** DrLizardo **
Your comment about taste is one that is only made by people that use gas grills. People that use Charcoal will tell you that you are nuts. If you ever get to LA let me know and I will show you the difference.
Your prayers are answered LordVor. Check out this bad boy. I own one and less than 15 minutes from ignite to cook.
Over the years I have had gas grills, Weber grills, the Weber performer (linked above). Then I decided to get serious about Q.
I looked at the different types of cookers out there, and decided to go with a Big Green Egg. I can smoke down to under 200 degrees or sear a steak at 1000 degrees F. I can light and be ready to cook in about 10 minutes. (Weber starter cubes are your friend) Not too bad for charcoal, and competitive with a gas grill.
I have become a master at something I once had no clue about.
Smoked brisket, pulled pork, Memphis style ribs, and too many other items to list.
Tonight will be a 3" thick NY strip, and tomorrow we are having pulled pork. Sunday will be Cedar planked cajun salmon. probably do some burgers for lunch.
Not to say this is the only choice, just the one that I made.
Gas = grilling
Charcoal (or even better real wood) = BBQ’ing
I have a ducane natural gas grill (not propane, no bottle, just a hose connected to the house gas supply), for convienence nothing beats it. With woodchips I can get a smoky flavor that I think surpasses that of comercial charcoal. Since it is so darn convienent I will use it sometimes several times a day - even in the winter. One big benifit to the ducane is that heat is very even - no hot spots or cool spots. It also has a rotesory that makes great chicken (and a rotis burner in the back).
With charcoal it was a chore to get started and wasn’t worth it for a quick burger or steak. Sometimes though I wish I had one for special occations.
My suggestion would be go with a quality gas grill and learn to use wood chips.
If you’re talking about REAL barbecue, the real answer is NEITHER. You want to burn WOOD. The food gets cooked by the wood smoke, not by the heat from the charcoal/wood/gas. 'Course, you can do a pretty fine job using charcoal, but remember that charcoal itself is a method of convenience for Q.
Nobody does Q for its convenience…you do Q because you want smoky, tasty meat.
As for gas, I have an observation and a comment. First, the observation: Lot’s of gas folks say, “Oh, but it’s just as good as charcoal!”, but have you ever heard a charcoal person say, “Charcoal is just as good as gas”? Charcoal is considered the standard against which gas is judged - and not the other way around - for good reason…wood (charcoal) makes for tastier Q.
As for my comment, a gas ‘barbecue’ is nothing but an outdoor oven. You could get one, but why?
Rick I was looking at Big Green Eggs a couple years ago and they just screamed “I’m great for BBQ”. I didn’t get one though because I couldn’t justify the cost. Is it really that good though? I don’t know anybody who has one so this is the first “review” I have of one.
bernse I got it! Get a new gas grill, yank the guts out of the one that just went to hell on you, and convert it into a charcoal burner! A drill, a couple of screws and a few pieces of scrap metal to cover the hose lines and such and to serve as adjustable vents and you will be set!
Also, I wanted to add that you couldn’t pay me to take an electric Brinkman smoke-n-grill. They are great little machines… when they work. I’ve had two and neither one lasted longer than one summer before the heating element burned up, each time in the middle of cooking. The charcoal ones are great though, based on a few of my neighbors who have them, but they are small. If you are cooking for more than two people, turn the oven on to keep things warm.
Instead of charcoal briquettes, you guys should use a good charwood. Much better flavor, IMHO. Anyway, didn’t someone come out with a combo gas/charcoal grill? Maybe that’s the way to go.
We’ve had our electric smoker, don’t remember if it’s a Brinkman or not, for nearly two years and never had a problem. Of course, we don’t use it all that much.
Turbo Dog I had been looking at all kinds of units to suplement my Weber. I knew that I did not want gas. Been there done that, and as ricepad said Nobody says that charcoal is just as good at gas. Oh and ricepad, I use lump which is wood, in a easy to use form.
I did some research and decided that the Egg was the unit for me. I can sear at nuke temps, or smoke low and slow for up to 24 hours. There were a couple of things that are icing on the cake. (or sauce on the Q if you prefer)
Being made out of ceramic it holds the heat, so less fuel is used. Secondly, becasue less fuel is used, more mositure remains in the meat. No meed for a water pan.
With all that said, there are many other units out there that do a wonderful job of cooking. Q is an art not a science.
FWIW I started my lump charcoal for my NY steak just before I started this post. The coals are now ready to cook on (12 minutes)
Charcoal does taste better. But not so much better that when you’re grilling 5 nights a week, it’s worth setting up each time. The gas taste difference isn’t HUGE. And this is coming from someone who uses both a gas grill and a charcoal grill quite regularly.
My suggestion? Get both. Gas is great for a quick burger, but if you want to smoke something, or do anything fancy, charcoal is the only way to go. And an imitation Weber isn’t that expensive. It’s worth having both options, for the speed when that’s important, and for maximum flavor when that’s important.
Look at the Son of Brisket models…I think they are the wood/charcoal variety. They make gas grills as well.
And a follow-up to my other posts in the thread…yes, I use wood as well as charcoal. I have several large pecan trees in my yard, as well as apricot and cherry trees. I like pecan the best…I have to buy hickory. And although I live in the mesquite capitol of the universe, I’m not all that hot on mesquite. It has to really be burned to a cinder or I get ill…I mean wretching.
If you ever get to LA let me know and I will show you the difference.