Bbq gas or charcoal ???

[Jamouk]

Always been a charcoal proponent , but have just bought a gas bbq for a holiday home surely you can't get the same flavours etc as it would just be like cooking it on the hob and carrying food out into the garden ? Or is there anything I'm missing ?

Obv not tried it yet as haven't had a chance to take the rain cover off

 

[gixer1]

I used to like charcoal but to be honest don’t notice much difference now…I have a larger gas and charcoal BBQ but have since moved to using a small gas one and it works a treat…can’t complain and much easier to clean!

The full size charcoal/gas hybrid one (which I took back from the US) -



The ickle portable gas one (which I received as a gift but has been really handy)

 

[JockStalk]

You don’t get woodsmoke but you do get the flame grill flavour if on an open grill.
Time poor so for me it’s gas all the way.

 

[Mr Tree]

oil drum cut in half, a few well seasoned oak logs, jobs a good'un, total cost sweet f a, no cleaning either.

 

[Bonzo dog]

It has to be charcoal, preferably uk produced lump wood, as it burns so much better than the imported stuff.

 

[VSS]

Always been a charcoal proponent , but have just bought a gas bbq for a holiday home surely you can't get the same flavours etc as it would just be like cooking it on the hob and carrying food out into the garden ? Or is there anything I'm missing ?

Obv not tried it yet as haven't had a chance to take the rain cover off

You do, to a certain extent, get the flavours etc, as the gas barbecues have a "burning off" plate over the top of each gas burner. Fat and juices from your meat drip onto these hot plates and are burnt off, imparting the typical smoky bbq flavour to your meal. Not in the same league as woodsmoke, but similar to what happens when fat drips on hot charcoal, and certainly very different from cooking indoors on the hob.

 

[bowji john]

This one of 2 I made for us

I’m thinking of a gas one next

 

[olliehopes]

Going to throw a big, clanging spanner in the works here.....

Hot smoking pellet grill......

 

[Overlay]

I love the charcoal cook up 100%. For me and the missus BUT when the kids and grandkids descend out comes the big gas BBQ for the youngest son to generate his mass cook up for the starving tribe, he has it off to T now and knocks some good gear out on it all hot and properly temp controlled cook up
My vote is for charcoal or apple timber.

 

[opticron1]

Plus 1 for gas or a hybrid gas/charcoal BBQ. Easier to control and there's less chance of having to decide between raw and carbon!
TBH, it's also good to pre-cook some of the stuff in an oven before a final grilling on the BBQ, but having had food poisoning once, I maybe err on the side of caution a bit!

 

[HonestJohn]

Coal for flavour, gas for speed and ease of use

 

[VSS]

Coal for flavour, gas for speed and ease of use

Coal???
I think not.
(Unless the flavour you like is tar!)

 

[FISH BOY]

Plus 1 for gas or a hybrid gas/charcoal BBQ. Easier to control and there's less chance of having to decide between raw and carbon!
TBH, it's also good to pre-cook some of the stuff in an oven before a final grilling on the BBQ, but having had food poisoning once, I maybe err on the side of caution a bit!

That’s the prob I find with gas - it’s pretty much all or nothing heat wise across the grid. Was on the BBQ for my son’s summer school fair- massive gas bbq and cooked over 200 hamburgers and 300 hot dogs - frigging hard work as there was no real colder area.

More faff to set up, but prefer the flavour of charcoal cooked - also find the end result is better due to having a hot & cold side - far more civil.

Turn it - don’t burn it!

 

[JockStalk]

The Australians have perfected the art.

When I lived there, after my first barbie I was blessed with the nickname ‘the blacksmith’

 

[VIGILAIRE]

Wood mark 4 works for me.

 

[HonestJohn]

Coal???
I think not.
(Unless the flavour you like is tar!)

Charcoal

 

[Morkai]

You can always get a foil takeaway container, fill it will water soaked (or jack daniels soaked) woodchips and put that on the grill.

It will impart some smoke flavour when the lid is closed.

 

[Dunwaters]

The gas is much handier but a pain to clean.
You only get around 45 minutes cooking time per load with charcoal but it self cleans.
Gas for me nowadays.

 

[AHPP]

 

[Morkai]

The gas is much handier but a pain to clean.
You only get around 45 minutes cooking time per load with charcoal but it self cleans.
Gas for me nowadays.

I suppose that depends on the size of it, if I load mine up for smoking it last a fair few hours.