There’s nothing better than an outdoor barbecue or braai and the reason most people enjoy this activity is because of the great tasting food and the atmosphere or smoky air and the smell of meat grilling. People who see a braai or barbecue more seriously in terms of cooking the food should look at all the options of ways to cook your meat. There is a huge difference between gas grilling and charcoal grilling and recognising the difference will help you make an informed decision on what suits you best as all people have different preferences.
In the case of a charcoal grill you need to know that it should be well constructed in order for it to last long. It’s better to have a stainless steel grill take make cleaning it a lot easier for you. A charcoal griller will probably cost you a lot less than a gas grill. The temperature of a charcoal griller all depends on the charcoal briquettes itself, as certain charcoals may heat up faster than others and also the technique you use to get the fire going. Barbecue “die hard” fans believe that charcoal creates the best tasting food as it creates more smoke, adding that unique taste to whatever you may cook.
The charcoal grill is also very easy to setup; even women are capable of doing it without breaking a nail. The maintenance of a charcoal grill depends on the model you buy there are grills that may be less expensive but you’ll have replace it annually which would then cost you more in the end. Buying a more expensive high quality grill would last you for up to 5 years, depending on how you take care of your grill. It is better to get a cover to avoid rusting and damage from rain as most people will keep their grills outside.
Gas grills are quite modern and have been developed over the years to better the way we have been cooking. The gas grill is more expensive than most charcoal grills. There are cheaper models but won’t have the features necessary to cook a good meal. If you’re thinking of assembling a gas grill yourself you are either very brave or you have a lot of spare time. The gas grill takes a lot of time to assemble, if you are usually quite handy you might take two hours to assemble it. For those who aren’t as handy… good luck! Rather get someone who knows what to do to assemble it for you. It’s better to have spent some money on a good job than no money on a bad one that will cost you money in the end to fix.
The one thing it doesn’t take time with is with heating. The gas grill does take a lot less time to heat up and you can start your cooking a few minutes before you would like to eat. In terms of maintenance you’ll have to replace the gas cylinders and keep the drip tray clean which can be a job to clean up. You’ll also have to cover your grill to prolong its usage. The gas grill does have a lot of technical things to keep it going and it depends on the model but you’ll have to replace quite a few things every year. In this sense it might be more expensive on maintenance.
Regardless of what you decide to buy in the end you will experience good food from both. The authentic smoky taste might not be the same when using a gas grill but you will have the taste of a well grilled meal. You can cook almost anything on both the charcoal and gas grill, which you can experiment with using different marinades and herbs.