Buying BBQ - Need Advice

[Mebert]

For the most part I agree, but I love the hell out of a side grill. It's nice to be able to take a cast iron pan outside and fry up bacon or whatever and not have the house smell like grease for 3 days

I would not mind so much if they kept up the high quality materials, but every side grill I see looks flimsy as hell to me.

 

[Yankee Traveler]

If you have a cheap gas grill then you certainly can taste it. If you have a well run gas grill then you don't get the "sooty" taste. Keep the burners clean and the mix screen clean and you will keep a clean blue flame that provides heat and no odd taste.

Copy that.
I always had nice high quality gas grills, and kept them clean.
I think the charcoal, with or without wood chips, adds flavor where the gas does not.

 

[4down20]

If you have better luck on gas I am honestly glad for you.
I had gas for a decade and a half and on some NICE gas grills.
I can taste a difference and yes, temperature control requires much more patience.
Cut of meat, quality of meat is the most important.

It's not that I've had better luck on either. Both make great food.

I prefer gas over charcoal because it's way more convenient. Looking at 20+ minutes on charcoal before the grill is ready, takes about 10 minutes with gas - and I give it 5 minutes when up to temp to get the rack nice and hot.

Don't have to clean up ashes every day either with the gas grill. I sometimes grill twice in the same day with the gas grill, where as you have hot coals to still worry about with charcoal.

I'm not sure about any sooty taste with gas. Never had that, unless you are letting really long flames with flare ups. As far as flavor goes, the only thing that is really different is that with charcoal grills is they are much more smokey if you like the added flavor of fat hitting the coals and smoking up. This is due to the lid being down on charcoal stopping it from flaming up with lack of air. But on a gas grill, the fat needs to drop to the bottom otherwise you will get flame ups and it doesn't really smoke.

Charcoal grills make the neighborhoods smell good for that reason.

That's the only flavor difference I notice, and it's pretty minor to me.

 

[Yankee Traveler]

It's not that I've had better luck on either. Both make great food.

I prefer gas over charcoal because it's way more convenient. Looking at 20+ minutes on charcoal before the grill is ready, takes about 10 minutes with gas - and I give it 5 minutes when up to temp to get the rack nice and hot.

Don't have to clean up ashes every day either with the gas grill. I sometimes grill twice in the same day with the gas grill, where as you have hot coals to still worry about with charcoal.

I'm not sure about any sooty taste with gas. Never had that, unless you are letting really long flames with flare ups. As far as flavor goes, the only thing that is really different is that with charcoal grills is they are much more smokey if you like the added flavor of fat hitting the coals and smoking up. This is due to the lid being down on charcoal stopping it from flaming up with lack of air. But on a gas grill, the fat needs to drop to the bottom otherwise you will get flame ups and it doesn't really smoke.

Charcoal grills make the neighborhoods smell good for that reason.

That's the only flavor difference I notice, and it's pretty minor to me.

Depending on how big you need, Weber has a charcoal grill with a small butane can for lighting the charcoal.
Works fantastic.
Add charcoal from the attached bin, turn gas valve on, push button.
Go inside, finish prepping burgers/get marinated meat from fridge/chop vegetables/whatever...
Go outside, turn gas off, put meat on the grill.
Simple.
And delicious.
Further, has a catch can for ashes underneath that needs to be emptied once a month, and when your done cooking close the vents and the coals go out, ready to be relit next time.

 

[hatcher3333]

most of the grills are for LP gas. So if you have natural gas remember to change the orifice in the burner

 

[Calm]

I was just reading this list and I saw this thread.

amazingribs.com - 2016 Top 10 Best Value Gas Grills

amazingribs.com is where I go for pretty much all of my grilling/smoking information.

 

[4down20]

most of the grills are for LP gas. So if you have natural gas remember to change the orifice in the burner

you can also just drill the existing ones out. Use to get $40 a pop for switching out peoples grills back in the day. Took 5 minutes, easy money.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

So the only grill I could find for Weber was the S-330, which is like $100 more than the E-330, but they seem similar. I have a natural gas hookup outside on my building so I don't want to bother with a propane+tank for obvious reasons. Any thoughts?

 

[Rockinkuwait]

Just one thing to remember is the natural gas needs a conversion kit for it, or at least did 8 years ago. I have a natural gas outlet at my house and must say that never having to have changed a tank (or run out when cooking) or move charcoal in the past 8 years has been wonderful.

It doesn't seem to burn quite as hot as a propane in my opinion, but I don't do much searing (none) so it works perfect for me.

Just a charbroil brand I have here.. Nothing fancy, have a traeger for playing with and campfires during the summer for the rest of my outdoor cooking.