It’s never too early to start thinking about which barbecue you want to use next summer. Whether you are buying for yourself or are thinking about gifting a barbecue for Christmas, this blog post will explain the advantages and disadvantages of gas and charcoal barbecues to aid you in your decision.

The Gas Barbecue.

The gas barbecue was created with ease and efficiency in mind. If you are looking to cook in a hurry for yourself or for friends and family, gas barbecues will have you cooking in less than ten minutes.

Advantages:

  • Easy to use.
  • Quick to set up.
  • You can measure the temperature accurately.
  • The heat is evenly distributed and consistent.
  • The quick and easy set up of the gas barbecue means that it is suitable if you are cooking for a crowd or just for one.
  • Gas barbecues are easy to clean after use.
  • Gas grills tend to produce steam which will aid in making your food moist.

Disadvantages: 

  • Gas barbecues struggle with retaining heat.
  • Gas burns cooler than charcoal. 
  • You are only able to use wood soaked chips above the flame to smoke your food which you may struggle with.
  • Gas is usually more expensive to buy than charcoal.
  • You will need a gas canister to fill the barbecue which can be heavy and difficult to carry.

The Charcoal Barbecue 

Whether you are looking for the perfect sear or want to cook low and slow, a charcoal barbecue can adapt to suit your needs. If you are buying a charcoal barbecue and want to experiment with flavours pop into our Lichfield branch to buy our flavoured wood chips. From beef wood chips to seafood wood chips, we have you covered. 

Advantages:

  • The charcoal barbecue is versatile, you can cook on a really high heat or cook slow and low.
  • The heat is more intense, therefore, you can sear your food quicker.
  • You can use indirect grilling to cook low and slow; because of the radiant heat, you can cook your food to the side of the heat.
  • You can use wood chips to add extra flavour to your food.

Disadvantages:

  • Because you will be managing a live fire, you may need to take extra care when trying to control the heat. This is only a disadvantage to the inexperienced, with some practice you will be able to control the fire in no time.
  • The grills in charcoal barbecues tend to be smaller in size.
  • The charcoal itself does not provide much flavour, but with the use of wood chips you can give your food a nice oaky flavour with ease.

Decision Time. 

Whichever barbecue you decide is the most suitable, you can find a variety of premium gas and charcoal barbecues here. We are currently offering 10% off all Weber accessories when you buy any Weber barbecue, you can find the offer here.