which do you guys prefer ....which delivers the best results?
Propane or Charcoal
- Thread starter Princess Valiant
- Start date
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Propane or Natural gas. You have natural gas at your house right?? If so N/G bbq's cost about $50 more than their propane equivalent, but you never have to worry bout running outta propane! Unless you have one of them big-arsed propane "submarines" at home.
66340SEDAN
FABO Member #3649
I have one of each, but IMO Charcoal tastes WAY better!!!! But propane/gas grill is faster, but still damn good....infact, I'm about to fire mine up and grill some brats and chicken :glasses7:
1968dartman
life is getting better!!
I was wondering what I was smelling!
68gtxman
I used to reMember
Xs 2!
Convenience, gas
Everything else Charcoal using NO LIGHTER FLUID. Use a chimney
Even when I cook only 2 steaks at home, I use charcoal with mesquite.
Everything else Charcoal using NO LIGHTER FLUID. Use a chimney
Even when I cook only 2 steaks at home, I use charcoal with mesquite.
1968dartman
life is getting better!!
I want to buy a smoker!
cudavert
DARTAHOLIC
Natural gas......I'm not super patient and my hunger comes on waay too fast to wait for charcoal. But if I ever DO use charcoal, as soon as it's lit, I blast it with some compressed air and turn 'em white in about 3 minutes. 
I have a charcoal grill made by Webber that has a propane starter - best of both worlds. Before we got married my wife thought I was a great cook because of this grill, it wasn't until after we got married that she realized EVERYTHING cooked on that grill tastes great.
A charcoal grill started with lighter fluid puts out as much hydro-carbon emissions as driving a new for for about two years.
A charcoal grill started with lighter fluid puts out as much hydro-carbon emissions as driving a new for for about two years.
People get mistaken thinking that the good smokey flavor of a grilled steak or hamburger comes from the charcoal. It does not. It comes from fat boiling out and hitting the flame and smoking the meat. I've actually been thinking about breakin all the redneck rules and trying one of those infrared electric grills when money allows.
bighammer
Well-Known Member
Depending on where you live, outdoor cooking has different meanings for different people. When I lived in Texas I learned pit style BBQ. Nothing else like it! Also learned how to make fajitas the authentic way, they're awesome! Here in the northwest, the outdoor cooking is not as popular, but there are many who swear by their bbqs.
I have several outdoor cookers.. A traditional gas BBQ like in your first picture, a Weber charcoal like in your second picture. I also have a gas "infrared" cooker. It has the advantage of getting super hot for searing steaks. And it is not affected by the wind taking the heat away like with a regular gas grill. I have a "water smoker" that uses wood and charcoal chunks with a pan of water that sits above the heat, below the meat. Keeps the meat moist over a long slow smokey cook. I also have a pellet grill made by MAK. These are awesome cookers, able to do slow cooking as well as searing the meat, with the added benefit of the smokey wood flavoring. You can program the pellet grill to have the meat finished just at the time you come home from work if you want. I use my Luhr Jenson Big Chief smoker to make some of the best smoked salmon you could imagine!
Of all my cookers, I like my MAK pellet grill the most.
...But that is not one of the options you stated! ...so, for weekdays, its gas. (Quicker, easier, less hastle). Weekends, charcoal. BTW, it's the available BTU's of charcoal that gives the advantage... HEAT! The ONLY gas grills available that can generate the heat of charcoal are the infra red ones. Even some of the electric ones like rustyratrod is considering are capable of intense heat. They can get super hot in a very short time, and take a little getting used to. Not the best for burgers, but for rib eye steaks (the best), the results are incredible.
I have several outdoor cookers.. A traditional gas BBQ like in your first picture, a Weber charcoal like in your second picture. I also have a gas "infrared" cooker. It has the advantage of getting super hot for searing steaks. And it is not affected by the wind taking the heat away like with a regular gas grill. I have a "water smoker" that uses wood and charcoal chunks with a pan of water that sits above the heat, below the meat. Keeps the meat moist over a long slow smokey cook. I also have a pellet grill made by MAK. These are awesome cookers, able to do slow cooking as well as searing the meat, with the added benefit of the smokey wood flavoring. You can program the pellet grill to have the meat finished just at the time you come home from work if you want. I use my Luhr Jenson Big Chief smoker to make some of the best smoked salmon you could imagine!
Of all my cookers, I like my MAK pellet grill the most.
...But that is not one of the options you stated! ...so, for weekdays, its gas. (Quicker, easier, less hastle). Weekends, charcoal. BTW, it's the available BTU's of charcoal that gives the advantage... HEAT! The ONLY gas grills available that can generate the heat of charcoal are the infra red ones. Even some of the electric ones like rustyratrod is considering are capable of intense heat. They can get super hot in a very short time, and take a little getting used to. Not the best for burgers, but for rib eye steaks (the best), the results are incredible.
I owned one gas grill...it went to a friends shop, It will be my last, this is my
small cooking area my wife gave me, Kinksferd charcoal and even cooked
with sherry and apple tree limbs :glasses7:
small cooking area my wife gave me, Kinksferd charcoal and even cooked
with sherry and apple tree limbs :glasses7:
Always done the charcoal gig. Rusty's post,says it for me.
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
I don't "burn meat" all that much anymore. I, too, have forsaken the toil and trouble of charcoal/ wood for "Pro -pain and pro -pain accessories!!!" and even electric once in awhile.
Hell, most of the time I'm happy to get a smile out of the cuties at t he local Carl's Jr.
Hell, most of the time I'm happy to get a smile out of the cuties at t he local Carl's Jr.
/6 Matt
30 Degrees Crooked
Charcoal, all day long for me!
jamesdaytona
Well-Known Member
Charcoal . It was good enough for the pilgrims , good enough for us rednecks .
Add a little apple wood to the charcoal and you have a mini-smoker! Good stuff!
OldmanRick
Well-Known Member
We got our first propane powered ever about a year and a half ago. The convenience is great, but I voted charcoal. I still love the old school way's.
inkjunkie
Well-Known Member
You forgot the one that gives you the best results......
The Big Green Egg that uses real wood charcoal such as Royal Oak that you can find at Wally World. You do not use any petroleum products with these two, so you are tasting the real flavor of the food. Even frozen Costco hockey pucks (burger patties) come out moist & juicy. We just cooked a pizza from Costco on it tonight.
We have a nice gas grill, have not lit it in over 4 years. After figuring out how to use the Egg we have no reason to use a gas grill. A neighbor gave us a roast to cook on it a few years back, next day he went out and bought one. We have the Extra large one that we use here and we have a mini that we use when we go out to the woods to go shooting....
Why would you want to grill/bbq using a petroleum product?
The Big Green Egg that uses real wood charcoal such as Royal Oak that you can find at Wally World. You do not use any petroleum products with these two, so you are tasting the real flavor of the food. Even frozen Costco hockey pucks (burger patties) come out moist & juicy. We just cooked a pizza from Costco on it tonight.
We have a nice gas grill, have not lit it in over 4 years. After figuring out how to use the Egg we have no reason to use a gas grill. A neighbor gave us a roast to cook on it a few years back, next day he went out and bought one. We have the Extra large one that we use here and we have a mini that we use when we go out to the woods to go shooting....
Why would you want to grill/bbq using a petroleum product?
Charcoal, indirect heat is the way to go. I just did a tri tip today. I have a barrel grill with the smoker/heat box off to the side. I also have a propane fired smoker I use for smoking salmon, a Kingsford kettle grill and a propane grill rounds off the package. The only time I use the propane grill is for ease and convenience.
nuttyprof
Well-Known Member
I only use apricot wood charcoal in mine! (make the charcoal myself) No lighter fluid (I can taste it the third time after it has been used!) If you walk downwind of my grill on a sunny day you will start drooling even if it is not lit!
NEVER use the lighter fluid, ever. Or the match light crap.
Charcoal, no comparison, a smoker with the option of grilling or bbq to be exact. Doesn't have to be expensive set up either. Sure propane might be faster getting going but if your grilling/bbq/smoking obviously your intent is to have a great meal and it's worth the extra 15 minutes getting charcoal going.
I started with propane, then a Weber indirect heat propane then finally got an offset smoker. That was about 15 years ago and have never looked back. My smoker doubles as a grill as well, I use the hot box to put a nice sear on the meat then move it over to the main cooking chamber and use it as a regular grill if we are not smoking.
As has been said don't use lighter fluid or ready light charcoal, a chimney is all you need. I have several for the long smokes to always have one ready to dump in.
Just did some buffalo turds and a smoked fatty that never would have turned out right on gas. Not to mention beer butt chickens, shoulders, briskets, salmon etc. that a smoker just kicks *** at, then like I said you can also go as simple as tossing a few good steaks on and grilling.
My sd died in my phone else I would toss up some pictures that would have you buying a smoker in a second.
I started with propane, then a Weber indirect heat propane then finally got an offset smoker. That was about 15 years ago and have never looked back. My smoker doubles as a grill as well, I use the hot box to put a nice sear on the meat then move it over to the main cooking chamber and use it as a regular grill if we are not smoking.
As has been said don't use lighter fluid or ready light charcoal, a chimney is all you need. I have several for the long smokes to always have one ready to dump in.
Just did some buffalo turds and a smoked fatty that never would have turned out right on gas. Not to mention beer butt chickens, shoulders, briskets, salmon etc. that a smoker just kicks *** at, then like I said you can also go as simple as tossing a few good steaks on and grilling.
My sd died in my phone else I would toss up some pictures that would have you buying a smoker in a second.
66340SEDAN
FABO Member #3649
Rani, did you know that Henry Ford invented the charcoal briquette? He made them from left over wood scraps in his factory. He was too busy building cars so he sold his idea to E G Kingsford who put it into mass production.
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