Grill: Charcoal or Propane?

[Pieceofsand]

Basically I'm looking to buy a grill for my house for the on coming summer. We're barely hitting spring here in Northern Michigan.

Looking for something very basic for a household of 3, and hoping to spend around $150-ish. I want a good grill that's going to last. It isn't very much money but that's irrelevant from the topic. '

What would you guys pick? Charcoal for great taste? Or the Gas for convenience?

Also let me know what you have at home and why you picked your choice.

Thanks folks

[frapjap]

Good thread! However, there is only one answer.
CHARCOAL GRILL.

You can pick up a large Weber grill from Home Depot or Lowes for an excellent price on sale.
Sure, gas is quicker and more convenient, but essentially a gas grill is just an oven that has the potential to char food. It doesn't impart much of its own flavor via the cooking process like charcoal or hard wood will. Plus, mastering a charcoal grill is a man skill that you have to pass down to another generation.

Pay no attention to the video, just the words
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvW2vla1OkI[/youtube]

[Zydeco]

Also please for the love of all things great, don't EVER use kingsford or any of that compressed crap. use something like this http://www.lazzari.com/retail-mesquite- ... rcoal.html. the flavor is astoundingly different be between the two.

[Papi Chulo]

1. Oak
2. charcoal
3. propane

[AZ89two4Tsx]

$150 won't buy you anything nice in the way of Propane. The best bang for the buck propane grills are at Costco/Sam's Club/etc... And any nice propane grill nowadays has at least one infrared burner. They're really handy because it allows you to easily seer your meat.

Hands down charcoal tastes better. In EVERY way. You won't get anyone denying that.

The only advantage to a propane grill is cleanliness and speed.

[themadscientist]

Propane? Not if I can avoid it. Meat must be treated with more respect than a bottle of liquified petroleum gas can muster.

[sbird1]

I think I saw some grills last time I was at Lowes that were dual purpose grills. They were mainly propane grills, but had trays for wood chips and stuff. I don't remember the price, but it would be something to look into.

[orangeNblue]

Just go to lowes or homes depot and pick up a nice normal weber charcoal grill. Should be around $60-80 and works perfectly. Just make sure to keep it out of the rain...

[Bwana]

Charcoal for quality, propane for convenience. Pretty simple really.

[nissangirl74]

Charcoal.

[Jesda]

I prefer charcoal.I dont grill very often, so I like to make an event of it.

[Bubba1]

My answer to your poll is both.

Charcoal tastes better but propane is much quicker and convenient. If you have the time to cook, use charcoal. If you have limited time, use propane.

[sx moneypit]

Charcoal.

[tiger-SE-R]

Charcoal ftmfw



lol at me grilling at 3:30am last Carlisle on my tabletop charcoal grill. I generally use kingsford competition briquets with tabasco wood chunks (oak barrels that they age the peppers in, then chopped up)




this thread gets my Weber Homer Simpsons grill seal of approval

[mmkeller]

Charcoal

[drksolest]

Charcoal.

got hubby this last year for father's day
http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/produ ... rod1250116

[Crazyirish]

+1 for a large weber. Highly versatile. Pickup a charcoal chimney for it, and you cant go wrong.

[Bubba1]

I'd recommend getting one of each type and then splurge on the one you intend to use most.

[breadbox]

Expecting to grill alot and want it to taste best, charcoal, not the kind with lighter fluid on them unless you are lazy.

If you are lazy or will only be cooking a couple items go propane.

[fiznowler]

Charcoal tastes better by far I won't argue that. I personally have a really nice gas grill. It works better for me. If I am not having people over or something and I just want to grill for my self it would be a major pain to do the charcoal thing for just 1 steak or whatever. I grill almost nightly in the summer. I also have a charcoal grill but dont' use it near as often.

[Jesda]

[Kompresshun]

I vote both too. I bought a nice Charcoal grill 4 years ago and I despise it. The taste is wonderful but it's a pain in the butt to get it going right and it takes forever to heat up, if you don't mind dealing with that though then i'd go for charcoal. I'm switching back to propane this year personally, but mainly for convenience and I don't mind the difference in taste. It's a pain when we usually are just cooking for two and it takes 30-45min at minimum to warm up the grill. The ideal setup to me is having a small weber and a decent propane grill, I prefer veggies to have that charcoal taste but I don't mind if meat is cooked on propane, so you get the best of both worlds that way.

[Dattebayo]

Isn't there one available that can use both? Like maybe something you can swap out the gas apparatus for the charcoal?

[Crazyirish]

Throw some paper in the bottom, charcoal on top, light paper. 20 minutes and enough charcoal to cook for two. Once I discovered this I never went back to gas. Of course every once in awhile I just want one grilled hotdog but you can't have it all. And yes, a gas and charcoal combo grill would be awesome, but they ain't cheap.

[numbnuts240]

charcoal. natural charcoal is the best. while you wait for your coals to establish themselves, drink beer.

[Bubba1]

Isn't there one available that can use both? Like maybe something you can swap out the gas apparatus for the charcoal?

There are combo gas/charcoal grills on the market, but I don;t believe I;ve seen one with removeable gas apparatus. They are normally attached but have two separate cooking areas. Pretty big. I don't know anyone that owns one, but you still have to find a place to store the charcoal plus lighting accesories (fluid or lighting can).

I keep an old portable charcoal grill in the garage for off site picnics/tailgating/camping, etc, and a full sized gas grill for regular stuff. We grill all year round. The portable charcoal grill is easy to set up if someone wants to invest the time for charcoal, which is not often. Best part is it doesn't take up much storage space.

[ADDirishboy]

while you wait for your coals to establish themselves, drink beer.

Ah, this reminds me of Carlisle 2010. Sitting in the parking lot at 3am, drinking beer, Mark grilling up some awesomeness, getting yelled at multiple times by the black manager guy.... good times.

[Pieceofsand]

mastering a charcoal grill is a man skill that you have to pass down to another generation.

This.
My ex-girlfriend's dad was a great charcoal griller, I was always impressed by his steaks and burgers.

My spring break is right around the corner. I think I will pick up a charcoal grill.

[Amays U G37S]

I've debated these two concepts for a really long period of time in my brain.

I love grilling. I also know that grilling frequently could cause you to stop grilling because of the way the food is cooked, and your body cannot take to much of it. True story. Has to do with something in your blood.

Secondly, Propane.

I do not care who you are, if you like grilling, you hate waiting, and when I'm hungry, I DO NOT WANT TO WAIT.

Yes, Charcoal has a great taste, and even different types of woods make for a more awesome tasting meat/ribs combo, such as applewood, or even your own marinated wood, for the big boy grillers. But homely, and convienance, for the house, propane.

Trust me, buying a little gas every so often to eat those quickly made burgers and dogs is exactly the choice you want to make.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

charcoal. natural charcoal is the best. while you wait for your coals to establish themselves, drink beer.

I was reading through this thread wondering why the hell no one had mentioned that yet.

Charcoal- Cheaper grill, better tasting food, more of an "event", better time (said beers).