Gas Bar-B-Q?

[Timmy40]

I've finally decided to cave in and after years of insisting on the pantomime of making gigantic paraffin fuelled smoke signals, and then fanning the fire madly with my shirt off, all to produce chicken drum sticks that are charred on the outside frozen on the inside.....I'm going to get a gas bar-b-q.

I've had a look down at the local large garden centre and there offerings look a bit like the lawn mowers, nice n' shiny in the showroom......but somehow flimsy and not really looking as though they'll last more than a few uses before bits start falling off.

Obviously I don't want to spend a fortune though, so can any of you recommend a reasonably priced gas burner that produced something approximating to a bar-b-q flavour? This being PH I'm not looking for something with an after burner jet flame that would put a Euro fighter engine in the shade either!

Thanks.

[SilverSixer]

Outback gas BBQs are well made. Had mine about 12 years now. All good.

[bga]

Outback are reasonable kit & I love my Weber Q-series.

[hornetrider]

Timmy40 said:

I've finally decided to cave in and after years of insisting on the pantomime of making gigantic paraffin fuelled smoke signals, and then fanning the fire madly with my shirt off, all to produce chicken drum sticks that are charred on the outside frozen on the inside.....

I always use to struggle lighting charcoal properly - until I bought a chimney. They are a tenner. You ever used one? Amazing things.

With chicken you should BBQ it indirectly before finishing it off over the flame, alternatively use the kitchen oven if you don't have a lid on your BBQ.

I hate to be 'that guy' but a gas BBQ is just an expensive grill, outside.

[Jakdaw]

Don't do it! Stick with charcoal, like a real man!

If you really want something that's quick to light and get cooking then have a look at:

www.thelotusgrill.co.uk

They're pretty good; but be warned you really do need some sort of lid for it (I'm using a five quid metal wok lid rather their horrifically priced (68 quid!) option!).

[Timmy40]

bga said:

Outback are reasonable kit & I love my Weber Q-series.

Hmmm £99 think I might give this a go. Lava rock? I assume the idea is this heats up from the gas flames a bit like sauna rocks?

http://www.outbackdirect.co.uk/disc-outback-omega-...

[RevsPerMinute]

First off, There is no taste difference between gas and charcoal. The smokey taste comes from the fat burning off on the hot coals which is replicated in modern gas BBQ's by metal baffles. If you claim you can taste the flavour from the coals, I can tell you, you are doing it wrong and if you can taste it, it wont be a pleasant taste.

As said above, a good charcoal kettle bbq and a chimney starter make the charcoal option a pleasure to use.

Cheap gas BBQ's offer little temperature control with the hood down and provide a really inconsistent spread of heat, rendering them good only to direct grill on.

More expensive Gas bbq's (like Weber) offer all the advantages of charcoal (even the option to add smoking chips) but with the massive convenience of gas. So chances are it will get used a lot more.

Dig deep, this bad boy will do the job right and give you 10+ years of being THE BBQ BOSS.

http://www.wowbbq.co.uk/products/weber-spirit-clas...

[RevsPerMinute]

Timmy40 said:

bga said:

Outback are reasonable kit & I love my Weber Q-series.

Hmmm £99 think I might give this a go. Lava rock? I assume the idea is this heats up from the gas flames a bit like sauna rocks?

http://www.outbackdirect.co.uk/disc-outback-omega-...

Don't do it. Lava rocks are the old thinking.
The reality is after a period they absorb the fat/grease so give off a nasty taste/smoke and once cooled and left for a period of time provide a lovely nice breeding ground. Been there, done that.

[slybynight]

Charcoal all the way, every day. Gas is a slippery slope ending up with a pot noodle in the microwave.

[Bluebarge]

Ok, cooking over a campfire, I get that, but splashing £500 on a machine that burns meat outdoors when, for £0 you could use your kitchen and prepare a much nicer meal that you can then eat outside; that is one of lifes mysteries.

[fredt]

Timmy40 said:

Hmmm £99 think I might give this a go. Lava rock? I assume the idea is this heats up from the gas flames a bit like sauna rocks?

Yes, I also loaded mine with more lava rocks. Helps getting better heat distribution but obviously takes a little longer to get heated up.

[RevsPerMinute]

Bluebarge said:

Ok, cooking over a campfire, I get that, but splashing £500 on a machine that burns meat outdoors when, for £0 you could use your kitchen and prepare a much nicer meal that you can then eat outside; that is one of lifes mysteries.

Hickory smoked beer can chicken? Good luck with that in your Neff.
Four racks of sticky smoked spare ribs? 8 hour Pulled pork? Mesquite smoked brisket, cedar planked salmon fillets...

Oh sorry, you must be a veggie.

[Paul Drawmer]

I've used lava rock gas BBQs for 20 years.

I do burn off the crud on the lava rock every now and then by putting foil on top of the grill and turning gas up high for 1/2 hour. Burns off everything, and works fine.

The last couple I've bought have been cast aluminium boxes with heavy cast iron grids. OMC (Canadian firm) make the Broil King range.

[jmorgan]

chimney starter and all your ills will have gone.

[dave_s13]

Most people tend to be just grilling on their bbq... Which is a complete waste of time.

As said, learn what a chimney starter is and how to indirect cook and your bbq food will become legendary.

[CaptainSensib1e]

I would highly recommend a Weber gas bbq. This is their entry level model - http://www.wowbbq.co.uk/products/weber-q1200-with-...
So much easier than cooking over charcoal, I was a scpetic but am totally converted. We now BBQ 3/4 times a week in the summer, actually quite healthy as its mainly lots of lean meat and veg.
Do it - you will never look back!

[Psammead]

RevsPerMinute said:

More expensive Gas bbq's (like Weber) offer all the advantages of charcoal (even the option to add smoking chips) but with the massive convenience of gas. So chances are it will get used a lot more.

Dig deep, this bad boy will do the job right and give you 10+ years of being THE BBQ BOSS.

http://www.wowbbq.co.uk/products/weber-spirit-clas...

Can't agree with the 'dig deep' bit enough - anything else is false economy if you can afford more. I've had my (admittedly charcoal) Weber sitting outside in all weathers for eight years now, only four of which were under a cover, and it still looks brand new.

That said, the other recommendations of a chimney starter are valid - it will transform your objections to charcoal barbecues, as will using decent charcoal rather than the stuff you buy at the petrol station. Buy in bulk and it's cheaper too!

[Kapenta]

Doesn't matter what you buy, but if you insist on cooking chicken, or any flesh, for that matter from frozen, it's going to taste like poop at the very least and give you the runs must likely...

Defrost and bring to room temperature before grilling.

Weber charcoal all the way and a starter chimney.

[Timmy40]

CaptainSensib1e said:

I would highly recommend a Weber gas bbq. This is their entry level model - http://www.wowbbq.co.uk/products/weber-q1200-with-...
So much easier than cooking over charcoal, I was a scpetic but am totally converted. We now BBQ 3/4 times a week in the summer, actually quite healthy as its mainly lots of lean meat and veg.
Do it - you will never look back!

Ah that looks about the level for what I was looking to spend. I think I'll try that one. It's partly the convenience I'm after, got small kids now so don't have time to faff about with charcoal, just need something I can fire up on the spur of the moment and cook up some chicken kebabs and burgers for the kids.

[OtherBusiness]

Discount code BBQ20 will give you a bit of discount too (on the wowbbq site that is)