Where is what in a barbecue?

In the ONLINE BARBECUE SHOP blog, we share not only tasty recipes and informative backgrounds, but also useful tips and practical information. In this and the next few posts, we’ll show you what goes where on different barbecues, what basic accessories are essential and how to get (and keep) a barbecue running. We will also delve into the different ways of cooking: grilling, indirect grilling and smoking.

Ball barbecues
Although barbecues vary by manufacturer and type, the basic principles are almost always identical. Indispensable for barbecuing is a sealable space (the large hemisphere in the photo on the left) with matching lid. A removable lid sometimes has a hook on the barbecue from which it can be hung.

Often under the lid handle is a protective plate called the heat shield. During firing, the barbecue becomes red-hot and this plate prevents the handle from becoming unmanageable. Nevertheless, I still recommend using a heat-resistant or even better, a heat-resistant glove.

A thermometer is also installed on the lid where you can read the temperature in the heating chamber from the outside.

There are two grates in the boiler room. The one on the bottom is for the fuel (charcoal or briquettes) and the top one is the grill on which you prepare the food. Sometimes this grill has a movable part, so you can add fuel without taking the whole grill off.

The basic principle of a barbecue is that the fire is fed by oxygen. Therefore, each barbecue has two vents, one on the bottom to supply oxygen and one in the lid to allow smoke to escape. These openings are adjustable, allowing the temperature in the boiler room to be regulated.

At the bottom is usually a removable collection tray for the ashes, with a lever that allows that to be shaken off the charcoal or briquettes.