Why Charcoal is Better than Gas Grilling

While we believe that any grilling is good grilling if it suits your needs and tastes. We have researched and discovered why charcoal grilling is better than gas grills.

Grills are primarily used for three types of cooking:

1) High heat direct cooking – This is when food is placed directly above the heat source such as for steaks.

2) Indirect heat convection roasting – This is a two-zone method where the heat source is off to the side and the food cooks by warm air circulating around it with the lid closed, such as in roasts.

3) Indirect heat smoke roasting with the lid closed is when the warm convection air flow is heavy with flavorful hardwood smoke.

Charcoal grills produce better flavors. While searing, or browning the meat surfaces, like in steaks, charcoal grills usually easily out-sear gas grills because they produce more direct infrared heat.

Charcoal also makes more smoke than gas, with a broader range of tasty flavor molecules, because it burns complex organic molecules, including cellulose and lignin. Gas is a simple molecule, and when fully combusted, produces no flavor, just water and carbon dioxide. You can especially find the difference in smokey flavor while long, and slow smoke roasting chicken, turkey, etc. Therefore, charcoal fans insist the smoke from charcoal grilling renders the best barbecue flavors.

Besides the scrumptious, smoky flavor, charcoal can get hotter than gas and reach a higher temperature suitable for grilling. While gas grills are easier to start up and control, they are also usually difficult and dangerous to transport. They are either too big, require too much assembly time or simply need too many precautionary measures.

Lastly, charcoal grills are less expensive than gas grills. With so many advantages of charcoal grills, they are value for your money, and in our opinion, the better way to grill!