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Get your grill in gear

Barbecue season is here. Are you ready to rev up your grill? Grace Parisi of Food & Wine magazine has some hints to help you get started.

Nothing kicks off Memorial Day weekend like a great barbecue, but in order to grill up some tasty burgers and dogs you have to have the right equipment. On NBC’s “Today” show, Grace Parisi, Food & Wine magazine’s senior test kitchen associate, shares a look at the best new grills, tools and techniques to heat up your summer barbecue. Read some of her great grilling tips here:

THERE IS A WIDE RANGE OF GRILLS ON THE MARKET RANGING FROM A LITTLE OVER A HUNDRED DOLLARS TO WAY INTO THE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. DOES THE FOOD TASTE ANY DIFFERENT WHEN YOU USE A HIGH-END GRILL?

It all depends on what the medium is — charcoal or gas. For the most part, if you use a $30,000 outdoor home kitchen you will get great results. Higher-end grills give a lot more control so you’re more in charge of what you’re doing than if you are using a less-expensive charcoal grill. But there are certainly some relatively inexpensive models that can give you some great results.

THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO OWN A GRILL OWN A GAS GRILL. DO YOU RECOMMEND GAS OVER CHARCOAL?

I like the flavor of charcoal better, but for convenience and ease I always go for gas. With gas you can grill seven days a week and in winter and if you get home late you don’t have to wait an hour or two to get the grill ready.

YOU BROUGHT A FEW GRILLS WITH YOU TODAY. THIS FIRST ONE IS ABOUT $170. WHY IS THIS A GOOD GRILL TO PURCHASE?

The Thermos Fire and Ice Grill is $169.88. If you haven’t shopped for a grill in a while, a lot has changed. They moved from a basic grate over a fire to a virtual outdoor kitchen, with burners, sinks and everything in one unit. One example is this Thermos grill. At a very affordable price, Thermos delivers this grill with a built-in 10-gallon cooler on the cart. It’s perfect for parties or tailgating! It’s kind of a great novelty. It’s like a home entertainment system outside. You have a cooler for beer or soda or to keep the meat cool while the grill is pre-heating. You get an enormous value with this one — with most grills under 200 dollars you barely get an automatic ignition system or cooking burners. Most good grills have different cooking regions with a burner in the back and the front and you can cook this here and that there. This really comes in handy if you have a big back yard and you keep the BBQ far enough away from the house — then with this grill you don’t have to run back inside for a cold drink you can store it right underneath.

THIS NEXT ONE IS A PORTABLE GRILL. WHAT MAKES THIS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER PORTABLE GRILLS?

The Weber Q Portable grill is $179.99. Thermos and other companies have launched portable grills in the last few years, with stands that pop up. Weber is the first to launch a portable propane grill that really sears food. It also has built in cast-iron grates so juice will stay in the meat. This is very different from portable grills in the past, which were more like grill pans. You can grill with direct and indirect methods with the adjustable burners. It is in limited production for the summer, at TruValue, Ace and Do-It Best and amazon.com. It will be in full production as of November 1. This is a really versatile portable grill and it’s really big. It’s got a large cook service area so you can get a dozen burgers and a dozen hot dogs on at the same time — which is completely rare for a portable grill. Usually people are waiting while other people are eating. This one has little small gas canisters, which are not like a propane tank

WHAT EXACTLY IS THIS CHICKEN COOKING ON?

The Weber Poultry Roaster is $29.99. Food & Wine contributor Steven Raichlen has been making Beer Can Chicken recipes for Weber shows for years. But finally they’ve come up with a sturdy way to make it. It also takes care of cleanliness concerns people have had about the cans. A poultry prop supports the bird upright and holds the beer and other liquids and spices; a cork-like steam cap to keep roasted flavors in; and an aluminum tray to collect tasty juices. It’s an old technique from the south that you put a chicken on an open beer can and it gives it great flavors and moisture. This new device lets you cook the whole chicken on top of the device with the beer can inside. This is sturdier and cleaner than cooking the chicken on top of a beer can. It’s shaped like a wine bottle and you sit the chicken on top like it is standing on the grill

THIS NEXT ITEM IS A CALPHALON GAS GRILL. CALPHALON IS NOT KNOWN FOR THEIR GRILLS, SO WHY DID YOU PICK THIS AS THE BEST NEW MID-RANGED GRILL?

The Calphalon Gas Grill, exclusively at Target, is $499. Yes it’s Calphalon’s first foray into grills. It has a stainless steel hood and pedestal. Calphalon has a great reputation for cookware and their cooking surfaces are quite high end and easy to work with and they yield really good results. I’d be pretty confident to use this one and it’s not that expensive. It’s low to mid-range price for a gas grill. Also it’s beautiful stylistically. It has a cabinet that hides the gas tank. This one doesn’t have a cooler, but has different burners and cooking regions.

THE LAST GRILL IS ONE YOU WOULD BUY IF YOU REALLY WANT TO SPEND SOME DOUGH. IS IT WORTH IT’S PRICE TAG OR ALMOST $3,000?

This is the new 30-inch Dacor for $2,779, plus $815 for the cart. This is the Ultimate epicurean grill. It’s a smaller version of last years 52 and 36-inch grills. The EOG303 comes standard with two 20,000 BTU “U-shaped” stainless steel grill burners; a rotisserie system with a 10,000 BTU infrared ceramic burner and removable heavy-duty rotisserie motor; a double-walled canopy hood to help prevent heat loss; and a removable easy-to-clean spill tray. Tip: In general, the more you spend, the longer the grill will last and the better results you’ll get because you’ll have better control, more even cooking and a generally more reliable machine. If I could spend the money I would buy this high-end grill. Dacor has a great reputation for ovens. They are reliable and they heat the way they are supposed to. If you are going to spend the money you should go with a high-end manufacturer who has a great reputation for ovens. You buy one oven for a lifetime. It’s reliable for at least 25 years. The same thing goes for a grill. If you’re going to spend a lot of money on a grill you want to make sure the manufacturer has a great reputation and that they make ovens and other equipment that lasts a lifetime. This slightly smaller format — the 30-inch — is much more doable for most homes. Most people don’t have enough space for 52 inches.

IT’S NO USE HAVING THE RIGHT GRILL IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT UTENSILS TO COOK WITH. WHAT ARE THE BEST NEW GRILLING TOOLS?

KitchenAid has a great new set of double-pronged kebab skewers for $25 for the set. All of KitchenAid’s new line of grill tools are made of premium-grade stainless steel and have epoxy-coated handles. These skewers are designed to balance comfortably on top of the grate. They have moveable discs that make it easy to slide hot meat, seafood and vegetables off without ever needing to jab the food with your fork. The double prongs on them prevent the food from rotating and rolling all over the place.

And we also have the Zelco Extendable, Retractable, Storable, BBQtensils for $70. High quality 18/8 stainless steel, this set includes a meat spatula, fish spatula, fork and tongs, along with salt and peppershakers. They extend to 17 inches. Utensils are extractable from their handles and they come in their own carry case. It’s a great BBQ set with a spatula so wide you can lift a whole fish or fish filet.

WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN GRILLING?

Don’t have the fire so high all of the time. Cook on indirect lower heat, which makes meat much more juicy and succulent. If using a gas grill, you can get the flavor of charcoal and smoke by using wood chips, but you should soak them first or put them in a tin foil pack. Also make sure you leave 10-15 feet between the BBQ and your house or any major structures.

WHAT IS THE EASIEST WAY TO CLEAN THE GRILL?

The easiest way is after the food is cooked, let the grill continue to heat until the food bits carbonize. Then after dinner go back and use the BBQ brush and scrape it off. It’s definitely easiest to clean if you keep the grill going while you are having dinner.

ANY GENERAL COOKING TIPS?

One thing about grilling is that you should not flip the food before it is fully cooked on one side. This will prevent sticking and will allow meat or fish to sear.

Grace Parisi is the senior test kitchen associate for Food & Wine magazine. To learn more about grilling you can also visit the Food & Wine Web site at: www.foodandwine.com.