what is the better way to grill outdoors: gas or charcoal?

[jeff]

recently in the market for a bbq. curious as to the pros and cons of using gas vs charcoal.

 

[Ofer]

gas is a lot more convenient. there is a lot of hassle involved in getting a charcoal bbq. <br />
some say the taste is better with charcoal although my personal opinion is that the taste of burnt grease from the bbq itself dominates everything and is what gives bbq meat it's flavor...<br />
<br />
<br />
some more info added under the link

 

[Tim]

If you want to "grill" which is steak or fish with an open hood I think Gas works out well. If you want to "barbecue" which is using the smoke t flavor and slow cooking to do ribs, brisket etc then you cannot really do that with gas. I have a nice gas grill but have been tempted to get a charcoal smoker out in my yard as well for ribs. Barbecues galore has a special right now: http://www.bbqgalore.com/store/item.bbq?invky=7617303<br />
Ciemo on the YST team is the barbecue expert to talk to though.<br />
The Thrill of the Grill: Techniques, Recipes, & Down-Home Barbecue <br />
by Chris Schlesinger is the key book to have. He is very charcoal biased though.

 

[MrKnowledge]

Gas if you value convenience, since <br />
1. gas heats up quicker (5 min vs. 20 min), <br />
2. its easier to clean, <br />
3. don't need to constantly watch if its getting too hot<br />
4. can use it rain or shine<br />
<br />
Charcoal if you have childhood memories of barbeque tasting like -- well charcoal. Its Old School, and its also cheaper.<br />
<br />
For a good introductory portable gas grill, Weber Q is a good one for a small gathering.

 

[lior]

I say Charcoal ! ,but here are the pros and cons for charcoal and gas grills<br />
<br />
Charcoal Pros<br />
<br />
Food tastes better. That smoked flavor is impossible to duplicate with gas even if you buy the smoke products. <br />
<br />
Charcoal grills are less expensive. A quality charcoal grill runs between $50 and $100. <br />
<br />
It's easy to find portable charcoal grills to take on trips.<br />
<br />
Cooking over charcoal becomes an event. If family members get hooked on cooking over charcoal, they will enjoy playing around with different techniques. <br />
<br />
Charcoal Cons<br />
<br />
Starting a fire can be a problem especially on damp or rainy days. It does help to keep the charcoal good and dry and an electric firestarter can also be used.<br />
<br />
It's easy to burn food over charcoal. The heat is regulated with vents, and the cook must know how to use the vents and lid to keep the fire from flaring or burning too hot. <br />
<br />
Coals must cool before the grill can be cleaned. This can take several hours.<br />
<br />
A charcoal grill is messy. Grease, charcoal and ashes are not the easiest things to clean up.<br />
<br />
Gas Pros<br />
<br />
Starting a gas grill is as easy as turning on the gas and pushing a button. Do be careful and follow directions.<br />
<br />
Flames and temperatures can be fine tuned with the settings on a gas grill. If you have recipes that call for temperature settings and times, then gas is super simple.<br />
<br />
Most gas grills have two sides with separate controls, so it's easy to cook two different things at once even if they require different amounts of heat. <br />
<br />
Clean up is really easy.<br />
<br />
Gas Cons<br />
<br />
Food cooked on a gas grill does not have charcoal flavor no matter what you do.<br />
<br />
Gas grills cost more. Expect to pay at least $100 for a good gas grill. Some run in the thousands.<br />
<br />
Most gas grills are large and are hard to take on trips.<br />
<br />
If you run out of gas, you're out of luck