If you’re cooking on a deck or balcony, make sure you know its weight limit before setting up a grill. Fuel TypeCharcoalTraditionally, charcoal grills are the most basic and the affordable option. Cooking AreaThe size of a grill’s cooking surface, measured in square inches, determines how much food you can cook at once. Gas grills often list total BTU (the abbreviation for British thermal units), electric grills list the wattage, and charcoal, pellet grills, and smokers list the max temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. Some charcoal grills have built-in thermometers to help you gauge the interior temperature of the grill when the lid is closed.