As springtime approaches, and we’re forced to spend more time at home, now is the time to prepare for barbecues and upgrade your grill. Long gone are the days when a backyard gathering consisted of tossing some burgers and dogs onto a flimsy grate over a rickety bucket powered by lump charcoal and lighter fluid.

Backyard cooking today is much more sophisticated, with grills that offer more options than simply cooking over an open flame and accessories that enable you to take your grill game to the next level. As  grilling season begins, Napoleon offers some insight into barbecue trends that will begin to emerge next year or will take firm root and become more popular.

The Backyard “Tailgate” — Tailgate parties are a staple at live sporting events, bringing fans together over the grill with cold drinks in hand. But with the advent of more sophisticated backyard and landscape design — which often includes outdoor TVs — the tailgate party can move to your yard. When the summer turns to fall, and the days get cooler, more backyard enthusiasts are investing in outdoor fireplaces or patio heaters to extend their use of their outdoor space — ideally suited for the football, hockey and basketball seasons. Put on the game, fire up the grill and cook up all your pre-game favourites at the comfort of your home — the bonus is access to indoor plumbing.

Charcoal — What’s old is new again. Backyard grillers are showing increasing tendency to want to cook over charcoal, citing the flavours from cooking over charcoal as well as affordability of charcoal grills. Modern charcoal grills also make it easier to not only get the barbecue to temperature but to also keep it there. Even if you already own a gas grill, you can still enjoy the flavours that come with charcoal cooking by using a charcoal tray. Place it over top of your burners, fill with charcoal and let it heat up to get a new flavour experience.

Smoked Meals — More and more grill enthusiasts are investing in smokers and for obvious reasons. Cooking big cuts of meat — think brisket, pork shoulder, ribs, turkey — low and slow with a steady flow of smoke surrounding the meat results in a juicy, flavourful meal. But the value of a smoker goes beyond meat. Side dishes — baked beans, mashed potatoes — soups and even desserts are given a whole new flavour experience when smoked.

The “Wow” Factor — No longer is the barbecue an old black box rusting away in the corner of your yard. It is now the centerpiece of your backyard design. Not only do today’s high-quality grills get hot and stay hot, but they also look good. Functional storage cabinets, infrared burners, rotisserie capabilities, smoker tubes and cosmetic enhancements (think knobs that light up, proximity lighting) make your barbecue more than just a place to flip burgers. Napoleon reimagined its Prestige Pro series with that in mind, a combination of form, function, and luxury.

Gourmet on the Go — There was a time when cooking while camping, picnicking or tailgating — unless you were committed enough to pack up your backyard grill — was done on a flimsy little device that barely got hot enough, had little cooking space and rusted out after one weekend of use. But today’s portable grills are more sophisticated than ever. Stainless steel burners to heat up porcelain coated cast iron grills, dual burners, temperature gauges, and easy ignition make cooking on the go just as easy as doing it at home.

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