High art of grilling (Can be a gas) Gas grills are growing in

- Still starved?

Hungry for more? The Kansas Beef Council has a new brochure full of grilling recipes. Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Great Grilling Recipes, Kansas Beef Council, 6031 S.W. 37th, Topeka, KS 66614-5129. Or check out the new Web site at www.kansasbeef.org

You also can get grilling answers at www.grillout@weber.com or call the free Grill-Line at 1-800-474-5568. Staffed by a team of Certified Barbecue Experts, the Grill-Line is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Monday, Sept. 4. Callers also can request a free copy of Weber's new barbecue booklet, "Grilling Through the Seasons," and order a copy of "Mexican Grilling with Rick Bayless," a cooking video featuring the acclaimed chef who owns the Frontera Grill and Topolobampo restaurants. The video is available only through the Grill-Line for a shipping and handling fee of $5.99.

--- Illustration/Chris Ochsner/

The Capital-Journal

By LISA M. SODDERS

The Capital-Journal

Real barbecue chefs only cook with charcoal, right?

Not necessarily. Gas grills continue to increase in popularity: 60 percent of the callers to Weber's free barbecue hotline, the Grill- Line (1-800-474-5568) own gas grills, an increase from only 56 percent in 1997, and the most frequently asked question was about cooking information for gas grills.

According to the Barbecue Industry Association, 75 percent of all households in the United States own grills, and almost 19 percent of grill owners have both a gas and a charcoal grill. More gas grill owners use their grills all year round than do charcoal owners.

Convenience is the biggest reason why, said Donna Myers, spokeswoman for Ducane Gas Grills and the Barbecue Industry Association.

"They turn it on, and it's on instantly, just like your stove," Myers said. "Sixty-four percent of the people who grill with gas grill out 12 months of the year; you don't have to fuss with charcoal."

"In so many families, both mom and dad are working, and time is a real problem," said Betty A. Hughes, consumer affairs director for the Weber-Stephens Products Co. "They use the gas grill during the week and on the weekend, they like the hands-on activity of the charcoal grill. With a gas grill, all you have to do is go and turn the gas supply on, turn the burner on and press the button, and 10 minutes later, you can be putting your food on. It's fast to ignite and very simple."

You can grill large cuts of meat on a charcoal grill if you remember to add more coals every hour, Myers said. But for true low- and-slow cooking, a gas grill is hard to beat for convenience, because it can maintain the same temperature for hours at a time with no fussing by the cook. Most have two burners, which not only allows you to cook at two different temperatures, but make it easy for indirect cooking.

Gas grill manufacturers have made their grills more elaborate, with lots of work space and accessories such as smoker boxes, so that cooks can get that smoky grilled flavor that used to be associated exclusively with charcoal grilling, Myers said. Another popular add- on is a side burner, which allows cooks to cook beans or boil water for pasta right alongside their barbecued meats. Love rotisserie chicken? Many grills come with rotisserie units.

When shopping for a gas grill, the first thing to consider is how often you will use it and how many people you will be cooking for, Meyers said. It helps, too, if the grill has a way to indicate how much propane you have left, so you don't run out, Hughes added.

"Whenever I go into a store, I'll give them a little shake to see how sturdy they are," Hughes added. "You want something that's going to be weatherproof, last for a long time, and has a good warrantee. It's a major appliance investment."

Weber's gas grills start at $429 and run to the top-of-the-line Summit 650 with six burners at $3,000 (side burner is $350 more.) Its Genesis Silver B or Genesis Gold B are $549 and $899, respectively. The new Weber Gas Grills, the Genesis Silver, Genesis Gold and Genesis Platinum, feature stainless-steel gas burners with infinite- control valves, which means no more "low," "medium," or "high" settings. Cooks now can choose whatever burner setting is appropriate to what they're cooking. A reconfigured single layer of Flavorizer Bars provides greater control and better searing without flare-ups.

Ducane's grills start at about $500 for the basic models and go to $3,500 for the high-end, stainless steel models, Myers said. The $400 to $900 price range is a growing category because "consumers tell us they're sick of buying inexpensive grills and having to replace them every two or three years," she said. One of Ducane's slogans is "Buy your last grill first."

Ducane grills feature stainless steel burners and cooking grids and have a lava grate system that causes dripping fat to immediately burn up, eliminating the need for a grease cup, Meyers said.

Some grills are installed so they connect directly to a natural gas line, which some consumers like because they can just turn a knob to start their grill, much like they would turn on their stove indoors, Meyers said. Others want their grills to move with them and opt for models powered by cylinders of liquid propane.