages thereof. For example, no need to mess with wood or coal, the temperature is set by the handle, as on the stove at home. Gas consumption is so small that one 27l bottle is enough for more than a day of non-stop cooking at maximum power. That is, in the weekend mode, the balloon should be enough for the whole summer season. You can cook as a loved one, and a big company. Well, and a big plus is that the drained grease is collected in a special hanging bucket (cleanliness is maintained), and the two grids easily fit even in a narrow dishwasher.
Enjoy your meal!