The Great Grill Debate: Is Charcoal or Gas Better?

When you walk into a hardware store to buy a grill, you will be forced to decide between grills that use charcoal and grills that rely on gas. You might not think that it makes much of a difference, but grill enthusiasts have been arguing about the pros and cons of charcoal and gas grills for years now. Some swear by charcoal grills, while others love using their gas grills. Before you stock up on a grill and BBQ supplies in San Jose, check out the factors that will help you decide whether charcoal or gas is better for you.

Heat

What kind of meat are you planning on cooking on your grill? Charcoal grills take longer than gas grills to heat up, but they can get incredibly hot, which makes charcoal grills perfect for cooking red meats. In some cases, charcoal grills can deliver temperatures as high as 700 degrees Fahrenheit, and that makes them ideal for lamb, beef, and other meats. Gas grills can also reach fairly high temperatures, but they’re not designed to get as hot as charcoal grills.

Taste

While the jury is still out on exactly what role charcoal and gas grills play in the taste of food cooked on them, many people swear that the smoke generated by charcoal grills affects the taste of food. This is seen as being problematic in some cases, but some people prefer the taste that charcoal leaves when food is cooked over it. It’s all a matter of personal preference.

Convenience

Cooking with a charcoal grill can feel like a chore at times. You have to buy charcoal at a hardware store that sells BBQ supplies on a regular basis and do more maintenance on a charcoal grill than you would do on a gas grill. If you use your grill often, turning on a gas grill that heats up quickly might be more convenient for you. However, when it comes down to it, only you can decide whether or not the work that goes into a charcoal grill makes it a better option than a gas grill.

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