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Gas vs. Charcoal for high heat grilling

One, I notice a discernible difference between steak made on a gasser and on a charcoal fire. I have 2 gassers, 2 smokers and 2 grills. The steak that I make on my Performer is hands down better than on a gas grill. Why all the controversy in every post you start. :doh:
 
I had a gasser once, wind came up one day and blew it off the deck, a couple times, Weber OTS never moved, guess its more aerodynamic lol. The only thing I used my gasser for was to start the coals for my webber, or a quick burger every now and then. I just like doing things the hard way, and you cant beat the taste of a pork chop grilled over an apple fire
 
I have a pretty nice gasser. Weber 3 burner with cast iron grates.

Lump charcoal tastes a lot better.

I mostly use the gasser to super-heat the cooking grates from my smokers to help clean them up.
 
...But let's compare like with like...

If you cooked at the exact same temperature with charcoal as with gas, and if you didn't use wood chips/chunks in the coals (and no smoker pouch for the gas) and let's also assume we are cooking on a grate that is brand new and unseasoned for both, do you really think you would be able to taste the difference between the two?

As a side note, you can get a "kiss of smoke" with a gasser too. I used to smoke all the time with my gasser (when it was the only cooker I had) by putting wood chips in a foil pouch and poking holes in it. Sure, smoking is easier with a charcoal grill, particularly for long cooks. Yes, for high heat cooks, my gasser gets nowhere near as hot as charcoal (and for that matter, it is much easier to cook LnS on a OTG than on my Brinkmann), but if you have a gasser capable of the same high heat as a charcoal grill and hold the other variables constant, I doubt any but the most refined palates (which doesn't include me) can detect the difference.
 
1st Choice = Wood
2nd Choice = Charcoal
3rd Choice = Oven/Stove (It is only gas cooking appliance in around, if you put a grill grate on the stove top, you would see very little difference between it and your outside gasser)

There is a HUGE, I repeat HUGE difference between gas & charcoal..even on high heat cooks with zero smoke.

and yes I have done side by side comparisons and I correctly picked a gas cooked steak from a charcoal cooked steak 5 out of 5 times.

"nuff said.
 
I once had one of those gas infrared type grills.. I hated it. It was like cooking on a skillet with 10x the cleanup.

Lump with a few mesquite chunks in my keg.. it gets nuclear pretty fast. Close the vents and the next day I still got some fuel left.
 
Seeing as it looks like I don't know what I'm doing with my Weber Performer, how do you get the 5-600+deg temps? Just filling the whole thing with charcoal?
 
On my Weber OTG grate over blazing lump, more of the steak is exposed to the heat, because of the size of the grate bars, giving the excellent sear/char I'm looking for. That's the big taste difference to me, because more of the fat has started to melt. On my Weber gasser, the size of the grate is larger, which is great for "grill marks" but isn't creating that char I love so much because less of the meat is exposed to the fire.
 
rwalters - I think it is time to set up a taste test and see if one could tell the difference.

Buy similar steaks at Costco. Set up the two side by side and do a blind taste test.

Dan
 
basuraman said:
rwalters - I think it is time to set up a taste test and see if one could tell the difference.

Buy similar steaks at Costco. Set up the two side by side and do a blind taste test.

Dan
Click to expand...

actually i'd try reverse searing with a little wood for smoke if i were you. it would most definitely taste different this way. you may find a new favorite way to do steaks....i love the smoke flavor my steak get with a reverse sear
 
For HH steaks, I use the gasser. Also add a foil pack of wood chips for some smoke flavor. Just the wife and I so the convenience is a plus. I normally hit steaks at around 550* F. Does not take long. Like the OP said, less than 20 min's from burner on to burner off.

That said, I'm going to purchase a travel size Weber and give it a try.
 
The only thing we use our gasser for is to cook bacon. The grease from the bacon flares the coals up and makes the bacon taste bad on charcoal grill. The gasser makes some mean bacon.
 
SirPorkaLot said:
1st Choice = Wood
(It is only gas cooking appliance in around, if you put a grill grate on the stove top, you would see very little difference between it and your outside gasser)
Click to expand...
I'm not sure I follow you. If I'm cooking something in my oven or on the stove top (Jenn Air grills excluded as I do not have one) it is in some kind of pot or pan. The same on a a gasser outside goes right on the grate or a rotisserie. Meat juices dripping off the meat land on the flavorizer bars (I'm sure the name is trademarked by Weber but I suspect other grills use a similar concept.) The drippings vaporize due to the heat and rise up to flavor the meat.

Were I to cook on a gas grill the same way I cook inside, then your comment about no difference would be correct. Were I to cook inside like I do outside on a gasser, I'd fill the house with smoke.

The result of different techniques used make a huge difference between using a gas oven inside vs. cooking on a gas grill outside.
 
basuraman said:
rwalters - I think it is time to set up a taste test and see if one could tell the difference.

Buy similar steaks at Costco. Set up the two side by side and do a blind taste test.

Dan
Click to expand...

Hey Dan! I have done the taste test thing... that's what caused me to start this post... I just cannot discern a noticeable difference. Now granted it wasn't a blind taste test... but I can honestly say that there is no big difference to me when eating gas/charcoal grilled meat side-by-side.

Now smoked, slow-cooked, BBQ'd... call it what you want... WORLD OF DIFF!!
 
chriscw81 said:
actually i'd try reverse searing with a little wood for smoke if i were you. it would most definitely taste different this way. you may find a new favorite way to do steaks....i love the smoke flavor my steak get with a reverse sear
Click to expand...

Agree! This does add a significant amount of flavor...and it's YUM :becky:

But I am simply talking about throwing meat down on a 600+ degree grill surface. That's where I don't notice a difference between the differing types of fuel.
 
If you want to use gas, get a full propane tank and a weed burner. Use it to fire up the charcoal in your weber kettle in 90 seconds and get cooking. After the cook, dump the charcoal in a metal container, cover it tightly (I use an 18 gallon metal trash can with lid), and put it in a place on your property where it won't burn anything down while the fire snuffs out. Throw some wood chunks or even small splits in there and you are really grilling!

Just as easy, quick, and convenient as gas but with better results.
 
rwalters said:
Agree! This does add a significant amount of flavor...and it's YUM :becky:

But I am simply talking about throwing meat down on a 600+ degree grill surface. That's where I don't notice a difference between the differing types of fuel.
Click to expand...

i gotcha!! i wasnt sure if you'd ever tried it before. now i'm waiting for the results of your future side-by-side comparison :biggrin1:
 
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