Gas VS charcoal grills

[DoggyDaddy]

I forget the brand, but I have one of the barrel type grill/smokers that I love. It's big enough that I use it to smoke our turkey for Thanksgiving every year, and usually a ham for Christmas and Easter (although I did a ribeye roast for Christmas this year ), and plenty of room for grilling for a large group (27" x 19"). It has heavy cast iron grates and I keep it up on our covered deck, so it's been going strong for about 12 or 14 years now. I've repainted it and replaced the cheap wood slats for the platforms with oak.

As for the extra time to heat up, when I was still drinking, I could always make good use of that time... took about 2 beers to get up to temp. I have thought about getting a small gas grill to use on the boat, but I haven't ever gotten around to it. I've got a cheap little portable charcoal grill that I take camping/boating for the times I don't feel like starting a fire to cook over (like for a quick lunch).

So long story short, my vote is for charcoal, but I would go for a heavy duty one. Webers are nice but I much prefer the heavy cast iron grates over the steel "wire" type. It makes for a more even distribution of heat.

 

[gregkl]

This. I have a gas grill due to impatience.

DO NOT GET ONE OF THE "TRU-INFRARED" GAS GRILLS. I made that mistake and it's crap. It either barely singes the outside and the inside is cold OR it barely singes the outside and the inside is all dried out and luke-warm. It's sad that the meat's actually better reheated in the microwave.

That's interesting. If that is the same as my son's Char-Broil his experience has not been that. He gets ZERO flair ups due to the grate design, will cook at an even temperature and whatever we cooked when I was out there(VAFB) was great. We did a tri-tip and oysters to name two very different food items. Both were excellent.

 

[gregkl]

Yes. They are. I've had mine (Traeger) for over ten years, and it's still going strong. Rec Tec is the same (maybe better) but has some nicer features. There's nothing easier, set the temp you want, and forget about it - nothing to maintain and the results are great. The other advantage is the availability of different pellets - try finding mesquite for your stick burner.

Before i bought a Traeger, I bought a new grill every year. I've never regretted going to a pellet grill.

Those Traeger's certainly have a following. I had some customers out in the northwest and they raved about them. I never did get a chance to try out some food cooked on it.

Good to hear it's holding up well. Looking at them in the store, they don't appear to be very robust in construction.

 

[SMiller]

A 26in. Weber kettle with a slow n sear is about to make its way to my house, looking forward to some reverse seared Ribeyes, burgers, wings, pork butt.

The Yoder YS640 is screaming my name though. ($2,000+)

Whoever said charcoal is king is dead wrong, Woodfire is king followed by lump charcoal.

I used to laugh at though using kettles and pellet poopers, both have come a long way!

A cannot ponder eating off a gas grill, no flavor.

 

[Rookie]

Those Traeger's certainly have a following. I had some customers out in the northwest and they raved about them. I never did get a chance to try out some food cooked on it.

Good to hear it's holding up well. Looking at them in the store, they don't appear to be very robust in construction.

Full disclosure...
Mine isn't stock. I built a double wall insulated smoker out of my Traeger and it never leaves the garage. My dad has a stock Traeger that sits outside and it's so going strong after five years.

 

[chezuki]

I have both and gas wins out on convenience. I grill almost every day in the summer and at least once or twice a week in the winter. A QUALITY gas grill will have the BTU's and sear power to get the job done. Honestly, I have to use way too much charcoal in my Weber to get close to the sear and grill marks I get off of my Tru Infrared.

 

[gregr]

Weber Charcoal Grill, is the only way to grill. Gives food a lot better flavor. Yes, it`s more involved, but more than worth the extra time and attention to the fire.

 

[JBP239]

I have a gas grill and a charcoal grill. I use the gas grill when I'm limited on time especially on weekdays. I bought a Weber gas grill late last fall, it's definately the best gas grill I've ever had, it cooks nice and even. When I've got extra time on the weekends I use the charcoal grill.

 

[phylodog]

Whoever said charcoal is king is dead wrong, Woodfire is king followed by lump charcoal.

A cannot ponder eating off a gas grill, no flavor.

I'll give ya that. The best BBQ I've ever made came off of a Brinkman offset which I fed with split hickory and it was head and shoulders above anything I've smoked with lump. That said, I can't afford to buy enough hickory nor do I have enough free time to babysit a 20 hour smoke with such a contraption. Lump charcoal in my BGE runs a good second place and I haven't had any complaints.

I'm with ya on gas, I'd build a fire under a grocery cart before I'd buy a gas grill.

 

[lovemachine]

So the general consensus is charcoal is better, but gas for convenience.

At lowes, the 2 popular brands are Weber and Charbroil. Is Weber really that much better?

If I went the Weber charcoal route, which model is the better one to get?
Does the brand of charcoal matter?
And what is this chimney thing?

 

[phylodog]

Weber is definitely better, way better, than Charbroil. Take care of it and it'll last a decade easily.

https://www.amazon.com/Weber-7416-Rapidfire-Chimney-Starter/dp/B000WEOQV8

A chimney is a sheet metal tube with a grate a few inches off of the bottom. Fill it with charcoal, stuff the bottom with newspaper, light it and come back in ten minutes for a "chimney" full of hot coals. Dump them out and you're ready to go, no stinky lighter fluid. I always used Kingsford (not with the lighter fluid in it) and the few times I strayed I could tell a difference. Lump charcoal burns hotter and yields better flavor though and brands don't seem to matter as much.

 

[Bfish]

I don't really know about the models, but my dad has a weber charcoal kettle that he's had for over 20 years, and it is still in fantastic shape. The biggest reason I see to buy one, is that they are VERY cheap when put next to a good gas grill.

I'm not really sure on what charcoal to use, I always buy the kingsford, I like it especially when cooking something besides steak or burgers like a pork loin or something that'll be on for a long time maybe with indirect heat. It seems to burn well, but I've never really bought the cheap stuff to compare. Most of my grilling now is done on a weber genesis and I don't really charcoal anything anymore. I find it easier to cook things more consistently with it due to controlling the temp easier.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

I've been using exclusively charcoal for a couple years now and I love it. I don't mind the wait at all.

 

[chezuki]

So the general consensus is charcoal is better, but gas for convenience.

At lowes, the 2 popular brands are Weber and Charbroil. Is Weber really that much better?

If I went the Weber charcoal route, which model is the better one to get?
Does the brand of charcoal matter?
And what is this chimney thing?

Personal experience... My Charbroil Tru infrared (this one) cooks better than the either or the 2 Weber Genesis grills I've cooked on. It's the closest thing I've found to commercial kitchen grills at home. I can't speak for the longevity of the Charbroil, as I've only had it for just over a year.

 

[chezuki]

P. S. Where did our format buttons go? Typing out VB code by hand on an iPhone is obnoxious.

 

[chezuki]

Getting the job done...

 

[thunderchicken]

For grilling I use Kingsford Lump charcoal. A majoriy of the time I will soak some hickory chunks overnight and toss a couple in as well. Now when I am going to make BBQ....and understand there is a big difference between grilling and BBQ. I use different wood chunks based on the type of meat.
I have occasionally used some Lump charcoal I picked up at Lowup, it's. A mesquite lump charcoal.. I wanna say it's. Stubb's brand but don't quote me on that.

 

[Bfish]

Honestly at that price Chez if the life of your grill is half of the webber genesis I've got that's stainless like yours; you can buy a second of your grill and be at even money.
I would say I cook on mine 3-4 nights a week, but I also haven't had mine for over a couple years. It still works like new though.

 

[Clay]

gas is easy, but you can't beat the taste of charcoal.

*drops mic*

 

[thunderchicken]

Getting the job done...

I can hammer a finishing nail with a sledge hammer, that's to say it gets the job done but it don't make it right.... I see no lump charcoal, no wood chunks = sub par flavor might as well broil it in the oven.