You mean like cook?
       God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:LWHughes3rd@aol.com http://www.billhughes.com/

L.A. Jeepster did pass the time by typing:

I like to cook on coals but if your in a fire-ban area you can
usually still cook outside on gas when those with coals have to order
pizza.

Gas cooks more even and with less babysitting.  Plus you can put wood
chips in several models to make smoke for the food.   My next BBQ is going
to be a gas one hooked up to the house gas so I don't have to mess
with bottles.

I have been cooking the meals off road and camping since the 60's and I
still insist on charcoal or wood coals for cooking.

There is no comparison in my mind or taste buds between wood and gas.

Gas is great for a fry pan or breakfast grill like I use my old Coleman
stove for, but not for direct cooking.

I have a 'dead' gas BBQ someone tossed out filled with bricks I use for
a home BBQ.

The hibachi grill is still a sweet one to take on runs or to use at
home, I just went bigger with a dead gas one.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

I have both!  I had a BBQ patio built last year and I use gas on my main
BBQ which is nice for fast cooking.  No waiting for the briquettes and
no clean up after a fast cook-out....   HOWEVER, when it comes to the
good eat'n, I go charcoal all the way.  Nothing beats charcoal when it
comes to a great Porterhouse :)

If I had to choose one I would go with charcoal myself...

--
Taylor

'89 Audi 200
'03 Audi S6 Avant
'98 Jeep Cherokee Sport

Roughly 4/21/04 16:14, L.A. Jeepster's monkeys randomly typed:

 Gas is far more controllable if you get a good grill with enough
 BTU.  If you like the charcoal flavor, drop a few bits of wood
 onto the ceramic bricks, or cheat like some folks do and spray
 a bit of water in which your favorite wood chips have been soaked.

 My gas grille was bought in 1987 and is still in good shape, only
 thing that has needed replacement is the cooking grill...but then
 I poison the environment after using it by cranking the burners
 on high with the top closed just long enough to ash everything
 on the grilling surface.  Plus it has the little mesh covers over
 all the gas nozzles to keep crawly critters out.

Maybe you're an exhaust fume man:

  http://tinyurl.com/37ukt

... cookin' with gas.

Steve

Real grill use charcoal.  I like my meat to taste like smoke, not
porpane.
--
Old Crow                                              
'82 Shovelhead FLT 92" 'Pearl'                  
'95 Jeep YJ Rio Grande                              
ASE Certified Master Auto Tech + L1
TOMKAT, BS#133, SENS, MAMBM, DOF#51

If you just like cooking outside, but don't really care about flavor or
participating in a tradition as long as mankind,  then by all means choose
gas.

On the other hand, if you love the distinct flavor imparted by charcoal or
aromatic woods, if you love a good smoke ring around your meat, if you
enjoy learning and mastering the art of controlling a fire, if you want to
command the respect of your friends, neighbors, and peers, or if you want
to cook REAL bbq, then go charcoal.

Ultimately - charcoal grill to gass grill is like classic Jeep to Kia.

I got one of these as a gift and it rules! Folds up smaller than a
suitcase and uses either coal or gas:

http://www.oegmag.com/VBroilerMightyGrill.asp

It's all chromed stainless and parts go in the dishwasher. Kinda
expensive, though.

Matt

As others have noted, it all depends.  For myself, I like my rinky-dink
2nd-hand gas grill:  I don't have to start the grill half an hour before I
want to cook, I don't have to worry about when it will finally go out when
I'm done, I never have to fiddle with coals that are burning on this end
but not that end, I can adjust the heat instantly at whim, I never have to
handle ashes.  If I want nearly wood smoke flavor I can add chips.  Like
Lon, I run it at high for a while when I'm done to self-clean it.

But I can see the charcoal purists point of view too.  Nothing tastes like
real hardwood charcoal.  For me, it comes down to ease of control and ease
of use.  YMMV.

I think you get a different flavor from charcoal than from gas, but gas is
easier to use.

To have the charcoal fire, you have to build it, let it season for a half
hour, then spread it out and wait for the dust to stop flying, then you can
finally get to the business of cooking. With gas, you turn it on and let it
warm up, then cook.

My best gas BBQ was my Weber Genesis 2000 that we got at Costco (probably
Price Club in those days). I used it for over 5 years, then got a built-in
BBQ. My brother got the Weber, and still uses it after 7 years.

OK I gotta chime in on this one.
I am currently welding up an offset firebox smoker.  My old smoker is just
to small for the amount of meat I want to serve so a bigger one is needed!
I just welded up most of the firebox (18"x18"x18" 1/4" thick).  I need to go
get more plate for the cooking chamber.  It will be 20"x20"x36" long with
hooks and two shelves.  Can pile up a lot of pork butt, brisket, ribs,
sausage, and chickens in there.  I usually smoke my pork butt for 12 hours
at about 200 deg.  (I have had it fall apart when I tried to pick it up off
the smoker before) The last hour I throw on tater skins, corn and whole
onions on the smoker while my cornbread cooks in the oven in my iron
skillets.  Of course I made my three different BBQ sauces the day before and
are heating up on the firebox.  Gas ?? !! ??  I'll take wood and LUMP
charcoal any day! (even Kingsford uses some petroleum products, but has the
least of all briquette types)  I have a Weber Genesis and is a great grill,
but I only use it for hot dogs.  True BBQ is low and slow! I would say get
the gas. Master that, get a Webber kettle charcoal, then maybe try a small
offset firebox smoker.  Take it in steps.  OK.. I am ready to eat now. I
made myself hungry!

Kevin KC8GAB
97 TJ

Everyone -

Thanks for all the insight!  When I posted the original question, I had no
idea it might lead to the posting of a photo of a pig in the back of a van,
a discussion of Dutch sex technique, or hi-tech notes about using laser to
measure pollution.  However, it was all vital in helping me decide;
particularly the analogy penned by Barry Bean: "Ultimately - charcoal grill
to gas grill is like classic Jeep to Kia."

So I went with the Char-Broil charcoal grill.  It may be more work, but now
I can proudly stand on my side of the fence, mocking the clean-burning, mess
free grill of the dude next door.  I'm firing it up this weekend, and you're
all invited.  Take it easy,

L.A. Jeepster