The BBQ Report

I read a couple of different studies about America’s grilling habits that I thought were pretty interesting. The first fact I learned was that, as I general suspected, most American households own a grill. Depending on the study, somewhere between seventy five and eight five percent of households own a grill, and forty plus percent of those own more than one grill. That’s 66.2 million grillers.

When it comes to the age old gas -vs- charcoal debate, gas wins out but not by as big a margin as you might think. Sixty percent of grill owners own an propane gas grill compared to fifty percent who own a charcoal grill. Natural gas (at seven percent) and electric (at three percent) round out the balance. The average age of a grill seems to be about three and half years.

The most popular grilled food is beef, with hamburgers and steaks the top two dishes. Hot dogs, chicken and potatoes are the next most frequently grilled items.

To enhance that flavor seventeen percent of gas grillers use a smoker box or wood chips to add real wood smoke. Most people (ninety one percent) use barbecue sauce on their foods, but only a smal percentage make their own, most prefering the store bought variety.

While sixty percent of households use their grill all year long, the most popular holidays for barbecuing are the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day and Father’s Day. The top reason given for the love of grilling? Quite simply, the flavor it gives food. Other reasons given as motivation s for grilling included entertaining friends and cooking messy dishes outdoors.