The Perfect Grill Grilling with charcoal is the best way to cook steaks according to most experts, (that's up for debate!) but there’s more than one type of grill. Tuscan Grill – The Tuscan is the simplest of all grills, a sturdy metal grate with legs, so you can position it over a fire. Italians in general and Tuscans in particular use these grills in their fireplaces. You let the wood or charcoal burn down to embers and shovel them under the grate. The food goes on top. More elaborate versions feature a double grate attached at one end with a hinge. You place your steak or portobello mushrooms between the grates and turn the device over when one side is grilled. What to look for when buying a Tuscan grill – Sturdy construction; legs that raise the grill at least 4 inches above the floor of your fireplace; and grates with variably spaced bars that can hold both large and small pieces of food. Hibachi – The hibachi is the traditional grill in Japan and variations are found throughout Asia. It consists of a small metal firebox with grates positioned over the coals. Hibachis are made of thick, heavy metal to hold in the heat. Their small size makes them highly portable and allows you to place one on a table outside, so you can grill in front of your guests (if you do so, be sure to have insulation underneath). You control the heat by means of vents at the bottom. Many hibachis come with grates you can position closer to or farther away from the coals for additional heat control. (A split or double grate enables you to cook some foods at a higher temperature, some at a lower one.) Hiabachis are designed for the direct grilling of small cuts of meats – teriyaki, yakitori, satés, kebabs, chicken breasts, and small steaks. This makes sense, because Asians love tiny kebabs and pieces of meat they can pair with rice noodles or wrap in lettuce leaves. What to look for when buying a hibachi – Sturdy construction; a thick heavy firebox with adjustable vents at the bottom; and split or double grates you can raise and lower. Kettle Grill –The bowl-shaped kettle grill has been the workhorse of barbecue in the United States ever since an Illinois metalworker fashioned one from two halves of a nautical buoy in 1952. (His name was George Stephen and he went on to found the Weber-Stephen grill company.) The virtue of the kettle grill is its simplicity: You put the coals in the bottom and place the food on a grate above them. This makes direct grilling a snap, and the high sides protect the fire from wind. But the real genius of the kettle grill is its vent system and domed lid. These enable you to turn a kettle grill into a smoke by using a technique known as indirect grilling. The kettle-shaped grill is a trademarked Weber product, but kettle-type grills (with domed covers) come in many shapes and sizes. One popular model looks like a square pillow. What to look for when buying a kettle grill – Sturdy legs and construction; a bottom grate for holding the coals above the bottom of the firebox; a top grate; and vents at the top and bottom of the grill, so you can control the heat. Optional features include an ash catcher; a hinged grate, which allows you to add charcoal and wood to the fire without removing the food; a rotisserie attachment; side tables; and a thermometer built into the lid. If your kettle grill does not have side baskets, you can buy wire rails that corral the coals, keeping the piles on each side of the grill neat and concentrated for indirect grilling. Or you can buy metal side baskets (these are manufactured by Weber). Position them at opposite sides of the grill (under the grate that holds the food) and fill them with blazing coals and wood chips for smoking. Barbecook Grill – The Barbecook grill, manufactured in Belgium, is a charcoal grill with a chimney starter built into the base. To control the heat you adjust the vents and raise and lower the grill grate. This handsome grill is one of the best-selling charcoal grills in Europe. Its sales are increasing in North America – especially in high-end cookware and barbecue shops. Accessories include a dome-shaped lid, which allows for indirect grilling. Ceramic Cooker – This curious grill arrived on the American barbeque scene in 1974. It is modeled on a Japanese kamado, a domed, charcoal-fired clay oven that’s been used in the Far East for thousands of years. The heavy ceramic smoker grill consists of a firebox with a grate in the middle and a domed lid that’s tall enough to accommodate a large turkey. The thick clay walls maintain a steady, even temperature, so even a little charcoal will keep the cooker going for several hours (this also enables you to cook at a very low temperature). Vents at the top and bottom allow you to control the heat. The tight-fitting lid seals in moisture, which keeps food exceptionally moist and tender. Ceramic cookers work on a hybrid principle: The food is positioned directly over the coals, as in direct grilling, but because the grate sits so high above the coals, the coking process is more like that of indirect grilling. A perforated ceramic coal holder allows air to enter from below the coals, which fuels the fire and facilitates air flow from top to bottom. The Big Green Egg is the best known ceramic cooker, but other companies make similar devices. What to look for when buying a ceramic cooker – Thick walls of heat-resistant, kilned ceramic; a tight fitting seal around the lid; a safety catch that prevents the lid from falling shut (it’s heavy); air vents at the top and bottom; “shoes” (ceramic supports that keep the hot cooker an inch or so above your deck); side tables; housing in a rolling cart. Table Grill – As the name suggests, the table grill looks like a large table, the top of which is a shallow box that holds charcoal or can be fitted for gas. Most table grills have adjustable grates so you can raise and lower the cooking surface to control the heat. Some allow you to do this by means of a notched support that can hold the grate at a variety of heights. Some use gears. Table grills are designed chiefly for direct grilling, but many have fittings for rotisseries. These grills are popular for backyard grilling in Australia and are sporadically available in the United States. (They’re used for institutional grilling; barbecue festivals, country club cookouts, church barbecues, and the like.) The best place to look for a table grill is at a party rental company. What to look for when buying a table grill – Sturdy construction with solid legs; a grill that can be raised and lowered; and a fitting for a rotisserie. How To Grill, The Complete Illustrated Book of Barbecue Techniques by Steven Raichlen For more great tips from Steven Raichlen’s “How To Grill” visit your local bookstore or click here to visit his website www.barbecuebible.com