NDL Hearth Blog

Finally, Memorial Day is here and this means summer! Summer means grilling, and if you are in the market for a new grill, whether you want a charcoal grill, pellet grill or gas grill, there are a few questions you should ask yourself before you buy.

How often do you grill? How many people will you grill for most often? How long do I want the grill to last? Once you answer these questions, you will know in what price range you need to shop.  

Here is a look at some of the benefits of gas grills, charcoal grills and pellet grills.

Gas Grills: Gas grills are generally known as a higher end grill than a charcoal. They last longer, have loads of amenities and come in various sizes, from two to four burners.
 
The main advantage of a gas grill is the convenience. Gas grills have gained popularity because they're ready to cook in less than 10 minutes. The temperature of gas grills is also very easy to maintain. And the more burners a grill has, the more cooking flexibility you'll enjoy.

Charcoal Grills: Most chefs or those who love to cook will pick a charcoal grill over gas every time. Grill aficionados say charcoal grills produce better tasting grilled food. Now, charcoal grills used to be cheap and almost disposable. But today, with ceramic charcoal grills like Kamado Joe, you can have a high-end charcoal grill for your home.

Not only do charcoal models provide great flavor, but they last forever too. There's no maintenance on  a charcoal grill other than cleaning and dumping ashes.

Kamado Joe charcoal grills can be used as a smoker, oven, to sear, bake, roast and slow cook. That means you have so much versatility too.

Pellet Grills: As the price of gas has risen in recent years, several grillers have turned to pellet models.

Pellet grills use small wood pellets made for grilling. The hard wood pellets come in many flavors such as hickory, mesquite and cherry. Pellet grills are especially attractive because they are as convenient as gas and offer the flavor and versatility of charcoal.

The grilling temperature of pellet grills is also very easy to maintain as on a gas grill, but unlike any other type of grill, it is very difficult to burn or overcook food on a pellet grill because they use indirect heat. For this reason, pellet grills are perfect for the novice or the gourmet.
 
For more information on every style outdoor grill, contact Northeast Distribution, LTD.

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Are you looking for something special and different to do for the mother in your life? Grill her a special dinner. But why limit your outdoor grilling to the main course when you can grill almost everything? Home grill chefs have moved way beyond burgers, chicken and ribs, grilling everything from appetizers to desserts; and they are doing it on gas grills, pellet grills and ceramic charcoal grills.

Apps- Thick slices of bread brushed with some olive oil and seasoned to your liking are a natural for the grill. You can serve grilled bread along with your main course or top it with eggplant, tomatoes, cheese or just about any topping for an easy appetizer.

Meals- If you're so inclined, pick up a ready-made pizza crust or make your own crust and try making a grilled pizza. You can top the crust with whatever you want, but remember to avoid overly saucy toppings.

Be sure to brush the grill with olive oil or spray it with grill-heat cooking spray before adding the pizza and cook at medium-high heat, watching the pizza carefully to avoid burning the crust.

Sides- Vegetables have also found a home on many backyard gas, charcoal or pellet grills. Nearly any vegetable can be grilled. Asparagus, peppers, squash, eggplant, corn, mushrooms and onions work particularly well and can be combined for added color and taste appeal.

Vegetables that have been brushed with olive oil or sprayed with cooking spray can be placed directly on the grill for maximum smoky flavor or can be prepared in foil packets. Just add the seasonings that you like. Some vegetables will grill more quickly than others, keep a close eye on them.

Potatoes are a natural for grills, most often sliced, seasoned and grilled or wrapped in foil and baked. Slices of onion added to the slices or foil wrapped potatoes give them extra flavor.

Dessert- Fruit is a newcomer to the grill, but has become popular and is a great and unique dessert for summer parties and dinners. Grilling the fruit concentrates the flavors by reducing the water content and caramelizing the sugars. Top fruit with brown sugar before grilling for a special treat.

Hard fruits, such as pineapple, pears and apples, hold their shapes while cooking, making them a logical choice. You also can grill softer fruits like peaches, plums, mangoes, nectarines and even bananas, but watch the grill closely.

Just cut the fruit in half and brush it with a mild cooking oil, such as canola, that won't overpower the flavor of the fruit. Make sure when grilling fruit that the cooking grate is very clean, so you don't change the flavor of the fruit.

A simple and delicious use of grilled fruit is to slice it or smash it while it's still warm and use it as an ice cream topping.

Considering all the possibilities available for your gas grill, charcoal grill or pellet grill, why not get adventurous and start grilling outside of the box. You just might find that you won't miss the meat.

Interested in a new gas, pellet or charcoal grill? Contact Northeast Distribution, LTD.

HPBA Newscast

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Outdoor living and outdoor kitchens remain one of the fastest-growing segments of residential construction. As homeowners look to extend living and entertainment spaces and increase their home values, more are choosing to build out their outdoor spaces. Increasingly, buyers and homeowners demand more sophisticated living that can serve their needs year-round. This trend is evidenced by the growing popularity of outdoor gas grills with accessories, covered patios and decks, and fire pits. These are just some of the trends we discovered in our 2012 Outdoor Living Survey.

Here are some examples of the single biggest trends in outdoor living design today.

• Year-round use in even the smallest of outdoor spaces
• Appliances and electronics that can remain in the outdoor area throughout the winter months
• Outdoor kitchens with higher end gas and charcoal grills
• Elimination of decks in favor of patios
• Screened-in porch with an attached grilling area
• Maintenance-free decks/pavers
• Covered patios
• Wiring for TV and sound
• Easy-to-convert screened porch into indoor living space
• Creation of an ‘environment,’ not just a few outdoor features
• Outdoor big-screen TV and sitting area
• Concrete color and design stamping
• Herb and vegetable gardens
• Brick pizza ovens

Year-round use, outdoor appliances, high end grills and screened or covered porches and patios are just a few of the new trends buyers are looking for in outdoor living areas. - housezone.com

Like the sounds of an outdoor firepit or a new gas grill or high end charcoal grills? Contact Northeast Distribution today for and check out what we have to offer you for your outdoor living space this season!

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Wow, can you believe it is that time of year again? Time for spring cleaning and maintenance of your wood burning stove, fireplace or fireplace insert. If you’ve used your fireplace like the typical Northeastern has than your fireplace has worked hard for the past six months and deserves a little R & R. It is time for your wood stove or insert to get a cleaning and a polishing.

Make your stove, insert or fireplace look brand new again with maintenance products and stove paints from Northeast Distribution, LTD.  Imperial makes the best line of maintenance products and paints on the market today. For easy cleaning of your stove, fireplace, or insert we carry all that you need. Glass cleaner, cement and masonry cleaner, as well as gold and brass cleaner and high heat stove paint.

High temp stove and gasket cement is used to make repairs on wood-burning stoves, and for sealing fiberglass gaskets onto your woodstove doors.

Fireplace door glass cleaner can be used on glass, stainless steel, porcelain and tile surfaces and will remove that baked on carbon and mineral residue that has been building up all winter.

Stove Bright High Temp Aerosol Paint provides the highest quality coating for your wood stove and fireplace. It provides heat resistance up to 1200°F. For a cast iron stoves that have seen better days you can use stove polish. Have a bit of rust on your cast iron stove or insert? Stove polish will renew and re-black the surface and help prevent further deterioration.
 
For everything wood stove, fireplace and insert related, contact Northeast Distribution today.

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It is the first day of Spring, and it sure feels like it. Spring is in the air here in the Northeast, and that means it is time to roll out the grill. But has your grill seen better days? Are you ready for an upgrade? Enjoy the season with the ease, convenience and taste that a new gas grill, charcoal grill or pellet grill can deliver to your outdoor BBQ.

What’s the difference between a gas grill, a charcoal grill and a pellet grill? Besides the obvious, fuel source, here are some tidbits that make them different and unique.

Charcoal grills. At Northeast Distribution LTD we offer Kamado Joe Charcoal grills because we feel like these are the best charcoal grills on the market. Designed as a ceramic cooker, a Kamado Joe can be used to roast, bake sear, slow cook and as a smoker. While the Kamado Joe charcoal grill is best known for their charcoal grills, this year they have rolled out both a gas grill and a combination gas/charcoal grill. With great flavor from grilling on hardwood charcoal, charcoal grills are the grill of choice for those who want serious flavor.

Gas grills can run on propane or natural gas. The best quality to gas grills in their ease of operation. Turn them on and off with the flick of a switch, and your family will be eating delicious grilled food in no time. However, not all gas grills are alike. Vermont Castings gas grills and Kamado Joe gas grills are made out of stainless steel. With grill lights, rotisseries and side burners, these gas grills are made for those who want to revel in the grilling experience.

Pellet grills have the ease and convenience of gas and the flavor of charcoal. Grill your food over hardwood and experience the best grilled flavor you have ever tasted and it is so moist it will fall off the bone.  Green Mountain pellet grills are very easy to use, fill the hopper with hardwood pellets, flick the switch and be grilling in no time . The temperature of pellet grills can be controlled in 5 degree increments and because they use indirect heat, it is almost impossible to burn your food. For great flavor and convenience check out pellet grills.

Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter - There is never a bad time for grilling. Need a Gas, Pellet or Charcoal grill? Contact Northeast Distribution LTD.

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With Green Mountain Pellet Grills, at the touch of a button you can smoke, bake, grill, sear, roast, BBQ, and slow cook. Not only is this grill versatile it is also affordable. Pellet grills use food grade hardwood pellets, made from clean, kiln dried sawdust. The onboard computer starts the fire and keeps the grill at the precise temperature you want.

No hauling in the heavy propane tank for a fill up. Cook with hardwood pellets, not volatile compounds and lump charcoal and propane cost more than grilling on pellets.  On pellet grills you are using natural hard wood, so the flavor of your grilled food is fantastic. Just turn on the grill and in no time you are ready to grill at whatever temperature you have set.

Green Mountain grills are designed to last for years as well, but the real test is the food it cooks. You can adjust the temperature from 150 degrees to 500 degrees in 5 degree increments. So smoke some salmon, make some jerky, bake a pizza or roast a chicken.

Turn pro in your own backyard. Pellet grills cook with indirect heat so it is almost impossible to burn your food. The flavor of the food is going to blow you away. Pellet Grills make outdoor grilling unbelievably easy.  Set the temperature and walk away and the hardwood pellets impart true wood flavor; a zest that makes your food more savory.

There is no good reason not to purchase a Green Mountain Pellet Grill. For more information or for a retailer in your area, contact Northeast Distribution LTD.

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Winter is almost over and spring is on the way. However, that makes it the perfect time to buy a new wood burning stove. Demand is down right now, so you can have our undivided attention and quick delivery and installation. Being from the Northeast, you know we can have some pretty cool spring and summer nights too where a wood burning stove can come in handy.

Another reason why now is the time to buy a wood burning stove: because many of our retailers in MA, RI, CT, NJ, NY, ME, NH, PA and VT are having end of season sales to make room for the grills!

For all of our future winters, we want our fires to be more efficient and cost effective. By adding a wood burning stove to your home, you can add real dimension to your room and save money on your heating bills at the same time. A wood stove is your alternative to a traditional open fireplace, saving you money and making your roaring Northeast fire safer.

While efficient and decorative a wood stove allows home owners to add comfort and coziness to their homes all year long.  Using wood burning stoves to help heat your home can cut a heating bill in half. With heating bills going up and all of your wood stove options contact Northeast Distribution LTD for a retailer in your area.

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Heating with pellet stoves and pellet stove inserts is an economical, efficient and now beautiful way to heat your home. Heating your home with a pellet stove is cheaper than heating with oil and propane. The Stimulus Funds Rebate Program is now making it even less expensive to heat your home with pellet heat.

Although pellets are best known as the fuel for individual pellet stoves that heat homes, but pellets can also be fed by augers into whole-house boilers or industrial-sized machines that can heat schools or factories.

Pellets are convenient and pellet heat is simple.  Made from compressed sawdust, their uniform size and shape allows for them to be easily stored and for their delivery into a furnace to be automated, unlike logs. Because of this, pellet heat is as easy as heating with fossil fuels, because pellet heat can also be controlled by thermostats.

The region’s biomass producers say wood pellets could ultimately provide up to 20% of New Hampshire’s heat, compared to the current figure of about 4%.

The industry claims that nearly 5% of New Hampshire homes heat with wood pellets or other renewable energy. Heating uses nearly 40% of New Hampshire’s energy.

The federal Stimulus Funds Rebate Program is kick-starting the switch to wood pellet central heating in homes by offering rebates of up to 30% or up to $6,000 of installed cost for systems for primary residences.

For information on pellet stoves or pellets stove inserts, contact Northeast Distribution LTD, and we will connect you with the finest retailer in your area.

Nashuatelegraph.com

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While natural gas prices have plummeted to 10-year lows, heating oil prices have been steadily rising for years and have reached record levels this winter. The Energy Department projects a price of $3.79 a gallon over the next few months, more than a dollar above the winter average for the last five years. Analysts do not expect much relief in the longer term, either.

Despite the more mild winter this year, homes still need to be heated. Gas fireplaces and inserts and stoves are an economical, efficient and stress free way to heat your home. No firewood, no hassle, just flick a switch and have a roaring fire. Perfect for cool spring and summer evenings too.

“The people who have been unable to switch off of heating oil will be increasingly penalized in the coming years,” said Jay Hakes, a former administrator of the Energy Information Administration. “There’s going to be a continuing incentive to get off heating oil, because every day the headlines and experts say that over the foreseeable future, we will have natural gas at attractive prices.”

Nationwide, the average household using oil spent $2,298 on heat last year, compared with $724 spent by gas users and $957 spent by electricity users, according to the Energy Department.

This year, heating oil users are expected to spend 3.7% more than last year, while natural gas customers are expected to spend 7.3% less.

Looking for a beautiful and efficient way to heat your home? Gas fireplaces, gas stoves and gas fireplace inserts are a perfect solution; contact Northeast Distribution LTD to find a dealer in your area.

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Between the rising energy prices and the environmental impact of fossil fuels, more people are using wood as a sustainable, affordable source of heat.

Of course firewood can be burned in wood burning stoves, a masonry heater or a basement furnace; you have another option that is rising in popularity, an outdoor wood furnace.

An outdoor wood burning furnace addresses the kind of energy issues that more and more people are concerned about.

Outdoor wood furnaces otherwise known as a wood boiler look like a metal garden shed with a short chimney. Feed firewood into the firebox behind a door on one end and the fire heats water in an insulated tank that's also inside the structure. Pipe this hot water to a building through insulated underground pipes, extract the heat, and then use it for space heating and hot water. This outdoor wood furnace proposition offers unique advantages.

By moving the fire outside, you sidestep the work of bringing firewood inside and the work of hauling ash back out.

Outdoor wood boilers make heating more efficient. Clean burning means the furnace does most of the work. Ash cleanup is virtually non existent with the Empyre Pro Series wood boilers. The built-in cleaning portals makes brushing out fly ash from the gasification chamber and flues a quick and simple process.

The Empyre outdoor wood furnace burns cordwood, a renewable resource which is easily accessible. These wood boilers make splitting wood obsolete. With the newly designed, smaller firebox requiring less wood, it maintains burn times comparable to conventional outdoor furnaces at the same heat output.

Heat output is another feature of outdoor wood boilers. Even the smallest models are capable of heating a full sized home, with larger units capable of heating multiple buildings as well as heating domestic water, all from a single location. Wood boilers make it practical to handle more of your overall energy needs with wood.

An outdoor wood furnace makes direct use of an energy resource that's abundant and renewable across a large part of the Northeast, and the fact that wood is likely to stay that way may be the best benefit of all.

See this video for more information, or contact Northeast Distribution LTD.



Original article Calgary Herald

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