Like most things in life, the choice between the two grills comes down to preference. However, if you are just starting out and don’t even know what you don’t know about grills, allow us to fill you in on the rudimentary facts regarding each of these cooking platforms.
Gas:
To some, this is the lesser of the two grills because of the lack of flavor created and finesse required for operating. However, you can still cook your pre-seasoned food to perfection on a machine like this.
One of the reasons gas grills are great is because they are incredibly easy to fire up. The propane flows up from its tank, like one that you can purchase and have sent to your home from Camping World with up to 15% cash back. The natural gas then mixes with the oxygen in the air and is sparked by the grill’s igniter.
These grills heat up in no time and through the property of conduction, you can have an entire meal ready in minutes. The gas grill is great for a novice who wants to cook outside with a drink in his or her hand while they watch the meats sear to perfection.
Thanks to the temperature control knobs, any cook who is keeping an eye on their food can mind its internal temperature by turning the flame up or down. This is also great for families where some members prefer a perfect medium rare burger and others enjoy a hockey puck.
Since maneuvering this type of grill is less demanding, the added convenience comes with a higher price tag, sometimes by a difference of hundreds if not thousands. Not to mention having to refill your propane tank at least once a season. You can find gas grills for less, but experts would recommend spending at least around $500 to get a quality product. Char-Griller makes a good product, and the Texas Trio 3-Burner is a great option, especially since it has a smoker attached. Grab one from Home Depot with up to 12% cash back.
Charcoal:
Grill people, pit masters, and outdoor cooking enthusiasts are sure to point you in the direction of the charcoal grill. It's the vinyl record of grilling. This is more of a hobby and a skill that needs to be practiced and consistently exercised if you want to get any good at it and not continuously burn your dinner.
The easiest thing about getting into charcoal grilling is the purchase. A plenty decent grill will run you around $150. As a matter of fact, the Weber 22-inch Original Kettle Charcoal Grill is selling for $139 and is eligible for 4% cash back at Ace Hardware.
Of course, these grills maintain their heat through charcoal which is an additional purchase. A 2-pack of 20lb Kingsford charcoal briquettes from Lowe’s is $21.98 with up to 15% cash back. A much smaller investment than a big tank of propane, especially with gas prices these days.
Something that is inherent inside of a charcoal grill is the ability to smoke. If the reason you want to start grilling is to achieve that irreplaceable flavor, charcoal is the way to go. What’s even cooler, is that you can get flavored charcoal to add another dimension of flavor to your meals. The downside of all this smoke is the ash that is left behind resulting in a difficult clean-up. You may find tidying up the dusty ashes even more challenging if you go with a less expensive charcoal grill with a weak collection tray.
It was our hope to be mostly neutral when discussing the differences in these grills. They both have their pros and cons and as we stated in the introduction, it comes down to preference. We hope that you can now make a more informed decision. If not, we recommend you find a similar article on a barbecue site. Our specialty is helping you save money.
by Louis Pino
Louis Pino is the junior copywriter at TopCashback.com. He defines frugality as not solely buying life's necessities, but being shrewd when it comes to purchasing your wants. This is why, since 2021, Louis has been spreading the good word of balancing money management and shopping through informative blog posts such as this.
