Charcoal Barbecues Vs Gas Barbecues

Everybody has their own preferences when it comes to cooking some folks like to use a gas oven, some an electric oven, some people even prefer to cook everything in the microwave. This strong desire for a preferred cooking technique extends from the kitchen to the garden in the summer when it comes to cooking on the barbecue. The two main styles of barbecue are the classic charcoal BBQ and the new kid on the block the gas BBQ. The barbecuing world is divided between traditionalists who believe it is worth the effort to start and maintain a charcoal burner for the conventional taste and experience and those who believe that it is not worth the time and go for the equally effective but easier gas burner.

Timing is of the Essence
First things first, fire! We all know this is one of the chief draws for men and the barbecue, igniting the coals and watching them slowly come up to temperature. Tending the coals all afternoon whilst having a drink and building the expectancy is part of the enjoyment of having a barbecue. However, there are problems with this kind of heat! It can take a long time for the charcoal to hit their optimum temperature and then there is the danger that you will not get the food on the barbecue in time and it will not cook in the time left in the coals and that you will have to start the process over again. Although this takes some skill once mastered it can become part of the pleasure of the barbecuing process, the next step is understanding when to add the meat so that it cooks just right.

This is a major reason why so many people like the gas burner is that it heats up very quickly after only a few minutes whereas the traditional model takes around 40 minutes. This means that you can light the barbecue just before you start to cook and therefore do not have to worry about it burning away in the garden particularly if there are children dashing about.

In Control of the Fire
It goes without saying that the fire temperature cannot be simply adjusted once lit, this is not the case with a gas BBQ which is one of the reasons that many people prefer to cook on these because you can get an consistent temperature and ensure that all the food is cooked through. This is a problem that can put people off cooking on a charcoal BBQ because they are worried about meats such as pork and chicken not being fully cooked.

This can be achieved with a traditional barbecue it just requires more a little more care and a good knowledge of the barbecuing process.

Taste Time
One of the key arguments for the charcoal BBQ is the taste, because the food is cooked over the direct heat of the charcoal all of the flavour from the smoke is absorbed and comes out in the taste. To enhance the smoky flavour wood chips can be added that will smoke and infuse the food that is being cooked, you can buy wood chips that enhance the flavour of a gas BBQ so you can have the best of both worlds.

However, a certain amount of the flavour comes from the fat from the meat hitting the heat and smoking, something that is achieved with a gas BBQ as well because of the meat fat dropping onto the grill. Some folks think that the food tastes better when grilled over gas because it stays unsullied by ash and tar from the charcoal.

No Scrubbing Necessary
Gas barbecues are effortless to clean because they employ the incredibly popular heat cleaning process where the heat from the barbecue can be used after you have stopped cooking to remove the fat from the grill and it can then be scraped off the heat plates. Whereas with a charcoal barbecue you would have to take apart the grill and tip out the ash and then scrape the meat fat from the grill. This is of course time consuming and not the best job so it is a key reason why so many people are preferring a gas barbecue over a charcoal one.

Final Thoughts
Charcoal BBQs are extremely popular because they are inexpensive to buy and with some people only using them a couple of times over the summer it does not make financial sense to spend a lot of money on a barbecue. However, if you do invest, a gas barbecue can be more cost effective in the long run..

Safety is an issue for some people who do not feel happy using gas canisters and dont like the idea of having a pressurized canister in their garden/shed. Although the chances of there being any genuine problems with a gas canister are minimal, it is an understandable worry and is a reason why so many people feel more at ease with the traditional charcoal BBQ.

So, as you can see there are pros and cons to both charcoal BBQs and Gas BBQs and no doubt the debate will continue with both sides vehemently arguing the benefits of their preferred method of barbecuing.