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Gas or Charcoal grill?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Cpt_Micha
Feb 11, 2009 12:41:59 My mother is wanting to buy a grill, with her tax return. I'm trying to convince her to save her damned money and buy a charcoal grill but she's insisting on getting a gas grill.

What are the merits of each?
#2
lofgren
Feb 11, 2009 13:00:47 You'll probably use the gas grill more often, because it doesn't take half an hour or more to prepare. You can also buy simulated charcoal to flavor the smoke, although it is not as much of a suffusion of flavor as the real thing.

Cooking over charcoal requires a bit more specialized skill, because it's not like cooking over the stove but outside, so gas seems more flexible at first. However, if you learn how to use charcoal properly there are a lot of techniques you can use to cook that are simply not possible with gas. For example, my dad makes some awesome ribs by slow cooking them for about 14 hours in a charcoal grill.

My dad is a grilling machine. He even grills in the middle of winter in Boston, so we have both charcoal and gas. Gas is sufficient for hotdogs, hamburgers, and that kind of thing. Anything you could just as easily cook on a griddle or in a broiler. If all you're looking to do is cook outside or convenience has a high priority for you, gas is probably fine. If you want to really create something that would be impossible in the kitchen, you need to be able to build a real fire.

Hope that helps.
#3
dirtyfrank
Feb 11, 2009 14:08:03 Gas is usually easier and quicker to use and easier to clean up, but you get a better taste from a charcoal grill.
#4
1_ton_ghost
Feb 11, 2009 14:22:04 King of the Kill.
Peggy's nightmare; Hellfires sputter out. Tiefling-ish Hank comes along w/ a propane tank, "Hold on, this will just be a minute."

*twist twist, tweak, hiss, roar* Hellfire on.

"That's a clean burnin' Hell I tell you what!"
#5
ciaran
Feb 11, 2009 17:01:02 Its all true.

The best I've ever had though is on a castiron grill over the open flame of a wood fire.

We use propane at home. Easy.
#6
minja_dup
Feb 11, 2009 18:33:01 Mmmmm.... cooking over an open fire, camping.... mmmm.... steaks cooked on apple....mmmmm....

Gas is easier. Charcoal is better.

Is she a COOK, or does she just want to cook?

Therein lies your answer..... here endeth the lesson....;) /reference
#7
pigknight
Feb 11, 2009 21:29:02 Gas ones freak me out.
#8
1red13
Feb 11, 2009 22:37:22 For me the convenience of a gas grill far outweighs the merits of a charcoil grill.
#9
Cpt_Micha
Feb 12, 2009 6:58:42 Conveinence isn't so much of an issue (heck I'm probably going to be the one cooking on it anyway half the time.).

What's the explosion rate on gas grills? Propane tanks scare me.
#10
nezumi45
Feb 12, 2009 7:14:27 the explosion rate is proportional to the stupidty of the know all extra cooks , the pints of beer consumed and mans willingness to fiddle with things they dont understand but can "fix"

personal expeirence gas is fine but stupidity abounds (a pair of distant cousins convinced it was putting out enough gas tampered with valves = 3rd degree burns to their hands and several weeks of humilation for lack of all facial hair)
#11
lofgren
Feb 12, 2009 8:02:55 Yeah, in either case you just have to know what you're doing. It is possible for a tank of gas to cause a problem through no fault of the end user, but at that point we're talking unusual circumstances, and you should just as well be afraid of a spark from a charcoal grill burning down your house, or a gas bubble blowing out the pilot light of your stove, and then exploding the whole house when the refrigerator turns on.
#12
pigknight
Feb 12, 2009 8:04:13 *Ka-poosh!*

Damnit!

*Ka-poosh!*

Damnit!

*Ka-po-*

OH HELL NO!

*OOOOOOOOSH!*
#13
Cpt_Micha
Feb 12, 2009 8:04:51 Good to know. (I've never worked with natural gas before.. well other than my flamethrower)

So they are relatively safe?
#14
zombie_babies
Feb 12, 2009 8:30:59 Mine's been safe and when I grill I'm usually hammered or in the process of getting hammered. :D

My main problem with charcoal is that you end up needing lighter fluid to start the stupid buggers (or they're already impregnated with a starting agent). So what do we taste? Lighter fluid. Mmmmmm. That's good. Propane provides that good, clean burn. You want extra flavor? Simply add some hickory/cherry/mesquite chips to the grill. It's quick, easy and provides the extra flavor without any sacrifice to efficiency. Clean-up is also much easier. The major thing, though, is that the flame is much, much more easily regulated with propane. Makes cookin' that much easier. ;)
#15
lofgren
Feb 12, 2009 10:00:09
Mine's been safe and when I grill I'm usually hammered or in the process of getting hammered. :D

My main problem with charcoal is that you end up needing lighter fluid to start the stupid buggers (or they're already impregnated with a starting agent). So what do we taste? Lighter fluid. Mmmmmm. That's good. Propane provides that good, clean burn. You want extra flavor? Simply add some hickory/cherry/mesquite chips to the grill. It's quick, easy and provides the extra flavor without any sacrifice to efficiency. Clean-up is also much easier. The major thing, though, is that the flame is much, much more easily regulated with propane. Makes cookin' that much easier. ;)

The flame is more easily regulated, but for the best effect, you want to barbecue over coals, not flames. If you do want flames from a charcoal grill, they can be regulated with some practice, and you'll learn easily if you've ever cooked over a wood fire before.

You don't need lighter fluid to start a charcoal grill. Just crumple up some newspaper and build a pyramid around that, then light the newspaper. There's a device called a charcoal chimney that will make this process easier and faster. If you're using lighter fluid to light your charcoal, you might as well get a gas grill for all the benefit you're getting.

But yeah, like I said, using charcoal well means you have to know a little bit about what you're doing, whereas gas is as easy as using your stove.
#16
metal134
Feb 14, 2009 23:36:06 Charcoal all the way. The extra prep is worth it as the enhancement in flavor far outweighs the convenience of gas in my opinion.
#17
ciaran
Feb 15, 2009 22:32:48 I chop up the logs and stack up the kindling jenga style. As I set down each layer I stuff paper in between the wood. Light the bottom and if you've built it well you can just walk off. Takes a bit of practice. By the time the whole thing is aflame and collapsed a little you can just toss logs on top.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Cpt_Micha Feb 11, 2009 12:41:59	My mother is wanting to buy a grill, with her tax return. I'm trying to convince her to save her damned money and buy a charcoal grill but she's insisting on getting a gas grill. What are the merits of each?
#2 lofgren Feb 11, 2009 13:00:47	You'll probably use the gas grill more often, because it doesn't take half an hour or more to prepare. You can also buy simulated charcoal to flavor the smoke, although it is not as much of a suffusion of flavor as the real thing. Cooking over charcoal requires a bit more specialized skill, because it's not like cooking over the stove but outside, so gas seems more flexible at first. However, if you learn how to use charcoal properly there are a lot of techniques you can use to cook that are simply not possible with gas. For example, my dad makes some awesome ribs by slow cooking them for about 14 hours in a charcoal grill. My dad is a grilling machine. He even grills in the middle of winter in Boston, so we have both charcoal and gas. Gas is sufficient for hotdogs, hamburgers, and that kind of thing. Anything you could just as easily cook on a griddle or in a broiler. If all you're looking to do is cook outside or convenience has a high priority for you, gas is probably fine. If you want to really create something that would be impossible in the kitchen, you need to be able to build a real fire. Hope that helps.
#3 dirtyfrank Feb 11, 2009 14:08:03	Gas is usually easier and quicker to use and easier to clean up, but you get a better taste from a charcoal grill.
#4 1_ton_ghost Feb 11, 2009 14:22:04	King of the Kill. Peggy's nightmare; Hellfires sputter out. Tiefling-ish Hank comes along w/ a propane tank, "Hold on, this will just be a minute." twist twist, tweak, hiss, roar Hellfire on. "That's a clean burnin' Hell I tell you what!"
#5 ciaran Feb 11, 2009 17:01:02	Its all true. The best I've ever had though is on a castiron grill over the open flame of a wood fire. We use propane at home. Easy.
#6 minja_dup Feb 11, 2009 18:33:01	Mmmmm.... cooking over an open fire, camping.... mmmm.... steaks cooked on apple....mmmmm.... Gas is easier. Charcoal is better. Is she a COOK, or does she just want to cook? Therein lies your answer..... here endeth the lesson....;) /reference
#7 pigknight Feb 11, 2009 21:29:02	Gas ones freak me out.
#8 1red13 Feb 11, 2009 22:37:22	For me the convenience of a gas grill far outweighs the merits of a charcoil grill.
#9 Cpt_Micha Feb 12, 2009 6:58:42	Conveinence isn't so much of an issue (heck I'm probably going to be the one cooking on it anyway half the time.). What's the explosion rate on gas grills? Propane tanks scare me.
#10 nezumi45 Feb 12, 2009 7:14:27	the explosion rate is proportional to the stupidty of the know all extra cooks , the pints of beer consumed and mans willingness to fiddle with things they dont understand but can "fix" personal expeirence gas is fine but stupidity abounds (a pair of distant cousins convinced it was putting out enough gas tampered with valves = 3rd degree burns to their hands and several weeks of humilation for lack of all facial hair)
#11 lofgren Feb 12, 2009 8:02:55	Yeah, in either case you just have to know what you're doing. It is possible for a tank of gas to cause a problem through no fault of the end user, but at that point we're talking unusual circumstances, and you should just as well be afraid of a spark from a charcoal grill burning down your house, or a gas bubble blowing out the pilot light of your stove, and then exploding the whole house when the refrigerator turns on.
#12 pigknight Feb 12, 2009 8:04:13	Ka-poosh! Damnit! Ka-poosh! Damnit! Ka-po- OH HELL NO! OOOOOOOOSH!
#13 Cpt_Micha Feb 12, 2009 8:04:51	Good to know. (I've never worked with natural gas before.. well other than my flamethrower) So they are relatively safe?
#14 zombie_babies Feb 12, 2009 8:30:59	Mine's been safe and when I grill I'm usually hammered or in the process of getting hammered. :D My main problem with charcoal is that you end up needing lighter fluid to start the stupid buggers (or they're already impregnated with a starting agent). So what do we taste? Lighter fluid. Mmmmmm. That's good. Propane provides that good, clean burn. You want extra flavor? Simply add some hickory/cherry/mesquite chips to the grill. It's quick, easy and provides the extra flavor without any sacrifice to efficiency. Clean-up is also much easier. The major thing, though, is that the flame is much, much more easily regulated with propane. Makes cookin' that much easier. ;)
#15 lofgren Feb 12, 2009 10:00:09	Mine's been safe and when I grill I'm usually hammered or in the process of getting hammered. :D My main problem with charcoal is that you end up needing lighter fluid to start the stupid buggers (or they're already impregnated with a starting agent). So what do we taste? Lighter fluid. Mmmmmm. That's good. Propane provides that good, clean burn. You want extra flavor? Simply add some hickory/cherry/mesquite chips to the grill. It's quick, easy and provides the extra flavor without any sacrifice to efficiency. Clean-up is also much easier. The major thing, though, is that the flame is much, much more easily regulated with propane. Makes cookin' that much easier. ;) The flame is more easily regulated, but for the best effect, you want to barbecue over coals, not flames. If you do want flames from a charcoal grill, they can be regulated with some practice, and you'll learn easily if you've ever cooked over a wood fire before. You don't need lighter fluid to start a charcoal grill. Just crumple up some newspaper and build a pyramid around that, then light the newspaper. There's a device called a charcoal chimney that will make this process easier and faster. If you're using lighter fluid to light your charcoal, you might as well get a gas grill for all the benefit you're getting. But yeah, like I said, using charcoal well means you have to know a little bit about what you're doing, whereas gas is as easy as using your stove.
#16 metal134 Feb 14, 2009 23:36:06	Charcoal all the way. The extra prep is worth it as the enhancement in flavor far outweighs the convenience of gas in my opinion.
#17 ciaran Feb 15, 2009 22:32:48	I chop up the logs and stack up the kindling jenga style. As I set down each layer I stuff paper in between the wood. Light the bottom and if you've built it well you can just walk off. Takes a bit of practice. By the time the whole thing is aflame and collapsed a little you can just toss logs on top.