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Grilling is one of the most beloved pastimes in America, especially in the summer. Gathering your family and friends and hosting a barbecue with delicious burgers, hot dogs, steaks, and grilled veggies is fun for everyone. Whether you just bought a house and want to purchase your first grill or you’re looking for an upgrade, the main decision you must make is what type of grill you want. The three most popular are charcoal grills, gas grills, and pellet grills. Each one has unique benefits, so here’s some more info about all of them to help you make the best decision.
Charcoal Grills
Cooking over charcoal briquettes is a time-honored tradition that has been around long before the modern stainless steel and portable charcoal grills that are common today. Charcoal grills, like the Char-Broil Tabletop model, are also favorites because they are relatively inexpensive when compared to pellet and gas grills. All a solid charcoal grill needs is a metal basin for the charcoal and a grill grate on top to place your food, and you can make a delicious meal when you're tailgating or hosting a cookout.
Another common bonus of cooking over a charcoal grill is that many people believe it gives the food more flavor. Although this seems like a bit of a hopeful myth, there is some science to it. Since there isn’t a heat regulator on a charcoal grill, the coals get extremely hot. As fat renders and drips onto the hot charcoal, it vaporizes, rising back up to coat the meat you’re cooking and making it more flavorful and juicier.
You can even create your own sort of temperature regulation with a charcoal grill by dispersing the hot coals carefully. For dual-zone cooking, just pile more of the coals on one side than the other. The side with more coals will get much hotter, letting you cook two dishes at different temperatures.
Gas Grills
On the opposite end of the spectrum is the gas grill, like the classic Coleman Sportster. Most of these are made of stainless steel and run on propane, giving you a clean, sleek look with instant ignition. One of the most significant benefits of a gas grill is you don’t have to wait for it to heat up. As soon as you turn on the gas and ignite the flame, your cooking surface is at a high heat. Plus, gas grills tend to have the highest British Thermal Unit (BTU) rating, so they use fuel efficiently. This is perfect for last-minute parties or quick dinners, as you can just throw your meat on and get to cooking.
Since propane burns at a steady temperature, you can also set your gas grill to the exact power and heat you want it to be by adjusting the knobs to control the strength of the flames. Plus, gas grills are sophisticated and have multiple independent burners, including side burners, so you can set different cooking temperatures. Whether you’re cooking a juicy, medium-rare steak or want to blacken some chicken for a Cajun-inspired meal, you can turn the flame up or down on each burner to meet your unique needs.
Another cool part of gas grills is you can turn them into griddles by getting a solid cooking space. One of the most popular is the Blackstone griddle, which is a large, flat top surface that fits right over your gas burners. This instantly transforms the gas grill into a restaurant-style outdoor cooking station that is perfect for breakfast spreads, hibachi nights, and more, as you can use indirect heat to keep things warm when they are finished cooking.
Pellet Grills
The beauty of a wood pellet grill is that it has multiple functions. While its primary function is a smoker that cooks your food slowly at a set temperature and imbues it with smoky flavor, you can also use it like a traditional grill. Pellet smokers used to be pretty niche, but they’re exploding in popularity because they are simple and easy to use and produce some of the best tasting meals.
To use one, all you have to do is fill the hopper with your favorite flavor of wood pellets, press the ignition button, and set the temperature. Then just close the lid and wait for it to heat up before putting your meat in the cooking area and letting the pellet smoker do all the work. One cool thing you can do is use different types of wood pellets like cherry, hickory, and mesquite, to change the flavor of your meal.
Since wood pellet grills cook food slowly, they specialize in temperature control and maintaining a precise, accurate reading over long periods. While it has a thermostat on the grill, many of them, like the Camp Chef SmokePro SG, can connect to your phone through WiFi. With an associated app, you can raise or lower the temperature on the fly to cook your food perfectly. Camp Chef also has a retrofit WiFi controller that you can install on an older pellet grill to give you the same functionality.
Which Should You Pick?
Picking the right grill for you is a difficult decision, so the best gas grill, charcoal grill, or pellet grill depends on your needs and personal preferences. For example, a charcoal grill is the perfect option if you are single or want to use it occasionally for only a few meals, as they are often smaller. Charcoal grills are also a little cheaper, so they’re a good starting point for most people.
On the other hand, if you plan to use the grill multiple times a week, a propane model may be the best choice because it ignites instantly and is ready to roll. Plus, it holds a large propane tank so you don’t have to worry about getting more fuel constantly. Gas grills also tend to be a bit larger than charcoal grills, so you can cook a lot of food at once.
Finally, choose a wood pellet grill if you want to cook a wide variety of food, especially large cuts of meat like brisket and pork shoulder. Since these cuts can easily weigh upwards of 10 pounds, you don’t want to cook them at a high temperature, or they’ll dry out. A pellet smoker is the best way to ensure the meat remains juicy and delicious. Wood pellet grills also handle smaller cuts easily, although it often takes longer to cook them than charcoal or wood options, so keep this in mind.
Shop Grills Today at OpticsPlanet!
Don’t waste any time getting your new grill! Whether you want a charcoal, gas, or wood pellet grill, we have many options to suit your needs. We even have a wide variety of grill accessories and utensils to pair with your new cooktop and help you serve the best meals to your family and friends.
