[umsami]

Hi All:<br><br>
DH and I are thinking about buying a small grill for the backyard. No idea which kind to get (gas or charcoal)... or even if we'd actually end up using it. Any recommendations??? We want to spend around $100 give or take... as we figure if we ever become grill aficionados we can upgrade. We both are total novices.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

We have gas, I hate charcoal.

 

[ThreeBeans]

Gas is gross, get charcoal <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/loveeyes.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Loveeyes">:<br><br>
If you have a gas grill, you may as well go inside and cook on your stove. With real fire in your grill, you add SO much flavor to your meat/veggies.

 

[UmmBnB]

We have both. There are different schools of thought around which is better charcoal or gas. Most folks are true to one or another but my dh is an obsessive backyard cook so we have both...and a charcoal and wood smoker as well.<br><br>
For $100 you won't get much in the gas grill arena. If you find one it will be a cheapy and won't be good quality. I like gas cause its instant gratification. We use the gas grill more often...week nights and for nights we've not done much planning. We use the charcoal on weekends or when we've planned ahead. Dh smokes a couple times a month often as a treat for the guys on his crew (he's a contractor). Well that and our neighbor is the KING of bbq and they are constantly in competition. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"><br><br>
Everytime they do bbq they are shouting at eachother over the fence about the quality of the smoke, etc. It's hilarious.

 

[KatWrangler]

We have a propane gas grill from Lowes, BBQ Grillware is the brand. Love it! We have had Weber grills in the past. They were always a pain to start the fire. With this, just turn on the propane cylinder and turn the knobs and you have fire! Woo Hoo!<br><br>
We use ours anywhere from 3-5 times a week during the winter (and we live in Montana) and during the summer we use it even more.<br><br>
I am a SAHM so I grill hot dogs, chicken breasts etc for our lunches.

 

[HollyBearsMom]

We have both too. The gas grill we use all year long, even here in New England. Like UmmBnB said gas is pretty easy and is ready to go in no time so it great for quick week day meals and as well as big weekend get togethers.<br><br>
The small weber we use pretty much only for summing outings at beach. We love it but still it is a pain. If it is windy it can be hard to light. You also need to start it way ahead of when you want to cook and you don't have a lot of control of the heat. The good news is they are CHEAP, you can get a good size one for under a $100 and smaller one for under $50<br><br>
Fairly new to the market (last 5 years or so) weber added a charcoal grill with a gas starterfor those folks who insist on charcoal taste but want it faster. My neigbors got one a rave about it. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325&tag=motheringhud-20&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FWeber-841001-Performer-Charcoal-Touch-N-Go%2Fdp%2FB000659KDM" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Weber-841001-P.../dp/B000659KDM</a>

 

[sunnysideup]

We have charcoal. I like the smoked flavor of the food cooked on charcoal. We have a Weber, like <a href="http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-1/qid=1178027722/ref=sr_1_1/602-7573655-3511003?ie=UTF8&asin=B00004RALR" target="_blank">this</a>. It's a good, basic grill.<br><br>
I think gas is somewhat more complicated. You have to get propane tanks or have it hooked up to a gas line.<br><div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
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<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">If you have a gas grill, you may as well go inside and cook on your stove. With real fire in your grill, you add SO much flavor to your meat/veggies.</td>
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Yeah that!

 

[shantimama]

We have charcoal and like it - but it isn't big enough for our family any more. I like the charcoal, but the convenience factor does matter. I wold also love to be able to BBQ through the winter months, and that just doesn't happen with charcoal in our situation. So someday we will likely switch - then again, we may have it on our "someday" list until our kids grow up and we'll just stick with the little charcoal grill we have now!

 

[Starr]

We have both. I like the gas grill for grilling hot dogs<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/duck.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Duck">: , hamburgers, and things that don't take as much time. Its easy to turn the grill on wait a few minutes and they are done. But when we do like a whole turkey, chicken, ribs or anything else that will take a while we use our charcoal one because you get a lot more flavor.

 

[mata]

I hate dealing with gas-getting the tank filled, etc. so we have a Weber charcoal-the large kettle one runs about 120 I think.

 

[Arduinna]

charcoal purist here, there is just no comparison to cooking with real wood also, which you can't do with gas. sorry but I don't count those little wood chip or sawdust holders as comperable. Additionally, you can not get real bbq which requires low and slow and wood on a gas grill.

 

[kama'aina mama]

I don't like gas... negates the point of grilling, IMO. I also hate lighter fluid. Those charcoal starting chimneys are the best, best, best.<br><br>
Ex and I bought a cheap grill for probably $30 at Kmart when we were first married. The thing I loved was that I could easily adjust the height of the grill to be closer or farther from the coals. We used that $30 grill for 7 years and cooked, at least 200 great meals on it.<br><br>
Oh man, this thread is making my mouth water! I need to get grilling again!

 

[Arduinna]

yeah regulating heat on charcoal is easy, you can raise and lower the grate or you can move the food to indirect heat. We actually rarely cook over direct heat, just for quick cooking things. Everything else is indirect heat.

 

[kama'aina mama]

<a href="http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Grills&pid=07116247000&vertical=LAWN&subcat=Charcoal+Grills&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes" target="_blank">http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...seBVCookie=Yes</a><br><br>
That's the one! Simple... One little shelf, adjustable grill height.<br><br><a href="http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Grills&pid=07116248000&vertical=LAWN&subcat=Charcoal+Grills&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes" target="_blank">http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...seBVCookie=Yes</a><br><br>
This one is twice as much and the only real difference is fancier shelves. Feh. I can turn over a five gallon bucket if I need to put something down! LOL

 

[MoonStarFalling]

I used to hate gas grill cooked food and refused to use anything but charcoal. But then someone told me it all had to do with the seasoning of your grill. We got a gas grill and seasoned it properly and it tastes just as good as the charcoal and it's much faster/easier/less messy.

 

[Arduinna]

oh, I'd seriously consider getting one that is compatible with a rotisserie, because that stuff is the best. Rotis smoked chicken, yummm rotis leg of lamb super yummm<br><br><br>
We do our turkey on the grill every year for Thanksgiving and it's fantastic.<br><br>
ok now I'm getting hungry, I may have to take those ribs out of the freezer.

 

[MiaPia]

We have both, but use our charcoal grill a whole lot more. My DH thinks it's sacreligious to cook meat on a gas grill - like PP have said, you may as well be cooking indoors!

 

[kama'aina mama]

A rotisserie is taking it to a WHOLE new level!

 

[sunnysideup]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>Arduinna</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/8001532"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">oh, I'd seriously consider getting one that is compatible with a rotisserie, because that stuff is the best. Rotis smoked chicken, yummm rotis leg of lamb super yummm</div>
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Now I'm thinking I need <a href="http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_2/602-7573655-3511003?ie=UTF8&asin=B000AXWTS8" target="_blank">this one</a>.

 

[Marvelleaux]

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<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>kama'aina mama</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/8001455"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I don't like gas... negates the point of grilling, IMO. I also hate lighter fluid. Those charcoal starting chimneys are the best, best, best.</div>
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<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/yeahthat.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="yeah that">:<br><br>
Purchase Stephen Raichlin's <i>Barbeque Bible</i> and that will help you decide what kind of grill to buy--and soon you'll both be on your way to becoming master grillers!<br><br>
I have both charcoal and gas. I use the gas for outdoor cooking, not grilling, in the summer when I want keep the house nice and cool <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile">