02 Jun 2003 | Steve said...

One little nitpick: You're looking for a grill, not a BBQ. BBQ is a slow-cooking process, usually using a smoker to cook meat over several hours using smoke from various woods.

Anyway, while the taste from a charcoal grill can be nice, I think overall a gas grill is a good way to go. (And, knowing what the wood decks look like on the backs of buildings in Chicago, I'd be nervous about charcoal embers and the like too).

One benefit gas gives, aside from time, is it's usually easier to cook indirectely. In most cases, it's actually better to cook this way than with direct flame, as you want the meat to cook thoroughly. Slower cooking allows the meat to cook through (important for poultry or, to a somewhat lesser degree, pork) because the heat envelops it, whereas direct flame makes it too easy to have charred outsides and raw insides. With gas, you just turn on one burner and put the meat on the other side. With charcoal, you have to pile the briquettes off to one side, something that's not always easy to do with the kettle-shaped grills.

By the way, if you're looking for good advice on cooking techniques as well as preparations, get the Complete Meat Cookbook. Excellent resource.

02 Jun 2003 | Edward said...

I'm charcoal all the way myself... and I mean "real" hardwood lump charcoal and not those crappy little briquettes put out by Kingsford et all.

I can get my lump charcoal going and hot enough to begin cooking in about 15 mins. There's no way I'd sacrifice the flavor to save 15 (or even 30) minutes. Then again, I'm into the whole "smoke pit" thing, so I think nothing of slow cooking a brisket Texas style for 8 hours on a Sunday.

It's not about speed, quite the opposite I think.

Oh, and my "pit" is on a wood deck, but the pit is deep enough (one of those half barrel contraptions) that I don't have any sparks coming out... I can see how that would be a concern if you did.

02 Jun 2003 | Tim said...

Perhaps the handiest of items I got to expedite my charcoal grilling experience is one of these charcoal chimney starters. I picked mine up at Crate & Barrel, but I assume you can get them almost anywhere.

Granted, it doesn't speed up the charcoal grilling experience to gas-grille-speeds...but it makes the process inordinately easier. Just stuff the bottom part of the starter with newspaper or something, pour in the charcoal (you don't even need to use taste-souring lighter fluid), light the paper at the bottom, and sit back. In about 15 - 20 minutes, all your coals are burning nice and orange. Dump them out and start grilling.

I guess it wouldn't fix the "flying embers" problem, but...it's really just a nifty nifty thing.

02 Jun 2003 | JFR said...

Charcoal all day long. Also soak some hickory or any other smoking chip for 30 minutes, then put on coals for extra flavor.

02 Jun 2003 | smooth_j said...

Ditto on the chimney starter, a must have for any charcoal grill.

Before you plunge into the world of gas, check out the Big Green Egg . It's a ceramic style bbq/smoker (ceramic does not get as hot as metal so it's safer).

This thing has a cult following approaching the Mac. Check out how many posts there are at the user forum. (Just don't expect 37SVN usability there)

02 Jun 2003 | JF said...

I have a chimney starter for my current charcoal Weber, but when you tip it over it throws embers like crazy. And, BTW, not only do I have a wood roof deck, but I also have a rubber/tar roof under the deck which just loves to catch fire.

02 Jun 2003 | MrAnonymous said...

Charcoal for me. Nothing smells better than burning charcoal. It just completes the experience.

02 Jun 2003 | Sunil said...

We should all be using charcoal.

But it's dirty and it requires more setup and more cleanup. I'll be moving back to charcoal when I have the time and patience.

I have the Weber Silver B and it's a hell of a grill. The control you have is great. It's very difficult to get an indirect heat that you can trust with a charcoal. With the Weber, you know how your ribs will turn out every time. It's worth every penny.

02 Jun 2003 | bah said...

If you do get a gas grill I highly recommend the Weber Silver B Grill that you are looking at. About a year ago I bought my parents that grill for their lake house and they adore it.

02 Jun 2003 | Big Green Egg said...

I second the advice to check out the Big Green Egg. They are simply incredible and produce the moistest, best tasting food you could ever imagine. My wife and I grill all year round on it, pizzas, steaks, veggies, burgers, chickens, ribs, you name it. It also uses REAL wood charchoal, not the briquettes you usually see. Because of the ceramics you can keep it going for 15 hours or longer and do some real slow cooking, or fire it up to 750 degrees to sear a steak. Very fine tempature control by adjusting the vents. I would never go back to a regular charcoal or gas grill.

02 Jun 2003 | Big Green Egg said...

Also, you can get it up to full temp in 15 minutes or less. Plus it is the coolest looking thing you ever say. Sorry for my exuberance but I am among the Mac-like cult. Go Big Green Egg.

02 Jun 2003 | JF said...

Don, what do you know about the Big Green Egg? ;)

02 Jun 2003 | JF said...

Oh, damn the Big Green Egg is expensive!

02 Jun 2003 | hurley#1 said...

Another (somewhat bizarre) alternative is the battery-powered Eagle stove. I believe it comes with a grill; I have its smaller cousin, the Sierra stove, and that has a grill, which I've used a few times on canoe-camping trips. It's a great little device and puts out an enormous amount of heat with very little smoke.

My main complaint with most gas grills is that they're so huge. My balcony is tiny and I have no storage space in the apartment. What I'm looking for is something slightly larger than a hibachi and smaller than a conventional charcoal grill. And I want it to be sturdy -- the last hibachi I bought fell apart after one summer.

02 Jun 2003 | JF said...

Hurley #1, you should check out the Weber Q.

02 Jun 2003 | bbq_yummy said...

css/blogger poster boy "whatdoiknow.org" talks about his big green egg here

02 Jun 2003 | ~bc said...

I have sold (up till last year at my family's hardware store) Weber Products for 8 years. We've never had one unsatisfied customer. Weber's customer service is also top notch. You really can't go wrong with a Silver B, or a Performer. We sold Silvers about 8 to 1 over the Performer, but more enthusiasts (% wise) bought the Performer. The key, though is to use real, hardwood chunk charcoal. It heats up faster, burns hotter, longer and is all-natural, made from a renewable resource. Kingsford is made by Clorox and contains 70 known toxins. Match-Lite is even worse! It's more or less sawdust clumped with various petrochemicals.

Of course, if you go with the Silver, then you're buying fossil fuels to cook with, but the machine does give you pro-kitchen level control. You can cook on it nightly for 10 years and expect the same consistency. You can buy smoker attachments that work great. Our family holidays are marked by Hickory or Mesquite Smoked Turkeys via my parent's 8yr old Genesis 1000 (predecessor to the Silver B).

If you're hardcore for charcoal, get the Performer w/ the charwood. Otherwise, you're not going to get much better than the Silver, and it's super convenient, heating in about 5 minutes. Win-win. Plus they have a fairly decent website, and excellent newsletter (sweet recipes, free when you register the grill).

BTW, Chicago-ites, have any of you ever been to Weber's Restaurant?? I'd love to go if I ever got out there...

03 Jun 2003 | alisha said...

I cant believe Don isnt all over this post like bees on honey. Where are you Don?

03 Jun 2003 | hurley#1 said...

Hurley #1, you should check out the Weber Q.

Wow, thanks -- sold. Exactly what I was looking for.

03 Jun 2003 | Jamie said...

Damn! I didn't know grills were that expensive... Veggie livin' has blinded me from this reality. But if I had to pick, I'd go Weber all the way. Jason, ABT rules. Don't forget to bargain...

03 Jun 2003 | Don Schenck said...

A good grill may *appear* to be expensive, but it's less than buying a cheap one every three to five years.

Get a good quality, all stainless model. Plan to spend up to $2,000. That's right, two thousand, when you consider accessories, cover, etc etc.

Go charcoal.

03 Jun 2003 | fajalar said...

Consumer Reports rates (as of this month) the top three (out of 18 tested) "average-sized" gas grills as:

1. Jenn-Air JA460P (600$)
2. Broilmaster P3[BL] (900$)
3. Weber Genesis Silver B 228[1]001 (450$)

Go charcoal.

03 Jun 2003 | JF said...

I'm starting to think the Weber Performer is the right grill for me. Charcoal/Hardwood flavor, faster startup (gas starter), cleaner and safer (no fluid required, ash catching canister, no ember flyaways). Anyone got or used a Performer?

Shit, but then I start thinking that the Weber Silver B with the smoker attachment might give me the same flavor and be the best choice given my situation. Ahh!

03 Jun 2003 | Chris said...

You just reminded me. I need to fill that darn propane tank already!

03 Jun 2003 | Steve said...

JF, if you think you might get any use of a smoker, I'd go that route. I'm in an apartment too and haven't invested in a good grill and smoker, but it'll be one of the first things I do whenever I buy a place. Smoking is the only way to cook some things, and there's very little substitute for good slow-cooked, smoked meat. A slow-cooked, smoked brisket is absolutely wonderful. And smoking is the only way to cook ribs, in my opinion. Works great for pork loin, chicken, pretty much everything except chops and steaks (which it would work for, but since I like those pretty rare, a good sear on the grill - actually, I pan broil and like that better - is better than smoking). Every friend I've had who's owned one has gotten a tremendous amount of use from their smoker.

10 Jun 2003 | Bill Brown said...

I don't know if you're a fan of Alton Brown's cooking show Good Eats, but he prefers a charcoal grill and has even had an entire show dedicated to using it properly.

On that show and in his book, he talks about how to add a hair dryer to your charcoal grill to turn it into "a blast furnace." You might want to check out his book and add some new life to your grill.

06 Dec 2003 | grills said...

If you do get a gas grill I highly recommend the Weber Silver B Grill that you are looking at.

22 Dec 2003 | PAUL said...

GREEN EGG RULES!!!