Burning question of the day ... gas or charcoal BBQ?
- Thread starter Setanta12
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Without a doubt a Weber charcoal!! Weber is the Best on the market.
There is Facebook groups on charcoal grilling, these groups have a wealth of knowledge about cooking techniques, cleaning and maintenance. Search ‘Weber Kettle Fans’ on Facebook.
Store any bbq you get indoors/ garage.
There is Facebook groups on charcoal grilling, these groups have a wealth of knowledge about cooking techniques, cleaning and maintenance. Search ‘Weber Kettle Fans’ on Facebook.
Store any bbq you get indoors/ garage.
Only charcoal will get you the true char grilled flavour, though a smoker used in a gas BBQ might do an adequate job depending on your tastes. Gas is much quicker to heat up and gives you much more control of the cooking temperature. Gas will involve less cleaning, and no disposal of ash after each use.
Charcoal will take a bit more practice to get consistent results, and require lighting 15-20 minutes in advance of cooking time. Once ready, you'll get around 40-45 minutes of cooking time. If you need to extend that, you'll need to periodically add coals to the outside, and move them towards the centre over time to maintain the cooking temperature. Charcoal will be more expensive to fuel, and likely be wasteful if you only want to cook small quantities of food. Charcoal also burns hotter than gas, so you'll need to carefully manage thicker meats to ensure they get cooked all the way through before being burned to a crisp on the outside.
No doubt Weber are good and solidly built, but they are very expensive for what you get. They built a solid reputation in the past for durability, but it seems they've switches to a lower grade steel in recent years.
Charcoal will take a bit more practice to get consistent results, and require lighting 15-20 minutes in advance of cooking time. Once ready, you'll get around 40-45 minutes of cooking time. If you need to extend that, you'll need to periodically add coals to the outside, and move them towards the centre over time to maintain the cooking temperature. Charcoal will be more expensive to fuel, and likely be wasteful if you only want to cook small quantities of food. Charcoal also burns hotter than gas, so you'll need to carefully manage thicker meats to ensure they get cooked all the way through before being burned to a crisp on the outside.
No doubt Weber are good and solidly built, but they are very expensive for what you get. They built a solid reputation in the past for durability, but it seems they've switches to a lower grade steel in recent years.
We've used both charcoal and gas over many years. Ultimately, we are abandoning the charcoal in favour of gas as it's difficult to get good quality, reliable, charcoal. The difference in flavour is minimal and lava rocks provide a nice flame up for that bbq taste. Weber are good but expensive. Homestore & More have offers on decent gas BBQs but they may not last as long.
Another vote for Gas. It is so much easier to use and maintain, and as Slim said, the lava rocks allow the juices/marinade to drip down and smoke/flavour the food. Charcoal may have an edge for flavour, but at a price of both cost/convenience.
Also, you said you will be entertaining, so would you rather be standing by the BBQ all night, (having to regulate charcoal) or have an easier time of it with gas, and be chatting/drinking beer with your colleagues/guests.
I predict you are going to get a split of opinions between the two, with both sides arguing the merits of their preferred choice (and the die-hards on both sides decrying the use of the other type). It's not a life-altering decision, so even if you buy one type, you can always swap over if it doesn't suit/think you've made the wrong decision.
Also, you said you will be entertaining, so would you rather be standing by the BBQ all night, (having to regulate charcoal) or have an easier time of it with gas, and be chatting/drinking beer with your colleagues/guests.
I predict you are going to get a split of opinions between the two, with both sides arguing the merits of their preferred choice (and the die-hards on both sides decrying the use of the other type). It's not a life-altering decision, so even if you buy one type, you can always swap over if it doesn't suit/think you've made the wrong decision.
That might be the single most important point to consider before making a choice. Some people will love that element of mastery required with charcoal, and the results such mastery can produce, and for them, gas grills will always be a cheat. Others who want an easy life and to spend more of their time socialising when they have visitors will likely prefer gas.
We bought a gas one from Homestore and More two years ago for almost €500. It really looked the part with all the bells and whistles but we soon discovered that it was an unknown brand which did not offer parts or service etc..
After using it for a couple of times/weeks that summer it was garaged until the following May. Shortly after it was taken out again, it started giving trouble. Gas and heat were distributing unevenly etc.. and it soon became unusable. Homestore's customer service was abysmal... they did not want to know, despite the fact it was still technically under a 12 month warranty. Despite our best efforts, tenacity and numerous store visits, no calls or emails were returned. Never again. We since have bought a gas Weber.
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Sorry to hear that @Armada , but you were an 'easy touch' methinks.
That sort of thing is exactly what the small claims courts are for and I have found on two occasions it gets
the retailers attention very quickly.
I totally agree and other than I had a lot of far more important issues going on at the time, I might have pursued it much further. No excuse, I know.
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For years I was the exact same as you and indeed went as far as saying 'why not get an extension lead and drag our electric cooker out the back and call it a BBQ'
Now, I have both a charcoal and gas, just this evening I fired up the charcoal and did a joint of beef on the spit. It just cannot be beaten for flavour, even with lava rocks and/or wood chippings and what not on the gas BBQ.
However come a nice sunny morning, give me the gas one, sipping a nice espresso while cooking my rashers and sausages out the back within a timely manner is not an option offered by charcoal.
So there ye go...............
Blackrock1
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apparently multiple taste tests have debunked the charcoal 'myth'
i really took the easy option, a weber electric
i really took the easy option, a weber electric
We used to have a gas bbq until the entire thing blew up. We've settled on the normal plain charcoal one now. I would never go back to gas no matter how convenient. For bigger groups the best I've seen is the large plain rectangular models. No fiddley bits and all you've to do is get rid of the ashes. Himself starts it going with a tall cylindar type things where you put in the charcoal and lighters. That works a treat. He buys the expensive stuff as that burns better and hotter and longer. I'm getting hungry now, I just might do a bbq on Saturday or Sunday.
My husbands cousin pre cooks the chicken wings etc as she is concerned about food poisoning ! In America you can order in your BBQ food pre cooked. Our American neighbours here seem to BBQ all the time, even in the snow.
There is a certain rustic charm to my last BBQ, the heavens opened and I had to put the table, many sun umbrellas under the first floor terrace with himself on the lawn cooking in the rain. Luckily it just stopped in time. The children thought it was great fun. It was also warm weather despite the rain so that helps.
A gas BBQ certainly is faster and a bit cleaner.
If I’m doing a “roast”, e.g. a whole chicken or a leg of lamb, It takes the best part of an hour to get the Big Green Egg set, i.e. coals burning and temperature stable to desired level. But the results speak for themselves.
A typical chicken takes the same time as a convention oven, an hour or so.
For something like steak it takes about half and hour to get it set. Then takes 3-4 minutes for medium-rare steaks.
If I’m doing a “roast”, e.g. a whole chicken or a leg of lamb, It takes the best part of an hour to get the Big Green Egg set, i.e. coals burning and temperature stable to desired level. But the results speak for themselves.
A typical chicken takes the same time as a convention oven, an hour or so.
For something like steak it takes about half and hour to get it set. Then takes 3-4 minutes for medium-rare steaks.
I just want to compliment you on the title.