Gas or Charcoal?
 

I think I'm done with gas grills.

Throughout college and up until I got married my grilling was done on a little Weber Jr., and I looked forward to grilling out 2-3 times per week, even during harsh Wisconsin winters.

When I got married in Fall '04, one of our gifts was a very nice gas grill, which the wife and I were very happy to receive. It kind of felt like we were moving on up in the grilling hierarchy.

Since then we've been grilling about twice a month or so and, although the gas grill is more than adequate and very convenient, it just isn't the same. I actually enjoy the process of getting the coals going, and love the flavor of charcoal-grilled meat. Sure, Hank Hill's Taste the meat, not the heat endorsement of propane does prove true when grilling with gas, but to me, grilling out should be something that is an enjoyable way of temporarily escaping the conveniences of the modern day life, and something that should require a bit of effort. And again, I like the taste way better.

The tank ran out of gas sometime on February, right in the middle of grilling some burgers (although the meter said there was plenty of gas left). I haven't replaced it since.

In March we had a few days of very very nice weather, and I was going to go get a new tank so we could do some grilling; however, one evening I went out onto our back deck and three of our neighbors were outside grilling with charcoal. The air that night smelled fantastic, I didn't go get a tank, and we haven't grilled since.

In about an hour, I'm heading to Wal-Mart to pick up one of the big boy Webers and some Kingsford, and when I get home I'm gonna throw some burgers on.

I can't wait.

Re: Gas or Charcoal?
 

I prefer the ease of gas.

Re: Gas or Charcoal?
 

gas wins in convenience.

but charcoal wins in taste. Chunk charcoal is the true way to grill.

Re: Gas or Charcoal?
 

Check teh BBq thread in eld's forum, lots of cool stuff there fi you like to bbq. I personally have a gas grill, a weber, and a smoker, I use them all depending on what I feel like. I love the convenience of a gas grill, ecspecially since its less than 10 feet from my bed. I can fire it up, throw a burger on, once or twice a day adn not waste any time really. the weber is nice when I have some time to relax, and ya, a lot of stuff tastes better on the weber. the smoker though is great for pure taste, I suggest you purchase a smoker instead of a weber, becuae you can use it like a weber, and also smoke.

Re: Gas or Charcoal?
 

excellent post OP. i totally agree...charcoal FTW

Re: Gas or Charcoal?
 

Charcoal definitely has a better flavor, but the ease of gas...

In the summer, my Weber Genesis with side burner becomes the kitchen. We grill daily. The temp is so accurate on that thing, you could bake cake in it.

Those tank meter dealies are very unreliable, just have two tanks. When one empties, switch them up quick. You always have a full tank on hand, problem solved.

But yeah, for real serious BBQ flavor, charcoal wins.

Re: Gas or Charcoal?
 

get some hot water, pour it on your propane tank, feel where you poured it, you can tell how full it is by feeling the tank, when you get to a spot where the metal is cooler than the rest of the tank thats where the propane is filled too.

Re: Gas or Charcoal?
 

have a grill that is hard wired to the natural gas of the house. Never running out of propane FTW.

I love the smell and flavor of charcol, but I have the patience of a squirrel with ADD so I can't wait to get it ready and such. Gas is great for me, however if I go to someone's house and they are grilling on charcol I always have an extra burger because I love the extra flavor (as much as I try by putting spices and such on my burgers/steaks it just isn't quite the same).

I picked gas for ease of use, but I do love me some charcol on occasion.

Re: Gas or Charcoal?
 

Ps- never use lighter fluid, the best invention ever is the charcoal chimney, dump charcoal, light some newspaper, go and get your meat ready, it save so so much time.

Re: Gas or Charcoal?
 

both if you have the space.

if i'm cooking oysters, i don't need charcoal. if i'm making a ribeye, i want it of course.