BBQs: Charcoal vs. Gas or Other Method

I rarely cook at home but I love barbecuing with charcoal. I have used non-charcoal BBQ grills but really don't enjoy the experience.

For those who enjoying cooking or eating barbecued food, which do you prefer (charcoal or other) and why? I can understand using a gas grill because it is easier (to start, to clean, to control the flames, etc.), but are there other reasons I'm missing? For me, playing with the charcoal, having fun with different techniques, and the smell and taste of the food are so much better than not using charcoal that I often choose not to BBQ if I can't use charcoal (such as when I'm staying at a hotel that only has gas BBQs and I am not allowed to use one of my portable charcoal grills. (Yes, I own multiple charcoal grills.)

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I have both. Other than occasionally wanting a burger or something fast it serves two main purposes. Having control over the temp combined with a side burner almost gives me an outdoor kitchen. I've also found the smoke flavor when vegetable are cooked over charcoal or wood to be too strong for my taste. With gas they can be cooked directly over the flame or roasted with indirect heat.

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My dad uses charcoal. He makes good food.

Lol

I have yet to BBQ. My only experience is with the charcoal.

Charcoal for me, but I sometimes wish I had gas on windy days!

I prefer over everything, wood campfire. Anything cooked over wood tastes great. We are planning on building a fire pit in the backyard so we can bring the campfire taste home.

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Mike T
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"Life is good because the alternative is forever "

Just yesterday I made my monthly trek to stock up on wood. Pecan, apple and maple chunks along with chips from grapevines and a sweet wood mix including peach, apple, pear, cherry and sugar maple. After a lot of trial and error I found that charcoal used sparingly is great for getting up to and maintaining a steady temperature. An all natural hardwood charcoal actually tastes pretty good on it's own, but the wood chunks or chips just elevate everything.

Charcoal...and for God's sake, don't use lighter fluid on it. Invest in a chimney starter. Wad up 2 pieces of newspaper, drizzle some cooking oil on it, fill with charcoal, and light. About 30 minutes and you're ready to go.

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Normally I use just the paper. That cooking oil trick sounds great and I am going to try it with tonight's fire when it stops raining long enough to get a fire going.

natural gas is hooked up to my grill.....but i dont mind charcoal either

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I switched from natural gas when the grill bit the dust. Hauling tanks can definitely be a pain. OTOH, I have been known to forget to shut off a grill on occasion and at least now the grill will only burn until the tank runs out

I love hardwood charcoal and wood chips. I wish I had experienced cooking over a camp fire.

Oh I forgot about the tanks. I've cooked on gas grills but never had to change tanks or get a tank refilled. Guess that's another reason charcoal is good for me. I am accident prone and have a weak back. Glad I don't have to deal with tanks.

Disclaimer: I'm not trying to argue charcoal is better. Just trying to see what others think and perhaps find out new ways to have fun, grilling.

Tanks are heavy but they load them for me at the store and I have a collapsible dolly to transport them from the garage to the patio.

Kudos to 007.5 for the cooking oil trick. It is cool here but very humid. Normally it would take a couple of tries to get the fire going. With a little bit of oil it was one and done

Despite living in one of the big BBQ cities, I'm not a huge fan. I'm not an outdoors person and would rather cook whatever it is on the stove. My husband likes grilling, though, so we have a big propane grill.

My dad, on the other hand, is a BBQ purist. Handmade grill, uses specific wood types for flavor, plus charcoal. Don't tell him, but 99% of the population won't touch his food because he likes it burnt on the outside and raw in the middle. Yes, even chicken. In fact, that's probably why I'm not a big BBQ fan.

cake your dad BBQs just like my stepfather always did. Bobby Flay says there are two kinds of guys in the world. "Guys who can grill and guys who think they can grill." I learned to grill and BBQ in self-defense

Lowe's has 2-pack 20lb Kingsford Charcoal Briquettes for $9.99 with free store pickup.
Prices valid 7/4/13 - 7/8/13
Limit 2 packs per customer.

[www.lowes.com]

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/02/2013 01:40PM by techman01.

I use both. I have a propane grill and a charcoal/smoker. I use a variety of soaked wood chips in both grills. Charcoal is more expensive, and then there's the clean-up. The charcoal grill is easy enough for quick-cooking meats and veggies, but is much more involved when a longer cooking time and indirect heat is needed. Have to add charcoal at a rate that keeps the temperature maintained. Don't use the charcoal too often, really. And like 007, I never use starter fluid. But sometimes, if it's a beautiful day and I can fortify with liquid refreshments, I like spending the afternoon bending my elbow, occasionally throwing in the charcoal, and enjoying the process.

Here my wood is more expensive than charcoal. My brother in Boston has it made in the shade. One of his best friends is a custom furniture maker and uses all natural woods. Guess who gets all scraps.

miketfse Wrote:
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> sometimes wish I had gas on windy days!

Wouldn't you be creating a redundancy?

Charcoal for me. I've never seen the point of BBQ'ing on a gas grill... to me it's not really BBQ! May as well just cook on the stove. No offense to those who *do* like it, whatever floats your boat & all... that's just me.

Practitioner of the Nerdly Arts.

> > sometimes wish I had gas on windy days!
>

> Wouldn't you be creating a redundancy?

Could be very dangerous, too. Don't get too close to the flames!

I need to give credit for the cooking oil to Alton Brown on Food Network. Although I have gone a step or 2 past him if it's really windy. On very windy days, I won't oil the paper. Instead I'll put a small layer of charcoal in the chimney starter, then drizzle oil on it--a bit more than I would use on newspaper, then fill the starter with the rest of the charcoal. Light the paper and it will get the oil in the charcoal going.

While I use charcoal briquettes for myself, when I have company, I use Royal Oak hardwood charcoal. It gives a better flavor, IMO.

LisaSTL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tanks are heavy but they load them for me at the
> store and I have a collapsible dolly to transport
> them from the garage to the patio.
>
> Kudos to 007.5 for the cooking oil trick. It is
> cool here but very humid. Normally it would take a
> couple of tries to get the fire going. With a
> little bit of oil it was one and done

I was reading up on briquettes versus chunk and it sounds like they are very similar except for the binder. In the all natural briquettes from Trader Joe's I think the binder is just cornstarch so the flavor is pretty dang good.

BTW, while reaching for the oil the other night I spied a can of cooking spray (again, all natural) and decided why not

And isn't Alton Brown just about the smartest chef around. Love that guy!

I rarely use lighter fluid, but I do keep a small bag of instant light charcoal in case I feel like "cheating." All I need to do is to place one or two pieces of the instant light charcoal under regular charcoal in a pyramid configuration, leaving adequate space for ventilation. By the time the lighter fluid in the instant light charcoal has burnt out, those one or two briquettes and the regular briquettes that are close to the instant light briquettes are hot enough to take care of the rest.

What's the objection to using lighter fluid, BTW? Is it because of the smell? The "cheating" aspect? The cost? I genuinely don't know.

Flavor is considered the biggest factor. Since starting to use the chimney, it has also been cheaper and really easy.

Thanks.

I don't smell or taste the difference, probably because I use only one or two of the special briquettes.

Chimneys are great. It's even easy to make one out of a large coffee can or something similar.

You are much craftier than me

No brothers. Youngest kid in my family. Got stuck doing a lot of boys stuff.

I've seen studies done among the competition BBQ'ers. They can taste if lighter fluid has been used on charcoal. I've also used the 1 or 2 of the matchlight briquettes. But after close to 5 years of using the chimney, I can sometimes tell when lighter fluid is used.

No doubt. My sense of smell comes and goes.

We have both but I use the propane one most of the time. I can't be bothered fiddling around with filthy charcoal and that.

Yeah..I AM pathetic, I know.

> filthy charcoal and that.

Them there's fightin' words! RAR!

At least she knows she is pathetic

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