Depending on the climate in the area you live in, your outdoor cooking season has just started, you have already been doing it for a while now, or you have never stopped. Although many home chefs have been utilizing propane or natural gas as their main fuel to satisfy their outdoor grilling needs, charcoal is making a significant comeback. Now before I go any further, Grilling is to cook with gas/propane, while Barbecue (or BBQ) is to cook with charcoal/wood.
I have to admit that I now own both: a propane grill and a charcoal BBQ. I believe that there is a time and a place for both, but if you are in the market for a new outdoor cooker as your main source of grilled/BBQ'd food, which do you choose?
Before I get into the differences of your two obvious choices, I must stress that the quality of equipment should be your first concern. I hear of so many people purchasing equipment at big box stores just because the price is right. Your outdoor cooking appliance is a significant purchase and should not be looked upon differently than the purchase of a new oven/stove for your kitchen. If anything, quality in an outdoor grill/BBQ should be of higher importance than your indoor oven/stove because it will be subjected to the elements; even with a cover over it the environment is more humid and wet than anything you use indoors.
A grill or BBQ should not be considered a disposable fixture. You should not have to replace it every four to six years. You would never dream of doing that with your indoor oven/stove, so why do you expect to do that with your grill or BBQ? Do your homework by researching all the brands before making your purchasing decision. It is not a matter of just coming across one at the store and saying "look at this one! Let's just buy it!"
A gas/propane grill and its components should be made of high grade stainless steel so it resists rusting. Just because you purchased a stainless steel grill, it does not mean that it won't rust. There are different grades of stainless steel that you need to be aware about. Where was it made? How easy is it to get replacement parts like burners, etc? What is the warranty? Where is the company located? Call their customer service center and ask questions. Also search online for unbiased opinions by researching grilling blogs; it is as simple as typing "reviews on a ______ grill" in a search engine with the brand name (with or without the model number).
Ceramic charcoal BBQ's are the best choice if you choose to go with charcoal. Their thick ceramic walls help to retain the heat and cook more evenly and consistently... but they are not all made the same. Just because it is ceramic, does not necessarily mean quality. Again, do your research. There are definitely less parts to a charcoal BBQ, but you still want to make sure that you are buying one that will last a lifetime... yes, I did say a lifetime. With a high quality ceramic BBQ, this is not out of the question. Think of how much money you have spent on outdoor cookers in your lifetime and then decide on what's appropriate to spend on a high quality purchase.
Ease of use will obviously go to a gas grill - it's instant on, and instant off, but flavor of food will always go to charcoal. However, after cooking with propane my whole adult life I just recently purchased my first charcoal BBQ and the learning curve of using it was actually very small. Both need to be cleaned out regularly: one of food residue and one of ash; and both require to be preheated before cooking. Temperature on a grill is obviously controlled by knobs which increase/decrease the gas flow, while temperature on a ceramic charcoal BBQ is controlled by air vents: the more air flow, the hotter the temperature. Unlike our parent's Hibatchis of the past however, you can save the leftover unused charcoal for your next cookout by closing the air vents and eventually snuffing out the charcoal.
Whichever outdoor cooking appliance you go with, I stress the words of your parents that haunted you for all of your childhood school days: "Do Your Homework!"
Send your food/cooking questions to [email protected] or P.O. Box 2674, Abbotsford, BC V2T 6R4
Chef Dez is a Food Columnist, Culinary Instructor & Cookbook Author.
Visit him at www.chefdez.com
The next "Chef Dez on Cooking" column will appear approximately June 7/13.
