Should You Buy A Gas Grill Or A Charcoal Grill
When buying a new grill for your home, theres a debate that always comes up: Should you buy a gas grill or a charcoal grill? Its an argument that nobody wins and, if you have picked your side, appears never-ending.
Both options are good and have unique benefits: charcoal highlights flavor while gas offers convenience. Gas is easier to use charcoal needs a bit of patience and experience. Charcoal is for the weekends gas is to use after work.
So, which should you choose? It depends on what your expectations and preferences are and how you expect to use it. Read on for more information on gas and charcoal grills, the pros and cons of both and to see some of our favorite products on the market.
How Does A Gas Grill Work
On the inside, the gas grill is a bit more complicated than the charcoal grill. The gas grill uses natural gas or propane gas to fuel the fire. The gas grill comes with heat plates to distribute the burners heat, minimizing flare-ups and preventing burner damage. Even though getting it to run is more complicated than the charcoal grill, the gas grill is easier to handle.
How You Grill Matters
Grill masters favorite debatecharcoal vs. gaswill never have a clear winner from a culinary perspective. But when you ask health experts, the answer is clear: Gas grilling wither either propane or natural gas is healthier than charcoal for your body and the environment. Its better to grill on a gas grill because its easier to control the temperature, says Schneider. Anything less than 300 degrees would be on the safer end.
When fat drops into the fire, harmful chemicals form. Choosing leaner cuts of meat like chicken breast or fish will help cut down on that chemical reaction.
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Benefits Of Propane Grills Vs Charcoal Grills
Arguably, the best smell of summertime is a grill: the aroma of hamburgers, ribs, or any other meats cooking out in the warm season air says Its Summer almost as much as the rising temps and the cicadas singing in the trees.
According to 2017 statistics provided by the Hearth, Patio and Barbeque Association , the propane gas grill is tops with U.S. consumers 64% of the American population who own grills have gas grills, followed by 44% who go with charcoal.
So, what makes the propane gas grill the go-to for so many American families? It might be the convenience, for one how to use a propane grill compared to a charcoal grill is apples and oranges.
But theres more to convenience when it comes to charcoal vs propane grills. Take a look at some of the reasons why 20% more outdoor chefs might prefer a propane gas grill over the second-place charcoal variety.
Is It Better To Grill With Charcoal Or Gas
Charcoal gives a feel of the traditional, typical flavor that comes from wood chips, whereas a propane gas grill imparts a bacon-like taste. An advantage of a gas grill is that it produces more steam than its charcoal counterpart, giving the meat more moisture. Cooking Time: A charcoal grill takes more time to preheat.
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Benefits Of Using Charcoal Grills
One of the biggest benefits of using a charcoal grill is that theyre significantly less expensive than gas grills. Most of the time, you can pick up a small charcoal grill for about $20 at the hardware store. Aside from cost, here are a few more benefits to purchasing a charcoal grill:
- When heated, the coals provide the heat for cooking and generally dont flare up like open flame gas grills. If you want to be safe while grilling, check out these safety tips.
- Charcoal grills are generally more portable than gas grills.
- Charcoal burns hotter than gas.
- Since you cant dial down the heat, you can leave areas without briquettes to control the temperature. This allows you to sear your protein and then allow it to finish cooking in the cooler areas.
- Many people also prefer the smoke flavor a charcoal grill provides.
Are Gas Ovens Bad For Baking
Most gas ovens have hot spots, affecting how evenly food is cooked. The inside of a gas oven tends to be more humid than other oven types, leading to issues with browning and crisping of food. Baking Tips: Avoid cooking in dark metal bakeware, as this can cause your foods to burn at the bottom.
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Choosing The Right Type Of Grill
Ultimately, with so many options on the market, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Choosing the grill for your needs will depend on what you’re cooking, the convenience you’re after, your budget and even where you live.
If you’re on a tight budget, infrared is out immediately. Charcoal is more expensive to use over time since the briquettes have to be replaced with each use. Electric or gas are your best budget options for long-term use and entry level pricing. And they’re the most hassle-free with least amount of cleanup.
For flavor, charcoal and pellet grills are generally accepted as the better options, but they will require more maintenance and higher running costs. Plus, you’ll need time for your grill to get hot enough to start cooking. With a pellet grill, you’re basically getting a two-in-one deal for a grill and smoker.
No matter which grill you choose, it’s always a great excuse to grab your favorite six-pack, a giant slab of meat and invite a bunch of friends over to “test things out.”
Charring Creates Heterocyclic Amines
When you grill meat at high temperatures, you create heterocyclic amines .
HCAs are known carcinogens. They are formed when high temperatures cause amino acids in meat to react with the creatine in meat. This reaction creates the black char marks you see on foods and grill. It only occurs when you cook muscle meats because they are the only food that contain creatine. Muscle meats include:
- beef
- chicken
- fish
HCAs are also created when you use other high-temperature methods of meat cooking, such as pan frying.
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Can Charcoal Grilling Make You Sick
Smoke that comes from a frill can make you sick. When fat from the meat drips to the coals of the grill, it ignites and produces smoke. The smoke contains cancer-causing chemicals which are called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Furthermore, when the smoke rises, it can deposit the chemicals on the meat.
Whats The Fight About
As you would expect, the main difference between gas and charcoal grills is the fuel used.
But what are the actual differences for you as a home griller?
Heres a basic run down:
As you can see, gas grills have some nice perks:
- Gas grills are quick and easy to use, just twist the knob to ignite and change temperature
- You can find a gas grill to suit most budgets
- Higher end grills come with enough features you wont need to step foot in your kitchen again.
Charcoal, on the other hand, requires a little bit more technique to light your charcoal and maintain your desired temperature.
- Once you know how to keep your charcoal grill at the right temperature, however, these grills are made for searing, and will reach high temperatures with ease
- Youll need to do a bit more work to clean and maintain a charcoal grill
- In return you get mouth watering, authentic tasting food every time, without the need for expensive extras
Now you know what the gist of the argument is about, read on to learn whats fact and whats fiction in the charcoal vs gas debate.
Related It doesnt have to be one or the other! Check out our guide to the best gas charcoal combo grills.
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What Is Wrong With Pellet Smokers
One of the most common problems people encounter with pellet grills is abnormal temperature fluctuationsthe controller is set to 250°F, but the grill is dropping to 200°F then climbing to 325°F. Usually people assume that its a mechanical issue and either the controller or RTD probe need to be replaced.
What Is The Healthiest Way To Grill
There are several ways to reduce the potential health risks of grilling so you can continue to enjoy barbecue season. Go Lean. Always start with a lean cut of meat. Marinate. Grill More Veggies and Fruit. Reduce Heat with Smaller Portions. Become a Kebab King. Flip, Dont Fork. Eat More Chicken and Fish. Eliminate the Nitrates.
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Is There A Taste Difference
Searing. Searing is the process of browning the surfaces of meats, especially steaks. When done properly there are chemical reactions, the Maillard reaction and caramelization chief among them, that create rich, complex, sweet and savory compounds on the surface. Searing also dries the surface making a satisfyingly crunchy crust. Despite what you have been told, searing does not seal in juices. And when it comes to steak, you want an even sear from edge to edge, no grill marks.
Most charcoal grills can usually easily outsear gas grills because they simply produce more direct infrared heat. A few gas grills, usually expensive ones, come with special sear burners that can do a good job of searing.
The most convincing argument for gas? Probably 90% of the worlds greatest and most expensive steakhouses grill their rare aged prime beef with gas. This is not just a matter of convenience or price. With the prices that steakhouses charge, they can afford any fuel they want. Why do so many use gas?
But heres another fact worth noting: Nowadays barbecue restaurants are springing up like mushrooms after a rainstorm and many of them are making incredibly good low and slow ribs, pulled pork, and beef brisket. The vast majority of them are using large smokers that use natural gas to produce their heat, and they burn logs for smoke.
How Do You Clean A Charcoal Grill
Make grilling season easier on yourself and clean your grill at the start of each grilling session, not at the end. Start by lighting your coals and letting your grill heat up for about 10 minutes. This should heat the grates enough that any crusted-on food can be easily removed with a grill brush. After you clean the grates, oil them using a paper towel dipped in oil and held in tongs. When you’re done cooking for the day, give the grates a good once-over with the grill brush, but don’t worry about getting them spotlessly cleana thin layer of grease will actually help protect the grates from the elements and prevent rust from forming. Finally, make sure to empty your ashes, and keep that grill covered when not in use. Read more about how to keep your grill clean right here.
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Does Charcoal Taste Better Than Gas
The major benefits of a charcoal grill are that they tend to be much less expensive and much more portable than a gas grill. The charcoal fire can get much hotter and the risk of flare-ups is much less. Some people also prefer the taste of food cooked over charcoal.
Do gas grills need charcoal?
For the majority of gas grills, you should not be adding charcoal. They are designed to handle the heat created by burners and not the heat created by burning charcoal. If you throw charcoal into a gas grill, you will probably have to replace several parts, if not the entire grill itself.
Cons Of Pellet Grills
Nevertheless, pellet grills do have a few cons that you should keep in mind before investing in a pellet vs. charcoal smoker:
- More expensive than charcoal grills
- Slightly higher fuel costs
- Some people are not happy with how hot pellet grills get, as they cant achieve the higher temperatures achieved by most charcoal grills, particularly kamados, which can make searing less effective without special attachments or additional features on the grill
- Require electricity to use
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Charcoal Vs Gas Grill And Beyond: Your Guide To Different Types Of Grills
Hard wood pellet grills, propane gas burners, to charcoal kettles, picking the right backyard cooker for your needs isn’t easy. We break it all down so shopping for one is easy.
Summer has arrived, and that means it’s grill time. Is your backyard cooker ready? Maybe it needs a deep cleaning. If it’s good to go, start prepping for a cookout or low and slow barbecue session.
If not, maybe you should consider buying a new grill. The landscape is constantly changing though, and the great debate over which type of grill is better has only grown more complex with more options. It’s no longer just about charcoal vs. gas.
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If you have little grill knowledge or are in the market to replace your worn out one with a shiny new barbecue grill, here are the five main types of grills you can choose from.
Unless you use a torch or electric starter, charcoal grills take time to light.
A classic and favorite among purists, the charcoal grill is often heralded as a superior or more authentic way to grill food. Though they come in all shapes and sizes, they all use charcoal briquettes or lump charcoal as a fuel source, which produces a distinct, strong and smoky flavor.
Charcoal grills are usually pretty affordable, starting as little as $30 and going up to $300. They also come in a bevy of different styles:
Best Charcoal Grills As Reviewed By Professional Editors
If you are looking for a grill for your great barbecue, consider the charcoal grill. Because, the taste of the food from the charcoal grill is also much better. In this best charcoal grills review, we also take a look at the top 10 grills on the market now!
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What Can I Do With An Old Gas Grill
Since grills are made mostly of metal, they can easily be recycled as scrap. The recycled scrap metal can then be reused in the production of any number of items containing the same type of metal. Recycling your old gas grill is a great way to help cut down on landfill waste.
Cut Back On Grilling Red Meat And Processed Meat
Both red and processed meats are associated with a higher risk of cancer. These risks go up when you grill them. Red meats and processed meats are high in fat. This causes them to drip onto coals more, which increases the risk of PAHs. Additionally, you need to grill them for a long time to get them completely cooked. Longer grilling times mean higher temperatures and more smoke, the factors correlated to cancer risk.
Grilling lean meats like chicken, turkey, and fish reduces risk. You can still create HCAs when you grill these meats, but the risk is not as high. You generally dont need to leave these meats on the grill for nearly as long. This reduces the chance HCAs will form.
Additionally, lean meats are shown to be healthier overall, making them a smart choice.
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The Benefits Of A Gas Barbecue
Ease-of-use and speed is the name of the game here, as youll be able to get cooking in under 10 minutes .
The accuracy of a good gas grill will allow you to set temperatures with precision, allowing better overall control.
The heat is very direct and consistent, usually coming from 2-3 set of burners, allowing you to sear with ease, which is perfect for barbecue staples.
The speed and instant adaptability are great for summer midweek cooking, as well as churning out the goods for larger groups.
Charcoal Vs Gas Grill: Which Is Better For The Environment
With summer now in full swing, many of us are heading outside to do a little cooking by fire. Barbeque season has arrived, and with it, the decision about how to do it in the greenest way possible. Step 1: choosing the greenest fuel.
It’s pretty much a two- dog race when it comes to grilling hardware: gas vs. charcoal. There are a few electrical grills on the market, but they’re harder to come by, and, as we’ll see below, aren’t nearly as efficient as their other competitors. But that doesn’t make the decision crystal clear.
The basic issue is this: charcoal is dirtier, but can come from renewable resources gas has a smaller carbon footprint, but is derived from non-renewable fossil fuels. Most charcoal is a funky amalgamation of things like sawdust, corn starch and lighter fluid when it’s burned, it can result in 105 times more carbon monoxide than burning propane and lots of harmful volatile organic compounds. But, “real” charcoal, also commonly known as “chunk charcoal,” doesn’t have the nasty additives, and burning it is carbon neutral. So let’s look a little more closely at the numbers.
After all this, here’s the bottom line: go for gas. Lump charcoal is becoming increasingly available, but often comes from thousands of miles away, which negates some of its carbon benefits until it’s readily available from local sources, the efficiency of gas wins out. Stay tuned for more tips on green grilling, and happy barbequing!
Difficulty level: Easy
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