Checklist

If you're buying a barbecue, you'll want the right size for your needs, and you'll want it to last. Shop around, as prices for family-size barbecues vary widely.

Size
The bigger the appliance, the more food you can cook at once. But you'll need somewhere to store it. If you keep it outside get a heavy-duty cover.

Stability
Make sure it doesn't rock. If you want to take it camping or on picnics, look for easily detachable legs, but try not to compromise on stability when the thing is set up.

Igniters
Electric or battery igniters are easier and safer. More expensive models have an igniter for each burner.

Grills vs. hotplates
This depends on what you want to cook on your barbecue. Grills produce "barbeque" flavour for your sausages and steaks, while hot plates are handy for cooking smaller and more fragile foods, like eggs and onions.

Fat trap
Will it catch all the fat and be easy to empty? Lining the fat tray with tinfoil and sand makes it easier to clean away.

Trolley
We think wooden trolleys are best, as they don't rust (especially important if you store your model outdoors).

Hood
A domed or raised hood allows you to use the barbecue to roast as well as grill, and keeps the smokey flavour in. A flat lid offers protection when not in use and can make a useful windshield during cooking. If there is no lid make sure a windshield is fitted behind the burners.

The hood handle should be durable and heat-resistant, and positioned so you don't burn yourself using it.

Cleaning
Check that your model is easy to take apart and reassemble.

Spare parts
Check that spare parts are available.

Mobility
The bigger the wheels, the easier it will be to move. Two wheels plus two legs is common, but lockable castors are good.

Rust resistance
Powder coating and enamel are more durable than chrome plating or paint, but whatever the surface, once scratched, the steel underneath will rust. Stainless steel and aluminium won't rust and are best if you plan to leave the barbecue outside or live near the sea.

Stainless steel
Don't expect stainless steel to stay shiny when it's outside. Stainless steel is manufactured in many grades with various degrees of corrosion-resistance and other properties. The more corrosion-resistant grades are more expensive and more difficult to manufacture into finished products. All stainless steel will go dull and discolour when exposed to outdoor (and especially coastal) conditions – but it will not pit or go flaky like mild steel will. In other words it will not fail from corrosion. The appearance of marked or discoloured stainless steel can often be restored with a proprietary stainless steel cleaner.

Burners
The heavier the gauge of the metal, the longer the burners will last. Stainless steel or cast iron is best. Lightweight steel burners can rust out and need replacing.

The more burners you have, the easier it is to cook various foods at different speeds. Three is usually fine for the average family.

The burners should be big enough to give good coverage of the cooking area. Small burners can result in cold spots and uneven cooking. A layer of rocks under the cooking plate helps to even out heat distribution.

Some models can have extras such as side burners (for cooking vegetables), rotisseries, and wok plates and burners. A "flame tamer", a steel or enamel plate over the burner, can prevent flare-ups.

Gas injectors
Compare the gas output on different models. Very small injectors have a low output, so the cooking area does not get hot enough.