As the light Spring months descend upon us and the grills start coming out in earnest to nearly every backyard and deck, the age old question resurfaces of which is better: gas grills or charcoal grills, and why? What it really comes down to is a few key characteristics that each offers the consumer. What your individual priorities are such as cost, taste, energy consumption, etc in a grill determines which type of grill would be best suited to you. In this article, we'll discuss some of the most important aspects of gas and charcoal grills below to help you find your way to the right type of grill.
Convenience
Many people opt for a grill depending on the convenience attached to it. Is it easy to turn on? Does it take awhile to cook? In terms of how convenient it is to cook, gas grills win out. With the gas grill, you turn on the gas knobs, push the igniter button, and presto: the cooking can begin within about ten minutes. With a charcoal grill; however, though it is fairly simple to light the charcoal briquettes, it does take on average about 30 minutes to get to a medium grilling heat. So, depending on your lifestyle and how often you use your grill, you may have the time or may not.
Maintenance
Maintaining your grill, as is the necessary of all your worldly possessions, is also a factor to consider, when deciding upon a gas or charcoal grill. Hands down, the gas grill is easier to clean up..Many people just let the previous meats, veggies, fish burn off before grilling again, and perform once in awhile washing. With charcoal grills, however, the mess is more pronounced, and typically requires cleaning maintenance much more often than a gas grill.
Taste
Now when it comes to taste, this is where the playing field levels a bit; as many people report that fish, steaks, burgers, and everything else they choose to grill taste much more smoky and flavorful on a charcoal grill as opposed to the gas grill. This would make sense as your food is burning directly above the charcoal briquettes, and therefore take on the rich smoky flavor of the bricks; whereas gas flame doesn't offer any smoky char-taste unless you cook your food longer.
Fuel Economy
When it comes to the fuel economy of your grill, it's also important to recognize the varying convenience of the fuel/grill choice. The gas grill operates on a propane gas tank that-depending on the frequency of your use-can last a whole summer without needing to be replaced with another. Charcoal briquettes, on the other hand, take no time at all to use; so you must be prepared to make frequent store visits for bags of charcoal, if you are an avid griller. In the course of a summer, a gas grill propane tank will last you longer in relative comparison to the trips you would have to make to replace your charcoal briquettes; making the charcoal fuel economy more expensive.
Price
When it comes to barbeque grills and pricing, the range is pretty wide. Typically, gas grills range from $150 to upwards of $1000. Charcoal grills, on the other hand, range from $50 to $450. So, again it comes down to how much you want to spend, and what conveniences-if any-you require in a grill.
The debate over charcoal versus gas is one you do not wish to get in the middle of. The one straightforward factor you need to understand is that it is a matter of taste and convenience . To encompass the whole range of grills add to this list electric grills, pellet grills and hardwood cooking as well. Ask yourself what you really need, depending on how much space you have, how important is the taste and flavor to you, and how much you are willing to shell out.
Convenience: The best way to think about this problem is to remember that generally the more convenient a grill becomes, the less real smoke flavor you are going to get. An electric grill is easiest to use, but it doesn't have that genuine fire flavor. On the other hand, hardwood fires give you the best flavor, but they are the hardest to work with.
Authenticity: The authentic smoky, off the fire taste of grilled foods is strongest with the original heat source, wood. As you move to electric grills, you find very little of this flavor left. In fact, several electric grills impart virtually nil to the taste of foods. However, the unfussiness of flipping a switch and grilling can't be beat.
Taste: On the subject of taste, a study was done a while back where individuals were laid out with hamburgers and steak, both of which were cooked on gas and charcoal. No one could tell the difference between the charcoal or gas when it came to the hamburgers, but they could tell the difference with the steak. The charcoal grilled steak just had stronger and smokier flavor.
Space: To decide what kind of grill is right for you, consider where the grill is going to sit. A pint-sized patio or covered area is not the place for a large charcoal grill. Electric grills produce no flare-ups and are safer in smaller areas. Gas grills do produce flare-ups and need to be away from any structure to avoid those pesky house fires. Charcoal can be lighted with an electric starter and consequently can be utilized with almost no open flame.
Grilling: Another thing to examine is how you intend to grill. If you need to be able to arrive home from your workplace and toss a pair of steaks or chicken breasts on the grill with almost no bother, then electric or gas might be what you are looking for. Charcoal grills need some time to get going, usually around 10 to 20 minutes before you can start cooking.
Cost: Ultimately there is the price. Gas grills are typically more costly than electric or charcoal, with charcoal being the most economical. If you don't want to spend a lot of dough then charcoal may be the solution. However, charcoal is the more expensive fuel. You can easily spend $5.00 per barbecue cookout on charcoal, while gas might cost around $0.20 per cookout. This means that charcoal fuel won't save you money in the end.
Both Alexis Gibrault & Azlan are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Alexis Gibrault has sinced written about articles on various topics from Vitamin Supplements, VOIP and Food and Drink. Northlineexpress.com is your source for ,. Alexis Gibrault's top article generates over 4400 views. to your Favourites.
Azlan has sinced written about articles on various topics from Recreation and Sports, Fathers Day and K 15. Frank Timmons is a researcher and writer working for , where you can get al. Azlan's top article generates over 40500 views. to your Favourites.