Barbecue: gas or charcoal?

The sun has finally decided to stop playing hide and seek, so now is the time to make the most of the sunshine and to enjoy a good barbecue out in your garden, or on your balcony. We've already written a blog post on BBQ, giving you a few tips and recipes, and now we would like to go further and help you choose the right barbecue for you. There is one important question we haven’t asked yet: charcoal or gas? You may have already chosen a side, but our article may change your mind, who knows?

Dancook Firepit
Charcoal Barbecue: pros and cons

Dancook Firepit revolving holderThis is the good old fashion barbeque, the one used by our fathers and their fathers before them - if you know why barbeques are typically a man’s thing, let us know in the comments below! Some will remember hours spent waiting for Dad to light up the barbecue, and others less fortunate will remember accidents because of the use of alcohol on top of the charcoal. But if you respect health and safety regulations, what does a charcoal barbecue bring you?

Pros:

Preparing the BBQ is half the fun! Setting up and lighting the barbecue is a centuries old tradition in some families;

Once lit, a charcoal barbecue can reach very high temperatures (up to 300°C - 570°F) so it allows you to cook food and meats such as pork and beef rapidly - and well;

Food tastes amazing when barbecued on charcoal! Charcoal smoke gives an amazing charred taste to meat and other food to which nothing else compares;

You can keep charcoal handy in the garage whenever you don’t need it, and have an extra pack in advance, just in case you decide to make a barbecue. And you know when you’re short on charcoal, compared to a gas bottle where it’s hard to know how much is left.
Cons:

You need to light up your barbecue before cooking your food, and that’s not always easy, especially if the weather plays up and it starts raining

Charcoal barbecues are very hot and you need to be careful not to burn your food, as the charred taste is only nice when it’s on the exterior of the food, not down to the core!

We don't want to spoil your fun, but burning wood and charcoal emits greenhouse gases.
Best charcoal barbecues: Dancook’s Firepit and KettleBarbecue 1900

Dancook is our favourite manufacturer when it comes to charcoal barbeques.

Dancook Firepit

Dancook firepit lid
We love the stylish firepit created by Dancook with its Scandinavian design and high quality finishing. It is versatile and functional and can be used all year long either as a barbecue or as a bonfire. The fire pit comes with some clever accessories such as the revolving holder and the firepit lid which participate in offering you the ultimate barbecue experience. The Dancook firepit revolving holder allows you to cook meat and more delicate food the way you like it, further from the heat, and helps keep food warm while you eat the first batch. The firepit lid comes in handy after the barbecue is done as it turns your Firepit into a cute little outdoor table for two. The lid also makes it easier to store your firepit and protect the inside of the pit when not in use.

Another advantage of the Dancook Firepit is that its steel and aluminium structure does’nt get warm on the outside so it drastically reduces the risks of getting burnt, great when there’s kids about!

Dancook Kettlebarbecue 1900

1900 Kettlebarbecue by Dancook
The Kettle Barbecue is simple, efficient and ergonomic. The kettle BBQ is a one-piece outdoor mini kitchen, perfect for small areas, and boasts an extending aluminium side table. Furthermore, its long legs stabilise the barbecue perfectly and a liner collects ashes and grease for you, allowing for easier cleaning and better combustion. Also, the Kettlebarbecue has a double skin so it traps a layer of hot air, making it a lot more efficient, which means that the kettlebarbecue uses less charcoal.

Gas Barbecue: pros and cons

Gas barbecues are quite recent, and are a blessing for people frustrated by hours spent trying to light a charcoal ‘barbie’. Just like charcoal barbeques, gas barbeques have advantages and drawbacks, some of which are listed below:

Pros:

You can get your barbecue ready in a couple of minutes, no more complaints from a hungry family and no more good advice on how best to set up your barbecue because obviously you don’t know how to light charcoal barbecues;

Gas barbecues are fuel-efficient: you can start cooking as soon as the heat is on and you just turn the gas off when you’re done;

Heat can be regulated. A gas barbecue doesn't reach such high heats as a charcoal one but you can decide on how high or low you want temperature to be, which is great to slow-cook food;

Gas is more economical than charcoal and lasts longer;

No ashes to clean at the end!
Cons:

You need to remember to store an extra gas bottle somewhere or to check that the previous one has enough gas to last for the whole barbecue. Gas bottles last so long that you don’t know when they’ll fail you...

Some people just don’t like using gas because they are afraid of gas leaks;

A gas barbecue cooks meat, fair enough, but it doesn’t really taste like barbecued meat, does it?
Best gas barbecue: Eva Solo Grill

The Eva Solo Grill is the ultimate space saver. The grill, created by another Danish manufacturer, is compact with a simple design, and the gas bottle is stored inside the grill itself. Highly functional, the grill offers three burners and several cooking zones to help you regulate the cooking of your food.

Eva Solo also make a smaller charcoal BBQ if you want the traditional, chargrilled taste.

Eva Solo Gas barbecue

Ultimately, when it comes to cooking and dining, what matters is that you use furniture and accessories you are comfortable with and suit your dining area. Gas or charcoal is mostly a matter of personal choice: if you prefer a nice barbecue easy to prepare, choose gas, and if you’d rather stick to traditions and like the smoky taste of barbecued food then stay with charcoal. And if you can’t decide just yet, contact us or come to our Barnes showroom and we’ll be happy to help!

Posted by Iconography Ltd
10th May 2013
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