The one thing a lot of people look forward to when spring arrives is hosting and preparing for barbeque parties. If you have not purchased a barbeque grill, then hopefully after reading this you will be able to select an affordable grill that meets your family's needs and budgets.

When selecting a barbeque grill, there are many options to choose from. Barbeque grills can be very expensive based on the types of features it has. You may not need some of these features and can probably use a cheaper barbeque grill without all the extra features.

If you wish to cook juicy meats with a smoky flavor, you do not necessarily need an expensive smoker. You can purchase an inexpensive small charcoal barbeque grill for ten to twenty dollars at any local department store, and use the grilling planks to wow your guests and family members with the mouth watering flavor of smoked meats. Of course you will also need to consider the cost of the grilling planks, or you can make your own planks.

You will also need to consider the expenses of using a charcoal barbeque grill. You will need to purchase charcoal briquettes and lighter fluid as well. Using a charcoal grill can be cheaper than using a natural gas grill, but some do consider the extra expense of smokers to run about the same as charcoal barbeque grills.

Propane grills cost about 100 dollars, and smoker grills cost anywhere from 150 to 500 dollars. Natural gas grills cost a lot more than any of these options, the barbeque grill, propane grill or smoker. Natural gas grills typically cost 300 dollars or more.

A natural gas grill is certainly the easiest barbeque grill to use since they do not use charcoal or wood, so there are no ashes to clean after grilling. They still need to be cleaned from grease drippings to prevent a fire hazard. Since these grills are designed to hook up to your home's natural gas line, they are not good for camping trips or for traveling since it's difficult to find gas lines to tap into.

Propane grills are good if you do not wish to use charcoal or wood in your barbeque grill, but they are heavier to transport. When the propane tank is emptied, you have refill it. This can be a problem if you are on a camping trip that is many miles from a store or gas station.

When choosing a barbeque grill you should also consider the size of the grill. You may like the ease of use that a natural gas grill provides at home, but find that you like the smoky flavor and ease of transporting that a smoker or charcoal grill can provide when you are on your camping trips.

Some people purchase two grills. A large smoker, natural or propane gas grill for home use, and a smaller cheap charcoal grill for tailgate parties and camping. They then use the larger grill when they are grilling for a lot of guests, and use the smaller charcoal barbeque grill for when they are cooking just for their family.