Barbecues

Gas, charcoal or a kamado:

the fuel settles most of what follows. A gas grill on a wheeled cart lights at the turn of a knob, which makes it the weeknight grill on a terrace in Heredia. A charcoal kettle such as a Weber has almost nothing to break and gives carne asada the smoky crust it is judged by, at the cost of waiting for the coals. A ceramic kamado of the Big Green Egg or Kamado Joe type holds its heat for hours and suits a slow pork shoulder, but it is by far the heaviest grill to move. Tabletop gas grills ride in the boot to the beach, and a built-in grill from a rancho’s masonry counter is usually listed as the stainless head alone. The chairs that end up around the grill are in outdoor furniture, and a garden with a grill by the water often has one of the swimming pools as well.

The cylinder valve and the regulator:

check this before burners or brand. The ordinary household cylinder in Costa Rica carries a valve meant for kitchen stoves, while most gas grills, North American ones above all, come with a regulator that screws onto a grill-type valve. Gas suppliers sell cylinders fitted with that valve, and adapters for a normal one. Ask the seller which valve the regulator fits, and never force a connection that will not seat by hand. As for size, a grill wide enough to leave one side off can roast a whole chicken with the lid down, away from the flame.

Stainless steel on the coast, from Playas del Coco to Puerto Viejo:

near the sea the grade of the steel matters more than any other feature. Lids and carts sold as stainless are often a cheaper grade that browns and pits after a season or two of salt air, while the better grade keeps its finish for years. Carry a magnet: if it grips the lid firmly, it is the cheaper steel, because the better grade barely holds one. On an enamelled kettle, a chip is where the rust starts.

A Weber kettle against a gas grill on a cart:

a branded charcoal kettle is around ₡95,000 new, while gas grills on a cart run from about ₡150,000 for a basic two-burner to ₡500,000 and up for a large stainless one with a side burner. Used, they age differently. A kettle has little to wear out beyond its bowl, so one with sound enamel and vents that still turn holds its price well. A gas grill loses value through its burners, heat shields and grates, all replaceable, so judge it by the firebox and cart and take the missing parts off the price. A cylinder already fitted with the grill valve adds to what the whole lot is worth.

Burner ports, fireboxes and cracked ceramic:

lift the grates out first. The ports along each burner should be small, round and even; ports eaten into slots, or a lazy yellow flame, mean the burner is finished. Look under the firebox where grease collects, since rust there works outward. Bend the hose to look for cracks, and with the gas on, brush soapy water over the joints at the regulator: bubbles mean a leak. On a kamado, run a torch over the ceramic for hairline cracks and check the felt gasket is not squashed flat.

Handing over a grill from a beach house:

say what it burns, the brand, the burners or bowl size, its age and whether it lived by the sea, since salt air is the hidden cost a buyer is weighing. Photograph it with the grates out and the burners lit, and the underside of the firebox. Say whether the hose, regulator, cover and cylinder go with it, and which valve that cylinder carries. A gas grill on its cart will not fit in a sedan, so say whether the side shelves and legs come off, and a kamado needs two people and a pickup. Disconnect the cylinder before the buyer from Alajuela arrives, so it travels separately and upright.