STEP ONE

What Should I Be Looking For?

How often do you BBQ?

If you are an all seasonal / all weather griller that battles the elements constantly to cook on the BBQ then you are going to need a BBQ that will stand up to and perform in all those weather conditions.  The best way of determining a BBQ's durability is by checking the Warranty's put forward by the manufacturer.  In particular, the burner and cooking grills which are the parts which are most often replaced within the life of a BBQ.  Warranties can change depending on different models as they will have different parts in them.  Make sure the warranty you refer to specifies the parts that apply to the particular model you are considering.  

What types of foods do you usually cook?

If you mainly cook the same few types of foods and each one separately then a fairly basic grill is what you would be looking for.  If you cook many different types of foods at once which require different amounts of heat to cook, a more versatile grill with different cooking zones or adjustable cooking grills will better fit your needs.  

Do you entertain a lot?

BBQ's come in many different sizes.  If you are only cooking for two then getting a BBQ with an extra large cooking surface is not practical.  The larger the cooking surface, the more heat required to heat it up and maintain temperature.  On the other hand if you are cooking for many people than a small grill will have you cooking in shifts and have people waiting to eat when others are finished! - a larger grill will allow you to cook for everyone at once.  Try to gear your purchase to a size that you will actually use.

Does a rotisserie or side burner interest you at all? 

Would you use one/both if they came with your BBQ?

Rotisserie and Side Burners are great tools that can give you fabulous results when used properly.  If you have no interest in them then you can certainly find models without, however, don't limit yourself if you are a budding chef who likes to try new things then these options are a great idea.  There are many accessories for the rotisserie kit that you could try, and why not try cooking the veggies on the side burner or better yet, try cooking the entire meal on the BBQ.  Your options are endless.

Do you cook with your lid open or closed most of the time?

Certain BBQ's will put out more heat then others.  It takes on average only 10-15,000 Btu's of consistent heat to actually cook a meal.  If you like to stand in front of the BBQ and watch everything happen then a BBQ that pumps out lots of heat is where you should be looking.  Broil Kings for example are capable of producing a ton of heat with lid open or closed, where as Weber's will produce and maintain high heat only with the lid closed.

Do you have a price range?

If you have a definite price range you are working within than you need to be realistic about what that amount is going to get you.  We all want the most for our money, however what is your definition of  'most' is it quality or options.  There are many cheap BBQ's out there that have lots of options on them however they won't last very long and parts can be extremely difficult to find.  On the other hand there are many basic BBQ's that will last for a very long time and whose parts are very accessible should you ever need them.