IN Door and OutDoor Cooking
Consider what you would want to prepare, cook or heat such as coffee or canned goods or if will have access to fresh or frozen foods like meats. Then consider storage of unit, fuel and if appropriate for you to use indoors, outside, on a patio or balcony with adequate air floor for fumes, CO, smoke, etc. If choose an electric option, you must have adequate power in a battery power pack and discern how much of total power the grill may use balanced with total needs of battery power pack for other items and ability to recharge the battery power pack. Will an electric grill use my power I may need for phone and lights and will I be able to recharge the battery power pack with solar panels enough ? The main types of outdoor grills suitable for patio, balcony or yard use includes charcoal, propane, natural gas, electric and wood-pellet grills.
Charcoal Grill – uses charcoal briquettes or lump charcoal usually bought in bags, as fuel, in sizes 16 lbs to 40 lb bags. You lite the charcoal and it produces high heat and smoke for cooking.
Propane Grill uses liquid propane (LP) that is bought in refillable tanks. A full tank weighs about 37 lbs. Burners create a gas flame that heats the cooking grates.
Natural Gas Grill uses natural gas (mostly methane) from a home’s gas line usually through a permanent connection professionally installed and grill is set into a fixed place requiring a natural gas compatible grill. A flame, when lit, heats the cooking grates.
Electric Grill uses household electricity or a battery power pack. No separate fuel is needed and no open flame, however you must check the wattage needed and see if battery power pack can accommodate.
Wood pellet grill uses compressed hardwood pellets that is fed into the burn chamber usually by an electric auger so one must check about use of a battery power pack. The flame heats the cooking grates.
Butane grill uses small canisters of butane gas and usually found in the outdoor or camping sections of stores due to being more portable than large traditional grills. The butane flame lights a burner to heat cooking grates or griddle or any “eye”.
Charcoal and wood give the most smoky flavor while propane, natural gas, butane offer controllable heat. Electric is the simplest option if have a way to provide power to unit.
Never use a Grill or Stove for heating indoors during Cold Temperatures due to danger of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning.
INDOOR COOKING: Electric Grill as listed above.
Another option to consider for cooking is a portable electric cooker or called a hot pot, electric kettle or multi-purpose electric cooker. These can boil water, make coffee or tea, boil eggs, oatmeal, rice, hot dogs, heat up soup or noodles, and cook simple foods. Can be used for boiling, simmering and reheating such as canned foods like chili, beans, or other vegetables. They require power from a Battery Power Pack and require checking wattages but can be used indoors.
I have 2 Types for my personal use. I use a Butane, one burner, grill with great success. IT has a burner for pots and a griddle top. The grill top heats almost instantly. I use for frozen/thawing foods or to prepare something a different way like food prepared in a pot. The butane canisters are small and has own lighting mechanism that does not require power or batteries. I also use an electric pot cooker. Can be used indoors. The Electric Pot Cooker heats canned foods or water for foods (or coffee) very fast and so not using much of battery power pack.
Decide based on experience, needs (how many people feeding), storag of unit and fuel and budget to decide which grill may work best for where you want to use a grill and how you want to use a Grill.
DO NOT use outdoor Fuel burning lights indoors. Never bring gas, propane, kerosene, charcoal or other equipment indoors because of Fire Risk and Carbon Monoxide poisoning. ⚠️ Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning: Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas that can build up quickly when fuel-burning equipment is used improperly. During a power outage, never use generators, grills, camp stoves, propane heaters, or other fuel-burning appliances inside your home, garage, basement, or enclosed area. Keep generators at least 20 feet from the house and away from doors, windows, and vents. CO can drift under a home, in through windows and be deadly. Have Back Up BATTERIES for detectors. Install working CO alarms on every level of your home and near sleeping areas. If a CO alarm sounds or anyone develops symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea, weakness, or confusion, get everyone outside into fresh air immediately and call 911. Carbon Monoxide poisoning can be FATAL. Take seriously and have battery operated CO detectors inside and outside as needed where sleep and people gather. Have Back Up BATTERIES for detectors.
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