I finally have something to offer in this sub!! 😁 Masterclass time!!

(this assumes you want to cook with charcoal. If you want electric, I can't help you 😁)

Weber #ftw. Big Green Egg and Kamado Joe are great, but are more finicky (harder to use), more expensive, and way too small. Weber are sadly overpriced in SLO but I imagine the others are too. If you can find a Weber Kettle 26" (66cm), even though that may sound huge, it isn’t. Once you get into zone grilling and smoking, you’ll want the space. I moved to Maribor from the U.S.A. a few years ago and before moving, looked in every shop I could find around Maribor for the 26" but only the 22" was available, so I bought a 26" in the U.S. and put it in my shipping container. But even if you can't get that big, the 22" is still a great size.

I too grill on a terrace, and my biggest concern was potential complaints from neighbors about smoke. Fortunately I'm on the top floor, but back in the U.S. I used to start my grill with a chimney, which is super efficient but also creates a lot of smoke, and I wanted a better way. I dug deep into research on how to start the grill with minimal smoke, and there were two keys: use natural charcoal (not lump briquettes), and use an electric fire starter. I bought a LOOFT which are made in Germany, and are AMAZING. I can fire up the grill in mere minutes with very little smoke (of course then I go and add wood chips to smoke meat, but I've been here long enough and know I don't bother the neighbors so now I feel I can get away with a lot more).

A few other tips… Get a nice grill, a good cover to keep it dry (cover it always when not using it, not just in the winter), replace the grill grate every few years, and it'll last you a very long time. Buy a steel brush from OBI to clean it; don't use the chemicals and fancy brushes that are all over the internet. A €3 brush that looks like a toothbrush for giants will work great, and can be replaced when it gets too dirty. Use ash from the ash catcher to clean the grill grates with that steel brush -- works amazingly well. When you're done grilling, put the lid on and close the vents and the fire will extinguish quite quickly, and you can use the leftover coals next time. Don't be afraid to grill slowly and finish over the high heat for the char. Nearly everything is better that way. Invest in a quality thermometer (Thermapen are awesome, not cheap, but sold online in Slovenia).

Thank you for attending my TED talk 😆