Charcoal vs. Gas Grills – The Great Debate

With charcoal and gas grills being the popular grilling methods, hundreds of fans cannot see eye to eye on which type is better. Charcoal grill enthusiasts insist that old is gold, while gas grill enthusiasts claim that quicker is better.

There has been a long-standing rivalry between the two. The zealous fans on either side make the debate as heated as that of Lady Gaga vs. Madonna or Real Madrid vs. Barcelona.

In this post, we will take a stab at this question, clear up some misconceptions, and analyze the pros and cons to help you make a decision. Let’s get started!

Before we compare the features of the two grills, let’s briefly acquaint ourselves with each grill type:

What are Charcoal Grills?

Charcoal grilling is the original method for barbecue, and it is known to produce the perfect chargrilled flavor. These grills are fueled by charcoal and are suitable for outdoor grilling only. Charcoal grills come in different shapes, the most common being kettle, barrel, and kamado.

The charcoal used can be of two types – Natural Lump Charcoal and Charcoal Briquettes. They are both made by slowly burning wood between 500°F to 700°F (260°C to 370°C) so that the moisture and other volatile components evaporate. This process of producing charcoal is called charcoal burning. Learn more about the stages of wood combustion.

What are Gas Grills?

Gas Grills are fueled by propane or natural gas and are the most popular grills in the market. This is owing to how easy they are to maintain and how quickly they get the job done. Like charcoal grills, gas grills are also best used outdoors for Gas Bottle Safety. However, indoor use may be permitted depending on local fire safety laws. 

In earlier times, food made in gas grills didn’t have great flavor. However, with the latest heat diffusion technologies like Flavorizer Bars, Ceramic Briquettes, BBQ Grill Tiles, etc., they can produce an excellent smoky flavor. Here’s a comparison between the five types of heat diffusers.

Which is better – Charcoal or Gas Grills?

Now that we’ve acquainted ourselves with Charcoal and Gas grills, it’s time to find out which is better – Charcoal or Gas grills? The simple answer – YES. 

The truth is that there is no objective answer to this question. Each grill has its pros and cons and is suited to specific needs. So it’s best to move past the dichotomy and realize that the best grill type is the one that suits your needs.

When choosing between the two types of grills, the following are the features you must consider:

Prerequisites for Each Grill

When buying a grill, you need to make sure that you have the right utilities, facilities, and permissions for grilling. Depending on your situation, these requirements will have a significant impact on your decision. 

For charcoal grills, you need to ensure that you are grilling in an open space since grilling indoors will lead to carbon monoxide buildup that could be fatal.

For gas grills, you either need to ensure that you have a gas pipeline at home, or you need to have an appropriate space to store your cylinder for gas bottle safety. Depending on where you live, gas grills may also not be compliant with local fire safety regulations since they are considered as open flames and, therefore, more dangerous.

Ease of Heating

Gas grills may have a few more requirements to be operational, it is all smooth grilling after that. Gas grills can be heated to the desired temperatures by simply turning the knobs and waiting for 15-20 minutes.

Charcoal grills, on the other hand, take longer to heat up because you have to follow a few steps to light the fire. Starting a charcoal fire also takes a little bit of skill, but once you get the hang of it, grilling over charcoal can be quite a pleasant experience. It can take from 10-25 minutes, depending on the method you use. Here’s how to start a charcoal grill.

Temperature Control

Since Gas grills have knobs, adjusting the temperature is much easier on a gas grill. The burner knobs are easy to access since they’re located on the exterior of the grill. 

The temperature on a gas grill can rise to 500⁰F (260⁰C). This cooking range is ideal for cooking burgers, sausages, and lean meat cuts. However, if you want to sear the meat with high indirect heat, it’s not easy to do it on a gas grill unless you are using Ceramic Briquettes. Learn more about the different types of heat diffusers.

Controlling the temperature on a charcoal grill is not easy if you don’t know how to manage airflow and two-zone fires. This generally requires experience, but the latest charcoal grill features like adjustable charcoal trays, active ventilation, and inbuilt thermometers can make your job much easier.

Reaching higher indirect heat temperatures on a charcoal grill is much easier since all you have to do is add more charcoal. But this can result in burnt food if done incorrectly.

Flavor Profile

Charcoal and gas grills produce different flavors in the food. Deciding which one is better comes down to personal preference. 

There are three primary flavors that grilling provides: a charcoal flavor, a smoky, and a wood-smoked flavor. 

Charcoal Flavor

Despite the great debate, most grillers agree that charcoal grills are better at producing a charcoal flavor. The BBQ charcoal flavor is a distinct flavor that has to be tasted to be understood.

Smoky Flavor

A smoky flavor is produced when food juices and fat are vaporized into smoke when they come into contact with the charcoal or heat diffusers. 

Both charcoal and gas grills can produce a smoky flavor as long as the charcoal and heat diffuser reaches a high temperature. 

However, gas grills sometimes produce less smoky flavor because the diffusers don’t reach high enough temperatures. Charcoal grills produce more smoky flavor, but excessive drippings may cause the charcoal to lose heat.

Wood-Smoked Flavor

Equivalent wood-smoke flavors can be achieved on both the grills by selecting the right size, type, and species of wood. Learn more about hardwood selection. 

Level Of Safety

To easily compare grill safety, let’s split it into two parts – Operating Safety and Storage Safety.

Operating Safety

Gas grills are safer to operate since they can be controlled with the cooking knob. As long as you are following the gas grill safety tips, you should have no safety problems.

Charcoal grills are also safe as long as you stay away from starter fluids and follow the personal fire protection tips. However, charcoal grills require you to manually adjust the coals and grates, which could be less safe for an untrained individual. 

Storage Safety

Charcoal grills are safer to store away. There may be some risk involved if you are salvaging used coals for your next cook. However, if you douse the embers before storing them in a metal box, there is absolutely no risk of a fire.

Gas grills are also safe to store, but if you use a gas bottle, be sure to follow the gas bottle storage tips when storing it. Also, if you use gas grills, I strongly recommend learning more about gas bottle safety.

Ease of Cleaning

Gas grills are relatively easy to clean since most modern grills use easy-to-clean heat diffusion shields like Flavorizer bars or Ceramic Briquette Trays. These heat shields deflect the food oils and fat away from the burner tubes and reduce the amount of cleaning required. 

Charcoal grills require more cleaning since a substantial amount of ash is left behind after every cook. Along with the ash, food debris, and burned out grease also collects at the bottom of the grill. Some models come with removable ashtrays for easy disposal of ash. 

Since it is best practice to regularly clean the grill, you must know how to clean your grill the right way so that cleanup is easier.

Common Misconceptions

When selecting the best type of grill, it’s not uncommon for people to rule out grill based on misconceptions, or rule in others based on pushy salesmen. This can keep you from the grill that is best for you.

The best way to rid yourself of this problem is by examining your biases in light of the facts. We’ll fact-check a few of the common misconceptions here:

Misconceptions About Gas Grills 

Listed below are some more misnomers about gas grills:

You Can’t Get The Wood-Smoked Flavor On Gas Grills

That isn’t true. You can add wood chips to the dedicated wood smoker box available in most high-end gas grills. These grills often have a dedicated burner so that you can control the speed of combustion.

If your gas grill doesn’t have a wood smoker box, you can always wrap your soaked wood chips in aluminum foil and place it towards the back of the grill. Be sure to poke some holes on the top of the wrap so that the smoke from the wood chips can escape. 

Alternatively, you can buy stainless steel smoker boxes, or disposable smoke trays to get that delicious wood-smoked flavor.

You Can Add Wood Chips Directly to The Grill

The people who know that BBQ wood-smoking is possible with gas grills often assume that the wood chips can be added directly to the flame. This is a bad idea because, depending on where the chips are put, they will burn off very fast or not at all. 

Wood chips added directly above the burners turn to smoke very quickly, while the ones added to the grill grates don’t get hot enough to catch fire without burning the food first. 

The Flavors Are Not As Good

This is partly true, depending on your definition of “good.” As we have already seen, the difference in flavor profile is only limited to the charcoal flavor. 

However, gas grills also have an advantage. These grills can produce flavors more reliably than charcoal grills since their temperature is easy to control. This is one of the reasons why some of the best steak houses use gas grills. 

There’s No Difference Between Affordable and Expensive Gas Grills

This is not true even though there is a kernel of truth to it. 

Yes, both affordable and expensive grills will do the same job of producing a flame. However, the more costly grills are better because:

• They have better heat distribution
• They have better heat diffusers to produce more smoky flavor
• They are better at retaining heat for low-and-slow cooking
• They have features like smoker boxes to give you the wood-smoked flavor

Misconceptions About Charcoal Grills

Here are the myths that charcoal grill fans can’t stand:

There’s No Difference in Flavor Between Charcoal and Gas Grills

Even though the convenience of Gas grills makes me wish this was true, it is not. Charcoal grills add an unmistakable charcoal flavor to the food that cannot be replicated by gas grills.

Charcoal Grills are a Nightmare to Clean

This is an exaggerated truth, i.e., a lie. Cleaning charcoal grills do take more time because of all the ash and food residue that has to be cleaned out. However, if you know the right way to clean your grill, it can be quick and easy.

Also, if you get food in your gas grill burner tubes, it can take much longer to clean a gas grill because of all the parts you will have to dismantle.

Charcoal and Gas Grills Compared

Now that we’re done with the misconceptions let’s examine the benefits and drawbacks of each grill.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Healthier To Grill With Gas Or Charcoal?

Both grills are healthy to use if the right ingredients, tools, and processes are used. However, gas grills are considered healthier because cheaper charcoal briquettes often contain chemical additives that are not good for you. It’s also much easier not to burn your food with gas grills, which ensures that you eat healthy.

What Is The Healthiest Charcoal To Use?

Natural Lump Charcoal is the best charcoal to use because it is made by pyrolyzing pieces of natural wood. Unlike charcoal briquettes, lump charcoal does not require chemical additives to hold it together. This makes it safer to use.

Are Charcoal Grills Worth It?

Yes, charcoal grills are absolutely worth it. If you’re looking for the authentic flavor of barbecue and willing to learn how to manage a charcoal grill, there’s no better grill you can buy.

Concluding Thoughts

This article may do nothing to affect the war between the charcoal and gas grill zealots. But I hope it did justice to both the grill types and helped you make an informed buying decision. 

Still not sure which one you should pick? If you love features of both gas and charcoal grills, a dual fuel grill may be your best bet. Check out this buyer guide for Dual Fuel grills for more details.

If you like what you just read or would like to know more, don’t hesitate to drop a comment.

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