For the beachcomber
Unless you own a hot-dog stand, wheeling a full-size barbecue to the beach is serious nerdsville. Instead, tote the Char-Broil tabletop portable barbecue. It’s small enough to transport by bus, but will still fire up a mean sausage, and is the next best thing in the absence of bylaws allowing campfires. S’more it up with tin foil on the grill, and watch the sun set over the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The grill features steel construction with a durable finish and an easy-to-clean chrome-plated cooking grid. Available at London Drugs for $29.99, but not including the one-pound gas cylinder.

For the condo dweller

Roll out this Jetsons-inspired wonder grill when your building’s social committee raises the flag for summer. The Coleman RoadTrip Grill LXE is compact enough to fit on balconies and small patios, but still big enough to flame-grill burgers for a child’s-size birthday party. The push-button ignition makes lighting a breeze, even for new chefs. Cleaning is facilitated by the dual grill grates (use one, soak the other) and removable grease tray. It runs on a 0.48-litre propane cylinder, but can be adapted to a 20-pound tank. Available at London Drugs for $269.99.

For serious marinaders

If you spent winter camped out on the couch swaddled in a blanket and reading old grilling magazines, consider the Napoleon Ted Reader 485 Series three-burner propane barbecue. Serious marinade fans need a serious barbecue, and this one features a red porcelain-coated roll-top lid, which retains heat as effectively as an oven. That’s convenient, as according to many food magazines, grilled pizzas may be the dish of summer 2008. The Napoleon includes an ignition system for easy starts, and stainless-steel side shelves with condiment trays. Watch out, Joneses next door. Pick one up at Canadian Tire for $799.99.

For the meat worshipper
Honour your meat—no—praise your meat with this steak sanctuary, the Summit E-650 gas grill by Weber. Get good enough on this baby during summer, and for Thanksgiving, you can rotisserie an entire turkey on its enclosed, motorized spit. In copper (pictured) or black, the Summit is a fiery force with six burners, a smoker box, “Flavourizer” bars, a precision fuel gauge, and it even comes with its own cookbook. The 1.9-metre-wide machine is available at most Home Hardware locations, and several independent retailers around Vancouver. It sells for $2,499.99 for the propane version, and $2,549.99 for natural gas.