Barbecue burners emit heat to cook food and can be made of cast iron or aluminum. The shape and arrangement of burners determine heat control and hot/cold areas. Direct grilling applies heat directly under food, while indirect grilling involves placing meat between two heat sources. Most grills have long bar burners, while some have circular top burners for indirect grilling.
Barbecue burners are the elements within a grill through which the heat used to cook the food is emitted. These burners can emit flames, as is the case with gas grills, or they can be ceramic tiles like those used in infrared grills. The burners are usually made of cast iron or aluminum and are often located under the grate on which the food is placed, so the cooking heat emanates from the bottom and is contained by the lid of the grate if it is closed. The shape of the burners on your barbecue can help determine the level of heat control that can be achieved when grilling, as well as the hot and cold areas where foods can be placed. Regular cleaning of the burners can help extend their life, but most will need to be replaced over time due to normal wear and tear.
Some of the main aspects that separate the different barbecue burners from each other are their shape and arrangement. An important part of grilling is the ability to control which areas of the grill the heat is actually heating up and to have areas of the grill that are cooler than the rest. This is due to barbecue cooking methods known as direct and indirect grilling.
Direct grilling means that heat is applied directly under the food. Almost all barbecue burners provide this type of heat control, as the meat can be placed on an active burner. The only consideration with direct grilling is the ability to control the level of heat generated.
Indirect grilling involves placing the meat between two heat sources or just beside one. This provides a slower cooking time that prevents the outside of the food from burning while the inside cooks slowly. In order for a barbecue burner to be able to allow for indirect grilling, it must have a way to be lit on only one side of the grill or to have a central portion of the burner unlit. While many grills provide this type of control, smaller grills may find it difficult to balance heat distribution this way.
Most grills have barbecue burners which are actually long bars with holes along their length to emit flame at regular intervals. Some of these burners are configured so that one side or the other, or the center, can be turned off. Another type of barbecue burner, however, is designed more like a circular top-top burner with several burners placed throughout the grill. These can be very effective for indirect grilling but have the potential to provide inconsistent heat for direct grilling of large foods.
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