There was a time when the only type of grill available for cooking was the charcoal barbeque stove. But today, portable gas grills are found to be the most common type of grill in residences. A gas grill is simply a grill that uses gas from a tank or a natural gas line for fuel. A charcoal grill is a receptacle for coals with a cooking grate above it. The main fuel is either natural lump charcoal or charcoal briquettes. Grill users are divided between gas grill users and charcoal grill users. On one hand, fans of the charcoal grill claim that theirs is the original form of grilling and provides a hotter fire that is excellent for grilling (Irvin and Jenkins 5). Gas users, on the other hand, feel that the gas grill is easier to use, clean and maintain.
Gas grills are more expensive than charcoal grills and are not as portable. But they have many snazzy features such as rotisseries, heat sensors and adjustable vents and are practical. Most grill owners would argue that gas grills are best because they are easier to light. Gas grills light with the turn of a knob, heat up quickly and are relatively easy to clean (Irvin and Jenkins 12). But then, they are more expensive than charcoal grills and not as portable. They are generally bulky and cannot be transported except for portable Butane gas grills. Moreover, with a chimney-style charcoal starter, a charcoal grill also has become easier to handle and more eco-friendly to start (Mauer 4).
Many people feel that charcoal imparts a better flavor (Provey and Lockwood 124). The charcoal grilling process starts by arranging charcoal in the center of the grill, adding lighter fluid to the coals and then letting the coals sit for about 5-10 minutes before lighting. Grilling over coals delivers a char-grilled taste to foods like steak, ribs and other red meats (Bazzelle 40). Charcoal grilling also brings variety to outdoor cooking. Most gas grills do not allow the cook to experiment with different grilling tricks such as smoking, adding wood chips or using flavored liquids (Bazzelle 40).
Adding wood chips to the charcoal brings another dimension of flavor, and foods also can be smoked. Different woods provide different flavors to be added to the meal. Some woods, such as apple and cherry, go better with lighter meats such as poultry. Oak is preferred by many for cooking red meat, while hickory is more of an all-purpose wood.
Charcoal grills are the choice of purists who want to barbecue, a long, slow heating process and not just grill (cook quickly directly over high heat). The coals and the smoke they create provide a distinct flavor that many barbecue enthusiasts swear by. To compensate for the smoky flavor that charcoal imparts, many gas grill owners use natural wood chips from hickory, mesquite or oak (Gittleman 24). The oxidative reaction of charcoal grilling is a combination of browning and charring and can be toxic at times (Gittleman 24). It is also possible for food to soak up added chemicals from the charcoal briquettes. Gas grilling is best as long as there is no sensitivity to hydrocarbons which are the by-products of gas combustion (Gittleman 24).
Gas grills may not be ideal for camping in the wilderness but they are the grills American love to use in their backyards on the Fourth of July. Grilling was once a seasonal affair, evoking visions of charcoal-stained hamburgers and hot dogs bursting out of their skins in the summer heat. Today, grilling happens all year through in all kinds of climates (Toto B01).
The Heart, Patio & Barbeque Association of America reported that in 2005, 5,752,000 charcoal grills were sold in the U.S. whereas 8,953,500 gas models were sold (Kramer 5). According to a survey of outdoor cooking habits conducted by Weber GrillWatch 2007, fifty percent of all grill owners now have a charcoal grill (Pankey 1). Ten years ago, only 39 percent of grill owners had charcoal versions on their decks. The resurgence in charcoal grills is mainly due to the taste of the food and the experience says Jamie Purviance, author of “Weber’s Charcoal Grilling: The Art of Cooking with Live Fire”. “I have nothing against gas grills, but charcoal grilling holds a special place for me,” he says (Pankey 1).
“The time you carve out to grill over charcoal, the act of creating your own fire sparks this connection to all generations who have cooked this way. Purviance also feels that the return to charcoal follows the trend of younger cooks (those under 35) showing more interest in cooking in general and the popularity of television cooking shows (Pankey 1). GrillWatch results show those 21 to 35 and those 36 to 54 (the Food Network’s target audience) are significantly more likely to cook with charcoal than those 55 and older.
Fred Thompson. Author of “Barbecue Nation” says that the resurgence in charcoal grilling is due to the greater availability of lump charcoal. Once available at butcher shops and online, bags of natural lump charcoal are showing up in supermarkets, hardware stores and big- box retailers (Pankey 1). Lump charcoal produces very little ash and burns hotter than briquettes. Richard Stuthmann, a chef and director of instruction for the Baltimore International College says that the die-hards tend to use charcoal as there is more technique involved (Toto B01).
Gas grills are easier to turn on, heat up in about ten minutes, have a steady heat supply, provide even heat, offer greater temperature control, produce great tasting food, more expensive , straightforward way of cooking and is relatively easy to clean and maintain.
On the other hand, charcoal grills have no push-button ignition, heat up in about 20 minutes, coals must be replenished, burn hotter, not much control over temperature, produce food with distinctive flavor, less expensive, offers the thrill of cooking with a fire but there is more cleanup involved. Overall, when one considers the various advantages and disadvantages of each type of grill, it is easy to realize that the kind of grill one chooses depends on the space one has, the kind of fuel one wants to use, the amount of cooking surface one needs and the look of the grill and the amount one has to spend on the grill.
Bibliography
Bazzelle, James (2007). Heart and soul hot off the grill. Charlotte Weekly. Web.
Gittleman, Louise Ann (2002). The Fat Flush Cookbook. McGraw-Hill Professional.
Irvin, Dale and Jenkins, Jennifer (2000). The Everything Barbecue Cookbook. Everything Books.
Kramer, Lance. Grill Master 101. Constructive Images. 2006. Page: 5. Web.
Mauer, Don (2007). Charcoal’s the Way to Go for Grilling. Daily Herald. Page: 4.
Pankey, Deborah (2007). Charcoal on Fire Again. Daily Herald.
Toto, Christian (2004). Thrill of the Grill; Outdoor Cooking Is for All Seasons. The Washington Times. Page: B01.