# Charcoal Grills **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [April 28, 2024, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-grills/1000877 "2024-04-28T20:06:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-grills/1000877/21 "2024-04-29T05:24:18Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Indeed, since they are easier to use and manage than a charcoal grill I’d say gas grills are overall better unless you are a master with your charcoal grill (and few are). I concur they are easier. But I use real Mesquite charcoal, and yeah it’s more work and bother, but the tri-tip comes out heavenly- but I do cook 2-3 at a time, otherwise it’s not worth it. I throw in a few applewood chips too. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-grills/1000877/22 "2024-04-29T05:32:53Z")
Charcoal is great when you got one tiny thing to grill, two hours to kill and lots of beer to drink waiting for the perfect 10 minutes of heat to do the job. Fuck that! Drink for an hour and a half, fire up the gas grill, let it get good and hot, cook a few pounds of beef, chicken and pork all at different temps and times and party on! Don’t believe me? Ask Hank Hill. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-grills/1000877/23 "2024-04-29T10:56:21Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > None of the gas grills I have had could properly sear a steak. 1: Replace the gas regulator with an adjustable regulator. Be careful as the temperature can be adjusted way beyond what your grill was designed to take. Over time metal can crumble if you burn it too hot for too long too many times. 2: If you have space available add another grate on top of the burners and add lave rocks. If you just do 1, it will get plenty hot enough , but uneven. If you just do 2 it may get hot enough, however it will take time to get up to temperature. Of either one, the 1st one is very convenient, the 2nd one gives a much more pleasant cooking surface for everything. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-grills/1000877/24 "2024-04-29T13:13:18Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Charcoal is great when you got one tiny thing to grill, two hours to kill and lots of beer to drink waiting for the perfect 10 minutes of heat to do the job. > > Fuck that! Drink for an hour and a half, fire up the gas grill, let it get good and hot, cook a few pounds of beef, chicken and pork all at different temps and times and party on! > > Don’t believe me? Ask Hank Hill. As Wynonna Judd said to Hank Hill in the episode ‘Peggy’s Fan Fair’: “I was raised on charcoal. I’ll die on charcoal. So back off!” 😃 I will add to the recs of a classic 22" Weber Kettle grill. Gas grills are nothing but outdoor stovetops. A kettle-style charcoal grill is very versatile. Besides simple grilling, you can arrange charcoal so that there’s indirect heat, mix in wood chunks with the charcoal, and slow-smoke meats. It’s a little trickier to get even low heat than say, a Weber Smoky Mountain bullet-style smoker, which I also own, but I’ve [barbecued a whole beef brisket on my Weber kettle grill](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barbecued-beef-brisket/965672) with outstanding results. I even bought a pizza oven insert for my kettle grill and made some damn fine pizza. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-grills/1000877/25 "2024-04-29T14:15:14Z")
Gas grills have valves to adjust the heat. They often have the grill at a fixed height above the burners, and they may include a bed of rock or ceramic pieces to hold and diffuse the heat. Charcoal grills require attention to the burning coals to get to the desired heat output, and maintain it with additional charcoal if needed. Usually they have a means of adjusting the height of the grill above the coals. If not they need to be large enough to keep the coals to one side in the grill for a hot zone while allowing a cooler portion that won’t burn the food. Ashes have to be removed from the grill, although a foil liner under the coals simplifies this. Gas grills are simpler to operate and maintain. Charcoal provides more flavor, and more heat for searing and browning food. Before making a gift of a grill find out what the recipient would prefer. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-grills/1000877/26 "2024-04-29T14:23:23Z")
> [@Deanna\_D](#): > > UFO or Egg. That’s the next thing I’ll have to find out! I have a Kamado pot (egg kind). There is a learning curve, but once you get it, it works like a charm. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-grills/1000877/27 "2024-04-29T14:28:57Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > I’m big into grilling and smoking and I’d check it with him first. Spill that you’re buying him a grill and get his advice. He may not even want one and, if he does, he probably has some idea of what to look for. And, preferences aside, he may actually prefer OWNING a gas grill. ‘Ahem’…(discreetly gestures toward OP) > [@Deanna\_D](#): > > I did my due diligence, and found out that he prefers a charcoal grill. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-grills/1000877/28 "2024-04-29T14:40:11Z")
Noted. One day I’ll learn to read OPs. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-grills/1000877/29 "2024-04-29T14:45:33Z")
I had quoted you, then changed my mind and removed your quote after posting because you didn’t actually specify “find out if the recipient wants a charcoal vs. a gas grill”, you said “find out what the recipient would prefer” and there _ **are** _ many styles of charcoal grills. But even though I removed the quote, it turns out the ‘reply’ link to your post still remained. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-grills/1000877/30 "2024-04-29T14:45:51Z")
But fighting the hypothetical is a lifestyle here. 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-grills/1000877/31 "2024-04-29T14:47:07Z")
True, as is replying without fully reading the OP (a fault I admittedly have been guilty of many times as well 😊) ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-grills/1000877/32 "2024-04-29T15:17:00Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > And, preferences aside, he may actually prefer OWNING a gas grill. This. I’d much rather use a charcoal grill, but since I’m usually just cooking for myself, it’s very impractical and wasteful. So I’ve got a small gas BBQ that I use instead. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-grills/1000877/33 "2024-04-29T15:24:32Z")
I cook dinner on the grill once or twice a week, 52 weeks a year, rain or shine. My propane grill isn’t perfect, but it allows me to easily do this kind of cooking. > [@mixdenny](#): > > None of the gas grills I have had could properly sear a steak. I cook my steaks sous vide to rare. I sear them on the grill, but with the propane shut off, using a torch. > **[Sous Vide Torch Reviews](https://www.amazingfoodmadeeasy.com/info/modernist-equipment/more/best-sous-vide-torch-reviews)** > > There are several torches to sear sous vide foods and here are some of the best ones for the home and professional cook to use. ETA: I have the steaks “on the grill” just to contain the mess. In truly horrible weather, I torch sear inside. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-grills/1000877/34 "2024-04-29T16:30:42Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > I’ve had the paper burn out before the coals catch plenty of times. Using Sterno under the chimney rather than paper solves this problem. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-grills/1000877/35 "2024-04-29T16:36:34Z")
I’ve heard fireplace fire starters work well for this too. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-grills/1000877/36 "2024-04-29T16:39:25Z")
I haven’t tried a fire starter, but it seems to me that the downside is the firestarter may burn much longer than you need it to. The advantage of Sterno is once the charcoal is lit, you can just put the lid back on the can and it stops. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-grills/1000877/37 "2024-04-29T16:49:04Z")
The sterno does sound like a great solution. I usually just use newspaper and it works fine for me 99% of the time, but if I was to not have access to newspaper, I always have fire starters on hand. I’d just break off a small chunk so it didn’t burn for too long. Even for fireplace fires, just a small piece works. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-grills/1000877/38 "2024-04-29T17:23:09Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Gas grills are nothing but outdoor stovetops. I much prefer the practicality and convenience of gas grills, but I’m trying not to be dogmatic on the subject. It may be that a good charcoal grill in the hands of someone who knows what they’re doing **might** produce better results than a gas grill in at least some cases, but for me it’s not worth the hassle. But hyperbole like that quoted statement can only be believed by someone who’s never used a good gas grill. If a gas grill was just like a stovetop, I’d use the stovetop instead, but it isn’t and I don’t. > [@TriPolar](#): > > Gas grills have valves to adjust the heat. They often have the grill at a fixed height above the burners, and they may include a bed of rock or ceramic pieces to hold and diffuse the heat. At the time I bought my Weber gas grill – which now that I think about it was nearly 25 years ago and it’s still going strong – they used what Weber called “flavor bars” over the burners and evenly distributed across the width of the grill, though the design may have changed over the years. These were steel pieces – either ceramic coated or stainless steel – shaped like upward-pointing triangles. They had three purposes: to evenly distribute heat, to smoke the drippings without allowing them to accumulate, and to protect the burners from splatter and debris, as each longitudinal burner had one of these bars directly over it. Beneath the burners is a metal dish shaped like a giant funnel, and at the base of the funnel is a holder for disposable aluminum trays to collect grease. It’s a much more effective system than the usual lava rocks. ---
**Author:** ![Deanna\_D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@Deanna\_D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deanna_D)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-grills/1000877/39 "2024-04-29T17:23:20Z")
Judging by how many have mentioned the Weber kettle, I think that’s what I’ll be looking at. Hopefully, I can find a sale on one in the next couple of weeks! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-grills/1000877/40 "2024-04-29T17:24:40Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > I’ve had the paper burn out before the coals catch plenty of times. Not surprising if you’re using modern newsprint. That stuff hardly burns. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-grills/1000877.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charcoal-grills/1000877.md?page=3)