# Is Charcoal Really That Great?



## thecactuswill (Aug 27, 2006)

Well I need to get a grill and can't afford a gas one right now.  So was going to do charcoal, but saw a big stand up george foreman electric grill for $50.  Alot of surface area and not a 2 sided cooking surface like the regular one.  Is that just an easy way out?  Is charcoal that much better?  Any other alternatives?


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## Half Baked (Aug 27, 2006)

I prefer charcoal to gas. I only use gas for convenience or in the winter snow.

If you have to cook inside and don't have a Jenn-Aire or the equivelent, I'd use a GF. I gave mine away because I didn't care for it.

Sorry, I didn't see 'see' the part where you explained it was not 2 sided. I'm not familiar with that at all.


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## TATTRAT (Aug 27, 2006)

I personally prefer charcoal to gas. I am also an all weather griller. A good excuse to get out back and sip on a beverage, rain or shine.


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## Andy M. (Aug 27, 2006)

If you cannot afford a gas grill, buy a charcoal grill.  The electric GF will not give the same results.


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## Robo410 (Aug 27, 2006)

charcoal is the way to go ... get a weber kettle grill.  get a chimney starter, cook up a storm!  get some wood chips too (mesquite are my fave)


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## ironchef (Aug 27, 2006)

Robo410 said:
			
		

> charcoal is the way to go ... get a weber kettle grill. get a chimney starter, cook up a storm! get some wood chips too (mesquite are my fave)


 
Exactly. Charcoal grill and chimney. 

Electric grills like George Foreman's are not really grills. They are basically frying pans with raised grates on them. The only two similarities are that you can get grill marks and that you're not cooking the food in fat.


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## thecactuswill (Aug 27, 2006)

Ok well then charcoal it is.



			
				Half Baked said:
			
		

> Sorry, I didn't see 'see' the part where you explained it was not 2 sided. I'm not familiar with that at all.


 
Indoor george foreman grills have the lid that compresses down on the meat lol, sqeezing the crap out of it and heating from both sides.


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## Half Baked (Aug 27, 2006)

...but I thought she said it 'wasn't' 2 sided.  



> Alot of surface area and not a 2 sided cooking surface like the regular one


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## thecactuswill (Aug 27, 2006)

Half Baked said:
			
		

> ...but I thought she said it 'wasn't' 2 sided.


 
Oh yeah


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## FryBoy (Aug 27, 2006)

Definitely go for the charcoal grill over the George Forman "grill," which will not give you the same flavor as a true BBQ grill. I'd recommend a Weber, which I used for years with excellent results before switching to gas for convenience. 

One other idea -- when my dad taught me how to grill, it was on a real fireplace he built on our backyard patio. We built fires using pine for kindlinga and then oak or maple to create a glorious bed of coals.


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## QSis (Aug 27, 2006)

Yes, charcoal is really that great.  And wood chips.  

Get a Weber kettle.

Lee


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## scott123 (Aug 27, 2006)

Charcoal grills are not as inexpensive as they seem.  Cheap charcoal is made with fillers that, imo, create an off taste in food. Depending on where you live, lump charcoal (the kind without fillers) can be costly. Over time, the price you pay for lump charcoal can make up the difference between a charcoal grill and a gas grill.


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## kitchenelf (Aug 27, 2006)

scott123 said:
			
		

> Charcoal grills are not as inexpensive as they seem.  Cheap charcoal is made with fillers that, imo, create an off taste in food. Depending on where you live, lump charcoal (the kind without fillers) can be costly. Over time, the price you pay for lump charcoal can make up the difference between a charcoal grill and a gas grill.



$ wise the cost may be made up but you can't beat the taste.  I was going to make mention of the hardwood lump charcoat - it's wonderful!!!!  It really holds the temp too - I smoked some things with it and I only had to refill once in 7 hours.


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## Mylegsbig (Aug 27, 2006)

seriously LOL @ a foreman grill.

dont waste your money dude.


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## thecactuswill (Aug 28, 2006)

Mylegsbig said:
			
		

> seriously LOL @ a foreman grill.
> 
> dont waste your money dude.


 
You have to cook food somehow.


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## XeniA (Aug 28, 2006)

Thank heavens people finally started to mention flavor. There's no comparison -- charcoal wins hands down.

As for cost, it will help if you don't let your charcoal burn down to nothing each time you use it. Put it out with water. Use a sprayer, not a hose. Will raise some smoke, but that's not such a big deal -- you're outdoors.

As for the convenience of a gas grill ... the _really_ "convenient" way to cook is in your kitchen where's everything's at hand. Cooking outside is necessarily a bit less convenient, but that's not the point really, is it? And dealing with charcoal's hardly a hassle: plunk some in; light it; leave it; cook on it...


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## VegasDramaQueen (Aug 28, 2006)

_I received a little Forman Lean Mean Fat Reducing Machine as a promo gift when I bought my Lazy Boy Chair a couple of months ago. I would never have purchased this grill but I have to tell you I love it. It makes great burgers and chicken breasts but it is by NO means a bbq type grill. I have a Weber charcoal grill and a Weber Q gas grill and I love both of them but the Weber charcoal grill wins hands down every time. NOTHING grills like charcoal. It's not as convenient as the Weber Q gas grill but I go for flavor. I'm not in that much of a hurry.  I dump some charred wood, (I don't like briquets) into my Weber chimney, add some newspaper, light it and wait a few minutes.  Then dump the charcoal into the grill and go for it.   It' only takes a couple of minutes  longer for charcoal to burn to a white ash than it takes to preheat a gas grill._


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## GB (Aug 28, 2006)

Ayrton said:
			
		

> As for cost, it will help if you don't let your charcoal burn down to nothing each time you use it. Put it out with water.


I am not sure if I agree with this. While it may save money in the short run, it will end up ruining your grill so you will need to buy a new one sooner than you would if you kept it dry. I forget the specifics (Buckytom where are you?), but the water in combination with the ash creates an acid (I think) that eats away at the metal of the grill.


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## Bangbang (Aug 28, 2006)

Get one of these. I love it and it is only about $100 bucks. Charcoal rules. However I got to admit I use my gas grill more often because I am lazy.


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## XeniA (Aug 28, 2006)

GB said:
			
		

> I am not sure if I agree with this. While it may save money in the short run, it will end up ruining your grill so you will need to buy a new one sooner than you would if you kept it dry. I forget the specifics (Buckytom where are you?), but the water in combination with the ash creates an acid (I think) that eats away at the metal of the grill.


Hey GB,

That may be theoretically sound -- I don't know -- but in practice I haven't found it to be true. We use a Weber kettle grill and it's in very good condition, despite always extinguishing the charcoal with water. After all, there isn't ever any _sitting_ water, in combination with ash or otherwise, since it all evaporates immediately. Seems to me that what remains is just still-good charcoal and, yes, ash.

Grill's about 12-years old now. Again, in very, very good condition.


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## GB (Aug 28, 2006)

If it works for you then that is what counts!


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## Sephora (Aug 28, 2006)

The beauty of a charcoal grill is it doesn't have to be expensive, just get the size you want.  I bought mine for $20 on sale at WalMart and it cooks just as good as my dad's Webber.  Would I prefer a Webber?  Heck yeah!  But I was not on that kind of budget and until this falls apart, I'm happy.  I love my chimney for starting the charcoal too.  No fuel taste.


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## karadekoolaid (Aug 28, 2006)

thecactuswill said:
			
		

> You have to cook food somehow.


 
Ahhhh, cactus, my dear friend - that is where one begins to sink into culinary obscurity!! Just like a dear family member who puts the "roast" on when she goes to church ( 10am) and takes it out at 3...

Only pulling your leg! 
I've a feeling that the "grill" has a lot to do with the local culture. 
Anyone over here in Venezuela who cannot do a "_parrilla" _(Grill) is simply NOT considered a human being...   

Having said that, I cringe at some of the things I've seen passing as a BBQ - DOUSE the flames with 4 cans of beer; whip the meat off the grill, toss water on the flames; wrap the meat in aluminium paper; gasp!!! 

Charcoal rocks.It's a lot more fussy that a Weber grill; it's harder work; if you're the kind of person who just wants to chuck stuff on the grill and wait for an alarm bell - FORGET charcoal. You have to watch the grill and the food most of the time; you have to be ready to move stuff around on the grill, etc. if you're using charcoal. Emeril's tips have helped me a bunch - " the coals are ready when  you can hold your open palm over the coals for 3 seconds and not get burnt". It works. Cooking on charcoal imparts an unforgettable flavour to what ever you are cooking. 

Having used charcoal, dried fruit tree branches ( avocado, Guava, mango, apple, etc) I'd NEVER go back to anything else. Like going from a Jaguar to a Honda 50cc!!


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## buckytom (Aug 29, 2006)

hey gb, sorry, i've been meaning to respond to this. we're getting ready for football, so work keeps getting in the way of my time here. the noive o' dem.

the combination of wood ash and water creates lye, which will accelerate the rusting process. ayrton, you must use very little water and remove any remaining ash or ashey paste to be successful with it. just one chink in the paint, and you've got bare metal, and then rust. add lye, and it'll rust thru in no time.

if you want to save your charcoal, you just have to remove the oxygen. close up all vents on the grill and cover it tightly. it'll smoke itself out. you can toss in a piece of newspaper to help it out. it'll burn down a little more, but there should be coals left.
i've been in bad conditions in the mountains where we've really needed to preserve firewood and charcoal for cooking, so we put out the fire when it wasn't needed by smothering it with sandy soil. the coals will continue to smolder for some time, so you can restart a fire easily if you do it right. also, it's a good place to sleep on top of when it realy cold. i guess if you're really into it, you could smother the coals in your grill with play sand, then pick out the useable pieces, and reserve the sand to use again. 

imo, as i've mentioned before, real hardwood lump charcoal is the way to go for cooking, if you can afford and/or obtain it. there is no comparison for flavor, and different woods will impart different flavors. aslo, it should be started with a chimney, not lighter fluid. the latter is always fun, but i can always taste it in the food, no matter how little was used.
i will resort to using briquette charcoal if that's all that's available, but i prefer lump hardwood.

and you don't need a fancy or expensive charcoal grill. i have some cheapo $40 walmart special, and it's worked fine now for about 5 years or so, in all conditions. i'm just careful to be vigilant removing old ashes, and not letting any water get inside.

here's a picture of my no-name cheapo grill, cooking a coupla pork tenderloins on a cold night.


http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/7568/grillinginwinter4uy.jpg


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## ronjohn55 (Aug 29, 2006)

Bucky, I'm SHOCKED!!!

I thought for sure, given your fascination with it, you would extoll the virtues of (que Hank Hill Voice) "Propane and Propane Accessories" (end Hank Hill Voice).    

John


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## MarionW (Aug 29, 2006)

I will chime in on this one....  Charcoal, by means of convenience, rules over a wood fire.  A wood fire, burned to a bed of coals, rules.  But given our fast paced society, we have little time for this unless planned.  Here, we grill & we grill often.  98% of the time, it's over charcoal.  Not meaning anything negative toward someone else's option, but gas is not a consideration at my home.  It does not compare.  This, of course has nothing to do with my choice of indoor appliances, which in the case with gas, is number 1.

Now, having said this, I will expound a bit more:

Cooking with coals, whether it be charcoal or wood, can and does involve many avenues.  Grilling is one of them.  But, let's not forget the world of breads, soups, cakes, etc, etc...  I have done all with charcoal, but prefer to burn down a hickory fire.

Aside from my charcoal grill, I have a fire-pit in the yard, tri-pod, dutch ovens and the like.  It's a big world.  devour all you can.

Best regards,
Marion


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## ronjohn55 (Aug 29, 2006)

MarionW said:
			
		

> A wood fire, burned to a bed of coals, rules.


 
LOL!! I have to agree! We "kinda" grilled, "kinda" smoked some thick cut pork ribs (country style) this summer up at the cottage. We put the tripod over the campfire, added some northern Michigan wild cherry wood, and cooked them for about 4 hours. They disappeared in about 5 minutes!  Good Stuff!

John


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## MarionW (Aug 29, 2006)

*ronjohn55*


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## buckytom (Aug 30, 2006)

good points marion. 

as far as convenience goes, lump hardwood charcoal is available by the bag, just like briquette charcoal. it is more expensive, and is a little more difficult to control as is even burning briquettes. but as we've mentioned, the way to go if you can. 

most surveys or tests say that lump burns longer, hotter, and more evenly. but in my experience, it burns out quicker _because _it burns hotter. 
briquettes are manufactured, therefore would have less variation in the product, and would burn more evenly i would think. 
the extra heat from lump is not a problem, tho. you just have to adjust for it. in fact, sometimes you really want a hot grill, and you just can't get that with briquettes.

here's a good link for lump charcoal info and comparisons: http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lump.htm


and ronjohn, go back to your gaseous dark side. i've resisted the wife's attempts all summer to buy a propane grill.
even tho you promised the key to your cellar...


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## MarionW (Aug 30, 2006)

ronjohn,

Might you be a fellow brewer, or even a fellow winemaker?

marion


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## ronjohn55 (Aug 30, 2006)

MarionW said:
			
		

> ronjohn,
> 
> Might you be a fellow brewer, or even a fellow winemaker?
> 
> marion


 
Yep! Guilty on all counts! Beer, wine, cider, mead...

And Bucky, we all KNOW you have one of these hiding in the yard, you just won't admit to it!!!    

John


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## MarionW (Aug 30, 2006)

*Ronjohn55*

John, I started a thread in the beverage section.  I'd appreciate your response.

Marion


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## buckytom (Aug 31, 2006)

you've done your homework ronjohn. but alas, i've slipped thru the cracks so far. dw dragged me down to the store to buy that exact grill earlier in the summer, but my luck held out and they were temporarily out of stock.
i've been able to dodge the issue since then. mean old swamp witch.

i probably will submit and see what homey depot has after labor day. i know the grill i'd like, but i'll wait for a sale. sad times a comin'... (been watching a lot of blues on pbs  )


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## ronjohn55 (Aug 31, 2006)

buckytom said:
			
		

> you've done your homework ronjohn. but alas, i've slipped thru the cracks so far. dw dragged me down to the store to buy that exact grill earlier in the summer, but my luck held out and they were temporarily out of stock.
> i've been able to dodge the issue since then. mean old swamp witch.
> 
> i probably will submit and see what homey depot has after labor day. i know the grill i'd like, but i'll wait for a sale. sad times a comin'... (been watching a lot of blues on pbs  )


 
I know a place that has them on season's end close out right now, want me to let her know??  

John


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## buckytom (Aug 31, 2006)

well, the saddest day of my grilling life is here.

when i'm off work tomorrow morning, i'm going to home depot and buying a charmglow grill.

gonna pick up some quickrete as well, to make a foundation for the new grill under the apple tree (and another by the fence for the garbage cans).

woe is me.


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## TATTRAT (Sep 1, 2006)

<insert sarcasim>



I still love me some charcoal goodness.


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## ronjohn55 (Sep 1, 2006)

The way I hear it, Bucky even got a new outfit to grill in!

Kinda reflective of your fall to the dark side of grilling, huh?


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## buckytom (Sep 1, 2006)

lol, the breathing freaks out the neighbor's dog.
i'll take it.

i almost bought a grill this morning, but i talked my way out of it again.  

i distracted her with bagels, and vacation plans to see "thomas the tank engine" in lancaster, pa. in a coupla weeks, and another trip to florida around thanksgiving. she forgot all about the grill.


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## Andy M. (Sep 1, 2006)

Tom:

You're gonna pay in the end.  You know this, right?


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## buckytom (Sep 1, 2006)

yeah, but it's like cheating death. you know it's coming. you just have to have some fun before the bell tolls.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Sep 2, 2006)

Ayrton said:
			
		

> Thank heavens people finally started to mention flavor. There's no comparison -- charcoal wins hands down.
> 
> As for cost, it will help if you don't let your charcoal burn down to nothing each time you use it. Put it out with water. Use a sprayer, not a hose. Will raise some smoke, but that's not such a big deal -- you're outdoors.
> 
> As for the convenience of a gas grill ... the _really_ "convenient" way to cook is in your kitchen where's everything's at hand. Cooking outside is necessarily a bit less convenient, but that's not the point really, is it? And dealing with charcoal's hardly a hassle: plunk some in; light it; leave it; cook on it...



I have a Webber Kettle and I get two, three, and sometimes four meals off of one batch of charcoal.  At the end of each cooking session, I just close all of the vents and starve the fire for oxygen.  I shake off the ash before relighting the next time.

The last time I used the Webber was yesterday evening.  There were only a few small coals left so I was going to let them just burn out.  But I had an idea.  I had graham crackers, Hershey-bars, and marshmallows.  I took 3/4 of the hershey bar with three marshmallows, and sandwiched them between two whole graham crackers , amd a second one, and put them on tthe grill, away from the hot coals.  I put the cover on and let everything cook for about 4 minutes.  I took the lid off and had perfect s'mores with golden, melted marshmallows topping perfectly softened chocolate.  I seerved it all up for my wife and me, and sat snuggled together watching the sun set on Lake Superior.  It was a fantastic way to end the day.  Try that with your GF, or gas grill.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## QSis (Sep 2, 2006)

buckytom said:
			
		

> yeah, but it's like cheating death. you know it's coming. you just have to have some fun before the bell tolls.


 
LOL!  Good luck - I'm rooting for you, Tom!

Lee


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