Charcoal here
Gas
Gas. Iām lazy.
3 Likes
Gas because of clean-up and prep.
Charcoal, when Iām not feeling lazy.
Smoker, for the professionals. I go to my buddyās places, and those cats are making food that you canāt get anywhere else - SO worth the effort. I may begin dabbling.
Gas bc Iām also lazy. I do a lot of beach cooking in little firepits I make one beach with drift wood and charcoal and things taste great.
Favorite things is using smoker though unless itās top dollar steaks or chicken on menu
1 Like
I used to be a gas guy, but I bought a Kamado style grill a few years ago, and Iāll never ever go back. Best grill ever.
Smoke a brisket at 225 for 13 hours? Easy peasy. NY strips at 675? So good I canāt order a steak at a restaurant not named Ruthās Chris anymore.
I canāt recommend this kind of grill enough.
3 Likes
I will have to check it out. The thing with me is I need something I can fire up quickly and have control of the temperature for however long I need. I grill 5+ times a week and when I lived close to my job I would actually grill my lunch. Iāve spent many mornings on my deck at 6am grilling up stuff for the family to eat while I was at work. My experience with charcoal simply doesnāt lend itself to the amount of grilling I do. My weapon of choice is a Weber Q. Its small so it heats up quickly and consistently. No more hot and cold spots.
1 Like
Gas. Ugh itās almost time to stop grilling. Haha still do it in snow.
2 Likes
hardwood pellets
3 Likes
Looked it up - looks pretty cool
charcoalā¦ it doesnāt take long if have a gas side burner and a charcoal chimney.
I have an older model of thisā¦ can grill on the sidefire box ir use as a smoker. I havenāt used the gas side in probably 10 years.
butā¦ if ya need to smoke mulitiple pork butts, brisketsā¦ or 9+ racks of ribsā¦ plus have room for a pan of smojed beans and bratsā¦ the Lonestar Grillz insulated cabinet is the beast for the job. 
1 Like
My grill uses both. Canāt beat the flavor of good charcoal. Charcoalās my number one. I use the gas when Iām in a hurry, which isnāt often, or when cooking simple stuff like hotdogs (Koegels Viennas ONLY) or maybe some salmon wrapped in aluminum. Sometimes Iāll use both. Iāll burn charcoal on one side and put whatever Iām cooking on the other side over a low gas heat. Like a smoker.
1 Like
Iām not nearly the grill master as some of you but I have a charcoal grill currently and can really only grill on the weekends.
I love the taste better from charcoal but itās not practical for regular use. I have already decided Iām getting a gas grill.
One of the nice things about the Kamado style is that it really sips the charcoal. When youāre done grilling, close the vents. The fire smothers, and your preserve a ton of fuel.
The chimney that @Phunnypharm suggested does really speed things up, but I only use that if Iām doing something fairly big. Otherwise, I use a paraffin lighter in the middle of the charcoal (usually whatās remaining from my last grilling), go in and prep my food, and itās ready by the time Iām good to go. Because the grill is insulated, it keeps the heat inside, so it takes less fuel to get to temp.
From an engineering standpoint, I actually think there are a lot of advantages to the lower-end grills in this class vs. the really expensive high-end stuff (Big Green Egg). I have an Akorn. Instead of a bunch of heavy ceramic, it has maybe 16 gauge steel skin with insulation. It also has an easy way to remove ash (versus having to scoop it out), and it is super affordable. I paid maybe $200 for it when you can pay $1500 for a Big Green Egg.
A cool feature is that, because itās insulated, you can actually put your hand on the grill body when youāre cooking. Thatās a nice safety feature if you have little ones running around.
2 Likes
I use lump charcoal. I prefer it to gas.
i bought an egg style charcoal grill and it is really awesome. The temperature gets really super hot which I like for grilling, but you do have to watch it so that it doesnāt get too hot and mess around with the vents. I also like the taste from charcoal better.
Iāve used gas in the past. Its easier, but honestly not that much easier. After some experimenting how to best get my charcoal grill started, my preferred method is just to pile up the charcoal lumps and light it with a small handheld propane tank with a MAP ignitor as a nozzle that works when the tank is upside down. Works like a charm. It also works well as a smoker (I donāt have a smoker). I would say the biggest pain about my grill is the cast iron grates. You have to season them and make sure they donāt rust. Which takes some time at firs as you need to re-apply oil on the grates. And charcoal is definitely more messy. The other thing is you have to leave yourself 20 minutes to let it get nice and hot. Whereas gas heats up quicker it seems. Still, I much prefer using the charcoal once I got my system down.
3 Likes
P2, I had that same tri-grille, too. Gave it to the local ReStore after a year. Between the enormity of it on my deck and the inefficiency of the side burner, it was not something I could deal with any longer.
I have retired my gas grille, weber charcoal and gas cabinet smoker. They have all been replaced by my Grilla Silverback. Just reloaded on Pecan pellets last week (150 lbs). I love cooking on this grill/smoker and have been complimented with ābest __________ everā a few times. I love having fine enough control of the temp that I can turn a steak according to a little egg timer.
1 Like
Iāve always preferred the lump charcoal, too.
I also agree that gas is easier, quicker and little or no clean up, BUT charcoal is where the flavor is. If itās a good cut of meat like a porterhouse, ribs, or so, itās charcoal. Dogs and the like might get propane. I bought a new Char Broil grill this summer. Itās called a āGas2Coalā. Like I said-it uses both. About the only thing I donāt like about it is the charcoal tray sits above the propane burners, but the grates are just too close. Only about an inch above the charcoal. Iām looking at some type of spacer to raise the grilling surface a couple/few more inches above the charcoal. As it is now the charcoal can only be arraigned in one flat ālayerā side by side all in neat rows. I guess Iām used to making a pile, lighting it and spreading it out once itās burning good. I also grill year round. Yep, I live in Michigan, thatās how we do it.
1 Like
Thatās the going recommendation, but I find I get better results with regular charcoal. The lump stuff gets so damned hot, and I have trouble controlling it. Guys who know way more than I do swear by it, Iām just more comfortable with regular olā Kingsford (or even an off brand).
Gotta respect both. When Iām on vacation (and I have time to make things taste their best), I go charcoal whenever possible. As the foundation of quick, delicious meals throughout the spring, summer and fall though, you canāt beat the speed and convenience of just cranking up a gas grill and eating 20 minutes later.
I am lame and currently have only a gas grill at my house. But next spring Iām going to get myself a basic Weber kettle for weekend cooking.
I will not be getting a smoker. I totally appreciate them, but I view it the same way I view home-brewing beer: Love the concept, love the process, nothing better than hanging out for the afternoon drinking while somebody else is doing it. But when it comes to the end result, Iād much rather eat or drink the product of somebody who really knows what theyāre doing than whatever mediocre stuff I come up with myself.
3 Likes
Gas. But Iāve really been into using an electric smoker latelyābut only for the larger cuts of meet like brisket and butt.