Is Charcoal Really That Great?

[thecactuswill]

Well I need to get a grill and can't afford a gas one right now. So was going to do charcoal, but saw a big stand up george foreman electric grill for $50. Alot of surface area and not a 2 sided cooking surface like the regular one. Is that just an easy way out? Is charcoal that much better? Any other alternatives?

 

[Half Baked]

I prefer charcoal to gas. I only use gas for convenience or in the winter snow.

If you have to cook inside and don't have a Jenn-Aire or the equivelent, I'd use a GF. I gave mine away because I didn't care for it.

Sorry, I didn't see 'see' the part where you explained it was not 2 sided. I'm not familiar with that at all.

 

[TATTRAT]

I personally prefer charcoal to gas. I am also an all weather griller. A good excuse to get out back and sip on a beverage, rain or shine.

 

[Andy M.]

If you cannot afford a gas grill, buy a charcoal grill. The electric GF will not give the same results.

 

[Robo410]

charcoal is the way to go ... get a weber kettle grill. get a chimney starter, cook up a storm! get some wood chips too (mesquite are my fave)

 

[ironchef]

charcoal is the way to go ... get a weber kettle grill. get a chimney starter, cook up a storm! get some wood chips too (mesquite are my fave)

Exactly. Charcoal grill and chimney.

Electric grills like George Foreman's are not really grills. They are basically frying pans with raised grates on them. The only two similarities are that you can get grill marks and that you're not cooking the food in fat.

 

[thecactuswill]

Ok well then charcoal it is.

Sorry, I didn't see 'see' the part where you explained it was not 2 sided. I'm not familiar with that at all.

Indoor george foreman grills have the lid that compresses down on the meat lol, sqeezing the crap out of it and heating from both sides.

 

[Half Baked]

...but I thought she said it 'wasn't' 2 sided.

Alot of surface area and not a 2 sided cooking surface like the regular one

 

[thecactuswill]

...but I thought she said it 'wasn't' 2 sided.

Oh yeah

 

[FryBoy]

Definitely go for the charcoal grill over the George Forman "grill," which will not give you the same flavor as a true BBQ grill. I'd recommend a Weber, which I used for years with excellent results before switching to gas for convenience.

One other idea -- when my dad taught me how to grill, it was on a real fireplace he built on our backyard patio. We built fires using pine for kindlinga and then oak or maple to create a glorious bed of coals.

 

[QSis]

Yes, charcoal is really that great. And wood chips.

Get a Weber kettle.

Lee

 

[scott123]

Charcoal grills are not as inexpensive as they seem. Cheap charcoal is made with fillers that, imo, create an off taste in food. Depending on where you live, lump charcoal (the kind without fillers) can be costly. Over time, the price you pay for lump charcoal can make up the difference between a charcoal grill and a gas grill.

 

[kitchenelf]

Charcoal grills are not as inexpensive as they seem. Cheap charcoal is made with fillers that, imo, create an off taste in food. Depending on where you live, lump charcoal (the kind without fillers) can be costly. Over time, the price you pay for lump charcoal can make up the difference between a charcoal grill and a gas grill.

$ wise the cost may be made up but you can't beat the taste. I was going to make mention of the hardwood lump charcoat - it's wonderful!!!! It really holds the temp too - I smoked some things with it and I only had to refill once in 7 hours.

 

[Mylegsbig]

seriously LOL @ a foreman grill.

dont waste your money dude.

 

[thecactuswill]

seriously LOL @ a foreman grill.

dont waste your money dude.

You have to cook food somehow.

 

[XeniA]

Thank heavens people finally started to mention flavor. There's no comparison -- charcoal wins hands down.

As for cost, it will help if you don't let your charcoal burn down to nothing each time you use it. Put it out with water. Use a sprayer, not a hose. Will raise some smoke, but that's not such a big deal -- you're outdoors.

As for the convenience of a gas grill ... the really "convenient" way to cook is in your kitchen where's everything's at hand. Cooking outside is necessarily a bit less convenient, but that's not the point really, is it? And dealing with charcoal's hardly a hassle: plunk some in; light it; leave it; cook on it...

 

[VegasDramaQueen]

I received a little Forman Lean Mean Fat Reducing Machine as a promo gift when I bought my Lazy Boy Chair a couple of months ago. I would never have purchased this grill but I have to tell you I love it. It makes great burgers and chicken breasts but it is by NO means a bbq type grill. I have a Weber charcoal grill and a Weber Q gas grill and I love both of them but the Weber charcoal grill wins hands down every time. NOTHING grills like charcoal. It's not as convenient as the Weber Q gas grill but I go for flavor. I'm not in that much of a hurry. I dump some charred wood, (I don't like briquets) into my Weber chimney, add some newspaper, light it and wait a few minutes. Then dump the charcoal into the grill and go for it. It' only takes a couple of minutes longer for charcoal to burn to a white ash than it takes to preheat a gas grill.

 

[GB]

As for cost, it will help if you don't let your charcoal burn down to nothing each time you use it. Put it out with water.

I am not sure if I agree with this. While it may save money in the short run, it will end up ruining your grill so you will need to buy a new one sooner than you would if you kept it dry. I forget the specifics (Buckytom where are you?), but the water in combination with the ash creates an acid (I think) that eats away at the metal of the grill.

 

[Bangbang]

Get one of these. I love it and it is only about $100 bucks. Charcoal rules. However I got to admit I use my gas grill more often because I am lazy.

 

[XeniA]

I am not sure if I agree with this. While it may save money in the short run, it will end up ruining your grill so you will need to buy a new one sooner than you would if you kept it dry. I forget the specifics (Buckytom where are you?), but the water in combination with the ash creates an acid (I think) that eats away at the metal of the grill.

Hey GB,

That may be theoretically sound -- I don't know -- but in practice I haven't found it to be true. We use a Weber kettle grill and it's in very good condition, despite always extinguishing the charcoal with water. After all, there isn't ever any sitting water, in combination with ash or otherwise, since it all evaporates immediately. Seems to me that what remains is just still-good charcoal and, yes, ash.

Grill's about 12-years old now. Again, in very, very good condition.