Watching a friend grill hotdogs on Saturday made me think about the upcoming Summer months, camping trips, and BBQ dinners. It also got me wondering if there were any new BBQ grills coming out this year. Well, I’m a year too late with this one, but I thought it sounded impressive enough to mention.

The Cobb Premier Portable Stainless Steel Grill & Smoker does more than grill and smoke meats. You can bake, roast, fry and boil an endless variety of foods on this grill, which uses only 8 briquettes. The exterior remains cool to the touch, which is a big plus if you have hyper kids who refuse to stop running around the BBQ. Its portability and easy clean up make this a very practical gift for the camping enthusiast.

The Vulcan is the ultimate gift for campers. It has a removable insulated cooler with two outer pockets to hold propane tanks, a gas grill (propane not included) and a three piece BBQ tool set. Take it on a camping trip, to a tailgate party, or use it in your backyard.

Hands down, a slow-cooked barbecue out-tastes the popular grill barbecue. The combination of charcoal, mesquite, water and spices gives meats a smoky flavor while preserving the natural juices. Yesterday, my husband smoked a pork shoulder to serve as the main course of his mother’s luau-style birthday dinner. The pork literally fell to pieces at the slightest pull.

My husband bought a Brinkman smoker about ten years ago, when he fell in love with the smoked turkey my father had made for Thanksgiving. We don’t use it very often, except to entertain family and friends. Smokers are great for cooking for a large crowd, but you will need to prepare your meat and get the smoker going well in advance in order to serve your guests.

You’ll find all kinds of smokers online and in your local stores, ranging from cheap to expensive. The Weber model (shown above) costs about $100 more than the Brinkman I found online. Both brands are good. However, if my husband’s smoker decided to break, I’d buy this model because of the rave reviews it received regarding temperature control, which is something my husband has struggled with since he bought his first smoker. Also, Weber has a website called The Virtual Weber Bullet that has a lot of useful information about cooking with this smoker that you won’t find in the owner manual, including cooking tips, recipes and a forum.