To Charcoal or To Propane - I BBQ Therefore I Am

[Rustic23]

I have had both, I now have a Kingsford charcoal grill. I use a charcoal tower, I think made by Webber, to get the coals started. It takes two pieces of news paper to get a stack of coals going in 15 to 20 min. For me it is worth the wait.

[Khan]

I vaguely recall seeing an infomercial for a cooker that used newspaper.

[jazz4cash]

Originally Posted by Rustic23

I have had both, I now have a Kingsford charcoal grill. I use a charcoal tower, I think made by Webber, to get the coals started. It takes two pieces of news paper to get a stack of coals going in 15 to 20 min. For me it is worth the wait.

I'd like to here about your Kingsford grill. Is it new? Is it the egg-shaped type with a hinged cooking grate? We have one that's over 20 yrs old and its great...much better design than the Webber, IMO. We semi-retired it last year and bought a honkin stainless thing that's a coal hog, so the Kingsford is getting spuced up and un-retired. We've never used gas for outdoor cooking.

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Al - those little tabletop models are okay for portable cooking or small spaces, but they usually lack the BTU output to produce a good crust on a steak or to effectively overcome colder weather. My big stainless gas grill hits about 750 degrees at the cooking grate. Those little tabletop models might struggle to hit 450-500.

[Goonie]

Originally Posted by Rustic23

....I use a charcoal tower, I think made by Webber, to get the coals started. It takes two pieces of news paper to get a stack of coals going in 15 to 20 min. For me it is worth the wait.

I only use charcoal.....I like the taste! I have a home-built grill that was made by a friend of mine while he was a welder on on a pipeline. It's made from a 30" length of 14" thick-wall steel pipe. And, like Rustic, I use a Webber charcoal tower to start the coals......while they're heating up, I get the meat (and veggies) ready, and gather up my tongs and spices. I stockpile Kingsford charcoal whenever I find it on sale.

[Notmuchlonger]

Originally Posted by cute fuzzy bunny

Al - those little tabletop models are okay for portable cooking or small spaces, but they usually lack the BTU output to produce a good crust on a steak or to effectively overcome colder weather. My big stainless gas grill hits about 750 degrees at the cooking grate. Those little tabletop models might struggle to hit 450-500.

Weber Q I have has hit over 650. If you need something for 2 people the Q is fine. 4 it works. Over that get a full sized grill. I have one and Im using it

[jdmorton]

...but I like the flavor of hamburgers and hot dogs over a charcoal fire. We have both. Since I do the outdoor grilling, I get to pick which one to use. I use the gas grill for chicken and steaks, as the heat is more uniform and easier to control.

Of course, charcoal has the advantage if you like to roast marshmallows .

[ERD50]

If you go with gas, consider piping natural gas out to the patio. Most burners can be easily converted to NG. Never need to worry about an empty tank, trips to refill, and NG is cheaper than propane.

We had the NG for years, switched to charcoal when we moved. Some things are just better with charcoal. Considering putting a second NG unit at this house, sometimes the convenience is needed, and for some things, it doesn't matter for flavor.

-ERD50

[Khan]

Originally Posted by ERD50

If you go with gas, consider piping natural gas out to the patio. Most burners can be easily converted to NG. Never need to worry about an empty tank, trips to refill, and NG is cheaper than propane.

We had the NG for years, switched to charcoal when we moved. Some things are just better with charcoal. Considering putting a second NG unit at this house, sometimes the convenience is needed, and for some things, it doesn't matter for flavor.

-ERD50

Just as a data point: The local Fire Department rebuilt several stations a few years ago, and they installed natural gas outdoor grills.

[TromboneAl]

Our propane tank rusts to the dangerous point in about 1.5 seasons. That's when I use the "exchange your empty tank for a full one" service designed for people who are too lazy to have their tank refilled.

[cute fuzzy bunny]

There have been quite a few taste tests where people were unable to tell the difference between burgers and chicken cooked on gas or charcoal, but others where a steak was found to taste better on charcoal. I'm not sure they fully normalized the temperatures and flare ups though, which may account for some difference.

All I know is that a burger cooked on a gas grill tastes far better than one I dont bother cooking because it'll take too much prep work

NML...the weber Q is a pretty good compact grill. But I cant see Al spending $200-300 for a small grill unless the gods of LBYM dropped dead in their sleep last night

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Originally Posted by TromboneAl

Our propane tank rusts to the dangerous point in about 1.5 seasons. That's when I use the "exchange your empty tank for a full one" service designed for people who are too lazy to have their tank refilled.

Yeah, I used that trick to get rid of all my old bottles with the old style valve for a lot less than buying new tanks.

They wised up to it a few weeks later and put up a sign with a $10 surcharge for changing valve types at the same time as buying a refill.

[Want2retire]

Originally Posted by cute fuzzy bunny

I cant see Al spending $200-300 for a small grill unless the gods of LBYM dropped dead in their sleep last night

Gosh, I hope not! I'm sitting on a brand new stimulus check that is just crying to be spent. If they even blink it will be gone in a flash.

[Rustic23]

Jazz,
This is a picture of the grill. I got it at Sam's for $135. Seemed like a good deal and so far it has been a dream to cook on.

[Midpack]

Simple. Food grilled on charcoal tastes better, but it's a pain to get right. Food grilled on gas is almost as good, and it's quick and easy. Most people go for quick and easy.

[Leonidas]

I'm considering becoming a triple threat:

Duo Grill

This model is on display at my local Lowe's. Propane grill with a charcoal grill attached, and you can add fire box that attaches to the side of the charcoal grill to use as a smoker. It looks like a good idea, but I'm not sure.

[mickeyd]

Aged oak w/ mesquite thrown in for kicks is my preference for grilling beef or chicken.

[TromboneAl]

But I cant see Al spending $200-300 for a small grill unless the gods of LBYM dropped dead in their sleep last night

Well, I can get one for $139 on Amazon, plus I'd save the cost of replacing the flavorizer bars on mine, and it should use a few dollars worth less of propane each year. But it's true, I'm considering going one more season with mine. I'll see how much mold it has in it when I take it out of the shed.

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Hey...smoked mold might be good eats!