Charcoal or Gas Grill? (1 Viewer)

[AnthonyClarke]

Just as I also said .. it's great having both, as long as it's Weber!

 

[DaveF]

Browsed the grills at Lowes and HomeDepot this afternoon. I talked to a salesman at Lowes for a bit; he was helpful and helped me understand the Weber grills better. Although, interestingly, he liked the CharBroil (I think) and recommended that as we talked.

I've ruled out "infrared".

Weber grills are all priced the same retail and online, so I'll probably buy locally. I still don't know what to make of the Weber options (sear station and stainless vs colored).

Definitely going gas, since I'm plumbed to the house's NG line. The convenience to me far outweighs flavor benefits of charcoal.

 

[Sam Posten]

Well said Josh. I do like the flavor of charcoal better but nothing beats the convenience of propane.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Some of the new Webers have interchangeable grate accessories, like pizza stones and poultry roasters. It doesn't seem to be too much more expensive than the plain ol' versions.

 

[nara]

Charcoal. Gas is for pussies!

 

[DaveF]

I think I'll get the Weber Genesis E-330, with natural gas hookup. I think I'll use the sear station (a fourth burner to get the grates even hotter for steaks), though I don't care about the side burner. The stainless steel grates of the S-330 are appealing, but maybe not $120 appealing. I don't know of any cooking benefit; cast-iron are fine.

I've got a couple-three months before the deck is built: time to start watching for grill sales

 

[schan1269]

Cast iron(porcelain coated or not) you'll replace every 2-4 year's.Stainless. The grill will fall apart before the stainless has problems.

 

[DaveF]

Cast iron(porcelain coated or not) you'll replace every 2-4 year's.Stainless. The grill will fall apart before the stainless has problems.

The trade off seems to be heat capacity."A good, heavy cast iron grate should last for decades if you take care of it. If you simply are not willing to do the work, go for a high quality porcelain coated cast iron grate. You get the heat characteristics of cast iron in a rust resistant surface."http://bbq.about.com/od/grills/f/f060704a.htmWeber has this to say:Which are better, stainless steel, porcelain-coated cast iron or porcelain enamel cooking grates?The cooking grates on our gas grills are available in three types – porcelain-enameled steel, porcelain-enameled cast iron and stainless steel. Each grate has its benefits:The porcelain enamel steel grates offer even heating and searing abilities.The porcelain enameled cast iron grates offer a hotter surface for searing because cast iron retains heat better than porcelain enameled steel or stainless steel.The stainless steel grates offer cooking properties similar to the porcelain enameled steel grates and are very durable.http://help.weber.com/faqs/10/which-are-better-stainless-steel-porcelain-coated-cast-ironWarranty is a wash:Stainless steel cooking grates 5 years, no rust through or burn throughPorcelain-enameled, cast-iron cooking grates 5 years, no rust through or burn through

 

[Ray Chuang]

Charcoal. Gas is for pussies!

Not if it's a gas-fired infrared grill. Infrared grills have a flame temperature of 700+ °F., and unlike charcoal grills generally don't suffer from the "hot spot" problem that plagues charcoal grills at times. In fact, steakhouse restaurants often use infrared grills because they can cook steaks at amazing speed without drying out the steak itself.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

That sounds different from what Char-Broil sells as "infrared."

 

[schan1269]

The trade off seems to be heat capacity."A good, heavy cast iron grate should last for decades if you take care of it. If you simply are not willing to do the work, go for a high quality porcelain coated cast iron grate. You get the heat characteristics of cast iron in a rust resistant surface."http://bbq.about.com/od/grills/f/f060704a.htmWeber has this to say:Which are better, stainless steel, porcelain-coated cast iron or porcelain enamel cooking grates?The cooking grates on our gas grills are available in three types – porcelain-enameled steel, porcelain-enameled cast iron and stainless steel. Each grate has its benefits:The porcelain enamel steel grates offer even heating and searing abilities.The porcelain enameled cast iron grates offer a hotter surface for searing because cast iron retains heat better than porcelain enameled steel or stainless steel.The stainless steel grates offer cooking properties similar to the porcelain enameled steel grates and are very durable.http://help.weber.com/faqs/10/which-are-better-stainless-steel-porcelain-coated-cast-ironWarranty is a wash:Stainless steel cooking grates 5 years, no rust through or burn throughPorcelain-enameled, cast-iron cooking grates 5 years, no rust through or burn through

Ability to sear has more to do with the mass of the grates themselves...more than what the grate is made of. More mass...more heat hold(cast iron, if porcelain coated, and SS have the same heat loss quotient. Aluminum is higher than either...but, doesn't withstand the outright heat)

Not if it's a gas-fired infrared grill. Infrared grills have a flame temperature of 700+ °F., and unlike charcoal grills generally don't suffer from the "hot spot" problem that plagues charcoal grills at times. In fact, steakhouse restaurants often use infrared grills because they can cook steaks at amazing speed without drying out the steak itself.

If you have "hot spots", you suck at charcoal.

 

[dana martin]

what i have, and don't have any complaints

My next investment

my goal before summer is over, modified my NC Pulled Pork Recipe , the meat is done eastern part of the state style, while the sauce is a further western style, and just to make it juicier than normal, i plan on smoking some pork bellies above the whole picnic shoulder, of course this is all over hickory chunks and charcoal.

Hey the gas grill guys have there own thread, think we need one for old school charcoal / wood

 

[BobO'Link]

^I really like the looks of that Weber cart grill. Well... except for the crappy plastic wheels. Why would they put those on something that's used outdoors and frequently rolled across rough ground? Those would break the first season.

 

[dana martin]

^I really like the looks of that Weber cart grill. Well... except for the crappy plastic wheels. Why would they put those on something that's used outdoors and frequently rolled across rough ground? Those would break the first season.

that's the end you pick up on and drag around on the big weels, going on 8 years with that bad boy, yep the outside isnt as shiny, and the work bench, prep area might have a stain or two, but i honestly love that grill, worked out temp zones to do different items , thinking of throwing som Sea Scallops (big enough each, to fill the palm of you hand) on it tomorrow, with a little (fresh dill and chives, from the garden of course) and melted butter.

we do maybe 3 or 4 neighborhood gatherings a year, (summer holidays) and it hasnt let me down yet. the only thing is the push button start with propane tank, i quit using that years ago, charcoal, and a match work just fine

the black hopper holds a full size bag of charcoal

 

[dana martin]

sorry if this is off i am 4 pina coldaa's into this post and pretty hammered, wife had company over , time for some beer can chicken over hardwood an some bakers, maybe a Lebanese salad. all over hardwood charcoal after my wife got me Steven Raichlen's project fire book, it awesome

 

[dana martin]

well the season of great smells from the back yard is again in full effect, with its very first casualty, the cleaning system on the Webber Kettle finally snapped, so now looking for replacement parts.

with some of the restrictions slowly getting lifted, i am assuming that those long lost get togethers may be picking up soon

be picking up repair parts this weekend, but i had a party pack of Brats, that just wasn't going to wait.

 

[Johnny Angell]

Ability to sear has more to do with the mass of the grates themselves...more than what the grate is made of. More mass...more heat hold(cast iron, if porcelain coated, and SS have the same heat loss quotient. Aluminum is higher than either...but, doesn't withstand the outright heat)

If you have "hot spots", you suck at charcoal.

Are you saying the SS and porcelain coated cast iron will sear equally well?

 

[DaveF]

I was going to grill some chicken tonight, but it’s raining. So, next time.

 

[dana martin]

Can't believe that this thread has been so quiet all summer long, then again if everybody is in the backyard cooking I get that.

The Webber Kettle and natural hard lump are in the spotlight, been looking for something delicious that reminded me of one of my Mediterranean Sea deployments, and opted for Greek on the grill. Variations on the Webber's Big Book of Grilling.

used skirt steak instead of flank, it's just the 2 of us, the down side, no leftovers,

 

[DaveF]

For all the cooking I’ve done the last 18 months, I haven’t done much grilling and nothing interesting like rotisserie.