Barbecues - gas or charcoal...?
Discussion
I’ve only ever taken the view that if you are going to bbq, then it has to be charcoal.
Preparation is required, take 1 hr to get the coals burning nicely first to get to cooking temp and pre heat the grill, during that time clouds and clouds of smoke will have been created over your neighbours’ houses, but the end result will be worth it.
Well it will be if you get the cooking temp right, charcoal has always struck me as being a little chaotic in terms of controlling the heat. Webers with their kettle lids are a little easier to get right if you keep the lid on. Cooking lid off is not for the faint of heart however. They burn hot. Cote du boeuf, lid on, for 45 minutes is meat perfection imo, and even roasting a whole chicken can lead to edible results with a smokey flavour.
So why would you ever try gas?
Smoke pollution and convenience are not in charcoal’s favour. So I thought I’d try it. Here are my findings if anyone is interested:
Gas is massively more precise in terms of cooking heat. End results are fantastic, I just wonder if the same could have been achieved on the grill in the kitchen.
Instant heat (ok say 3 mins of preheating) but that’s it, no planning 1.5-2 hrs ahead, makes having a bbq after work (when time compressed) more of a possibility.
Negatives, large gas canister needed, but refilling is less frequent than with bags of charcoal, also cleaning. Charcoal bbqs burn up all the fat from cooking directly into the coals as you cook. With gas there is no charcoal so it all basically drips down onto a tray and you have to empty it. It does smell fantastic as it cools, almost like a kebab van is parked next to your house, but is basically just a grease collection device, I think I prefer emptying ash every few weeks.
End results cooking with gas are excellent as it’s far more precise but there’s no smokey flavour, however it is more authentic imo so I think I prefer it.
Overall conclusion, charcoal is the only way. If you buy gas either go camping or just use your kitchen grill, as you will get the same result.
Preparation is required, take 1 hr to get the coals burning nicely first to get to cooking temp and pre heat the grill, during that time clouds and clouds of smoke will have been created over your neighbours’ houses, but the end result will be worth it.
Well it will be if you get the cooking temp right, charcoal has always struck me as being a little chaotic in terms of controlling the heat. Webers with their kettle lids are a little easier to get right if you keep the lid on. Cooking lid off is not for the faint of heart however. They burn hot. Cote du boeuf, lid on, for 45 minutes is meat perfection imo, and even roasting a whole chicken can lead to edible results with a smokey flavour.
So why would you ever try gas?
Smoke pollution and convenience are not in charcoal’s favour. So I thought I’d try it. Here are my findings if anyone is interested:
Gas is massively more precise in terms of cooking heat. End results are fantastic, I just wonder if the same could have been achieved on the grill in the kitchen.
Instant heat (ok say 3 mins of preheating) but that’s it, no planning 1.5-2 hrs ahead, makes having a bbq after work (when time compressed) more of a possibility.
Negatives, large gas canister needed, but refilling is less frequent than with bags of charcoal, also cleaning. Charcoal bbqs burn up all the fat from cooking directly into the coals as you cook. With gas there is no charcoal so it all basically drips down onto a tray and you have to empty it. It does smell fantastic as it cools, almost like a kebab van is parked next to your house, but is basically just a grease collection device, I think I prefer emptying ash every few weeks.
End results cooking with gas are excellent as it’s far more precise but there’s no smokey flavour, however it is more authentic imo so I think I prefer it.
Overall conclusion, charcoal is the only way. If you buy gas either go camping or just use your kitchen grill, as you will get the same result.
Owner of a gas and charcoal BBQ here.
The fact remains that gas is much easier to spark up and use. We use our's almost every night in good weather - so it hasn't stopped being used. If it's a good one, with lava rocks, then a smokey taste is achievable. However, the taste is not as good as charcoal.
I do own a chimney starter for the charcoal, it does make life a lot easier, and as mentioned above, you can be cooking in 15-20 mins instead of waiting forever. Mrs Puggit wants to take the starter to France on holiday!
The fact remains that gas is much easier to spark up and use. We use our's almost every night in good weather - so it hasn't stopped being used. If it's a good one, with lava rocks, then a smokey taste is achievable. However, the taste is not as good as charcoal.
I do own a chimney starter for the charcoal, it does make life a lot easier, and as mentioned above, you can be cooking in 15-20 mins instead of waiting forever. Mrs Puggit wants to take the starter to France on holiday!
Charcoal all the way.
Any lid-on charcoal unit is easy to learn, you just need to learn some a few default settings - coal quantity and vent positions for:
Direct grilling hot
Direct grilling medium
Indirect roasting
Low & slow (if that is of interest)
Rotisserie (if applicable)
All of these ‘settings’ are available online for a popular model like a Weber Kettle.
It’ll vary slightly with charcoal type and weather, but will form a useable baseline and yield great results.
You can alter the formula with experience.
Any lid-on charcoal unit is easy to learn, you just need to learn some a few default settings - coal quantity and vent positions for:
Direct grilling hot
Direct grilling medium
Indirect roasting
Low & slow (if that is of interest)
Rotisserie (if applicable)
All of these ‘settings’ are available online for a popular model like a Weber Kettle.
It’ll vary slightly with charcoal type and weather, but will form a useable baseline and yield great results.
You can alter the formula with experience.
Being a bit of a BBQ/outdoor cooking fanatic, i can only offer my opinion.
I have various devices, including smokers & pizza ovens.
I have a big charcoal BBQ & a big gas BBQ (which we were given after only 2 uses).
The only thing i can re-iterate to this, is that the food cooked on the gas BBQ tastes no different than a pan from kitchen.
However, in the summer, it's nice to be able to cook outside, rather than inside, so when it's just the 2 of us, it's quick, easy & pleasant.
Whenever we have friends round, or i'm doing a smoke-out or party, i will ALWAYS use the charcoal BBQ, the flavours better & it gets way, way hotter (even the really cheap ones do) than the big stainless steel gas one we were given.
That being said, i wouldn't ever actually spend my own money on a gas BBQ.
I have various devices, including smokers & pizza ovens.
I have a big charcoal BBQ & a big gas BBQ (which we were given after only 2 uses).
The only thing i can re-iterate to this, is that the food cooked on the gas BBQ tastes no different than a pan from kitchen.
However, in the summer, it's nice to be able to cook outside, rather than inside, so when it's just the 2 of us, it's quick, easy & pleasant.
Whenever we have friends round, or i'm doing a smoke-out or party, i will ALWAYS use the charcoal BBQ, the flavours better & it gets way, way hotter (even the really cheap ones do) than the big stainless steel gas one we were given.
That being said, i wouldn't ever actually spend my own money on a gas BBQ.
Pellet smoker/grill is the only way to go. You have total control with a range of 0-500F, still cooking with wood so the flavour is there, quick to start (about 3mins) and can smoke or grill.
and mine is also portable (ish) and can run on a 12V battery. Overall an awesome piece of kit.
and mine is also portable (ish) and can run on a 12V battery. Overall an awesome piece of kit.
Schmed said:
Overall conclusion, charcoal is the only way. If you buy gas either go camping or just use your kitchen grill, as you will get the same result.
Sorry, but you couldn't be more wrong. This question comes up quite a lot on PH - see below from another thread. Ultimately BBQing is a process that can be acheived with either gas or charcoal, but certainly not under your grill in your house.EggsBenedict said:
I bought gas on the basis that the point of charcoal is that it's odourless. It's the food dripping on the coals that gives the smoky flavour. So a gas barbecue (whatever guys, who gives a toss?) with those lava rocks in it, or perhaps the Weber ones with the 'flavour bars' have that facility - food drops on something hot, burns and causes smoke. So for a plain old grill cook, then there's not much difference in reality.
Like the OP, I always steered clear of gas. I viewed it as simply grilling outside, rather than BBQ'ing.
However, I came across a decent Outback gas BBQ cheap and took the plunge reckoning:
Medium to large gathering of people - 4 mouths plus - charcoal all the way
Just me and the wife - gas gets fired up. It's 90% of the experience with 10% of the hassle and time.
Thunderstorms permitting, I shall be cooking some snags on the gas tonight
However, I came across a decent Outback gas BBQ cheap and took the plunge reckoning:
Medium to large gathering of people - 4 mouths plus - charcoal all the way
Just me and the wife - gas gets fired up. It's 90% of the experience with 10% of the hassle and time.
Thunderstorms permitting, I shall be cooking some snags on the gas tonight
Mykap said:
Pellet smoker/grill is the only way to go. You have total control with a range of 0-500F, still cooking with wood so the flavour is there, quick to start (about 3mins) and can smoke or grill.
and mine is also portable (ish) and can run on a 12V battery. Overall an awesome piece of kit.
linky please.and mine is also portable (ish) and can run on a 12V battery. Overall an awesome piece of kit.
Are we not confusing grilling outdoors with BBQ here?
My opinion is that all types of outdoor cooking have their place, and all of them are the "best option" for certain circumstances.
Personally I have a gas grill, a Weber kettle and a ProQ bullet smoker. I use the gas grill most often, and the smoker least often. However, I wouldn't smoke a pork shoulder on the gas grill, and I wouldn't cook sausages on the smoker.
I am seriously considering adding a Big Green Egg style cooker into the mix. In theory this could make the Weber kettle redundant, but I have a rotisserie attachment for that, and I wouldn't be without it.
One thing that would be interesting to compare is the flavour of a rotisserie chicken cooked in a Weber kettle with a rotisserie chicken cooked on a gas grill.
My opinion is that all types of outdoor cooking have their place, and all of them are the "best option" for certain circumstances.
Personally I have a gas grill, a Weber kettle and a ProQ bullet smoker. I use the gas grill most often, and the smoker least often. However, I wouldn't smoke a pork shoulder on the gas grill, and I wouldn't cook sausages on the smoker.
I am seriously considering adding a Big Green Egg style cooker into the mix. In theory this could make the Weber kettle redundant, but I have a rotisserie attachment for that, and I wouldn't be without it.
One thing that would be interesting to compare is the flavour of a rotisserie chicken cooked in a Weber kettle with a rotisserie chicken cooked on a gas grill.
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