New Grill arriving tomorrow...

[Mr. Jelly]

You all are going to hate me. I use an electric grill. I use it for nightly meals as it sets right outside on the patio. It's almost part of my kitchen. I eat allot of grilled food. If it can be grilled it is.

[tinnitus]

I've got one of those "Double-Play" Grills with gas on the left and charcoal on the right. I try to use the charcoal side when I have time to pre-heat, get that smoky flavor, etc. And gas is great when I suddenly decide I want burgers in 12 minutes.

Last time I bought charcoal, I got lump style because it's supposedly made from superior quality wood, and cleaner.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Royal-Oak...ctedSellerId=0

But (to me anyway) lump style is a lot like a bag of corn chips - big chunks at the top of the bag and smaller "crumbs" and powder toward the bottom (pretty much half the bag). Most of that little stuff falls right through the screen in the can that I use for lighting. Thus, in my experience, the lump variety is inconsistent and really fast-burning, sometimes cooling off quickly before I'm even done cooking.

I'm going back to standard size briquets again, hopefully something natural - and never that match light stuff since I don't like my food smelling and tasting like lighter fluid.

[llew]

I'm a charcoal guy but used to be a gas guy. But I have the time for it...a lot of folks maybe don't? But...the bigger difference for me is a Traeger (or whatever brand pellet grill you prefer) Pellet grill. To me it sort of splits the difference in the gas/charcoal issue. But for dyed in the wool gas folks...grill on!

[sayheyjeff]

Always Been a wood fire guy. Have a big ole smoker and always have a Webber for grilling. We have had enough wood from trimming our own trees to keep us going for a number of years. Can’t remember when we last bought a bag of charcoal. My somewhat limited experience with propane powered grills is that they are easy to use and the consistency in heat they put out make Them a quick and easy study. We cook out on the grill or with the smoker at least 100 times a year. Thinking about electric, I took a bbq class in North Carolina a few years back and the teacher used smoker that was powered by electricity. Had never seen one before. Bout the size of a large commercial grade refrigerator. Worked beautifully. They are probably fairly common by now.

Jeff

[Chipotle]

I used charcoal for years, then a cheap gas grill, and have had the top-of-the-line Genesis for a few years now. The grills always complemented my offset-firebox New Braunfels smoker.

There *is* a difference between charcoal and propane, though: temperature. You'll find varying measurements online but in general, charcoal can get much hotter than propane. That means charcoal can give you an amazing sear & crust on a nice steak while keeping it rare. A good propane grill like a Weber with the extra "sear" burner can close the gap a bit, but that high temp is really the ticket for some things.

That said, most things you grill (chicken, sausages, burgers, fish, veggies) don't need that extra heat, and the convenience of gas is head and shoulders above charcoal--turn the dial and go. I also don't think that charcoal really adds much extra flavor for stuff that's only on the grill for 10-15 minutes or less.

I have all three on hand. The Genesis gets the most use, by far, for everyday grilling. I'll throw some charcoal in the Weber kettle if I spend some money on a really good steak, and low and slow brisket & pork shoulder go into the log-burner when it's BBQ day.

[Mr. Jelly]

We cook over an open fire several times a month. That means we burn wood and cook over it. It's totally different than grilling. There is an oven aspect along with the open flame aspect. There is no flavoring from anything like dripping fat or whatever. It's fun. We mostly do it to spend time in the forest around an open fire. Cooking our dinner is just some added fun.