You’re ready to invest in a grill and you’re weighing the choices of gas and charcoal.
While charcoal is one of America’s favorite cooking fuels, it lacks the versatility, simplicity, and safety of gas.
Since the introduction of propane grilling more than 50 years ago, gas grills have become synonymous with summer cooking.
Before you purchase your next grill, consider all the benefits of cooking with gas.
1: Gas Grilling is Convenient
One of the most important benefits of a gas grill is the convenience that is offered.
When cooking with gas, all you need to do is fire up the grill, and within minutes you will be ready to start cooking.
Charcoal grills take time to start, and even maintaining the coals during cooking can be a chore.
Gas allows you to quickly adjust the temperature and choose how many burners are lit.
Turning off the grill is as simple as cutting off the gas supply.
There’s no other outdoor cooking method that is as convenient as a gas grill.
2: You’re Safer With a Gas Grill
Charcoal grill design has improved significantly in recent years, but gas is still the king of safety.
All cooking appliances come with some risks, so it’s important to use your grill responsibly and in compliance with all manufacturer safety recommendations.
Gas has inherent safety advantages that are impossible to ignore.
- A gas grill can be extinguished instantly.
- There are no coals leftover after cooking.
- Toppling a charcoal grill creates a major safety hazard and risk of fire. Toppling a gas grill is still dangerous, but it’s easier to shut off the grill and prevent damage or injury.
- Gas grills aren’t as likely to flare up.
- The heat of a gas grill can be more easily controlled with the burner knobs.
If you are new to grilling and want to be as safe as possible, a natural gas or propane grill is the best choice.
3: You Have More Control Over The Cooking Surface and Ambient Temperatures
Gas grills are loved for their ease of use and ability to quickly control temperatures.
Most gas grills come with two or more burners, allowing for unique temperature zones.
Instead of repositioning charcoal, you simply need to turn burners on or off.
This is ideal for cooking with indirect heat with the hood down.
Ambient temperatures in a gas grill are much easier to control, which is important when baking, roasting, or slow grilling.
Adjustments to the burner controls are reflected quickly, so your total cooking time will be reduced.
Charcoal grills can be controlled but there’s a steep learning curve and some trial and error involved as you get used to how the vents work.
With gas, it’s just as simple as using the stovetop or oven in your kitchen.
4: Food Grilled Over Propane and Natural Gas Tastes Great
Charcoal grill enthusiasts will tell you that only charcoal can provide a classic smoky flavor. This isn’t quite true…
When you grill with charcoal, juices are vaporized on the hot coals and reincorporated into the food as moisture or a crust on the outside.
This is where the smoky taste of a charcoal grill comes from.
Gas grills can achieve the same result, as long as you’re using a model that has iron or stainless steel flame tamers covering the burners.
Some manufacturers call these flavorizer bars.
Fats and liquids from foods and marinades will vaporize on the bars, creating that familiar outdoor cooking taste that everyone loves.
5: Gas Grills Give You More Time to Enjoy With Family and Friends
The steps involved in preparing, maintaining, and finishing a charcoal grilling session are significant.
Starting takes at least ten minutes.
You’ll need to top up with charcoal for longer cooking sessions.
When it’s time to finish, you’ll need to gradually bring the coals down to a safe temperature, by closing the vents and adding small amounts of water.
This all takes time and it can make grilling feel more like a chore than the relaxing outdoor activity that it should be.
With gas, you can get started whenever you want, whether you’re cooking for a group during a holiday or party, or even if you simply want some grilled steak on a weeknight.
Turning off the grill is just as easy as starting it, and there are no special safety steps involved.
If you want to spend more time socializing, relaxing, and enjoying your food, gas grills are the solution.
Buy a Gas Grill for Convenience and Flavor
The best gas grills will offer a flavor that rivals charcoal, with none of the downsides.
If you’re in the market for a new grill, consider one of the top-rated affordable gas grills to see what you could get for a reasonable price.
It has 310 square inches of primary cooking on porcelain-coated, rust-resistant, cast iron grates, great for family cooking or entertaining, two burners, side shelves for preparation, and a hood with generous clearance so you can easily cook with the top down.
That’s just one example and there are plenty more out there.
If you’re looking for the most affordable way to cook and you want convenience and ease of use, there’s nothing out there that can beat the benefits of gas grilling.
When you want something with more power and performance, you can look up into the mid-range or even the high-end of the market like a Weber Summit.
It features a 468 square inch cooking surface and comes with stainless steel cooking grates.
The construction is something that immediately stands out with this grill.
With an outer shell that is made almost entirely from stainless steel, this is one of the most premium-looking grills on the market.
If you need something to compliment outdoor landscaping and a designer home, then this is easily one of the best choices.
The great thing about gas grills is that the quality and features scale up, but the cooking experience is similar across the board.
So, even when you choose an affordable grill, you’ll still enjoy a great time cooking outdoors.
Whether it’s propane or natural gas from your home line, the benefits of a gas grill are many and you’ll enjoy convenient and flavorful cooking at any time of the year.