BBQ - Gas or Charcoal

T

TwoWheels

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Hi Guy's,
I'm thinking of buying a new BBQ for the garden, What are your thoughts on Gas V Charcoal ?

I think the Gas BBQ is nothing more than an outdoor version of your kitchen cooker but it is much easier to light & maintain...

Any experiences either way?
 
I have a gas BBQ and must say I miss the charcoal one even though it wasn't a very good one! I find if anything the gas ones are harder to clean as they are larger and there are more plates etc.. but most of all I miss the smell of charcoal!
 
Gas 100%. Switch it on low and you can cook chicken from raw, charcoal only has a certain 'window' to cook with once lit. Easier to cook for large numbers because you have constant heat and can keep the food coming contiuosly...less mess cleaning up.
 
By the time the charcoal one is ready to actually cook something its started to rain or the sun has gone in. Go gas....cleaner, quicker and I'm not convinced by this whole argument that a burger tastes better with charcoal. The people who go on about that always remind me of wine snobs, the type who say that wine out of a box or with a screwtop is in some way inferior... its only a burger or a chicken breast!!
 
But why not just cook your burgers in the kitchen then?, Better still... microwave them.
The whole point of a BBQ is to get that smokey taste..
I can see that the Gas one is easier to control, but that's the fun of the BBQ.
 
Have charcoal & like it.. dissadvantages though are that it can take a while to get going to ensure even heat distribution - once its up & running you can cook away for an hour or more - great if you are cooking for a large number but not if only for a few... the charcoal is smoldering away long after you are done.

ninsaga
 
Well, I've decided to go for Charcoal in the end, I just cannot use a gas one as the taste cannot be the same, The smell & smoke is also an important part of the experience in my view.
 
I'm thinking of buying a BBQ too, but think the gas version is better. How are you finding the charcoal BBQ?
 
Super-Duper !
It's all there, The smoke, The taste, The Aroma.
It's a real BBQ, not a gas cooked dissapointment !
 
What charcoal do you use to ensure you get the best bang for your buck when it comes to the smoke, the taste and the Aroma?
 
Super-Duper !
It's all there, The smoke, The taste, The Aroma.
It's a real BBQ, not a gas cooked dissapointment !


Two Wheels, if you are getting smoke from your charcoal barbeque then you are not using it correctly and may be in danger of giving yourself food poisoning
 
As someone born with a BarbieMate in his hand (BBQ tool), it's never been anything but the real thing! It's a bit like freshly squeezed orange juice or one made from concentrate. Got to put the effort in!! It's all about the time it takes to light, get the heat right, cook away, all the while nursing a beer, playing darts and chatting to your friends...but don't forget to turn the burgers. If that is not for you, you can always go with Two Wheels suggestion of the kitchen...

As far as the charcoal goes 'Travel', I like the wood coal type but if you have to cook for a bigger party use brickettes as they retain their heat for longer...happy chefing...
 
I use "Woodies" bags of lumpwood charcoal on top of already lighting "Instant light charcoal"
Light the instant light first, then add a layer of lumpwood, spreads the heat very evenly & burns at a much more consistant heat for longer.

BPI, You will always get smoke at the start, you don't put the food on the BBQ until the smoke has dissapeared. That is the precise point. But having an outdoor version of your kitchen cooker you wouldn't know that. ;-)
 
Thanks for the advise, you've given me barbequed food for thought
 
always wanted to build my own bbq in the back garden, and have it that i could use gas of charcoal depending on weather and how quick i need to have the bbq ready, obviously i would be build it so i attach and detach the gas element of it !
anyone know a place where i could buy the various bits and pieces to do this ??
 
My new toy this summer is the Weber Q300 (gas) that I purchased on sale 2 weeks ago.

The taste has to do with the carmelisation of the meat - not whether it is gas or charcoal.

Marion
 
Charcoal itself - being almost pure carbon - is practicaly smokeless and odourless so it contributes nothing to the flavour of a BBQ. There is no smell from a charcoal BBQ before you put food on it. The flavour comes from fat and other stuff dripping off the food onto the hot coals and burning and creating a smoke which flavours the food. There may be an enjoyable ritual associated with using charcoal but flavour is not relevent when choosing between gas or charcoal.
 
The way i do it is have the 2 of them. I have a gas one i brought about 2 years ago. Lovely and handy. easy enough to clean as well. Made a homemade charcoal one as well. Blocks on the floor up to waist level. Blocks all around on the top. charcoal inside it. Take the grid out of the oven. place on top. lovely food.
 
The way i do it is have the 2 of them. I have a gas one i brought about 2 years ago. Lovely and handy. easy enough to clean as well. Made a homemade charcoal one as well. Blocks on the floor up to waist level. Blocks all around on the top. charcoal inside it. Take the grid out of the oven. place on top. lovely food. best of both worlds. It all depends on time and weather.
 
Marion said:
My new toy this summer is the Weber Q300 (gas) that I purchased on sale 2 weeks ago.

The taste has to do with the carmelisation of the meat - not whether it is gas or charcoal.

Marion
Click to expand...

Maybe that's what the kids mean to say when they mention that I marmalised (burnt) the dinner again :D
 
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