BBQs - Gas or charcoal?

vacheron

Charcoal

Definitely charcoal.

Barbecuing to me is all about the primal simplicity, not valves, bottles, regulators and servicing, then adding things to make it "seem" like charcoal.

Alright, the convenience of gas is good if you are outdoor cooking all the time, but where is the challenge?

KennyH1

Charcoal

wallbash wrote: »

Had a BBQ for 27 yesterday , lucky with the weather.
Had two , one gas . one charcoal, of the two , the gas was better for cooking for so many .I wonder what's the optimum number for a charcoal BBQ. To few , easier to go gas , too many , you need the gas . But there is more fun with the charcoal ..... how many guests ? 7/11 ??

Optimum numbers for charcoal?

Well I've BBQ'd just for myself and sat out in the sun and enjoyed the evening while cooking and I've also cooked for 40+ people at family parties so i'd say there's not optimum number.

It's all about control of the coals and heat output and rotation of your meats.

As to the people commenting about lugging the charcoal home, its really not that heavy - most probably lighter that the pack of beer you lug around to the BBQ!!

pete_v

Charcoal

I reckon Persiflage got it bang on:

Barbequeing on a gas grill is like turning up to a darts match and shooting the board with a pistol; it's quicker and more accurate, but to what end? You'd just as well cook indoors on a real cooker and wheel everything out into the garden on one of those obnoxious hostess trollies.

When I moved house, I built an enormous brick barbecue on the patio. In fact, it's two barbecues side by side, so for all-day cooking you can light one an hour or two after the other and then alternate the re-lighting between the two so that at least one is always on the go. Must admit it's a few years since I've had any parties that large or long-lasting though. For smaller events I just fire up one side. I originally used the grilles and trays from a big old gas oven nearly three feet wide, so that's the size of each half. I had to weld up some new grilles though as the originals weren't up to the job. One side has a metal lid (making this is why I originally bought the welder) for roasting big joints of meat. This idea is copied from my parents, who always roast their christmas turkey in their Weber (charcoal) barbecue - leaves more room in the oven for the veg and trimmings!

Pete

keith969

Charcoal

Charcoal, always. It's fiddly, unpredictable, needs lots of attention, but that is the whole attraction!

Gas - well you may as well cook in your kitchen.

As for Persiflage's post: I like your style! Would love to come to your next BBQ too. Am having one on Monday if the Chiltern rain stops...

Waldir

Haha Persiflage! Great Post! I learned a lot :rotfl:

jimi_man

Gas. Every time. To me BBQs are about spontaneity; a snap decision to have a BBQ at the drop of a hat. With a gas BBQ it makes it so much easier than with a charcoal one. The taste is no difference, the flavour comes from juices from the food dripping onto the flames and the resulting fumes coating the food.

jinger_2

Charcoal

Give me a charcoal bbq anytime. Can't stand gas ones. I'm actually too scared to light them incase they go up like a fireball! Seen it happen at a friend's bbq when they've had a leak in the pipework and not checked it to make sure it hadn't perished before lighting.

I must admit there is a knack to lighting a charcoal bbq but I have no problems after being taught to light a real fire in the living room when I was younger.

Anyway, barbecued food isn't authentic if it hasn't been singed a bit!

jonsue

Gas

We camp regularly through the year and believe us we prefer the out of season times so we are not blanketed in the stinking smog
from these stinking charcoal barbecues.
Can you HONESTLY say you enjoy the burnt dead flesh from these things?
The good news is that more and more campsites are either banning them or insisting on Gas ones only.

keanufan

Charcoal

I agree with Violetta, excellent post Persilflage, I bet your barbeques are a riot. Like you I also recently moved south, back to Andover in Hampshire from Bolton in Lancashire, the house prices were a real shock, so it has to be charcoal, gas is far too expensive & hard to set up in an old oil drum!!

moxxy-girl

Just spent £200 on an all singing dancing gas BBQ- used the darn thing once , what a load of hassle to do a few sausage and burgers, plus I won't cook chicken on it as I don't trust them to cook through.
Then , it took about 30 mins to clean the darn thing. Think I may put it on eBay at this rate!