[gonefishin]

Charcoal or Gas


  Which do you prefer for outdoor cooking?

[Gordy]

I like real charcoal, as opposed to brickettes.  It's a snap to light off, comes to heat very quickly, burns with a high heat, and imparts a nice smoke flavor.
Gas, on the other hand, is very convenient and clean... but then,  so is the stove

[eric the red]

I like charcoal (Kingsford made right here in Springfield Oregon) briquets for summer and gas/propane for the rest of the year. You need to try medium rare grilled  Yoshida marinated buffalo flank steak ...mmmmm...buffalo....

[MaxCast]

I love and prefer charcoal but use propane 95% of the time
It's ease of use especially with kids on a week day can't be beat.

[flintstone]

I like charcoal ....food tastes better IMO. I cooked two slabs of ribs yesterday and they were yummy!

Dave

[Carlman]

I like charcoal if all the conditions are right.  (wind blowing away from me, keeping the smoke from billowing in my face... and making me smell like smoke for the rest of the day... and it must be above 70*F outside... and less than 30% humidity so the briquettes will light and burn evenly.)

So, for the 2 days a year it's like that in the southeast, charcoaling is great.  I have found all sorts of tricks and things to make charcoaling better but it's still not worth the hassles... plus, it ruins the meal for me because all I can smell is my smokey self while I'm eating.

I'd much rather control the amount of smokiness by adding wood chips of my choice to the gas grill.. rather than charcoal smoke plus other smoke.... plus me smelling like smoke... not fun.  I like gas.  I think it's more 'gourmet' because you have more control over everything and you don't end up smelling like what you cooked.  Charcoal can be great and I love the smell, at a distance if someone else does it.  

[rosconey]

my grill died last year
but a buddy just gave me one his old lady bought that they never assembled -so i say gas

[Soundbitten]

I prefer gas over charcoal for the same reason I prefer cds over vinyl... convenience

[jermmd]

I prefer gas over charcoal for the same reason I prefer cds over vinyl... convenience

What he said.

Joe M.

[ooheadsoo]

I was running low on charcoal and had to do SOMETHING or the evening would be ruined.  Dumped on what charcoals I had left, poured on lighter fluid, dropped match, tossed the coals, the steaks tasted like lighter fluid.  Ugh.  I think I'll stick with gas if I can from now on.

[claud]

I have two grills on my deck, both Webers. One is the original Weber gas grill, and the other is charcoal. I use the gas 90% of the time for all the reasons expressed here except the lighter fluid taste/smell. I use an electric lighter, ergo, no fluid problems.
At my beach cottage, I use charcoal only. Nothing like a nice steady wind to light those coals and direct smoke.
You can not cook slow on my gas grill. Even on low, its still too fast for NC pulled pork BBQ.

[gonefishin]

You can not cook slow on my gas grill. Even on low, its still too fast for NC pulled pork BBQ.

   how right you are.  With a coal grill...you've just got so much control over the temperature.  Either blazin HOT or maintain a nice 275-280.  Add into this the great taste of a charcoal kettle and some some near prime marbled ribeye steaks (or roast) and you've got some good eats!  mmmm...mmm

   of course I've got my gas grill on the deck as well...for those cold, rainy wintery days when I don't feel like "attending" to the needs of a charcoal grill.

     dan

[Carlman]

I like charcoal smokers... I've bought a few of the cheap Brinkman's from Wal-mart over the years... they do a great job!

[hmen]

Charcoal is clearly better. I use gas most of the time becaues it's a lot quicker. Charcoal is a treat that's usually reserved for the weekends

[flintstone]

I've got both types and do use both, I also use an electric starter with my Charcoal grill for the last few years. Cooking ribs/turkey/large bone-in ham/pork tenderloin and other foods of this sort is much better with charcoal in my book.

I use the gas grill on a limited basis...like when I'm in a hurry!

Dave

[Rob Babcock]

I prefer gas.  I use an iron smoker box filled with soaked wood chips to add back a little of the smokey flavor.  The convenience, speed and consistency of gas wins out for me.  Of course, I'm always in a hurry.   I cook for a living, so when I cook at home I want things as easy as I can get.

[lonewolfny42]

I prefer charcoal....its a pain in the ass...but the results taste better to me than with the gas grills. Gas is easy....charcoal takes some work. Try this to light you fire...it works well and no fluid needed. Just some paper in bottom and charcoal in the chimney

[/list:u]

[Ronm1]

You can not cook slow on my gas grill. Even on low, its still too fast for NC pulled pork BBQ.

   how right you are.  With a coal grill...you've just got so much control over the temperature.  Either blazin HOT or maintain a nice 275-280.

I agree most gas grill designs create a problem here!
A couple of years ago(3) I picked up an Aussie, 4 vertical cast iron burners. These provide excellent heat control to do the above damn well!  Smokes well too! One burner with soaked chips!  We got the smoking bug because of this and went with a dedicated smoker/grill(gatorpit), this unit has a wood firebox, but allows wood/lump/briquettes to be used for grilling. We've had the unit about a year now and are still getting used to it ,cause wood type/size all make a diff, but results have been, ok --> outstanding.  As an example Easter, on the Gator, we did a whole lamb leg using both direct/indirect lump charcoal.  Superbowl Sunday smoked 4 large briskets.  Started about 3am, but in anticipation of snow, a canopy was setup to keep most of the white stuff away, kept tapping the snow off   we lucked out that it wasn't very windy, all worked quite well considering the weather(got 2'). Briskets ready just after 5pm and the Pats win again.
If anyone is interested in either I can send a link or post one!

[woodsyi]

I use propane Genesis with electric starter almost always over charcoal for the convinience.  I find the convection mode with center burner off good for low heat.  On the grilling front, I am taking the easy way over flavor.  It's a lot easier to pop that red button 5 minutes before grilling than going out an hour earlier to get that coal ready!

[art]

"Taste the meat, not the heat."
- Hank Hill, Assistant Manager, Strickland Propane, Arlen, TX

I can not be outside in my yard if someone within 1/4 mile is using that ligher fluid stuff. Smells worse than diesel fumes. Who wants their food to taste like that? Wood smoke, I understand..........petro fumes, I don't get it.

Pat........"Arlen", TX