ENAMELS AIN'T ENAMELS # 2
Q I want to buy a new barbecue.What is baked enamel? Is it better
than vitreous enamel or is it a fancy name for powder coating. Also what
heat output should we be looking for in the burners?
Julie
Farley
New South Wales
A In the old days, a baked enamel finish meant that at least one coat of glass
was bonded onto the metal at a very high temperature. Now, it can just as
easily refer to a coat of paint that is baked on.
But the tag 'vitreous enamel' usually does mean that the barby has the
superior glass coating. This is probably the finish to look for. It not only
withstands high temperatures, it is also very easy to clean and resists
rust.
But having said that, many people get years and years of service out of
their paint-coated barbys. They just have to be prepared to use a bit more
elbow grease when it comes to cleaning and touch up scratches with paint so
rust does not get a hold.
I would be careful making any purchase decision purely on heat output
grounds. Sometimes a barby can have a very strong output (say 75,000 BTUs
per hour - that's six burners each producing 12,500 BTUs) ) but take longer
to sear steaks than one with less output because of design considerations
such as the material used in the heat sink, type and location of burners and
the proximity of the actual cooking surface.
It's a bit like buying a car purely because of its power output. Factors
such as aerodynamics, weight and transmission ratios can often count for
more in on-the-road performance than sheer grunt.
BBQ Blue