Ranking Propane Grills, Suitable For Outdoor Meals

Grills have become the store's specialty in the competitive market. Particularly during the busy summer season. Setting up a best portable propane grill outside the store can do wonders as a top-of-mind reminder for customers to stock up on all that supermarkets can offer for the picnic season. But if barbecue-themed tie-ins can boost sales for departments offering anything from grill-ready kebabs to aprons and sauce, not every shopper is going to be willing or able to visit every department in the store.

For these shoppers-on-the-run, a strategic assortment of high-margin items from several departments, located as close as possible to the aromas created by the outdoor grill, can help operators make the most from an outdoor barbecue event. In its annual merchandising calendar, along with plenty of tips about packaging choices, Tenneco Packaging offers these suggestions for an "In & Out Grill" merchandising concept to make the most of barbecue season.

OUTSIDE 

 

• Set up gas or charcoal grills outside your main entrance so customers don't have to go all the way into your store for a quick lunch solution. Have a sturdy banner hanging above that announces the In & Out Grill.
• A simple menu board should be large and easy for passers-by to read from their cars or on their way into the store.
• Top off lunch with bakery pies or cheesecake wedges by the slice. 

 

INSIDE 

 

• Bring in a grill for display and create a typical backyard barbecue in your deli or meat department. Be consistent - use the same style banner and signage outside and in.
• Display barbecued chickens and ribs, fresh from the grill outside, in chicken or rib containers.
• Gourmet kebabs can also spark impulse sales, as can packaged side dishes such as baked beans or deli salads.
• If you have pie by the slice outside, be sure to offer whole pies ready to go on the inside. 

 How to Check The Ranking Propane Grills

 

The overall score is based on a best propane grill is performance, features, and convenience. We tested evenness of heating at high and low settings using temperature sensors, then combined the performance scores. Results were verified by searing 15 burgers on the worst and best grills' high setting for 1 1/2 minutes. Grilling measures the ability to cook chicken and fish on the low setting. Features and convenience evaluates construction and materials, accessory burners and shelves, rack space, and ease of use. Price is approximate retail. For similar models, empty brackets indicate a color code.

All grills: Are mounted on patio cart. Have side shelves. Most grills: Have a thermometer on the lid. Have a warming rack. Have warranties ranging from 25 years to life for the castings, 3 to 5 years for the burners, 1 or 2 years for other parts. Have a 370- to 425-square-inch cooking area and 300 to 500 square inches of shelf space. Require significant assembly. Have dual burner controls. Use a steel rack full of ceramic or charcoal-like briquettes, or steel triangles or plates, to distribute heat. Have a rotary or push-button igniter, porcelain-coated wire cooking grates and warming rack, a side burner, and four casters. Have spider protectors on the gas-line venturi tubes.