# BBQ mavens, how many BTUs is enough
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbq-mavens-how-many-btus-is-enough/176847
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [May 22, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbq-mavens-how-many-btus-is-enough/176847 "2003-05-22T17:44:15Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbq-mavens-how-many-btus-is-enough/176847/1 "2003-05-22T17:44:15Z")
The primal urge of “fire make food good” is upon me and it’s time to get a new gas grille. While it would be fun to get a stainless steel monstrosity the size of a Kenworth I’d prefer not to spend our or five hundred now and will get something more modest but of good quality. I’ve had good luck with the Char-Broil brand in the past and am looking at one with 35,000 BTUs in the grill area and an 8,000 BTU side burner. Is that enough for most grilling?
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbq-mavens-how-many-btus-is-enough/176847/2 "2003-05-22T18:08:13Z")
_ **Burner!** _ :eek:
Charcoal, my man! _Charcoal!_
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### Author:  [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2003, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbq-mavens-how-many-btus-is-enough/176847/3 "2003-05-22T18:38:32Z")
I was hoping we wouldn’t have to bring Hank Hill into this. I like charcoal but for a variety of reasons prefer gas for the patio. It’s hot enough as it is, I don’t need charcoal putting off heat for the extra time before cooking and for hours afterward.
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### Author:  [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2003, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbq-mavens-how-many-btus-is-enough/176847/4 "2003-05-22T18:59:39Z")
[Hank Hill]
Propane is God’s gas.
[/Hank Hill]
Sorry, I use charcoal.
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### Author:  [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2003, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbq-mavens-how-many-btus-is-enough/176847/5 "2003-05-22T19:12:58Z")
Hey **Padeye** come down to I-10 and Ray Road, right infront of the Home Depot is an entire store devoted to grill’in. The grill’in store or grill heaven or somes
I bought a sweet!! Webber there two years ago and I have never, ever regreted it. [Here](http://bbqgalore.com/bbq2001/storelocator/zipLocatorByState.asp?state=az) you go my man!
I love that store. It will have everything you could possibly want.
And yes an 8000 BTU side burner is plenty, specially for corn etc…etc…
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### Author:  [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2003, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbq-mavens-how-many-btus-is-enough/176847/6 "2003-05-22T19:20:02Z")
We’ve decided on the CharBroil propane/charcoal dual combo grill.
I never really thought about the BTUs until now.
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### Author:  [@WillSantini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillSantini)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2003, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbq-mavens-how-many-btus-is-enough/176847/7 "2003-05-22T19:29:19Z")
Mesquite.
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### Author:  [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2003, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbq-mavens-how-many-btus-is-enough/176847/8 "2003-05-22T19:29:23Z")
Actually I planed on stopping at the Barbeques Galore store on Camelback on the way home from work tonight. I actually found the grill I want at Lowe’s and the price is good. A Char-Broil quickset for $159 with side burner and propane bottle. I’d prefer something with no plastic but this has very little so I can live with it until we get a bigger place and have room for the Nebuchadnezzar model.
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### Author:  [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)
#### Post date: [May 22, 2003, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbq-mavens-how-many-btus-is-enough/176847/9 "2003-05-22T19:43:27Z")
Nice! I have a buddy in Tempe who had the Nebuchadnezzar model built into a outdoor stone countertop!! Lucky bastard! It’s really nice.
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### Author:  [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)
#### Post date: [May 23, 2003, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bbq-mavens-how-many-btus-is-enough/176847/10 "2003-05-23T12:32:29Z")
This year I’ve been having a great time with my gas grill, using a cast iron smoker box and hickory or mesquite chips. You get some of the smokey flavor back but with the convenience of propane (and propane accessories).