How to Choose the Right BBQ Setup for Your Next Gathering
Getting together with friends and family for some grilled goodness seems easy enough, but the setup can complicate it all. Instead, understanding how everything works in various situations better prepares the host to focus on facilitating an enjoyable event without being tethered to a grill. The factors that determine the best setup revolve around size, menu, effort, weather and space.
What Size Really Means
Size is a determining factor for everything about the BBQ. Group size isn’t completely conducive from the start. For example, BBQing for ten people seems much less intensive than BBQing for twenty people or more. Most personal home grills can handle a standard amount of food for six to ten people comfortably without pressure. But as guest lists grow, fifteen or twenty plus, cooking surface area becomes a factor where timing is a factor to serve hot foods.
However, the people who throw these events never anticipate how much space they really need. For example, a typical grill can only cook eight to ten burgers at a time, not to mention hot dogs, corn or other staples that require multiple rounds for larger parties. At this point, it makes sense to seek a BBQ Party if the potential guest list surpasses comfortable home grilling expectations.
Complicating things is cooking time. Chicken takes longer than hotdogs; vegetables get chucked in at some point and someone always, always wants their steak cooked differently than everyone else (well done versus rare). Therefore, with more people comes more time differences, something that complicates the event when it should be a chill opportunity for socialization.
What Menu and Equipment You Require
What food you’re serving determines what will work best with what setup. If grilling hamburgers and hot dogs with little reinforcements, there’s not much equipment involved nor skill necessary. However, throw in marinades, seafood and vegetable skewers and now temperature is an issue, as well as multiple items all requiring attention.
Charcoal is what most people think of as an authentic approach; it has that barbecue-y flavor people tend to expect but it requires more skill and time. Thus, temperature fluctuation isn’t easily fixed in a pinch. Gas boasts ease of use with appropriate temperature monitoring and control; simple grilling and complicated grilling both benefit from more consistent measurements. Less experienced grillers should also find solace if catching on fire isn’t an option.
However, home setups are rarely designed for extensive menus. Professional equipment boasts larger surfaces, backup options if one method doesn’t work and more extensive openings to fulfill different cooking needs for less intensive uses. This matters in hospitality when professionals can provide what the at home version cannot when hoping to appease different cooking situations without fail.
What Time and Effort Are Involved
Grilling for a large group is actual work. Someone has to stand over it, someone has to prepare ahead of time to ensure everything heats up appropriately without downtime while simultaneously keeping the food at a safe cooking temperature. Usually this means one or two people who wanted to socialize miss out on the discussion opportunities because they’re the only ones at the grill all day.
Furthermore, prep time gets underestimated more often than not. Marinating meats; chopping vegetables; separating serving dishes; getting the cooking area set up takes several hours before guests arrive. Then cleanup post-event almost never goes as planned, not that it ever is quick in general.
If this is a casual get-together where someone wants to socialize, professional support removes the burden from this person by getting everyone food instead of spending all day at the grill and missing out on quality socialization time. For little exertion versus benefit of still feeling like the host makes a significant difference.
Weather and Backup Plans
Outdoors equals weather extremes beyond personal control. Rain; too much sun; windy days, all bad news bears for effective cooking and guest comfort. Most personal setups do not boast appropriate coverage for cooking or eating which can become problematic when no one wants to get caught in the rain or overheating due to lack of shade.
Backup plans matter more than people think for those who want professionals are held accountable for all situations, weather contingencies included, and equipment is made specifically for multiple conditions where practical application eliminates concern if there is no choice in how things pan out over multiple hours.
The Space Consideration
Space plays a larger role than people realize in a residential backyard situation. One needs enough area to accommodate the grill, preparation tables, serving tables, seating and walking space for guests, squished space confuses cooking status just as poorly as people bumping into each other trying to have a civilized meal outdoors.
In Conclusion
Making the decision to forego professional help versus offer professional help requires an honest assessment with self, with the type of person someone is going into this endeavor and whether or not they’re comfortable possibly shouldering most of this burden themselves just to enjoy their own event.
For small groups where cooking becomes part of the fun experience, setting up at home makes sense where hosts enjoy making their guests feel welcome through food as long as setups boast enough room and efficient timelines with help on backup efforts as needed. Once guest lists rise, menu expectations rise and hosts want to actually enjoy their event too, professional help is warranted.
It’s more about creating an event that combines good food with good company without making it seem like a hassle for whoever needs to cook in both situations. Sometimes that’s easily accomplished with home setups and sometimes it’s clear that this isn’t feasible for more complicated approaches.
