Charcoal BBQ & Gas BBQs Advantages & Disadvantages

The first question you may find when purchasing a BBQ is whether you want to buy a gas or charcoal BBQ. Both gas and charcoal come with several disadvantages and advantages that may influence your final decision.

Convenience of the product tends to be a heavy influence, but one that does not exactly make the grill a good choice. Gas BBQs tend to be more convenient than charcoal grills. Gas BBQs require you to simply turn on the grill, the fire comes up, and you are ready to go. Gas BBQs are great for those individuals who want to come home after work and grill hamburgers for dinner. With the ready to go model, the food does not benefit from that great smoky flavour from the charcoal grill. Charcoal grills provide foods a nice, rich smoky flavour that you just cannot achieve with gas grills. This is most evident in steak and chicken that is grilled. Hotdogs and hamburgers do not benefit well from the smoky flavour, as it seems to be more difficult to notice. The gas BBQ is also extremely easy to clean because it does not contain ashes or charcoal stains like the charcoal BBQ does.

Location is also an influential factor when choosing a BBQ. You may want to have your BBQ right next to your house, but the chances of flare up may keep you from doing so. Flare up is the rise of flames above the grill that occur after starting the BBQ. A charcoal BBQ does not contain a flare up. Charcoal BBQ require a small fire to start the BBQ, and the fire typically remains low and around the charcoal. A gas BBQ usually contains a large amount of flair up. Flair up can result in a house fire, so it is recommended to keep the gas grill away from the home structure.

Cost can also make or break the sale of a BBQ. Charcoal BBQs tend to be the least expensive to purchase. These units are generally smaller, but they do require the constant purchase of charcoal. Charcoal is rather inexpensive, so most people do not mind spending the additional money. Gas BBQs are generally the most expensive, but they can also include features such as a side burners or rotisseries, and have a far more attractive appearance. Although there are additional styles, like smoking food, these require grill parts that are purchased separately. Gas BBQs require a gas tank to be purchased and installed. These tanks usually need to be replaced every year; possibly more often if it is used daily. The gas BBQ allows the griller to have instant heat, at the turn of a switch. With gas, the griller also has the ability to control the heat to ensure the heat remains constant. Gas barbeque grills can be extremely difficult to assemble because they require a lot of small parts to operate. Charcoal BBQs usually come in three to five large pieces and are very easy to assemble.