If you could have just one outdoor cooking appliance, what would it be?

Backyard grilling has always been a big American pastime, but in recent years this has been joined by an explosion of interest in slow smoked barbecue, the traditional Southern or Texan style of cooking meats slowly at low temperatures with indirect heat and plenty of smoky flavor. This has led to a boom in smoker sales, but for most people that means a second unit, and usually a big one, since many backyard smokers are of the offset variety and require a lot of space.

Most of us use our smokers for a limited number of specific slow cooked BBQ specialties such as ribs, brisket and pork shoulder, but grills do everything from a single steak to hamburgers for a crowd, hot dogs, chicken, pork chops, vegetables, seafood and more. Some smokers, especially vertical ones, can double as wood or charcoal burning kettle-style grills, but this is not typically a solution for the frequent griller, and in summer in the Boston area lots of people cook out several nights each week.

Because grills typically get used more often than smokers, convenience becomes a big factor: while it is well worth lighting a hardwood charcoal fire to cook ribs for six hours, few people want to bother with this to make a couple of hot dogs, or burgers for two. This typically reduces grill selection to a choice between more convenient propane or more flavorful wood fired cooking, two very different types of grills, and some people want both – along with a smoker.

Many Americans live in an urban or suburban world of limited outdoor space, a single patio or even balcony, and if you have to choose just one grill that truly can do it all, the choice is simple: it is almost impossible to argue against a pellet grill. These can slow smoke or grill, do both very well, and easily, with real wood and real fire but without hassle or time constraints, lighting quickly with no mess or chimney starters, and then cooking accurately with minimal supervision.

Pellet grills burn small hardwood pellets about twice the size of a pencil eraser, which you buy in bags. Like wood chunks, they come in different “flavors” like hickory, oak and mesquite. They are not brand specific and are readily available in stores or by mail order. Different brand grills work differently, but at the higher end, better pellet grills generally have a storage hopper for the pellets and an electronic auger which feeds them into a firebox. This typically has an electronic igniter, an element that heats up when you start the grill, and when pellets are dropped onto it, they catch fire. Once it gets going, new pellets are ignited by the old. The whole thing is computer controlled, and you set the temperature with a digital thermostat, just alike a wall oven, then the computer and auger feed pellets as needed to precisely maintain the temperature. That’s pretty much it – whether you are slow smoking at 215° for 12 hours or searing steaks at 500° for two minutes per side, you turn it on, set the temperature, and wait for it to heat up, which is slightly slower than propane and much faster than a wood fired smoker or grill.

PROS:

• Convenience
• Efficiency
• Accuracy
• Versatility

For more information on Pellet Grills, contact West Sport in Sudbury.

Forbes

Make no mistake about it: Outdoor living is trending and bigger than ever.

Outdoor living is huge. It’s like bringing the inside outside. It really seems like everybody wants to live outside now. Instead of taking a vacation, they want to go outside and have a staycation.

From functional outdoor kitchens to elaborate backyard living areas and everything in between, West Sport in Sudbury has the best ideas for your outdoor living space. Outdoor kitchens remain a popular feature.

We’re seeing a lot more outdoor kitchens with built-in gas grills, refrigerators, and bars. Outdoor kitchens can be as simple or as elaborate as the customer’s budget will allow.

You can have the basics — a refrigerator and grill. Or some people go all out, even installing lobster steamers.

Another idea is to buy a shed, deck it out inside, open up the doors, put a patio on the front of it and now you’ve got an outdoor entertainment area. Fire pits are another way to make the outdoors more cozy and appealing.

People are taking advantage of fire features. Now that everyone is migrating outside fire pits extend the season — you can be outside in the spring and the fall.

Whether outdoor living spaces include elegant or rustic elements, one feature home owners insist upon is low maintenance.

Everybody’s working so hard these days, you want to come home, have dinner, and not worry about messing up anything. You’ve got to clean the house and take care of the inside, so the outside should take care of itself.

For more information on outdoor kitchens and outdoor kitchen design elements, contact West Sport in Sudbury. Send in your contractor and get 25% off your entire project!

heraldbulletin.com

Over the years, outdoor landscaping has evolved from a plain concrete pad to more elaborate, multi-functional, multi-dimensional designs like outdoor kitchens and living rooms. These outdoor living spaces are accessible to people with a variety of budgets, and aren’t just limited to high-end homes.

People are increasingly considering the outdoor area to be an extension of their home, using it as an outdoor kitchen as well as an outdoor living area.

What is your priority: do you want to cook, or do you want to entertain? How do you want to use the space?

While things like a built-in gas grills or a smoker used to be reserved for luxury homes, those features are now readily available at different price points.

It used to be only the elite could have these outdoor kitchens, and now they’re accessible for everybody, and people really want to incorporate them into their design. People want to build outdoor spaces they can really use and savor during the months they can be outside.

Homeowners also want to incorporate items like outdoor TVs, seating spaces and a cast iron fire drum to host gatherings for friends.

Outdoor living spaces now have more of a flow, using different materials and creating distinct areas.

You might have an outdoor kitchen, an entertaining level, and then a separate area with a pergola and a swing. You can build in some functional furniture that doubles as benches and storage.

Even lighting for the outdoors has become more high-tech, as LED technology has introduced smaller lighting fixtures in a wide range of styles.

People are asking for maintenance-free lighting systems they can install and then forget about.

People are also making conscious choices about what plants they are incorporating into their landscaping. They are mixing herbs and vegetables into their overall plan and not having a designated vegetable garden. They are also choosing to incorporate plants that are friendly to butterflies and other wildlife.

There are really so many exciting things on the market now, and things that will be coming onto the market in the near future.

Homeowners also might create a large-scale plan for their outdoor space and then create it in phases. The key is for the designer and the homeowner to work on the project today.

If you build a house, you’re involved with the home builder from the very first step. It should be the same when you create your outdoor space. You should be involved and empowered to make a space look beautiful, but it has to be functional for you and your family and how you want to use it.

For more information on designing outdoor kitchens, contact West Sport in Sudbury.

nwitimes.com

The addition of outdoor living spaces and outdoor kitchens is a growing trend. Homeowners are increasingly moving their living areas beyond the four walls of the house and extending them to the outdoors.

People want to spend time at home now. Instead of traveling, they want to come home and relax.

As spring approaches, now is a good time to consider outdoor living projects which can include building an outdoor kitchen to add value to a home and increase your family’s enjoyment.

Professionally designed outdoor living spaces are growing in popularity, even though yards are shrinking in many neighborhoods. That may sound like a contradiction, but it isn’t. A well-designed outdoor space can help preserve privacy for you and your neighbors.

Some homeowners have larges spaces to work in, but others have big ideas to dress up a yard but have a smaller space to work in.

Included in new homes

Many homeowners add outdoor kitches after purchasing their homes, but many new homes come complete with areas for outdoor living.

It’s a second living area, but outside the home. Many are built to feature a deck, and many buyers add covered patios, built-in gas grills, and fire pits.

They weren’t popular in days gone by, but it is now. People are more outdoors oriented, more health conscious, more active.

One homeowner said, “I think of the value it brings my family, having that area for everyone to gather. It makes the backyard a focal point. It’s the kind of backyard people migrate to. It’s not unusual for us to light a fire and 10 people show up.”

For more information on planning and creating an outdoor kitchen, contact West Sport in Sudbury where we’ll give you 25% off your ENTIRE project.

The Tennessean

An outdoor kitchen and outdoor living space adds extra functionality, comfort, and versatility to your home, and you can create one at a much more affordable price than an indoor home improvement or addition.

For smaller houses, outdoor space is an essential extension of your home — but regardless of house size, you should make the most of it.

It takes planning to create an outdoor kitchen that’s both beautiful and affordable. Here are some of his tips to get your project started:

Create a budget

Before you can start making real plans, you need to know how much you can afford to spend. Set a budget, and work off of that.

Focus on function

An outdoor space can do a lot compared to an indoor space. Is it a patio or lawn? Will it be used for entertaining, cooking? You can have a built-in gas grill or a full outdoor kitchen, a roof to keep out of the weather, a fireplace. The possibilities are almost endless.

Set your priorities

When you’re working with a budget, it’s necessary to prioritize. There are things that you want and things that you need. You may not be able to afford everything you want, but you want to have your needs covered.

Pick an aesthetic

Aesthetic is an important part of creating any living space, including one that’s outdoors. Be sure to create a style that is a reflection of you and your family. It gives your home that personal touch, like a fingerprint.

Choose your materials

Natural stone is a lot more expensive than synthetic. The good news, if you’re on a budget, is that they both are durable and look good. Today, the engineered product is as good as natural. You won’t even be able to tell the difference.

Design

The design pulls all of these choices together. Your design will help you visualize the finished space and understand what may or may not be feasible with the size you’re working with.

There are lots of options, from small backyard patios to larger rural spaces.

To learn more about designing your perfect, affordable outdoor living space, contact West Sport in Sudbury.

theintell.com

The Clydesdale wood burning fireplace insert made by HearthStone is certified by the EPA for emissions, making this fireplace insert beautiful as well as very clean and efficient. The Clydesdale combines high-end eye appeal and design made from cast iron, with s beautiful large glass door so you can enjoy the fire as it burns.

This wood burning fireplace insert is one of the most attractive inserts on the market, and can fit in with most styles of home décor. Lots of people like their open wood burning fireplaces, but the Clydesdale wood burning fireplace insert will change your ideas about that. This wood insert was designed for beauty and performance. It is made to be eye appealing, and with the large glass window, you will enjoy your evening by the fire. But it is made to be efficient and used as a heat source as well. When you get home and you want to get warm and relax, the Clydesdale is beautiful to look at, inside and out.

This wood burning fireplace insert is also efficient. It can heat up to 2000 sq ft and it can burn for up to 10 hours.  It’s EPA Rating is 3.2 grams of particulate emissions per hour  with an efficiency rating of 79%. That makes this fireplace insert very efficient.

If you are looking for different, better and more beautiful way to heat your home that also adds value and is consistent, reliable and affordable, look at the Clydesdale fireplace insert from Hearthstone. At West Sport save $300 off any Hearthstone product. Contact us for more details.

Fireplace inserts are a great way to update an existing masonry fireplace.

A traditional open-front wood-burning fireplace usually has an efficiency rating of just 5-10%, according to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association. A new fireplace insert utilizes an insulated closed-combustion system that increases heat output and promotes efficiency.

To be a candidate for a fireplace insert, you must have an existing masonry or factory-built fireplace with a working chimney, and you’ll select the insert’s size based on the existing opening.

The type of venting required by a new insert varies. Natural venting through the existing chimney is possible; direct vent and vent-free options are options as well, depending on your fuel choice.

The cost and availability of fuel in your area, the overall maintenance required, and the desired look are all factors to consider when choosing an insert. Wood, gas (natural or propane), and pellets are the most common fuel sources for fireplace inserts.

Wood burning fireplace inserts

When searching out a wood-burning insert, look for an EPA-certified appliance to help protect the environment and your indoor air quality. Many inserts feature an airwash system to keep the glass panel clean and clear. Others come with a blower with multiple speed options that make it easy to quickly heat spaces ranging from 1,200 to 2,200 square feet.

Gas fireplace inserts

Many gas inserts fit well in modern interiors, but they can fit with any decor. They often have a reflective black glass interior and and can offer wood like fires or linear flames. Direct venting ensures combustion exhaust and fumes are fully removed from your home’s interior, and a smart intermittent pilot ignition system adds an extra level of safety and energy savings.

Pellet stove inserts

Thanks to its use of recycled sawdust pellets as fuel, pellet inserts heats things up in an environmentally friendly way. With a convection blower, auto igniter, and airwash system to keep the glass crystal clear, they have the efficiency of a pellet stove housed in a recessed fireplace opening. The hopper holds pellets, making refueling infrequent. And if you’re worried you’ll miss the traditional look of logs on a fire, an optional decorative ceramic log set is available.

For more information on fireplace inserts for your home, contact West Sport in Sudbury.

BobVilla.com

Here comes the snow. Hearthstone is having its mid-winter sales event, which means you can get $400 off any Hearthstone wood burning fireplace insert, wood stove, gas stove or gas insert. Hearthstone wood and gas inserts are on sale now through February 29th. Get $300 off anything Hearthstone. And the Clydesdale Wood Burning Fireplace Insert may be one of the most beautiful wood burning inserts you have ever seen.

Burning wood is one of the most romantic, beautiful and satisfying ways to heat your home. And, it is very economical, but is also gives you the additional benefits of a beautiful flame, relaxing warmth, a romantic ambiance and increased home value.

With wood you will even stay warm when the power goes out.

Now is the time to consider how to transform your fireplace and your home. At West Sport, we would like to help. In fact, send in your contractor and you’ll even get 15% off your entire home remodeling or home addition project.

Transform your fireplace into a beautiful heat source and enjoy winter again.  The Clydesdale, and everything Hearthstone offer a combination of both power and beauty. Contact West Sport in Sudbury for more information.

The latest version of the model Energy Code requires gasketed fireplace doors on all new construction. That includes new homes or home additions. Massachusetts, along with 17 other states, has adopted the law.

This means that it is a requirement that newly constructed masonry fireplaces be equipped with gasketed doors in Massachusetts.Gasketed “Air Seal” fireplace doors are available as a remedy for homeowners who need are remodeling or building a new home. Glass Fireplace doors are also perfect for homes that experience cold air infiltration down their chimney because of negative pressure.

The advantage to glass fireplace doors for new construction is that they are sealed fireplace doors! Sealed fireplace doors keep the heated and cooled warm air from going up the chimney and keep any unpleasant odors from the fireplace out of the room. No fireplace door is completely airtight, but the gasketed doors at West Sport in Sudbury save approximately 99% of energy loss. Make your masonry fireplace more than a décor item, lower your heating bill, and meet the new state and local building codes with glass fireplace doors.

If you are beginning a new construction project, home addition, or renovation, have your contractor get in touch for information on contractor deals and specials. Contact West Sport in Sudbury for more information on air-tight fireplace doors!

Fireplaces are one of the top amenities for homeowners who are looking to buy a new house. In fact, they only rank second behind outdoor patios, decks and porches. While the cost of adding a fireplace to an existing home used to be prohibitively expensive, today’s options are affordable, and they are also a relatively easy home improvement.

What has made adding a fireplace to a home easy and affordable is the technology and the installation flexibility of gas fireplaces. No actual combustion occurs in gas fireplaces, so zero-clearance installation is possible. This means that “these fireplaces can be installed in direct contact with combustible walls and floors. Their inner and outer shell construction allows for maximum heat insulation.” As long as you have a natural gas connection or propane availability, you can install a gas fireplace almost anywhere in your home. Shielded by tempered or ceramic glass, gas fireplaces can even be exposed on three or four sides.

The flexibility gas fireplaces, combined with a wide array of styles—from traditional to contemporary, a fire that looks and performs like real wood, and the benefit of improved energy efficiency, and gas fireplaces have become one of the hottest fireplace products today, outselling wood and pellet by more than half.

Benefits of gas over wood

Comparing prices, you’ll find little difference between gas and wood fireplaces, and installation costs are about equal as well. The main difference between gas and wood lies in venting and long-term performance.

The nice thing about gas is that you have immediate ignition and complete control over the heat output. With wood, a certain amount of time is required to light the fire, turn that energy into heat and then get that heat into a room.

In contrast to a gas fireplace, whose heat is controlled with a thermostat, a wood-burning fireplace only comes with air control—the damper.

High-end gas fireplaces are available with comfort control systems. These monitor the temperature of a room and start ramping the burner down as the room approaches a desired temperature.

What about the environment? “Wood is a renewable resource, gas isn’t.” In a gas fireplace there are very few by-products of combustion entering the atmosphere. So, environmentally, gas appliances can be considered healthier than a wood-burning appliance.

In next week’s blog, we’ll discuss venting options for gas fireplaces.

For more information, contact West Sport in Sudbury.

bobvila.com