Grilling has become a culture in the U.S., not only as a leisure activity, but also as a social activity, with 85% of U.S. households and 75% of households owning a grill. About 60 percent of grill owners go out to grill throughout the year, and (69 percent of gas grill owners) go out to grill every week in July and August. Late spring and early summer (March through May) are the peak seasons for grill sales, the third quarter is the slow season, and the fourth quarter sees an uptick in sales due to Christmas shopping giveaways.
The types of barbecue grills are generally divided into: charcoal grills, gas grills (also divided into natural gas and butane gas mixture), electric grills.
Natural gas grills account for only a small share of the market and less change, (7% in 1985, 9% in 2002), electric grills are more recent use, but the market is growing slowly (4% in 1995, 7% in 2002). According to the statistics of the American Barbecue Grill Association, from 1985 to 2002, the gas grill is gradually replacing the charcoal grill as the main force of the market due to less pollution and easy cleaning, the ownership of the gas grill increased from 46% to 61%, while the overall trend of the charcoal grill is decreasing, from 65% to 48%.
The price of barbecue grills features the simplest charcoal burners generally cost between $50 and $100, while multifunctional ones cost $400 or more. The most common gas grills are generally priced between $129 and $299 (80% of gas grills sell for less than $300). Those with adjustable features are going to be between $700 and $1,500, while the multifunctional all-stainless steel ones are $5,000 to $10,000. The cheapest electric grills cost around $150 and have less power, making them suitable for couples or couples. The high-powered stainless steel ones are priced at $1,800 to $2,500.
Three out of every four U.S. households have their own grills, and 48 percent of people who own a grill use a charcoal burner, 61 percent use a mixed butane gas grill, 9 percent use a natural gas grill, 7 percent use an outdoor electric grill, and one in seven (15 percent) have an indoor grill. About half (48%) had only one gas grill, three out of 10 (29%) had only one charcoal grill, and nearly one out of five (18%) had both a charcoal and a gas grill.
While it is mostly men (66%) who grill, women are more likely to decide when to grill and what food to grill. 58% of grills are in use throughout the year. The fourth week of July is the most popular time to grill, with about three-quarters (76%) grilling at this time, followed by Memorial Day (58%) and Labor Day (51%). Burgers, steaks, hot dogs and chicken wings are the most common foods grilled. The most common woods used to add smoky flavor are brush, walnut, and fruit woods such as apple and cherry. Food clips and long-handled forks were the most common barbecue utensils, alongside trays of aluminum flakes and skewers.
If you are an outdoor grill enthusiast, then you should be aware of the environmental impact of carbon dioxide emissions from conventional grills.
