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A Baton Rouge Battle: Charcoal Vs. Propane Grills

[] Jul 18, 2016 4:53:02 PM / by Rick Bucy

Rick Bucy

Charcoal_vs_Propane.jpgIf you ask any serious grill master for their thoughts on charcoal versus propane, get ready for battle lines to be drawn. It’s a question that will almost always prompt a very serious, passionate response. It’s like the Hatfields versus the McCoys, Republican versus Democrat, Yankees versus Red Sox, only more serious and more entrenched. But, does it really have to be? We have found that when it comes to charcoal versus propane, if personal prejudices can be put aside (yeah right!), two main factors should be the deciders, what’s on the menu and what you’re best at.

Why Should I Use A Charcoal Grill?

Whether you’re talking about briquettes, wood embers, or hardwood itself, people that grill with charcoal swear by it. They will tell you that you get more heat from charcoal. This is true. On average, when you use the proper amount of charcoal, you can get your grill up to 700 degrees, which is beneficial for foods that require a quicker cook time on the outside while preserving a tender rareness on the inside, like steaks.

They will tell you that you get a smoky flavor from charcoal. This is also mostly true. While charcoal does create more smoke than propane, if properly lit, and given the right amount of time to preheat, most of that smoke is gone by the time the meat hits the grill.

They will tell you that charcoal is the right choice because it has been around longer. This is true, but some would argue it’s irrelevant. Charcoal briquettes were invented in 1897. They were popularized in the 1920’s thanks to, of all things, the automotive industry. At that time, many cars had a lot of wooden parts. In making those parts, there was a lot of scrap left lying around. Henry Ford decided to put those scraps to use, so he rounded them up and started selling them for use in cooking. Propane didn’t come around until the 1960’s (more on that later).

If all previous arguments fail to sway opinion, charcoal users will break out their proverbial trump card. They will tell you that charcoal is what is used in barbequing competitions. This is somewhat true in that propane is generally not used. But, at most barbeque competitions, you won’t find your standard store bought briquettes. Instead, you will find wood. Sometimes it’s pellets or chips, but mostly, it’s logs and chunks.

These arguments all make a strong case, but what about the other side? What do propane aficionados say to defend their preferred method?

Why Should I Use A Propane Grill?

Ask a propane man why he uses propane and his answer will vary, but it will always boil down to two factors; efficiency and results. Before we look at those aspects, we should note how the propane grill came to be. In the 1960’s, the Arkansas Louisiana Gas Company was looking for an added revenue stream. They were the ones who figured out how to reconfigure a charcoal grill to be heated with bottled propane. The result was far greater than they ever intended and the idea took off from there.

From an efficiency standpoint, propane is much easier to use. Your heat source is direct and the grill reaches its desired temperature faster. This means you can get to the business of cooking faster. This means your family gets to eat faster. This made grilling on a work night less of an ordeal, and greatly increased the popularity of grilling.

Keeping with efficiency, using propane is a cleaner experience. You turn it on, you cook, you turn it off. You don’t have to go back after everything cools down to throw away a bunch of ash and left over embers. The only clean up involved is removing any excess food from the grill itself, though some people just fire the burners back up to burn off the excess once they’re done.

One more point in the efficiency column is constant heat. Charcoal can be temperamental. The fire can dwindle or even go out. Then you have to start over, and that almost always results in food that is unevenly cooked or is dried out. The only time you don’t get constant heat from propane is when the tank runs out. But, the experienced grill master always keeps a back-up on hand and they can be swapped out before the temperature significantly drops.

When talking about results, propane proponents point to the flavor of the food being the goal, not the flavor of the wood. One of the most poignant arguments for the results that propane provides comes from a cartoon. On King Of The Hill, propane salesman Hank Hill is talking with a neighbor. The neighbor says, “I use charcoal because I like the hickory flavor.” To which, Hank Hill responds, “I use propane because I like that meat flavor.” That answer speaks volumes to propane users. Why go to the trouble of marinating and seasoning, if it’s just going to be overrun with a smoky flavor?

How To Choose A Grill for Your Baton Rouge Patio?

As we said in the beginning of this blog, it all comes down to two things, what’s on the menu and what you’re best at. If your menu is a simple dinner for your family, the answer will be different than if you’re grilling for a house full of friends on the weekend. Because of its ease of use, propane is better suited for day to day grilling. However, if you plan on having the grill fired up for an extended period of time, or are cooking something that stays on the grill longer or are smoking something, ease of use becomes less important and charcoal becomes the optimal choice.

What you’re best at is probably the most important factor. If you are more comfortable with propane, go with it. Likewise with charcoal. To the true grill master, what comes off the grill is far more important than what is under it. Satisfied guests with loosened belt buckles are the reward of proper grilling regardless of the fuel used to get that result.

Fortunately, we have the right tools for team charcoal and team propane. At Casual Creations, we have a wide variety of both kinds of grills. Whether you’re looking at The Big Green Egg, Twin Eagles, or anything from Holland Grills, we can help.

 

 

Topics: Grills

Rick Bucy

Written by Rick Bucy