When you visit a store to look for a barbecue grill,you would be surprised by the sheer variety of grills available. Soon enough, you will realize that you just don’t walk into a store and buy a grill. Before you can do that, you have to acquaint yourself with certain key features pertaining to grills. Here are a few of them:

1. Type of grill – There are primarily three types of grills – gas, charcoal and electric grills. Each of these grills has their fair share of advantages. A gas grill gets heated very quickly and the temperature can be controlled with precision. This grill uses either a propane tank or natural gas from an accessible pipeline as its fuel. On the other hand, a charcoal grill takes a while to grill food but the rich, smoky flavor is unique and unparalleled. Finally, an electric grill is ideal for indoor use, it heats up quickly and it uses less oil for grilling. So, there is good news for weight watchers.

At the same time, also consider the heat output of a grill, often measured in terms of BTU or British Thermal Units. For best performance, you should look for a grill that has a high BTU along with an efficient heat distribution and retention system.

2. Size – The ideal size of grill will depend on the dimensions of your backyard or your patio where you plan to keep the grill. Additionally, you must also factor in the number of people you would be normally cooing for. For a regular gathering of 6-10 people, a 360 square inch grill would suffice. However, if you have huge parties regularly, you should look for bigger grills.

3. Material – The material of a grill is important for two reasons – first, it decides how quickly the grill heats up and second, the strength and durability of the grill also depends on it. One can find grills made of aluminium and cast iron but nothing compares to stainless steel.

4. Features – Gone are the days when a barbecue could grill only a handful of chicken pieces at once. Thanks to features like multi level cooking surfaces, side burner and rotisserie, you can achieve a lot more with a single grill. Additionally, grills also come with an overhead lamp for better visibility during the evening. Obviously, additional features come at a price. So, look out for the price as well!

Based on these considerations, we have put together a list of some of the best barbecues and grills available as of now. These are – Weber Kettle Charcoal BBC with 3 piece tool set, Spirit E-301 3-Burner Propane Gas Grill and Summit E-470 Freestanding Natural Gas Grill. More about these in the next post. Stay tuned!

As a fresh graduate, you are not really looking for a perfect home. Instead, you should be looking at setting up a comfortable apartment, one which is designed according to your needs and has a sense of familiarity about it. At the same time, you also have to consider the finances involved because a typical graduate can’t afford to be extravagant with such stuff. Therefore, try to take the middle path i.e. try to strike a balance between what you need and what you want. Mind you, they can be two different things altogether. Having said that, you don’t have to be rigidly frugal either, indulge in some fantasies. After all, it should look like your house, with  a sense of personality to it.

So, we are giving you a list of some must have home appliances for a fresh school or college graduate:

 1.  Coffee Maker- It comes as no surprise that a coffee maker should top the list of must have home appliances for a new graduate. There can be no better way of starting your day than with a cup of well-made coffee. A coffee maker is the most convenient and painless way to make coffee. There is no dearth of coffee and espresso machines in the market today. The Morphy Richards 47095 Digital Coffee Maker is an excellent choice. Price at under $50, this machine comes with cool digital settings and brews hot coffee in under 10 minutes. The thermostatic hotplate keeps the kettle warm, so that the next cup of coffee is just as refreshing as the first one. If you are willing to spend some extra money, you can also check out the Nespresso Pixie or the Philips HD7850.

2. Food Processor- When it comes to cooking, there are a very few things a food processor can’t do. You can use the appliance to make shakes and smoothies, puree soups, knead dough, chop vegetables or grind meat. As a fresh grad with a new job, you wouldn’t really have the time to cook proper food. A food processor is perfect for making a quick smoothie or shake. The Kenwood KM 636 Classic Major comes with a 900 W motor, a 6.7 liter bowl, three bowl tools and over 20 attachments. The wide variety of accessories makes it extremely versatile and the 900 W motor ensures that it works efficiently. If you are looking for something more fancy, try the Cuisinart 14-cup food processor which boasts of three bowls, an adjustable slicing disc and a shredding disc.

3. Vacuum Cleaner- Now, we have hit the nail on its head, haven’t we? Nobody likes cleaning the house, not manually at least. However, it is something you can’t avoid for a long time. Hence, the vacuum cleaners. They will reduce your work considerably and they are perfect for carpets and couches. The Shark Navigator promises to keep your house spic and span. It is equipped with a two-motor system with brush-roll shutoff and the suction power is absolutely great. With the 24” crevice tool, you can clean the most inaccessible of places like the edges of the couch tapestry or narrow corners in the closets. You can also use the Power Nozzle to remove particles from carpets. Alternatively, you can go for Dyson DC 37 or DC 39 Animal, both of which live up to the quality standards established by Dyson.