Five Best Grills

With the summer grilling season upon us, you may be looking for the perfect backyard cooking surface for your next cookout, or you may just have strong opinions on which grills do the best job at helping a skilled cook turn out the best dishes. Whichever it is, we asked you for your picks for the best grills on the market, and you responded. Here are five of the best, based on your nominations.

Earlier this week, we asked you which grills you thought were the best—not just the fanciest or that had the most burners, cooking surfaces, or options, but the ones that were all around the best bang for the buck, the best at what they did, offered great build quality and speedy heating, and were overall easy to use and easy to clean up. Of course, we know there's a difference between grilling, barbecuing, and smoking, but we're using "grill" as the catch-all for backyard cooking appliances. Most of you picked up on that, and here's what you said:

The Weber One Touch series is one of the most popular, tried and true backyard grills on the market. The One Touch is a perhaps Weber's most iconic grill. Its kettle style is almost synonymous with charcoal grilling, and the One Touch is available in a number of sizes and corresponding price points, from the 18.5" ($79 at Amazon) to the 26.75" One Touch Gold ($299 at Amazon). All of the One Touch models offer steel plated cooking grills, ash catchers for easy cleanup, wheels for portability, and a self-cleaning system. The higher end One Touch Gold models also feature charcoal reservoirs in case you need more fuel, a removable aluminum ash catcher for even easier cleanup, a reinforced handle, tool hooks, a built-in thermometer, and a stainless steel cooking grate. Those of you who nominated the One Touch line noted there's a model for every price point or preferred size, and they're exceptional at both direct and indirect heating based on where you put your coals. Easy cleanup and solid build quality is extremely important too—so much so that our friends at The Sweethome (an offshoot of The Wirecutter) think the 22.5" One Touch Gold is the best chargoal grill you can buy.

The Big Green Egg is, as the name implies, a big green egg-shaped cooker that can serve as a grill, a smoker, and an oven. It's available in five different sizes, from the free-standing 24" "XLarge" that sports shelves on the sides and plenty of room to cook enough food to feed a crowd to the 10" "Mini" egg that's perfect for picnics, camping trips, or grilling on an apartment patio, with three more sizes in between. The Egg is a Kamado-style barbecue, namely it's made of an earthen material (ceramic, in this case) and is a charcoal cooker with a design meant to contain the heat and only vent it through a small vent at the top (somewhat similar to the Kettle design). In fact, there's a whole page dedicated to how the egg works, if you want to read it. With the right accessories, the Egg is perfect for indirect cooking, grilling pizza, grilling the perfect steak, even roasting chickens and turkeys. They're well-loved and have developed a bit of a cult following, but they're not cheap—the Large and XL will set you back around to $1000 (possibly more, especially if you spring for accessories at the same time), and the Mini is closer to $400. Those of you who praised the Egg pointed out that while they may be expensive, they'll likely be the last grill you ever buy, not just because they cook so well and offer incredible temperature control, but because they're incredibly versatile and built incredibly well. If you want one, you'll have to find a dealer near you that sells them, or a barbecue retailer that ships to your location.

The Weber Genesis line of premium gas grills designed to offer solid build quality, great design, and it heats up extremely fast and stays hot for the long haul. The Genesis models can cook with liquid propane gas or natural gas, depending on the model you purchase, and depending on your choice come with (S Series) stainless steel or (E Series) cast iron cooking rods, shroud, and trim. All models sport built-in thermometers, three massive burners, and plenty of cooking space. The S-330/E-330 offers a center "sear station" that cranks up the heat to give you the delicious browning you want on grilled meats, and a side-burner that can keep a pot or side-dish bubbling while you work on the grill. All models offer two stainless steel work stations on either side of the cooking surface, tool hooks, a fuel gauge (for propane models), and a massive 637 sq. in. cooking surface. You'll pay for that cooking surface and the convenience of gas though—the E-310 will set you back $699 at Amazon while the S-310 bumps that up to $849. The E-330 is closer to $800, and the S-330 is close to $1000. Still, they're huge, high-end, and solidly built—again, likely the last grill you ever buy.

We should note that our friends at The Sweethome point out that if you're looking for a bang for your buck gas model, you might want to step down from the Genesis to the Spirit line, specifically the Weber Spirit E-310, which we've highlighted before.

The Char-Griller Akorn Kooker is Char-Griller's only Kamado-style grill. It's not even listed on their website anymore (although accessories for it are), but it's widely available at retailers and online ($300 at Amazon). Because it's a Kamado cooker, it features a single vent at the top and an insulated, all-ceramic body that's meant to keep the food inside hot for the long haul, even if you don't use a lot of charcoal. The Akorn Kooker is most often compared to the Big Green Egg, since it's a Kamado grill and available at a fraction of the price compared to the size, but even the reviewers at Amazon will openly note that it's not as good and not quite built as well, but there's no way you can look at it that the Akorn Kooker isn't significantly cheaper for a similar style cooker. Regardless of your take on the competition, the Akorn Kooker features a cast iron cooking surface, two work surfaces on the sides, and durable wheels to help you move the thing around. Those of you who praised the Akorn highlighted its price, it's bang for the buck, and its portability as highlights—especially if you must have a Kamado-style grill but you don't want to spend a ton of money to get one.

The Weber Q Series is a line of compact, durable gas grills that are designed for portability, ease of use, and quick grilling. They don't have the most powerful burners around, and depending on the model you get, they need to rest on top of a sturdy surface (since they may not have legs or wheels of their own), but they're affordable (the Weber Q 100 is $149 at Amazon, while the high-end, free-standing Weber Q 320 is $379 at Amazon) by comparison to some of Weber's other models and offer many features that apartment dwellers or people who don't cook outside that frequently will love and appreciate. All of the Weber Q models feature one-touch electric ignition switches, porcelain enameled cooking hoods and cast-iron cooking grates, and feature one or two burners (two on the higher-end models), and the higher-end models feature built-in thermometers and side-mounted work surfaces for platters or storage while you work. Those of you who praised the Q series noted its portability, ease of setup, and its ability to cook for four or five people at once without a problem, no matter where you set it up. If you're looking for a grill you can toss in the back of the car with you when you go camping or head out on vacation, the Q may be the one for you.

Now that you've seen your nominees, it's time to vote for the all out winner:

The honorable mention this week goes out to Traeger's Wood Pellet Grills and Smokers, which earned several nominations but not enough to get into the top five. You praised the Traeger models for using a different type of fuel, eliminating the need for charcoal briquettes or propane refills and hoses, and for their design and build quality. If you're looking at charcoal versus gas and wishing you had an alternative, here you go.

Have something to say about one of the contenders? Want to make the case for your personal favorite, even if it wasn't included in the list? Remember, the top five are based on your most popular nominations from the call for contenders thread from earlier in the week. Don't just complain about the top five, let us know what your preferred alternative is—and make your case for it—in the discussions below.

The Hive Five is based on reader nominations. As with most Hive Five posts, if your favorite was left out, it's not because we hate it—it's because it didn't get the nominations required in the call for contenders post to make the top five. We understand it's a bit of a popularity contest, but if you have a favorite, we want to hear about it. Have a suggestion for the Hive Five? Send us an email at tips+hivefive@lifehacker.com!

Photos by Phil Gwinn, Bart Everson, and Mike the BBQ Guy.

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Recycled T-Shirt Journal - with Donkey Kong, Harry Potter, and other Nerdy Things

My husband loves to wear witty, ironic, awesome t-shirts, but he tends to go through them pretty quickly. Once the armpits get all weird and crunchy the thrift store won't take the shirts, so the clothing is destined for the trash.

There are hundreds of ways to reuse t-shirts all over the interent, but if you are a never-ending DIY-er like me, you have a vast collection of refashioned t-shirts dresses, t-shirt quilts, and t-shirt shopping bags.

I wanted to figure out another way to reuse the cool graphics of the shirts that could be replicated quickly and would appeal to the masses. 

I also kept seeing Star Wars and Nintendo shirts at the thrift shop that were fifty cents and size XXL, so I grabbed as many nerdy shirts as I could and started selling the finished journals at a local coffee shop. Maybe you can do the same.

We all have piles of shirts that we don't wear anymore, but for sentimental or hoarder reasons we are unable to get rid of a single tee. I'll show you how to use an old shirt to make a cool fabric-covered journal, and BONUS! These make great presents!

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How to Decode "Menuspeak" and Navigate Any Restaurant Menu

Eating healthy is particularly tricky at restaurants, since even healthy sounding dishes can harbor ingredients that add hundreds more calories than you'd expect. This effect is known as the health halo. Of course, if you want to splurge every now and then I more than encourage it. The trick is making sure you know when you are or aren’t making healthy choices, and doing so intentionally.

Below is an excerpt from my new book, Foodist: Using Real Food and Real Science to Lose Weight Without Dieting, on how to decode the secret language of restaurant menus to avoid unnecessary healthstyle pitfalls.

Deciphering what is healthy on a menu is not always straightforward. Restaurants have made an art of luring you in with their words and making dishes sound absolutely irresistible, regardless of how they actually taste. Another problem is that dishes that should be healthy, for instance, a Thai chicken salad, are often loaded with secret ingredients (usually extra sugar, salt, and processed oils) that actually cause them to clock in at way over the number of calories you’d expect (according to the nutrition facts, the Thai chicken salad at California Pizza Kitchen has 1,160 calories). To avoid these traps you need to first learn to decipher menuspeak, and then tailor your ordering and special requests to remove the worst offenders.

You already know to avoid foods that are obviously very processed, focus on whole foods, and make sure there is something green on your plate. Once you’ve gotten that far, the biggest issues are usually sauces and toppings. Sugar, oil, and salt make foods taste better, and when restaurants use low-quality (i.e., bad-tasting) ingredients, they aren’t shy about compensating for this by using as many sweet or creamy sauces as possible. Think of these ingredients—the flavor trifecta of sugar, fat, and salt—as makeup for your food. A small amount of the good stuff (e.g., butter or cheese), used tastefully and with restraint, can enhance and beautify a dish. But too much of it is a sign that people are covering up something they don’t want you to see.

How do you know if a restaurant is trying to mask its food with shameless flavor enhancers? Several code words and descriptions can tip you off to this sort of culinary cover-up. Sugar, for example, tends to be sticky, so words like “glaze” and even “sticky” itself are a good sign there is extra sweetener around. Similarly, anything that’s “crispy” or “crusted” has likely been covered in a batter made from processed wheat or corn and soaked in oil at high temperatures. Fortunately, there are also words that signify more healthily prepared dishes. “Roasted,” “grilled,” or “spiced” foods have extra flavor without extra calories.

Sometimes it’s hard to find something on a menu that isn’t smothered in sugar or dredged in bread crumbs. At this point try to simply find the dish that sounds the best and ask your server to leave off the crispy wontons and bring you a side of spinach instead. Once you know what to look for, making the right call will start to come naturally.

Decoding Menuspeak: Navigating the Perilous World of Restaurant Menus | Summer Tomato

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How to make a Turk's head engagement ring

1. A print out of the knot we're going to tie. I'll show you how to get this in the next step.

2. Any kind of clear tape.

3. 3/64" drill bit. The hardware stores I checked only stocked bits down to 1/8". You can find these on amazon: http://amzn.to/10WJtLf

4. Wire cutters.

5. Jewelry pliers. These are needle nose pliers with round tips.

6. Ring sizer. Any local craft store should have one of these. This actually isn't absolutely necessary, but it can be handy.

7. Wire. I used 28 gauge, 18K dead soft gold wire. To practice you'll want to pick up some beading wire from your local craft store. I experimented with many different gauges ranging from 20 down to 32. 32 was a bit too tiny for my taste, and 24 and above makes for pretty rings without needing any reinforcement (you'll notice a gold band reinforcing the ring I made). Make sure to get plenty of practice before moving to gold wire, which you can find on etsy. Many of pictures I'll show will be of the beading wire. I was pretty focused when I was using real gold wire and didn't take many pictures.

8. T-pins. You can pick these up at any office supply store or steal them from work like I did. 

9. A drill or dremel. If you use a drill you may need a chuck to fit your 3/64" bit. I got mine on amazon: http://amzn.to/14WVnIa

10. A hammer, this is only necessary if you get the ring stretcher that requires it (see #9).

11. A small diameter dowel. Anything 1/8" diameter or below. A skewer or strong toothpick would work. We'll use it to tie the basket around. 

12. A ring stretcher. Again, amazon is great: http://amzn.to/1adGUsy

13. A pool cue. Get the cheapest one you can find. I went to a local billiards store and asked the owner for a cheap cue that I wouldn't even be using to play pool and he went in the back and came out with this. He didn't even charge me.

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Paiute Deadfall Trap

We all need to eat, but the problem is getting it. Sure, we can survive on pine needle tea, but for how long before we need meat? Here's the answer: a deadfall trap made from mostly natural materials. It was invented and made by the Paiute tribe, and I'm carrying on their tradition here. Please note, the legality of making traps with natural materials may vary from place to place. In fact, it may be illegal in most states except for a desperate survival situation. So please, please, check with your local laws. Don't say I didn't warn you, and I'm not responsible for any injuries or trouble you may get in. However, I don't think it's illegal to just make one for fun, as long as you don't catch anything in it.Choose or cut a relatively straight, strong stick. The height will vary depending on what animal you're trying to catch. Mine ended up about eight inches in the end. Using your knife, make a dovetail in one end, which is when you widdle one side of the top of the stick down, and the other side, to make a point.

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Bendy Straw Statement Necklace

 I love this necklace because it's bold and trendy, yet it can be made from things around the house! Sure, you could just buy gold beads. But walking around knowing that you're secretly sporting expensive looking bendy straws is just too amusing to miss out on!You're going to need about 10 straws, scissors, toothpicks, a piece of cardboard, gold spray paint, long shoestrings (or long black nylon string), and gold hex nuts.

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NES Coin Purse, 3.0 (Yet Another, revisited and improved)

The first time I stumbled upon a NES purse instructable, (here) I made one of myself right away. In the process, and in the daily usage, I found many glitches that I tried to overcome. Such as: coinage make the case rattle too much, and the purse can be opened halfways wide open, dropping all the content. So, this is my third NES purse (v 1.0 was stolen (too cool to let in my backpack unnatended), v2.0 was rendered as a gift to my girlfriend (also stolen from his backpack, thievemagnet this thing is)), so in v 3.0 I managed to backup the whole construction process, to end up with a fully capable and wearable object.

I just worked on a borrowed idea. Credit given where credit's due.

Enjoy.

...and keep it safe. It's a wonder how the regular people feel impelled to steal this little gizmo.

You will need the following:

- an old NES controller. Prefferably not-working. I still have my NES console with a pair of working controllers. Do not use those kind. Go to a flea market or something.
- a jacket zipper, 35 cm (13.8 in) long. To match the NEs scheme, I selected one in red.
- phillips n°1 screwdriver
- nose-end pliers
- vinilic glue (like the one used in plastic water pipings, or acrylic scale models).
- Instant glue.
- EVA foam sheet for insulation.
- book paper binders (many of 'em)

Later on I ended needing the following

- X-acto or tip-top crafts knife
- Red sewing thread
- Sewing Needle

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