Barbeque at Your Apartment

June 17th, 2008 by Matt DiChiara| Posted in Apartment Living | No Comments »

Although we have weighed in pretty heavily on the side of apartments for rent on the whole rent versus buy debate, both on our blog and in our apartment guide even we must concede at least one advantage of homeownership; and that is barbequing.

While some may point to long term investment strategies and stability as an advantage of homeownership, we cite only the unencumbered use of fire for the sole purpose of charring animal flesh (and assorted vegetables and seafood). The rest is purely theoretical.

A homeowner can easily saunter out to the back porch, fire up the grill, throw on some nice tunes and crack open a few beers, while dinner is deliciously prepared. This is heavenly compared to the plight of the common apartment dweller.

For even if an apartment complex offers a grill area, it is usually a hassle to lug charcoal and ingredients down to a communal barbeque that many times is crowded.

In order to level this severely lopsided playing field we had hoped to provide a comprehensive list and evaluation of all the portable grills on the market today that would be ideal for an apartment; unfortunately, however, it is also necessary to first wade through some oppressive legal issues.

Apparently the party spoilers over at the International Codes Council are all homeowners; they feel that the risk associated with grilling on a balcony outweighs the benefits. (As far as we know, one can still cook a steak on an apartment fire). Already, 32 states have adopted these construction codes and many more states and city councils are expected to follow.

Thus, grilling at your apartment involves a bit more preparation than purchasing a grill that you can actually fit on your balcony or patio.

Before we get on to the recommendation for tactics stealth barbequing tactics, let’s check out the grills that are designed for use at apartments. The criteria for these grills will be size as well as portability, rapid portability.

The most recognizable is Weber’s Smokey Joe. This charcoal grill features a 14.5 inch diameter cooking area (165 square inches), is only 17 inches tall and a nylon lid lock that allows for easy mobility.

The Weber Q 300 is a state of the art propane grill that has an impressive 393 square inches of total grilling surface. Of course it is a bit larger than the classic Smokey Joe; at about 4.5 feet high with the lid open, it is not all that easily moved.

The Solaire Anywhere Portable Infrared Gas Grill is extremely portable at only 18.5 lbs and a foot high. It features 155 square inches of cooking area and uses a 1 lb propane container. The Solaire uses infrared cooking technology, which differs from charcoal and gas grill. Those more traditional barbeques use hot air to cook food, whereas the infrared grill heats a ceramic tile which generates infrared radiation to cook food.

Whichever grill you decide to use, be sure that you take all necessary precautions. This article provides a nice rundown of how to manage an out of control grilling situation at a rental apartment.

Let us know how you cope with grilling restrictions, hit us up with some nice recipes, or tell us what kind of beer best accompanies your apartment balcony grilling session.