Which Is Better For Grilling: Charcoal Or Propane?

[arwalden]

I do like the instant-on, instant-off of our propane grill (and all of our propane grill accessories). But that dang-ol charcoal man, dang ol lighter fluid, ol matches man... whoof!... burn your eyebrows man.

-- Allen

[theivoryqueen]

1. even to a veg., it's obvious n/t

[Nailzberg]

2. Gas may be more convenient, but charcoal is tastier.

Gotta go with the charcoal.

[terrya]

3. I don't care what some animated character on Fox says, charcoal is IT.

The best! :-)

Thanks for the email.

Terry

[GOPisEvil]

4. Natural chunk charcoal is the way to go!

Burns hot, without all the nasty additives in briquets.

There's something to be said for the convenience of gas, but there's just something primal about building a real fire.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

5. I have a propane stove in my kitchen

so why would I go outside to use a different propane stove?

[arwalden]

8. To Get Rained On? To Get Mosquito Bit? Sunburned? Over heated?

Any number of reasons... (none of which I think you'd actually choose on purpose though.) :hi:

-- Allen

[Mountainman]

6. I seem to remember that charcoal or the liter fluid is bad for you

It gets into the food while cooking I think. I'm not a meat eater and I don't use either one but if I did I'd go for proane.

[GOPisEvil]

9. No need for lighter fluid!

Get a chimney starter, load up the charcoal, wad up some paper under the charcoal. Light, and wait. No fluid needed. :-)

[Feanorcurufinwe]

12. I use an electric starter

which is basically a heating element that you plug in and pile your coals on top of. Works perfect every time, no fluid.

[wryter2000]

14. Get a chimney

I use a chimney to light my charcoal. No lighter fuel. Just a bit of newspaper underneath.

[Canuckistanian]

7. Hank Hill be damned

And all of his ilk. I like my ilk better.
Charcoal is like, now, baby!

[matcom]

10. next your going to ask me if i BOIL my RIBS!

:eyes:

charcoal (CHARWOOD - preferably) of COURSE

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

11. Wood

not charcoal. Hickory is good, and it can help clean up the dead underbrush in the forest (if you live in a forest like I do).

[mourningdove92]

13. Mesquite is also good. Lots of that around here in

Texas.

[wryter2000]

15. In a Webber?

Would mesquite wood work well in a Webber? I don't have a full-sized barbecue. There's just the dh and me.

[GOPisEvil]

16. You can buy mesquite (and other wood) in chip form.

[wryter2000]

17. Thanks eom

eom

[Eye and Monkey]

18. Pecan - in the grill or the smoker. Pecan. Mm-hmm.

[-..__...]

19. Coal...

inexpensive. Just use plenty of home heating oil or kerosine to get it started.

[1monster]

20. It is soooo simple to get the favor of mesquite or charcoal with propane

You simply buy those little ceramic bricks that have the bits of mesquite or charcoal inbedded in them.

Why choose either/or when you can have the convenience of propane and the favor of mesquite or charcoal all at the same time?????

[jmowreader]

21. It's the ritual of the thing

You select your food with great care. You stack the charcoal with great care. You lovingly douse it with "lighter fluid" out of the five-gallon can of mineral spirits you keep in the garage. (Lighter fluid is mineral spirits...that costs about eighty bucks a gallon.) You drag the grill all the way to the middle of the back yard so you don't wind up setting the soffits and fascia boards on fire. You light the fire ever so carefully, mindful not to get your hands too close. You thank whatever deity you pray to that mineral spirits fires build up to a crescendo. You crack open a beer and start telling war stories. Twenty minutes later, after the fire department calls you to make sure the flames jumping thirty feet above the roofline aren't from your house burning down, you're ready to cook.

Do you really want to trade all that for just turning a knob?

[solinvictus]

22. Hank Hill's wrong

Charcoal is better and Kingsford is the best. Chunk charcoal is good too, but it tends to burn a little hotter and a lot faster. If your looking to cook steak, chunk'll do, but I'm a Kingsford man myself.

[Rabrrrrrr]

23. I usually grill meat, maybe vegetables

never tried grilling charcoal or propane. I'd think propane wouldn't grill very well, as it keep catastrophically oxidizing. Charcoal, I don't know - cooked, it might taste pretty bad.