Girls Get Their Grill On: Survey Finds Men Think They're The Masters, But Women Like To Spice It Up

More than 70 Percent Aim for a More Flavorful Grilling Experience

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May 18, 2015, 08:00 ET

BRIDGEWATER, N.J., May 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- With Memorial Day just around the corner, millions of Americans will be firing up the grill and cooking up seasonal favorites like hot dogs, brats and hamburgers. But which gender wears the apron when it comes to the barbecue?

A national survey by Applegate, the leading producer of organic and natural meats, found that women might be the ones cooking up tastier grilled meals, despite the fact that nearly twice as many men claimed to be the masters of the grill. A whopping 73 percent of women grillers said that they like to marinate and season foods before grilling compared to just 59 percent of men grillers. The survey also showed that women are more adventurous than men in their grilling endeavors. Women reported more experimentation with different foods and grilling techniques that are out of their comfort zones (62 percent of women grillers versus 50 percent of male grillers).

The one thing men and women agree on almost completely: hot dogs cooked on the grill are delicious (95 percent of male grillers and 93 percent of female grillers)! However, 92 percent of women who grill are concerned about cleaner wieners – hot dogs made from cows that are free from antibiotics and hormones – compared to 85 percent of men who grill. Women grillers were also most likely to prefer hot dogs made with 100 percent grass-fed beef.

"No matter who's doing the grilling, the results are always better when you start with better ingredients," says Sally Kuzemchak, MS, RD, member of Applegate's Sandwich Board, educator, author of the blog Real Mom Nutrition, and the chief griller in her home.

Just in time for the kick-off of grilling season, Applegate is now making its Natural Uncured Beef Hot Dog with 100 percent grass-fed beef. Applegate has a full line of hot dogs, including turkey and chicken hot dogs that are free from artificial ingredients, preservative, antibiotics and added hormones. All of Applegate's hot dogs have fewer calories and less fat and sodium per serving than conventional hot dogs.

Fueling the Fire: More Grilling Stats by Gender
Who's better at the barbecue? Charcoal or gas? Applegate breaks it down:

Barbecue master: Of households that grill, men were nearly twice as likely to be the primary griller in the family (41 percent compared to only 22 percent of women).
Grill skills: 82 percent of men grillers think that they are better equipped to cook food to perfection on the grill, while 61 percent of women grillers think they're on top.
Cooking with gas: Male grillers were evenly split, 50/50 on gas or charcoal, while female grillers preferred gas (54 percent).
Fair weather griller: 56 percent of men who grill said they grill year round, while only 45 percent of women who grill said they engage in outdoor cooking during all seasons.
Crowd pleaser: Women edged out the men in this category – of folks who grilled, 47 percent of women compared to 44 percent of men claimed to be confident grilling for a large backyard BBQ party.
Splitting up? More women grillers like to cut hot dogs open when grilling (61 percent) versus 54 percent of men grillers.

About Applegate
For more than 25 years, Applegate has been producing high-quality natural and organic hot dogs, bacon, sausages, deli meats, cheese and frozen products. Natural can mean many things, but when Applegate says their products are natural, customers are guaranteed that the meat inside is:

Raised without antibiotics or hormones
From animals fed a vegetarian or 100 percent grass diet and treated with humane animal standards
Free of added chemical nitrites, nitrates or phosphates
Free of artificial ingredients or preservatives

For more information about our products, visit http://www.applegate.com or talk with us on https://www.facebook.com/applegate or https://twitter.com/Applegate.

About the Survey
This survey was conducted using was conducted using Toluna's On-line Omnibus. Interviews were completed April 10 through April 13, 2015. The base sample of 2050 respondents is representative of US adults aged 18+ and is balanced on three key demographics: age, sex, and region of the US.

Sample size and margin of error for the base sample and sub-samples are as follows: