Tips for best BBQ grill for a beginner?

foxhole · 19 May 2024

Gas every time, despite those in favour of charcoal it imparts very little flavour to food and for a beginner is difficult not to burn everything. Qualified as a chef 50 years ago and have been bar b q cooking for over 40 years . Your guests will thank you for properly cooking food and not burnt offerings.

aveatry · 19 May 2024

foxhole said:
Gas every time, despite those in favour of charcoal it imparts very little flavour to food and for a beginner is difficult not to burn everything. Qualified as a chef 50 years ago and have been bar b q cooking for over 40 years . Your guests will thank you for properly cooking food and not burnt offerings.

A good point I suppose because heat is heat and the flavour is when the meat drips on to the heat and turns to smoke I suppose so it is no matter what the heat is- you're the chef and expert and I can see why gas is more controllable but there is something about real fire that is primeval and almost within our DNA and gas seems a bit of a cheat to me.

ETAF · 19 May 2024

I Now use the chimney every time, seems to give a better coverage to all the charcoal , start easier and ready much quicker to use.
On the small side grill , i have pilled up the charcoal and used the lighters , which does works , but it takes much longer to get the charcoal going and to get an even colour across the coals - so they all turn grey.
BUT ... no expert
previously to 2017 ish , so for 30+years I used the pile up and light method, lots of liquid firelighters and other ways of lighting

mcprinter · 19 May 2024

aveatry said:
A good point I suppose because heat is heat and the flavour is when the meat drips on to the heat and turns to smoke I suppose so it is no matter what the heat is- you're the chef and expert and I can see why gas is more controllable but there is something about real fire that is primeval and almost within our DNA and gas seems a bit of a cheat to me.

I am a gas convert.
Have a Weber. The 'flavouriser' bars catch the drips which creates the smoke (and flames with more fatty Pork, Lamb, Ribeye, etc)
A bit boring. Preheat 15 mins. Food on and walk away until flip time. Excellent results most of the time.
Often make pizza. Have smoked a chicken.

I do like proper charcoal or open fire cooking when we are away.

Rykard · 19 May 2024

watch some vids on youtube...

Harry Bloomfield · 19 May 2024

aveatry said:
Its one of these it draws air in and quickly heats the charcoal up the stack to get it burning, you then tip it out onto your BBq.
Never used one myself as just carefully build coal up around the fire lighters being mindful not to smother them and then go and have a couple of beers. But I know that some people swear by them

We began BBQ'ing long before it became popular. I built our first, from bricks, with supermarket metal shelves as the grid. Our present BBQ is a massive, and very expensive Outback gas BBQ, so we are seriously committed to BBQ's, but I have never come across those 'chimneys'..

freddiemercurystwin · 19 May 2024

Well you wouldn't if you're a gas convert.

Harry Bloomfield · 19 May 2024

aveatry said:
A good point I suppose because heat is heat and the flavour is when the meat drips on to the heat and turns to smoke I suppose so it is no matter what the heat is- you're the chef and expert and I can see why gas is more controllable but there is something about real fire that is primeval and almost within our DNA and gas seems a bit of a cheat to me.

Usually, not all gas ones do, but they use a layer of lava rock between the gas flame and the griddle/food.

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Tips for best BBQ grill for a beginner?

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