Built-In BBQ Capacity, Heat-Up and Upkeep: A Practical Guide

Size a built-in BBQ by its cooking area, not just its burner count: a BeefEater 4-burner has 3,840cm², enough for around 30 burgers at once, while a 3-burner has 3,072cm² and a 5-burner 4,608cm². Once it is in, a short preheat, sensible heat zones and a few minutes of care after each cook keep it performing for years. Here is how to work out the size you need and how to get the best from it.

Capacity: a worked example

A standard burger is about 10cm across. With space to slide a spatula underneath and turn it, allow roughly 120cm² of cooking area per burger. Divide the cooking area by 120 and you have a fair idea of how much food fits at once:

Real cooking is rarely all burgers, and you need a cooler area for resting food and cooking more slowly, so take about two thirds of that figure as a comfortable working load. A 4-burner then handles around 20 burgers with room to spare, or a mix of steaks, sausages, chicken and vegetables for a family gathering.

How many people? BeefEater's own guide

The sizing guide on our BeefEater product pages gives a quick answer, which BeefEater describes as an approximation that depends on the range:

Our advice: size for the gatherings you have several times a summer, not the one big party a year. For most families a 3 or 4-burner is plenty; if you regularly feed a dozen or more, go to a 5-burner. In a built-in, a bigger head also needs a wider cut-out, so check the opening before you fall for the 5-burner.

Grill and plate: why the split matters

BeefEater's built-ins combine an open grill with a solid hotplate, and the split changes with the size:

• 3-burner: 320mm grill and 320mm plate.
• 4-burner: 400mm grill and 400mm plate.
• 5-burner (1200, 1600, 3000): 640mm grill and 320mm plate.
• 7000 series 5-burner: two 270mm grills and a 380mm plate.
• Proline 6-burner: 430mm grill and 430mm plate.

The grill gives char lines and lets fat drip away; the plate cooks eggs, onions, fish, halloumi and anything small that would fall through. If you mainly grill steaks and burgers, the bigger grill share on the 5-burners helps. If you cook breakfasts and seafood, a 50:50 split earns its keep.

The hood, warming rack and rotisserie

Capacity is not only flat. A double-skin roasting hood turns the barbecue into an outdoor oven for a joint or whole chicken cooked over unlit burners, which frees the rest of the grill for sides. Some barbecues add a rotisserie: BeefEater's comparison lists a rotisserie burner on the 7000 Premium, the Lifestyle Bahama Island has a rotisserie back burner, and Lifestyle offers an optional rotisserie kit for the Dominica. A warming rack under the hood keeps buns and cooked food warm without overcooking it.

Heat-up and zones

• Preheat: BeefEater advises about 5 minutes with the hood down and the burners on high, and no more than 10, then turning the burners down. Wipe and lightly oil the cooking surfaces before you start.
• Two zones: run burners on full on one side and low or off on the other. Sear on the hot side, then move food across to finish without burning.
• Roasting: with a roasting hood, light the outer burners and put the joint over the unlit centre for indirect cooking.
• Wind: wind steals heat from any barbecue. A sheltered position, which a built-in island often provides, helps it come up to temperature and hold it.
• Pizza stones need longer: a stone or a pizza insert such as the Camp Chef Artisan insert heats more slowly than the air under the hood, so give it extra preheating or the base will be pale when the top is done.
• Do not keep lifting the hood: every look lets heat out and adds minutes.

Side burners and a second zone

A side burner adds a lot of capacity for very little space. BeefEater's trolley barbecues come with a 4kW side burner, and the Lifestyle Dominica has a 3.5kW one. In a built-in kitchen, plan worktop for prep and serving either side of the head, and think about a second cooking zone such as a pizza oven or a masonry BBQ if you entertain often.

A running order for a big cook

Capacity only helps if you use it in the right order. For a party, this sequence keeps food coming without crowding the grill:

1. Preheat for about 5 minutes with the hood down, then set one side to low.
2. Start the slow things first. Chicken pieces and pork ribs, ideally part-cooked in the oven, go on the cooler side with the hood down.
3. Sausages next, over medium heat, turned often so they cook through without splitting.
4. Burgers and steaks last, seared on the hot side, then moved across to finish and rest.
5. Use the plate for sides: onions, peppers, halloumi and anything that would fall through the grill.
6. Keep the cooler zone clear as a landing spot, so nothing has to come off the barbecue before it is ready.

Plan worktop to match. A big grill needs somewhere for raw food on one side and cooked food on the other, so allow generous space either side of the head when you design the island; our installation guide covers the layout.

How long will a gas cylinder last?

A rough guide is to divide the energy in the cylinder by the barbecue's rated output. A 9kg propane cylinder, the largest BeefEater's 1500 and 1600 built-in manuals allow for a direct connection, holds roughly 124kWh of energy. A BeefEater 1600 4-burner, rated at 16kW from its main burners, run with every burner flat out, would use that in a little under eight hours. In real cooking, with some burners on medium or off, it lasts considerably longer. Keep a spare cylinder for parties, stored outdoors, upright and away from the barbecue: BeefEater says a cylinder that is not connected should not be kept near any appliance.

Keeping it in good order

• Burn off after cooking. BeefEater says running the barbecue for 10 minutes after cooking burns off excess grease and juices, then brush with a brass bristle brush or plastic scourer.
• Change the drip tray liner regularly. BeefEater warns that a greasy tray can cause a grease fire.
• Oil the cooktops. A light coat of cooking oil after cleaning reduces rust on cast iron.
• Clean thoroughly at least twice a year with hot soapy water, and more often near the sea.
• Check the burners for insect nests, which BeefEater says are dangerous and must be cleaned out.
• No harsh cleaners. Avoid highly caustic, harsh or abrasive cleaners on the cooking grills, and never put them in a dishwasher.
• No pressure washer. It can drive water into the valves, igniters and burners.
• Cover it when not in use, once it is cool and dry.

If a burner port gets blocked by marinade, let the barbecue cool, lift out the burner as the manual describes and clear the holes with a soft brush or a thin wire, then refit it and check the flame. Stone worktops can mark from fat splashes, so seal porous stone as the supplier recommends and wipe spills while they are fresh. For a full spring clean, see our guide to cleaning a mouldy BBQ and our guide to rescuing rusty grates.

Cooking safely for a crowd

A big barbecue makes it tempting to load it up and hurry. The Food Standards Agency's advice is to cook chicken, pork and minced meat such as burgers and sausages until they are steaming hot throughout, with no pink meat visible in the thickest part and juices running clear, and to turn meat regularly so it cooks evenly. Steaks can be served pink as long as the outside is properly seared. It suggests cooking chicken and pork in the oven first and finishing them on the barbecue, using different utensils, plates and chopping boards for raw and cooked food, and eating leftovers within 48 hours.