What do you prefer: Charcoal or Gas Grills?

Wayner · « **Reply #20 on:** 17 Sep 2009, 04:40 pm »

I have both. Gas is convenient for weekdays when everything is a rush, but charcoal adds the flavor. I'm a big Weber fan and have the 22 1/2" One Touch Gold charcoal grill and a 8 year old Weber Genesis gas grill that has had nothing done to it but get cleaned once in a while. Made pork ribs on it last night, yum!

Wayner

ken · « **Reply #21 on:** 17 Sep 2009, 06:02 pm »

For dogs and burgers I'll use my gas grill but for anything else I cook with the Big Green Egg. I also recommend that anyone using regular charcoal to convert over to lump charcoal, it's made from real hardwood without the nasty chemicals found in Kingsford and the like, and burns hotter as well.

Carlman · « **Reply #22 on:** 17 Sep 2009, 06:13 pm »

I much prefer a gas grill... It's way easier to me to manage the heat.. I cook with a pot on the side burner too.. sometimes caramalize some onions, boil corn, etc.. If you want smoke, just add wood chips.. they make little boxes you can put the wood in and works like a charm.

Cooking with charcoal is a real pain when it's humid, raining, or cold. I cook with my gas grill year-round and can cook for up to a dozen people multiple types of foods and have it all come out on time, hot, and coordinated with stuff cooking in the house.

With charcoal, there are more variables to the equation that get in the way. Charcoaling is more of an 'event' for me. I smoke with lump charcoal but it doesn't last very long so I have to add more.. It has a heat spike at the beginning and then trails off too fast. If you put too much in, it soffocates itself... it's finicky.

To many people, charcoal is vinyl and gas is digital. I feel like I've got a great digital rig w/ eq since I can easily add real flavor with the wood box.. and I can add varying quantities and types of smoke easily. But it's so darn predictable.. not nearly as 'fun' as charcoal. haha

-C

PhilNYC · « **Reply #23 on:** 17 Sep 2009, 06:16 pm »

Quote from: ken on 17 Sep 2009, 06:02 pm

I also recommend that anyone using regular charcoal to convert over to lump charcoal, it's made from real hardwood without the nasty chemicals found in Kingsford and the like, and burns hotter as well.

+1

I use lump charcoal in my smoker, and the difference from brickets is huge...the taste is much cleaner and less "gunky" (for lack of a better word).

Here's an excellent database that reviews various lump charcoals available around the country:

http://nakedwhiz.com/lumpindexpage.htm?bag

I use Humphreys Lump Charcoal...

Wayner · « **Reply #24 on:** 17 Sep 2009, 06:22 pm »

In defense of Kingsford (regular charcoal), it is made from chard wood and corn starch. I asked them. No chemicals.

Wayner

vinyl_guy · « **Reply #25 on:** 17 Sep 2009, 07:02 pm »

Quote from: Carlman on 17 Sep 2009, 06:13 pm

Cooking with charcoal is a real pain when it's humid, raining, or cold. I cook with my gas grill year-round and can cook for up to a dozen people multiple types of foods and have it all come out on time, hot, and coordinated with stuff cooking in the house.

I cook with charcoal year round and neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow, nor below zero temperatures nor humidity get in the way. I have 3 all cast iron charcoal grills that can easily be converted to smokers by adding more rings. The cast iron holds the heat in any wheather and the top and bottom vents allow very precise temperature control. I have smoked briskets for 10 to 12 hours and have been able to maintain a constant temperature of around 200 without adding more charcoal.

Much like our audio hobby, it's about having the right equipment and appreciating that there are personal preferences and no absolutes. I prefer charcoal for many of the same reasons you prefer gas. Sounds like you have great gas grill that fits your needs and preferences perfectly.

BTW, I think there is some truth to your vinyl/digital analogy.

Here's to good grilling, barbequing and smoking

ctviggen · « **Reply #26 on:** 17 Sep 2009, 08:35 pm »

I also cook year round with my ceramic charcoal cooker (like a Big Green Egg). In fact, we compared slightly smoked turkey cooked on charcoal with an equivalent turkey cooked in the oven for Thanksgiving. The smoked turkey won.

I also cooked on my ceramic cooker for Christmas. I cook year round, though sometime it's too icy or there's too much snow to venture out on the deck. I assume that would be true of gas grills, too.

One thing where gas grills likely win (at least over a ceramic cooker) is in two-layer capacity. I can cook with two layers, but it's a pain in the butt.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #27 on:** 18 Sep 2009, 02:38 pm »

I definitely grill and smoke year-round. Admittedly, using the Weber smoker that I have is tough in the winter...it's not ceramic, so the outside temperature definitely affects the temperature, so I have to watch and feed the charcoal pretty actively when it's cold out.

ctviggen · « **Reply #28 on:** 19 Sep 2009, 11:21 am »

That's also a detriment to chunk charcoal -- they burn hotter but faster. Charcoal briquets are better in that regard.

This is the ceramic grill I have, although I have the earlier model:

http://bbq.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&zTi=1&sdn=bbq&cdn=food&tm=5&f=00&tt=14&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.grilldome.com/

Some very good chicken can be made in one of these as follows. Brine the chicken for a while (I use a simple salt water brine from Cook's Illustrated, although I brine longer than their recommended time). Rinse the chicken, put in a chicken holder. I use the following:

http://bbq.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&zTi=1&sdn=bbq&cdn=food&tm=5&f=00&tt=14&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.grilldome.com/

Although I prefer these ceramic types:

http://www.biggreenegg.com/racks.html

I add beer (although I think water would work well, too) to the middle of the ceramic stand, and a single large piece of smoking wood (I think I used maple last time).

The chicken is fantastic, with a hint of smoke but not too much, and very moist.

Niteshade · « **Reply #29 on:** 19 Sep 2009, 10:51 pm »

I'm going to look for a nice charcoal grill sometime. My present one is a $10.00 hibachi from Wal-Mart and it does cook well. There was no need for a bigger one.

I have been wondering: Do gas grills that use lava rock work better than the ones that don't? My last gas grill didn't use lava rock- just a burner guard. I couldn't stand it. The hibachi is MUCH better!

mackortoyota · « **Reply #30 on:** 20 Nov 2009, 04:34 am »

You charcoal junkies should try the way my dad grills. He uses gas, but above it he has a tray covered in hickory and oak chunks. he sets them so they smoke some, but don't catch fire. Flavor, without charcoal. Personally I don't like food grilled over charcoal.

satfrat · « **Reply #31 on:** 20 Nov 2009, 04:54 am »

Never even used charcoal before,,, what's it like?

Gas it or nuke it,,,, take yur pick.

and I don't listen to records, 8-tracks, or cassettes anymore either,,,, just sayin'.

Cheers,
Robin

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #32 on:** 20 Nov 2009, 05:18 am »

Quote

..and I don't listen to records, 8-tracks, or cassettes anymore either,,,, just sayin'.

Too bad....here's a nice collection.....

Bigfish · « **Reply #33 on:** 20 Nov 2009, 01:56 pm »

Quote from: Marbles on 17 Sep 2009, 12:15 am

Gas grill during the week, Grill Dome (ceramic, with lump charcoal) on the weekends.

I have had charcoal, gas of different types over the years. When I purchased a Grill Dome a few years back I found my the "sweet spot" of grills. If something happened to my Grill Dome today I would be driving to Atlanta tomorrow to pick-up a new one!

Ken

mackortoyota · « **Reply #34 on:** 21 Nov 2009, 12:31 am »

I don't own any physical medium for music. It's all digital.
Charcoal is hard to describe, the food just tastes burnt to me, even when it isn't.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #35 on:** 21 Nov 2009, 11:53 am »

Quote from: mackortoyota on 21 Nov 2009, 12:31 am

Charcoal is hard to describe, the food just tastes burnt to me, even when it isn't.

You're probably not using very good charcoal...

Anji12305 · « **Reply #36 on:** 21 Nov 2009, 01:22 pm »

It's alot of money.

It's worth it. I cooked planks of cod and swordfish steaks with fresh asparagus for my old man's 70th.
Seeing him wolf down his first plate before anyone else got to the table was worth every penny spent.

It bears mentioning that the BGE is a pain to start, and lead time is essential.
It's also considerably easier to clean than my last gas grill.

Good charcoal is easy to find, and you can make your own as well.

Wayner · « **Reply #37 on:** 21 Nov 2009, 02:26 pm »

Most people don't load their grill properly. The charcoal needs to off to one side. This offers the chef different temperature zones on the grill. Gonna make some steaks, put them right over the coals for about a minute on each side, then pull them off to the cooler part of the grill to finish the cooking (at a slower rate). This is the method I have used for 30 years and works very well.

Another hint is to wait until the charcoal has turned white before cooking food. If you use lighter fluid, this will ensure that all of that is burned off. Starting to grill on charcoal that isn't ready can add a very fowl taste to the food. If you use wood, use the same technique.

Wayner

acwd1950 · « **Reply #38 on:** 21 Nov 2009, 02:30 pm »

Charcoal is the only way to go. I have had a gas grill it always left the food with this "gas" smell and taste. It smelled like unburn LP I dont think that it was working right and it had the lava rocks in it. I had a guy tell me the way to cook on a gas grill was to heat the lava rocks up good and then turn the heat way down and use the heat off the rocks to cook with. Ive always wanted to get a BGE but I havent gotten a price on one and Im afraid I will have sticker shock! I use Naptha (sp?) Its the same thing as the charcoal lighter fluid (if I run out)

Steve

acwd1950 · « **Reply #39 on:** 21 Nov 2009, 02:32 pm »

Ive grilled alot of brats on one of those Wayner!