Convenience And Ease Of Use
When you grill with charcoal, it can be a pain to start. Once started, it requires your constant attention because you dont want your food to burn or the charcoal to flare up too much. When you use a wood pellet grill, you push a button to start, then set the temperature where you know it will give you the flavor that you want and the tenderness that you desire.
After a short heat-up process, youre ready to grill. These grills are also much easier to clean since the pellets burn neatly and have low ash contents.
Wood pellets have the benefit of allowing you to leave the grill and do other activities like preparing other food that you may be serving at your barbecue. A wood pellet grill burns with consistent heat, so you never have to worry about the grill getting too hot or the wood pellets flaring up, burning your meat or fish and making it tough and unpleasant.
Gas Vs Charcoal At A Glance
You can get yourself a basic Weber kettle grill for around $120, or $175 if you want the one with the bells and whistles. You could pay more if you want something larger or more stylish, but even the $120 version is gonna last you for years and years. There’s really no reason to spend more than that.
A gas grill, on the other hand, has more moving parts and is going to cost you more. Sure, you can pick up the $99 models from the parking lot in front of the big-box stores, but then you’re getting a grill that’s going to last you a couple of seasons at best before it starts to rust and collapse. Take a good look at those grills on display and count how many of them are bent, buckled, dented, or dinged. A good bet says it’s over 50%. For a solid grill that’s going to last you many years, you can expect to drop at least a few hundred dollars, and up to thousands for a top-of-the-line model.
Point: Charcoal
Speaking Of Climate Will Yours Change Anytime Soon
Is there a potential house move in your future, or do you enjoy heading out somewhere remote?
A propane grill wouldnt even need a second thought in either of these situations. Unfortunately, natural gas really ties you down to its specific requirements. Natural gas is cost efficiency propane is freedom.
Last up we need to consider, why not both?
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Does Fuel Affect Grilled Food Flavour Myth Vs Reality
The charcoal versus gas debate has raged on since the dawn of gas grilling, and will likely never end. But with modern advances in both charcoal manufacturing and gas grill technology, the real debate often comes down to flavour not cooking temperature, speed or convenience.
What do we hear the most?
Gas grills leave a chemical flavour on food.
And, Only charcoal can give you a true grilled flavour.
Wrong! Lets debunk these myths once and for all.
Gas Is Tasteless & Odourless
Both natural gas and propane are completely tasteless, odourless and colourless. Whats that odour then that you smell when you open the tank valve and before lighting? Gas manufacturers add a completely harmless chemical called ethyl mercaptan. This is a safety measure to alert you to gas leaks. As soon as the gas and mercaptan combust, the odour burns off instantly, along with the gas, leaving no residual taste or smell. When you burn gas properly your combustion byproducts are carbon dioxide and water vapor.
If you still swear youre tasting gas, you may need to do some troubleshooting to make sure your gas grill is working properly. Under-combustion produces carbon monoxide.
Always let a gas grill preheat completely any smoke you see before adding food is organic material that need to burn off. Preheating usually takes 10-15 minutes, with the exception of an infrared burner.
Vaporization Gives You True Grilled Flavour
Find Your Next Grill At Broil King
Does A Gas Grill Give Flavor
The traditional charcoal grill may have been retired due to convenience, a difference that has led to the advent of the gas grill. Food served with a gas grill has a non-k smoky and charred flavor. Several advantages of gas grills include providing the same charcoal grill flavor, although depending on how it is designed, they may fail to produce the same results.
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Propane Vs Natural Gas: Is There A Difference
The short answer is yes. Although many use the two terms interchangeably, there are distinct differences between the two. They might be very similar, but they are certainly not the same.
Without getting too much into the nitty-gritty of their chemical makeup , propane belongs to a class of gases known as hydrocarbons. Its the same class that butane and ethane belong to as well.
They are all by-products that result from refining natural gas and petroleum. This is why propane is also referred to as liquefied petroleum gas.
Natural gas, on the other hand, is essentially methane that is pressurized to form a liquid. It is natural since it is derived from nature as fossil fuel and contains several other gases, one of which is propane. It is collected as-is before being subjected to a very basic refining process to clean it up and make it more efficient.
Propane Vs Natural Gas Grill
Grills are our favourite cooking gadgets to use during the summers. As the kind of food and the taste you get while grilling is unmatchable. Especially when you have gas grills at your disposal. As these grills are so much easier to use. And to top it off, they are quick for usage and also help you in easy cleanup. Additionally, there are like a lot more benefits to a gas grill. And if you havent bought one yet, we recommend you do. To know more about buying gas grills, you can check our article on the best gas grills under $1000.
Also, gas grills come in two different types, propane gas grills and natural gas grills. And many people have concerns regarding which one to choose. So we have brought an article on propane vs natural gas grill to help you out.
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Heat Zones Make Grilling A Snap
If youre going to make the effort to grill, youre probably wanting to whip up a few different proteins and vegetables. Propane grilling makes this a snap. Its harder to control heat levels with charcoal, but with propane you can cook a whole meal on the grill, said chef/owner Lisa Schroeder of Portland, Oregon’s Mother’s Bistro. Higher heat on one side for grilling burgers, steaks or hot dogs, and lower heat on the other for buns or veggies like asparagus, eggplant and zucchini.”
Should your backyard buffet include big ol’ slabs of beef, its quite a bit simpler on a propane grill. If I want to sear steaks I can warm em on the grill on high heat, but then when I want to slow the cooking process, I can achieve this by lowering the temperature, explained chef/owner Melissa Eboli of Vias Kitchen. With charcoal, I have zero temperature control and when the flames get too hot or too high, it literally burns all the food. The flames can also get out of control, which could cause a major safety issue for anyone grilling. Ebolis right, but no matter which grill youre using, stay safe out there!
Is Propane Natural Gas
There is a lot of difference and similarities between propane and natural gas. If we see natural gas vs. propane, both are odorless, colorless, and clean-burning. Propane is more energy-efficient and is a green fuel, while natural gas is not. Natural gas use in pipelines propane is delivered in propane tanks. This gas is heavier than air, while natural gas is lighter. For all these reasons, propane gas is more dangerous.
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Natural Gas Vs Propane Grill: Taste Cost Heat And More
There are 2 types of gas grills: natural gas and propane .
They are similar, but not the same.
When choosing a gas grill, its common to wonder exactly what is the difference between them, and Ill highlight all of them for you in detail.
In this grill comparison guide, Ill show you the differences in:
As a bonus, Ill show you the pros and cons of both types of grills and explain if the two are compatible and how or if conversion is possible.
Why It’s Safer To Grill With Propane Than With Natural Gas
As summer unrolls and barbecued potlucks begin to get organized, grillers everywhere have a crucial choice to make: Will they heat their grills with natural gas or propane?
Truthfully, both options are viable cooking methods and are safe if handled appropriately, but they are also very different and have qualities that are uniquely their own. Natural gas, for one, is quite a bit cheaper than propane Oftentimes your house will have a mainline that provides gas to things like your stove top. But while the gas itself is cheaper, installing a connection to your grill could cost quite a bit of money, according to Food Fire Friends.
From a safety perceptive, once gas lines are connected properly and the grill is operated properly, natural gas has no glaring issues. According to Climate Care, natural gas is considered ever so slightly safer because of its tendency to dissipate into the atmosphere a bit quicker than propane.
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Propane Vs Natural Gas Grills: Temperature
While propane does have more than twice the BTUs of natural gas, propane fittings are smaller than natural gas fittings and release less gas. This means that the burners on a propane grill will ultimately produce the same sized flame as a natural gas grill, with similar temperatures.
If you are noticing issues with the temperature of your grill or you are seeing a low flame, you may need to clean your grill or perform some simple maintenance.
Bbq Pellets Vs Wood Chips
BBQ pellets and wood chips can all be manufactured from any type of hardwood. The main difference between the three is the amount of processing required.
BBQ pellets are composed of compressed hardwood sawdust. It is dried first so that it has a consistent moisture level and then pressed into its pellet shape. Pellets dont burn as fast as wood chips and give you a deeper smoke flavor. They also burn at much higher temperatures than wood chips and can be used to cook more kinds of meat.
Wood chips do not require as much processing. They are composed of small pieces of irregularly shaped wood about an inch or two in diameter and have a higher moisture content than BBQ pellets. Not all moisture is removed, otherwise the woodchips would be too dry and not produce any smoke or flavor. They burn very quickly and only offer a moderate amount of smoke, but not the clean smoke you are looking for in your smoker.
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Why Does Charcoal Cooked Meat Taste So Good
This might come as a surprise, but most of the difference you taste between gas and charcoal-grilled meats isnt the flavor of the charcoal: it has to do with how charcoal cooks the meat compared to gas grills.
Contrary to what you may have heard, charcoal should not create much smoke. Instead, the smoky aromas come from meat and marinade drippings that hit the coals and turn into smoke and steam. The chemicals created by the drippings exposed to the hot coals cling to the meat and infusing it with intense smokey flavor.
Gas grills do the same thing when drippings hit the metal flame covers or vaporizer plates, but its not as efficient. This flavor isnt nearly as strong as the compounds that the hot coals create on the surface of the meat.
What about the char? Charcoal grills can cook at a much higher temperature some can reach over 700°F , while gas grills typically max out around 500°F . High heat puts a great sear on your steak, crisps up your chicken, and locks in flavor.
Note: A significant downside of this high-heat char is that it creates two chemicals called HCA and PAH, which The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has said may cause cancer in humans.
Propane Vs Natural Gas Grills Why Choose One Over The Other
What are the differences between propane and natural gas grills? Besides the fuel supply, of course, there are some meaningful distinctions, and pros and cons of each. We look at those here to help you decide which you should buy and why because the answer isnt the same for everyone.
Wondering whether to use propane or natural gas?
Theres a big debate in the BBQ world surrounding propane versus natural gas grills, and it isnt going away anytime soon.
It has rumbled on for many years with propane grills being the clear winner for some time, confirmed by the sale of propane grills historically being almost three to one.
Of late, though, the natural gas grill has risen in popularity, and more recently the numbers are closer to a sixty/forty split in favor of propane gas.
This rise in popularity has many asking, are natural gas connected grills the way forward for the grilling aficionado, and whether they give a different taste.
In this article, we will be exploring the difference between natural gas and propane gas grills.
Well be looking at what the benefits of each type are, along with the drawbacks, and once armed with this information, you will be able to make a firm decision as to what suits you and your BBQ style.
So, lets jump straight into the debate
Contents
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Difference #: Environmental Concerns
The Environmental Cost of Extracting Natural Gas vs Propane Gas
Which Is Better for the Environment: Propane or Natural Gas?
Its too difficult to say how much of an environmental impact extracting natural gas is on the environment. Because of the difficulty of measuring this, some say more while others say less. As of today, there isnt a standard or way to measure this.
But propane gas is a byproduct of processing crude oil, so it will be produced as long as oil and gasoline products are in use. Experts have tried to separate out the cost of it, but propane is too closely intertwined with the crude oil processing methods to be able to measure out separately.
The Environmental Cost of Delivering
Natural gas is delivered through the utility pipes beneath the urban center , so the environmental cost of using this type of grill when it comes to delivery has no environmental impact or cost at all.
Some common appliances that also use natural gas are ovens and hot water heaters.
Propane, on the other hand, poses a bit of a problem. Because propane is used and ported around in propane tanks, those tanks tend to end up in the landfill.
This can happen because the tank has some sort of defect or problem and it was cheaper or more convenient to simply toss out the old, empty tank rather than exchange or refill it.
Also, most 1 lb tanks cannot be refilled .
The tanks themselves are made of steel and aluminum, so theyre never going to break down in the landfill.
Propane Vs Natural Gas Grills
6 minute read|Grills
Summertime brings with it the opportunity for people to gather together and share their outdoor grilling secrets with each other. Some people like to include various spices on their selection, while others prefer to let the meat bring out its own flavor. Whatever your favorite flavor or technique to use when grilling may be, it can be said that there are pros and cons to the type of PSG grill you like to use. Here are some things that you may not have considered when using a natural gas grill or even a propane grill.
Looking at a Natural Gas Grill
A grill that is powered by natural gas is easily recognizable. Consider the following facts regarding this type of grill.
- The cost of natural gas is cheap. Natural gas is generally much cheaper to use than other fuel sources. For someone that is cooking frequently, or for a lot of people, this can be a money saver.
- It is theoretically impossible to run out of natural gas when grilling.Because this type of grill is connected to your natural gas line that runs off of the main-line from the home. So barring some sort of natural disaster, you should always have gas.
- Install your grill beautifully into your patio setting.This type of grill can actually be custom-made to fit the design of your outdoor patio area.
Although rare in urban areas, some homes simply dont have gas lines running too them, and will therefore be unable to use NG grills. Fortunately, most of the PGS grills have propane counterparts.
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The most important part of any cooking, indoor or out, is regulating heat. To do that you need a reliable oven thermometer, and a little know how that takes time to acquire. Alas I have never seen a charcoal grill with a really good thermometer, and the thermometer is never mounted where it is needed, near the meat. The temp in the top of the dome can be very different at meat level.
Since charcoal grills do not have temperature dials to raise or lower temp, it is important to learn how to set up a 2-zone fire which helps you regulate heat by moving meat from the hot to the medium zone, and learn how to control the energy of the fire by closing off the oxygen intake vents. They are your temperature dials.
In short, cooking with charcoal can yield excellent results if you practice. The high heat is perfect for red meats, and if you learn your instrument, it will reward you handsomely. It is not intuitive and brainless, but there is little it cannot do when you achieve mastery, Grasshopper.
