What do you prefer: Charcoal or Gas Grills?

Niteshade · « **on:** 16 Sep 2009, 10:28 pm »

I started using charcoal, switched to gas now am back to charcoal. Gas grilling seemed like a good idea: No wait time is fine by me. However- Charcoal adds taste and is especially good if something like hickory chips are added during cooking.

There are different styles of gas grills- mine did not have lava rock, just a steel plate covering the burners. I have a feeling lava rocks are better- or is there a better system than that? The metal plate was awful.

SlushPuppy · « **Reply #1 on:** 16 Sep 2009, 10:47 pm »

I've owned several grills over the past 10 years or so. The first two were gas, the last three were charcoal. My current grill is a large Big Green Egg and I couldn't be happier. There are tons of accessories for it, and being ceramic it will probably last a lifetime. I use wax/sawdust starters and can go from cold to about 500 degrees in approx 20 minutes using lump hardwood charcoal. Just enough time to prepare what I'm going to grill.

The ceramic grills really hold in the heat and therefore use very little fuel. Most times I just stir the remaining wood around so the ashes fall to the bottom and relight what's still there. Depending on what I'm cooking, I usually can go two or three times without adding any additional charcoal. They're much more expensive than non-ceramic grills, but the only thing you'll ever need to replace is the cooking grate.

I love the taste of food cooked on a charcoal grill and would never go back to gas.

murphy11 · « **Reply #2 on:** 16 Sep 2009, 11:01 pm »

Another Large BGE fan here. I enjoy the process as much as the food.

JimJ · « **Reply #3 on:** 16 Sep 2009, 11:14 pm »

Charcoal all the way.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #4 on:** 16 Sep 2009, 11:35 pm »

I definitely prefer food that comes off a charcoal grill compared to that of a gas grill. However, when I grill, I tend to do it for large groups of people, and as such, tend to grill lots of different things...and because of this, the ability of a gas grill to quickly change the heat/temperature is a must.

My smoker is a charcoal smoker...

Will probably pick up a small Weber charcoal grill one of these days for smaller efforts...

Bill Baker · « **Reply #5 on:** 17 Sep 2009, 01:20 am »

I still have and use a charcoal grill. We often have lots of people over when cooking out so I bought a large charcoal grill. When I grill, I always use only a little charcoal with the rest being hardwood. Apple wood is the best for grilling

martinr · « **Reply #6 on:** 17 Sep 2009, 01:53 am »

I use a gas grill for simplicity but almost always grill on planks to get a nice wood smoked flavor

Bigfish · « **Reply #7 on:** 17 Sep 2009, 01:58 am »

I have owned a Grill Dome cermanic cooker which utilizes lump charcoal for the past 3 years. Expensive initial investment but I could never go back to a gas grill.

Ken

timind · « **Reply #8 on:** 17 Sep 2009, 02:01 am »

It's gotta be charcoal for roasting marshmallows. aa

JerryM · « **Reply #9 on:** 17 Sep 2009, 02:11 am »

Charcoal for barbecuing, gas for grilling, smoker for smoking.

Have fun,
Jerry

vinyl_guy · « **Reply #10 on:** 17 Sep 2009, 02:49 am »

Charcoal everytime, all of the time with various hardwoods for smoke. Yes, it takes longer and there is no "instant on" with charcoal, but for me, the superior results and taste make it all worth it.

hmen · « **Reply #11 on:** 17 Sep 2009, 03:55 am »

Charcoal is the best. Gas grills are convenient but aren't as good.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #12 on:** 17 Sep 2009, 04:43 am »

I like Charcoal...can't beat the flavor.

As for what to burn....this site brought up in a past thread posted by PhilNYC has a good rundown comparison....

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/burntimetest/lumpcompare.htm

Niteshade · « **Reply #13 on:** 17 Sep 2009, 10:44 am »

They're not selling lighter fluid around here now, even Walmart is out!

What do you use when lighter fluid is unavailable? Kerosene?

I just got some mesquite chips..can't wait! Many of my relatives are in Texas and there's nothing compared to cooking over mesquite wood. The brisket that have down there is unbelievable! There's a restaurant in Albany, TX that's out of this world- can't remember the name of it though...

Doublej · « **Reply #14 on:** 17 Sep 2009, 11:11 am »

I am not sure if it' is a smart idea or not but I have a friend that uses paint thinner.

Quote from: Niteshade on 17 Sep 2009, 10:44 am

They're not selling lighter fluid around here now, even Walmart is out!

What do you use when lighter fluid is unavailable? Kerosene?

I just got some mesquite chips..can't wait! Many of my relatives are in Texas and there's nothing compared to cooking over mesquite wood. The brisket that have down there is unbelievable! There's a restaurant in Albany, TX that's out of this world- can't remember the name of it though...

PhilNYC · « **Reply #15 on:** 17 Sep 2009, 11:36 am »

Quote from: Niteshade on 17 Sep 2009, 10:44 am

They're not selling lighter fluid around here now, even Walmart is out!

What do you use when lighter fluid is unavailable? Kerosene?

Never use lighter fluid...

It will taint the taste of your food...

Get one of these:

Put the charcoal in it, 3 pages of newspaper underneath...light the paper, and your charcoal will be ready for cooking in about 10 minutes....

vinyl_guy · « **Reply #16 on:** 17 Sep 2009, 02:56 pm »

Quote from: PhilNYC on 17 Sep 2009, 11:36 am

Quote from: Niteshade on 17 Sep 2009, 10:44 am
They're not selling lighter fluid around here now, even Walmart is out!

What do you use when lighter fluid is unavailable? Kerosene?

Never use lighter fluid... It will taint the taste of your food...

Get one of these:

Put the charcoal in it, 3 pages of newspaper underneath...light the paper, and your charcoal will be ready for cooking in about 10 minutes....

or one of these . . .

Available at Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart

Put it under your charcoal, plug it in and in about 10-15 minutes you have a fluid free bed of charcoal ready to cook

SlushPuppy · « **Reply #17 on:** 17 Sep 2009, 03:37 pm »

I put two of these under the lump charcoal and ignite with a torch lighter. Takes only a few minutes to get going and there is no lighter fluid smell since it's just wax and sawdust. They completely burn away in about 8 minutes.

pardales · « **Reply #18 on:** 17 Sep 2009, 03:44 pm »

Quote from: PhilNYC on 17 Sep 2009, 11:36 am

Quote from: Niteshade on 17 Sep 2009, 10:44 am
They're not selling lighter fluid around here now, even Walmart is out!

What do you use when lighter fluid is unavailable? Kerosene?

Never use lighter fluid... It will taint the taste of your food...

Get one of these:

Put the charcoal in it, 3 pages of newspaper underneath...light the paper, and your charcoal will be ready for cooking in about 10 minutes....

Right on! Charcoal is the only way to go in my opinion.

ctviggen · « **Reply #19 on:** 17 Sep 2009, 04:18 pm »

Quote from: SlushPuppy on 16 Sep 2009, 10:47 pm

I've owned several grills over the past 10 years or so. The first two were gas, the last three were charcoal. My current grill is a large Big Green Egg and I couldn't be happier. There are tons of accessories for it, and being ceramic it will probably last a lifetime. I use wax/sawdust starters and can go from cold to about 500 degrees in approx 20 minutes using lump hardwood charcoal. Just enough time to prepare what I'm going to grill.

The ceramic grills really hold in the heat and therefore use very little fuel. Most times I just stir the remaining wood around so the ashes fall to the bottom and relight what's still there. Depending on what I'm cooking, I usually can go two or three times without adding any additional charcoal. They're much more expensive than non-ceramic grills, but the only thing you'll ever need to replace is the cooking grate.

I love the taste of food cooked on a charcoal grill and would never go back to gas.

I use wadded paper doused with some oil. I have a similar grill to the Big Green Egg. I never used gas, though.