Charcoal or Gas for grilling?

[Gooch1034]

I have been cooking for a living for around 20 years. I have always used gas but really don't care for the gas grills that are not industrial. They just don't get hot enough IMO. I cant justify buying a gas grill for more than a few hundred dollars when I can get a cheap charcoal gill and get the heat I want and the added flavor charcoal gives food. It is a pain having to deal with charcoal but I think its worth it. So far I am happy I made the switch to charcoal. Don't tell Hank!

Which do you prefer and why?

 

[Brahmsian]

This brings up memories of my father grilling pork chops on the back porch when I was a kid.

He used only charcoal and Open Pit brand barbecue sauce. I'm not sure Open Pitis even made any more
Haven't seen it in grocery stores in ages.

He was only cooking for the 5 members of my immediate family, and at most 2 guests. How much different that
would be from cooking for a busy restaurant I don't know.

 

[beardown07]

depends on what yer cooking.

 

[Gooch1034]

This brings up memories of my father grilling pork chops on the back porch when I was a kid.

He used only charcoal and Open Pit brand barbecue sauce. I'm not sure Open Pitis even made any more
Haven't seen it in grocery stores in ages.

He was only cooking for the 5 members of my immediate family, and at most 2 guests. How much different that
would be from cooking for a busy restaurant I don't know.

They still make Open Pit and it also reminds me of my childhood. It was around before there were 3,479 different options there are today.

I find it a bit difficult to cook for a small group of people but its likely because I am so used to high volume. The good thing about only cooking for a few people is that the grill doesn't drop in temp when you add the meat of choice. Grilled pork chops with Open Pit sounds so good right now!!!

 

[JohnRandle]

I use our gas grill for burgers, dogs/brats and some chicken.
For everything else I use charcoal.

 

[Gooch1034]

I use our gas grill for burgers, dogs/brats and some chicken.
For everything else I use charcoal.

How the hell do you get a thumbs down for that?

Anyway, care to explain why you choose one over the other for different meats?

 

[4down20]

I use gas. I have no idea what you are talking about in terms of not getting hot enough. My old grill had a problem getting up to temp - when it needed to be cleaned.

The reason I like gas is because IMO, temperature control is the #1 thing for cooking good meat and with a gas grill it's pretty hard to screw up. Not to mention I'm someone who grills on a near daily basis, sometimes more than once a day. Charcoal would seriously put a large damper on that.

I even use my grill as a smoker with a smoke box and leaving only 1 burner on so the rest of the grill is indirect heat.

 

[beardown07]

How the hell do you get a thumbs down for that?

Anyway, care to explain why you choose one over the other for different meats?

Those are 2 thumbs up FWIW

 

[bamabear82]

I go charcoal for everything these days. Actually gave my gas grill to a guy I work with before it rotted to the ground.

 

[Steelboy84]

Charcoal

Just a better cooking experience imo

 

[bamabear82]

I use gas. I have no idea what you are talking about in terms of not getting hot enough. My old grill had a problem getting up to temp - when it needed to be cleaned.

The reason I like gas is because IMO, temperature control is the #1 thing for cooking good meat and with a gas grill it's pretty hard to screw up. Not to mention I'm someone who grills on a near daily basis, sometimes more than once a day. Charcoal would seriously put a large damper on that.

I even use my grill as a smoker with a smoke box and leaving only 1 burner on so the rest of the grill is indirect heat.

We grill out a ton too so I have to keep quite the stock of charcoal. I also use a chimney starter so the grill's ready to go in 30 or so mins. Those things are the bees tits.

 

[Gooch1034]

I use gas. I have no idea what you are talking about in terms of not getting hot enough. My old grill had a problem getting up to temp - when it needed to be cleaned.

The reason I like gas is because IMO, temperature control is the #1 thing for cooking good meat and with a gas grill it's pretty hard to screw up. Not to mention I'm someone who grills on a near daily basis, sometimes more than once a day. Charcoal would seriously put a large damper on that.

I even use my grill as a smoker with a smoke box and leaving only 1 burner on so the rest of the grill is indirect heat.

As far as not getting hot enough, I just haven't had very good luck with gas grills. Wind is likely a big factor where I live too.

 

[Brahmsian]

Whether my father was actually that good or I was just easier to please at that age than I am now
is an open question, but I never have been as satisfied with what I've gotten at BBQ restaurants as
I was with my father's chops. They weren't the only thing he grilled, but were the family favorite, so he did
them more often than anything else.

 

[Gooch1034]

Those are 2 thumbs up FWIW

it says 2 thumbs down on my screen? lol Oh well?

 

[Gooch1034]

We grill out a ton too so I have to keep quite the stock of charcoal. I also use a chimney starter so the grill's ready to go in 30 or so mins. Those things are the bees tits.

I have never used the chimney starter method. May have to try it.

 

[beardown07]

it says 2 thumbs down on my screen? lol Oh well?

Hover yer mouse over it and you'll see who gave it the thumbs up...it just looks like a thumbs down because the number is next to the thumbs down, but you can't tell if its a like or dislike until you hover yer mouse over it.

 

[Gooch1034]

Hover yer mouse over it and you'll see who gave it the thumbs up...it just looks like a thumbs down because the number is next to the thumbs down, but you can't tell if its a like or dislike until you hover yer mouse over it.

Ahhh ok I see now. Thx!

 

[beardown07]

Ahhh ok I see now. Thx!

 

[JohnRandle]

How the hell do you get a thumbs down for that?

Anyway, care to explain why you choose one over the other for different meats?

It's not so much the different meats, it's the quick cooking stuff.
We bought a gas grill about 5 years ago so we could just do some quick stuff on the deck. I'm always nervous cooking with charcoal on the deck. And got sick of running up and down just to grill stuff that only takes 10 minutes, steak being the exception to this. I love charcoal grilled steak.

 

[fordman84]

I use gas, even for the smoker. Had lots of friends tell me that gas doesnt smoke as well as wood, but then they taste what I've cooked. I have used fire, and it always turns out with too much smoke flavor or over/undercooked. With gas I can control the amount of smoke and time my smokes down to the minute. Just put a brisket on that is going to go all night. Try that with wood or a charcoal bullet smoker