Courtesy of the Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet media relations team

Traditional gas and charcoal grills have been backyard mainstays for decades.

But now, many homeowners are becoming more sophisticated in their outdoor cooking. And they’re looking for products that allow for more cooking versatility. That is, appliances that enable more authentic flavors and new techniques.

They want real smoky flavors. They want to experiment with different types of heat. They want to perform authentic cooking techniques. And they’re doing it with ‘alternative grills’.

Now is the time when many of your readers are looking to add these products to their outdoor space for grilling season. To help them out, here are our top picks:

1. SMOKERS – If there is one hot trend for 2017, it’s low-and-slow cooking at home. To see what’s popular in the residential space, look no further than the professional space. According to Mintel, “causal and fine dining restaurants will continue to embrace fundamental preparation methods, including fire-grilling and smoking” in 2017. As Hearth + Home points out, 80 percent of the semi-finalists for the 2016 James Beard Best New Restaurant Award have smoked or wood-grilled dishes on their menus. Whether it’s a smoker and kamado, many manufacturers now these products, signaling that it’s a fast-growing trend.

• • Product spotlight: Kalamazoo just released a competitive-grade Smoker Cabinet that uses gravity-feed charcoal smoking technology – as an added bonus, the smoky flavor primarily comes from wood. It’s the first under-counter smoker of its kind, but also available as a freestanding cart version.

2. WOOD-FIRED GRILLS – Even though it’s the oldest way to cook, live wood-fired grills are having a comeback. The trend started in Europe and South America before catching on here. For many, there’s nothing quite like the smell of burning wood, hearing a warm crackling fire and then achieving unmistakable smoky flavors. Previously, wood-fired grills were more prevalent in high-end steak restaurants, but now, they’re showing up more often in residential outdoor kitchens with no signs of slowing down in 2017.       

• • Product spotlight: With our Gaucho Grill, we’ve taken the essence of an Argentinian-style wood-fired grill, added a motorized rotisserie spit for more versatility and a powerful gas starter for convenience. Control heat intensity by raising and lowering the cooking surface closer or further from the flames. Starter burners easily and quickly light the wood fire in about 10 minutes, so there is no need to kindle a fire before cooking. Our Hybrid Fire Grill also allows you the freedom to cook with wood, charcoal or gas.

3. OUTDOOR PIZZA OVENS – More people are gravitating to outdoor pizza ovens  for cooking authentic, pizzeria quality pies at home – including Neapolitan-style pizzas – as the Associated Press and San-Diego Union Tribune both report. They provide a change of pace from grilling, and a way to make cooking a more interactive activity with friends and family.

• • Product spotlight: With pizza ovens like our Artisan Fire Pizza Oven, you can even cook fish, breads, meats and vegetables. It lets you bake a pizza in less than three minutes at more than 800 degrees. It comes in three models: one designed to sit on a counter-top, a built-in version and a new freestanding model.

All of Kalamazoo products are available for purchase online and through certified design professionals, or via dealers throughout the U.S. and Canada. Reference the dealer locator to find a dealer near you.