Gas or charcoal?
 

What is everyone's preference in a grill? Gas is quicker, probably cleaner, but they cost more up front. Charcoal is cheaper up front and you get that great charcoal flavor but you have to wait on the coals to get hot.

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

Flavor-charcoal----------Quick-gas

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

Real wood lump charcoal- best for flavor, least ash afterwards, best for smokers. It depends on what you plan on cooking and how, fast or slow.

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

I like charcoal, flavor is a little better. But for consistency, you can't beat the gas grill. Also the fat dripping on the lava rocks creates smoke that almost equals the charcoal effect. You can also roast a big piece ofmeat on a gas grill by setting it over a turned off burnerwith the heat coming from the other burner. Better roast than you get in the oven.

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

I have to agree with cr422 on this for the most part. However I still like to use the charcoal every once in a while. As, I do not think you can beat the flavor unless you are cooking off an old wood fire place with a lot of coals.

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

The past 3 years I have really gotten into BBQing. I have a barrell cooker that I use for pork butts and brisket. I cook over indirect heat. I use the Cowboy Chunks to get the coals and then add hickory. I have a smaller charcoal grill for smaller quicker things.

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

For conviencegas of course, for flavor charcoal ;)

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

I've got both, depends on what I'm cooking and how much time I have.
Dan

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

I got rid of the gas grill years ago. I use charcoal and a mix of hickory, apple and maple woods.

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

Ditto.

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I agree. I bougt a Weber 3 burner several years ago and they are much better than the 200 dollar hardware store specials. I keep it covered and use it year round.

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

I have to agree with the general sentiment that gas is quicker and if you want flavor go with charcoal. But I still like charcoal. I am on my second Weber kettle grill that I use all year. From the Thanksgiving & Christmas turkey to tuna steaks or slow roasting a rack of ribs or a roast

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

I have a gas that I use for speed. I am going to try something different on it, though. Cooked some deer steaks on my buddys charcoal, and used hickory chips for smoke flavor. the instructions on the chips said to put them on some foil, and wrap them up completely. Poke holes in the foil, and put them on the grill untill they start smoking. Then put the meat anywhere around the chip packet. I am going to try this on my gas grill. Maybe get a better flavor out of it.

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

For all you charcoal guys I saw on the Food Network it said to make sure you keep the ashes cleaned out when not using. They will actually cause the grill to rust. I did not know that.

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

charcoal only for me.

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

Charcoal give way more taste but for speed, gas

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

Charcoal makes every thing taste better

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

Neither I use good dried red oak ,white oak or hickory.
A good hot open fire.

If you start cooking over real wood burning you won't go back. I always have a supply of wood. I usually have a dead tree on my 17 acres plus I cut tops after timber cutters. Mainly for cooking.

My wife would kill me if I cooked her a steak on charcoal and especially gas[:'(]

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

Ditto:D

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

I don't mind admitting that I've switched almost exclusively to gas. I use my grill 3-4 times a week 9 months out of the year and at least once a week even in the winter. There's just no way I could pull that off time wise if I was using charcoal. However, I also use hickory or other wood chips in a smoker box attachment that narrows the gap flavor wise.

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

Besides the gas grill I have a small Master Bilt smoker that can be operated with either propane or charcoal. In the time I've owned it I have only used charcoal a few times, and only lump charcoal when I did, briquettes contain a wide variety of chemicals and other things I object to eating. Regardless of the type of grill used you can easily duplicate the flavor of charcoal cooked food with smoking or some of the newer bbq sauces, and quite frankly I just don't have the patience for charcoal anymore. About the only time I use it now is as a back up cooker to supplement my gas grill when I have more than a few guests, and for hands off slow smoking. My foreman at work is a die hard charcoal fanatic, and I've fooled him more than once with gas grilled meats and smoking or sauce.

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

Well I've always liked food cooked over charcoal or wood better than gas. However, several years ago I went to gas for the speed reason. I'm working my way back though. Earlier this week I bought The Char-Griller Duo. You can cook with gas on one side and charcoal on the other. Also, you can buy a firebox for the side of it to have a smoker pit. I just put it together today and haven't got a chance to use it yet.

Here's a picture of one...



Hopefully it will work like I want it to.

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

X 2

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

X 2...

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

charcoal

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Same here, but haven't used the gas is a couple months, been on a charcoal kick.

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

anyone seen one of those wood pellet smoker/grills yet? i am really looking at one. about $700.00. i love mesquite wood for cooking, living in northeast wyoming it is hard to find. so i am looking at the pellet grill, you can buy about 10 differant wood pellets for it. any thoughts?

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

Charcoal for the Arrowmaster...

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

totally agree

Ditto.
[/quote]

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

Wood > Charcoal > Gas

If you are in too big a hurry for at least charcoal, you might as well go to McDonalds.[:'(]

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

Charcoal

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Hickory wood and charcoal

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UH, whats a gas grill now? Charcoal and hickory/apple woods only here. When I have the time, I smoke everything but that takes hours.

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

I use a gas grill but almost always I have a sheet pan with wood chips in it under the grilling surface. So I guess you would say I turned my grill into a gas smoker.

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

I have used charcoal and wood for years. In my opinion,gas is for lazy or retired people.

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

Charcoal,and there is a scientific reason why it's better,especially for steaks. I saw this ona cookingshow once. When gas burns it gives off a water molecule each time a gas molecule burns off,charcoal does not. For searing meat the charcoal is better!

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

Charcoal all the way.Maybe Unhealthy and Nasty if you do some research - BUT - No way to duplicate the good old flavor of coal.Use a Weber and you can indirect cook and smoke.I've never found a way to indirect cook on gas[:'(] or smoke on anything but a Weber(Dome).Suppose it's hard to teach an Old Dog new tricks.

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

You mean you don't cook all your meat on a George Foreman?

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

Here is a neat trick for you charcoal wanna bees (wanna bee as defined as you like the taste but rather not spend the 20-30 mins of prep time). You can get a propane torch (I got mine from Harbor Freight for under $20) stack you charcoal like you want it. Don't put any liquid starter on there. Usingthe propane torch you can have very hot cookable coals in about 5 mins. No foul taste from the starter either. Attaches to your gas grill tank (might as well put that"OLD" gas grill to some good use as you won't want to go back now).

Even using charcoal I still add chunks of smoking wood. Adds a flavor booster to it.

RE: Gas or charcoal?
 

Charcoal