It's the grilling season! How do you like yours done? Gas, charcoal or the new electric infrared grills? We asked Sam Hadzaman, an associate at the Home Depot in Dundalk, for some grilling advice.

Gas or charcoal? How to decide?

It's really a personal preference. For people who like a smoky taste, charcoal grills provide the smoky flavor they crave. These days, charcoal comes in hardwood, such as oak or cherry, which is pre-burnt and provides a different flavor because of the different type of wood. Propane is convenient, so for the "on-the-go" griller, this is a good option. With propane, you will not have to clean up any ash like you would on a charcoal grill after cooking. If a person is looking for a smoky flavor using a propane grill, wood chips can be added to the heat source and should be pre-soaked, so they don't burn up quickly. It is also much easier to control cooking temperatures with propane grills.

How do you decide how much grill you need to buy?

Grill surface should be determined by family size and how much grilling are you planning to do for entertaining. A normal household should have a four-burner gas grill. For larger families, you can buy grills with additional side burners for cooking soups or steaming crab. For households with one or two people, smaller options are available. If you are living in a condo, infrared electric grills are a good option and provide the same taste as a bigger grill normally used in the backyard.

Anything new in grilling this season?

Tru-infrared grills are the latest in grilling technology. Tru-infrared technology provides a flame that is not visible. It is a glow of heat that cooks at a more even temperature throughout and gives you that restaurant-style taste.

And there are replacement parts now for just about every part of my grill, correct?

That is correct. For just about every grill manufacturer out there, there are replacement parts available.