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Comparison 🔎 Gas or Charcoal

Charcoal vs. GAs

  • Charcoal

    Votes: 19 38.0%

  • Gas

    Votes: 28 56.0%

  • Electric

    Votes: 1 2.0%

  • Wood

    Votes: 2 4.0%
  • Total voters
    50
  • Poll closed .
noottamevas

noottamevas

Cyburbian
Messages
2,126
Points
26
Memorial Day weekend and most will be grillin out. What's your preference? I would NEVER consider a gas grill. Its charcoal all the way here. If your going to use gas, you might as well cook inside IMO. But I am in the minority, 65% use gas over charcoal. What about here in Cyburbia?
 
When given the choice I prefer to cook over and open flame from a wood fire...however, I have a gas grill at the house now and to me it is noe like cooking inside, you have an open flame. I thought the same thing for years and used my little weber forever...but the lighter fluid and charcoal flavor dominated my portabellas and I just couldn't stomach it anymore..so I use my gas grill all the time (even in the winter and LOVE it) and use the little weber when I have energy and cash to get hickory chips to burn.
 
I voted for charcoal which is what I normally use at home; I just have a small tabletop grill.
During the hurricane power outages last year, however, my Coleman camping stove/grill, using propane, came in very, very handy.
 
I use a small gas grill at home, but whenever we go camping we gril with charcoal. I prefer the flavor of charcoal grilled stuff. Never had wood grilled that I know of so I couldn't comment on it. In theory it sounds good, though.
 
I do love charcoal and wood, but with a small person to feed and an impatient Mr. TN, I have a gas grill, which I love. I do love to grill out and would prefer grilling on it all of the time if I had my choice because I having a hot kitchen unless it is the freezing winter. We grill out all of the time.
 
Gas grill for me. It's easier to control the temp and is practically on/off.

I grewup [edit]using gas grills[/edit ;) ], so it's knida second nature.
 
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I use gas to cook out only because it is fast and easy. I prefer the good old fashion way with charcoal but it is time prohibitative. Also when your just cooking one or two chicken breasts you need to much charcoal to get the heat up.
 
I had both growing up. We mainly used gas, because we cooked out all the time. The same goes for me now, now that I am on my own. Plus the apartments I live at (for another week) only allows gas grills.
We had a Weber growing up, and my Pops currently has his forth Weber. We will sometimes use that as well. Mainly we use charcoal for smoking a Thanksgiving turkey, and other smokables like a whole Salmon.... :p

Someone mentioned using a grill EVEN in winter...
I have never had a grilling season... it has always been all year for me, even when it is snowing! :-o
Do you guys only grill in Summer?
 
my grilling season is also year round. I can be found with the grill in 10 degree weather, rain, or 100 degree heat.

I prefer to grill outside when it is in the 90-100 range. Cooking inside just makes the house too hot......even with the A/C cranked.

I am charcoal man, grew up on gas.. but charcoal flavor is far superior.

If you've ever had slow-cooked authentic ribs, you've had wood-cooked meat.
 
zmanPLAN said:
Someone mentioned using a grill EVEN in winter...
I have never had a grilling season... it has always been all year for me, even when it is snowing! :-o
Do you guys only grill in Summer?
Click to expand...
We grill all year round. We grill t-bones for Christmas dinner, regardless of weather. We used to cook out every thursday night all year round.
 
I use charcoal and love it. As far as time, go it does take a little longer and but to do it right you need a charcoal chimney. I don't use any lighter fluid i just load the chimney and wad up two pieces of newspaper spritzed with cooking spray and 15 minutes later the coals are mostly white and ready. It is a little more effort but if your going to do it, do it right. Gas is for impatient pansies :p sorry gas grilling impatient pansies ;) . Just remember both gas and charcoal are both carbon fuels and both have varing impacts on the environment :-c , so we all should probably be solar cooking :p or grilling on the manifold of our cars during our comutes to work. ;-)
 
he he he.....

Trail Nazi said:
I do love charcoal and wood, but with a small person to feed and an impatient Mr. TN, I have a gas grill, which I love. I do love to grill out and would prefer grilling on it all of the time if I had my choice because I having a hot kitchen unless it is the freezing winter. We grill out all of the time.
Click to expand...

I'm also impatient....and used to break out the grill in -20F (-who the hell cares C) weather....not to mention blizzards and wind storms :-c :cool: :-D
 
We grill alot all year round so we use gas, it is so much faster.
We have trouble enough remembering to lay something out to cook let alone thinking far enough ahead to start the coals, it would be midnight by the time we got to eat.
 
Being impatient people as well, we use gas, more or less year-round. When camping, we use our Coleman stove for stuff like coffee and pancakes, and the campfire for everything else. Charcoal and wood taste much better, but after one too many butane-flavored burgers, we gave up and got rid of the Weber. We're just kind of inept that way. ;)
 
We grill year-round, and use a gas grill. Our old house had a JennAir stove, and that was handy! Next time I have an extra $2000, we'll get another.

We grill the usual grill foods, and home made pizza on the grill is good. My neighbor has a smoker, and I'm going to get one. I want to try to adapt it to pizza oven as well as smoker. My dream is to have a brick bake oven outside.
 
How do you grill pizza? Do you use those premade Boboli shells, or flatbread, or homemade? I've heard about how good grilled pizza is, and would like to try it, but have no idea where to begin...
 
hank4.jpg


"I'm not going to force propane on you. That's an insult to propane and to you. "
Hank Hill
 
Plannerbabs said:
How do you grill pizza? Do you use those premade Boboli shells, or flatbread, or homemade? I've heard about how good grilled pizza is, and would like to try it, but have no idea where to begin...
Click to expand...

Roll, stretch or flatten dough and toss it on the hot grill. I heat the grill with one burner hot and one low; the dough goes on the low heat side. Cook one side, and put the toppings on the cooked side. Finish cooking it one the grill until the cheese melts. I haven't cooked pizza using charcoal, but you would cook over indirect heat.
 
I have a charcoal and cook with it at least once a week... I would grill more but it takes so long!!!!

Thus, I really want a gas grill also.

Gas for 'dinner' and charcoal for 'grill'n' :-D
 
I'm a charcoal man myself, which has led to a few disagreements with the propane-lovin' Hank Hill-esque future father-in-law. :p There's nothing quite like the flavor you get from grilling over wood or charcoal no matter how much of the liquid smoke stuff you pour on. It also requires more skill, IMHO, since you have to compensate for the variable fire temperatures as the charcoal burns down.
 
There's nothing quite like the flavor you get from grilling over wood or charcoal no matter how much of the liquid smoke stuff you pour on.

LOL :-D

HANK: You brought charcoal into my house!

PEGGY: I didn't know what it was! Luanne asked me to hold it for her! I thought it was drugs!

HANK: There's soot under my boy's nails! You don't get that from a clean-burning fuel.

BOBBY: You don't get the rich smoky flavor either. ;-)

HANK: Shut your mouth! Now, we're going to sit here and pray.
 
I prefer the taste of charcoal, but since I grill out 2-3 times a week (more in the summer) I use gas with wood chips for extra flavor.

I got a smoker for christmas which I intend on using for the first time this weekend.
 
BBQ's are meant to be done with charcoal or wood, using gas is spoiling your meat... it's heretic! :D

Personally I use charcoal, when at home... or at my uncle's house here...


Am I the only one who thinks that gas grills dry up the meat too much?
 
Here's how I rationalize my "pansie" use of gas:

Charcoal style, with food prepared and cooked well.....Grade: A
Charcoal style, with food prepared and rushed.....Grade: B
Gas style, with food prepared and cooked well.....Grade: A-
Gas style, with food prepared and rushed.....Grade: C

I will opt for the convienence of gas, as long as I take the time to prep and cook correctly.

Example: Katie takes the quick way, with pre-made hamburger patties. Ugh. I will buy the ground chuck and add all the secret stuff that make my burgers taste stupdendous. :p

Bear In Handcuffs When The Authorities Discovered What The Secret Stuff Was
 
We grill outside multiple times per week. Gas is sooo much easier. We used charcoal when we lived in Okinawa. When we returned stateside Mrs. Runner insisted on getting a gas grill. We have never tuned back.

As a matter of fact, I'd be happy to switch out the indoor fireplace to gas as well.
 
NHPlanner said:
Prefer charcoal, but use gas.
Click to expand...

Ditto for daily use. I do keep two Weber charcoal grills or large parties though (the largest was in 1999 when I sat 25 for prime rib and lobster. Best. Party. Ever.)
 
Chet said:
Ditto for daily use. I do keep two Weber charcoal grills or large parties though (the largest was in 1999 when I sat 25 for prime rib and lobster. Best. Party. Ever.)
Click to expand...

Sounds like quite the feat! I must try that sometime.
 
Gedunker said:
I grew up charcoal, Mrs. G grew up gas. Guess which we have. ;)
Click to expand...

That's territory that is not meant to be tread on. Correct the intrusion and purchase the proper grill. Stand your ground :) ;) :-D
 
Bump 20 years later:

I am completely on the charcoal bus these days. Yes, it requires more skill to get the best grill possible, but that's half the fun. I like to set up multi-zone fires with coals arranged to provide 'hot,' 'warm,' and 'cold' sections on the grill. Keep your food moving to the fire it needs to be on top of. It's an active style of grilling that requires more attention on the cook's part, but to get the very best of the best grilling, it's required.

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I have three grills - smoker, gas, charcoal. Depends on what flavor I'm looking for. I did cook ribeyes on cast iron a few days ago on the side burner of my gas grill. Did not want the house to smell like steak for the next week.
 
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