As the fifth heatwave of the summer washes over the UK, the London Fire Brigade has revealed it’s handled hundreds of wildfire calls in recent months. With more than two-thirds of England now in drought, Andy Burnham has now urged people to stop using disposable barbecues.
Government warning
Ahead of the Government’s emergency Cobra committee meeting, the Prime Minister delivered a “loud and clear” message. “People should not be using those barbecues outside at this moment in time,” he said. “The wildfires I mentioned, many of them have been created by disposable barbecues.”
Temperatures are expected to peak at 38C this week, with a firefighter union chief warning the country faces a “national emergency” amid ongoing wildfires. This could be the hottest summer ever, according to the Met Office.
Safer alternatives
While balmy weekends are as good an excuse as any to fire up the barbie, single-use barbecues pose a massive – and easily avoidable – risk. Some retailers have voluntarily decided to stop selling the devices, while the Government is now considering a ban on disposable grills; that doesn’t mean you need to miss out.
A charcoal, gas or electric barbecue is a British signature, and among the best garden investments you can make. From Ninja’s smart tabletop design to Weber’s top-spec models, a good model can last you years rather than just one evening. These are the five best BBQ’s, as reviewed by Standard Shopping.
Ninja woodfire electric BBQ grill and smoker
Ninja’s Woodfire Electric BBQ Grill & Smoker combines the high-crunch, low-fat charms of air frying with another cooking method favourite – barbecuing. Using real wood pellets in an integrated smoke box, the machine can flavour all sorts of meats and veggies through the smoker, alongside six other cooking functions – including air fry.
It’s made to be used outdoors, but the 1.6m power cord means you’ll need to stick pretty close to mains power unless you’ve got a generator for camping trips. Still, for big entertainers and throwers of garden parties, it's a gizmo that can do all your cooking for you. No more to-ing and fro-ing to the kitchen and hauling trays out of the oven: the Woodfire can sizzle sausages, crisp up chicken wings and make pork ribs and extra tenders all in one machine, and make the potato wedges and smoked corn too.
Cooking space: 28 x 37cm. Fuel type: mains. Weight: 12kg. Buy now £249.99, Sharkninja.co.uk
Weber compact kettle charcoal grill barbecue, 57cm
A descendant of Stephen’s original 50s design, this compact kettle offers a supreme 57cm diameter of cooking space, meaning you can line up sausages, burgers, wings and steaks side-by-side. The outdoor grill is portable thanks to two wheels and offers limited storage space on the lower shelf. It needs charcoal lump wood or briquettes to fuel the feast and comes with an anti-rust finish to keep it protected for longer – although a cover will help things tenfold.
Cooking space: 57cm. Fuel type: Charcoal. Weight: 12kg. Buy now £139.99, Weber.com
Habitat mini tabletop kamado BBQ
This dinky charcoal-powered egg is perfect for space-challenged outdoor spaces, allowing grill enthusiasts to do their thing, albeit on a smaller scale. There is a 27cm radius cooking space to make the most of, which should be enough to cook for up to four people at a time. The 21kg design sits on three legs, keeping the floor area clear of heat and resulting burn marks. The ceramic shell is covered with a hammered pattern that not only looks good but also helps insulate the heat, leaving food juicy and tender. A great bargain buy.
Cooking space: up to 27cm. Fuel type: charcoal. Weight: 21kg. Buy now £120, Habitat.co.uk
Kamado Joe Joe Jr.
If you've bitten the BBQ bullet and shelled out for a Kamado Joe, it's only natural to want to show it off beyond the garden. The brand has the solution in its portable ceramic charcoal grill, which comes with 34cm of cooking space to elevate family camping trips to the next, delicious level. Essentially, it's a scaled-down version of its bigger brothers, complete with a cast-iron top vent and thick-walled, heat-resistant shell alongside precise temperature control, proving good things can, indeed, come in small packages.
Cooking space: up to 34cm. Fuel type: charcoal. Weight: 35kg. Buy now £399, Appliancesdirect.co.uk
vidaXL ceramic kamado barbecue charcoal grill smoker
Reigning supreme as the cult BBQ for a few years now, this Japanese-inspired grill is fast becoming the outdoor cook's go-to. Not only can it grill and smoke, but it can do all sorts of other clever cooking too: baking, anyone? Typically egg-shaped, this black ceramic barbecue has a sturdy hinged lid with a vent and a thermometer on top so you can see the internal temperature at a glance. There's a double-layer vent you can use to control airflow, and it comes with two collapsible side shelves for cooked food and BBQ utensils. Sitting on four stable feet, it looks as good as it cooks with a dimpled and glazed exterior.
Cooking space: 27cm diameter. Fuel type: charcoal. Weight: 16.4kg. Buy now £280, Vidaxl.co.uk
