What better? - A gas or charcoal grill.

Deciding whether to buy a gas grill or charcoal grill can be quite confusing. Yeah sure there is more clean up, you have to get rid of the used up coals. And then there is always the possibility that the coals will burn out in the middle of cooking. That wouldn't happen with a gas grill, although there was a time I couldn't figure out why my steaks were taking so long to cook until I realized the gas tank had run out.

But there are also a lot of benefits to grilling with charcoal, which leads me to this article. I wanted to look at the pros and cons of grilling with charcoal and figure out how they affect my style of cooking. I'm not even going to approach electric grilling but it's something you may want to check out for yourself some time.

I put the question of gas vs. charcoal to a couple of my professional chef friends who had opposite positions. Although their preferences were different, they both came up with great reasons why they choose their style.

One chef listened quietly while I ranted about the virtues of gas grilling, waited until I was finished, and then said, "Yes, charcoal grills are more work and what type of grill you use will depend on your lifestyle and the amount of time you have available, but in the end you can't compare gas grilling to charcoal grilling. Forget about it, charcoal wins hands down."

gas grill When I asked why he was so enthusiast toward charcoal he said, "Because with charcoal, you add more flavor and you can make a hotter fire and heat is your friend."

The other chef I spoke with favored a gas grill for the convenience and felt you could achieve the same great tasting food by various cooking methods, food prep, and the use of woods for a smoky flavor.

Who's right? In my opinion there is no right answer and it really just depends on personal preferences. It really depends on your lifestyle and how often you plan to use the grill. Look at my list of benefits for both gas and charcoal to see which fits best into your lifestyle. If you have any additional benefits you would like to suggest, please send them to me here and I will post them on the site.

Benefits of Gas and Charcoal Grills

Gas Grills