# How Often Do You Grill?



## FrankZ (Jun 2, 2010)

Just curious how often everyone breaks out the grill.  I know seasonally things can get weird, I didn't feel like removing the 50 inches of snow we got this past winter (in 4 days).  I got fed up after shoveling out to the grill.

Anyways.. I try to get 2 to 3 times in a week.  Sometimes it doesn't happen, but usually with meal planning my first instinct is what can I grill?

Also it would be interesting to see if people grill more or less with propane.  I always hear how convenient it is, but I usually grill about 20 times to 1 as my neighbors (who all have propane).


----------



## Wyogal (Jun 2, 2010)

Charcoal or wood fire here... probably once a week or more, depending on the weather or if we are camping.


----------



## GrillingFool (Jun 2, 2010)

Propane now.
When Old Reliable dies, I will probably get charcoal.
For years, my grill was a portable Coleman gas grill I got free.
You just don't know how happy I was to finally get a real gas grill !


----------



## JohnL (Jun 2, 2010)

I grill year long, 2 to 4 times a week on propane. I want to buy a char griller barrel cooker with the side box this year if the budget allows. I'd love to get back to charcoal for a change.


----------



## kadesma (Jun 2, 2010)

DH has propane, I have charcoal..Need I say more?
kades


----------



## BreezyCooking (Jun 2, 2010)

One to two times a week during the spring/summer/fall; once in awhile if we have really mild spells in the winter.


----------



## Andy M. (Jun 2, 2010)

I use my gas grill a couple of times a week when it's not winter.  In the really cold weather it more like a couple of times a month.  There are, after all, a lot more great dishes you can create that are winter appropriate and cooked indoors.

I've gotten lazier than ever in my old age and I know if I had to deal with lighting charcoal every time, I wouldn't grill very much at all.  Every once in a while I see a Weber charcoal grill in a store and think how good it would be to have one.  However, I come to my senses fairly quickly.


----------



## BreezyCooking (Jun 2, 2010)

Ugh - I know this is just a personal preference thing, but I could NEVER warm up to a gas grill.  To me, gas grilling isn't "grilling"; it's just moving your gas stove outside - lol!  What, exactly, is the difference?  Zip.  You're cooking on a gas stove.  Outside.  LOL!!


----------



## Mimizkitchen (Jun 2, 2010)

I love to grill and living in florida you can pretty much do it year round... I have to say I probably do it 4-6 times a week,(that sounds a little dirty ) it just to damn hot to do things in the oven...


----------



## Andy M. (Jun 2, 2010)

BreezyCooking said:


> Ugh - I know this is just a personal preference thing, but I could NEVER warm up to a gas grill.  To me, gas grilling isn't "grilling"; it's just moving your gas stove outside - lol!  What, exactly, is the difference?  Zip.  You're cooking on a gas stove.  Outside.  LOL!!




Using either gas or charcoal as a heat source, you melt fat that drips down onto the hot surfaces below the cooking surface and vaporizes, creating smoke.  That smoke passes over the food on its way into the world and flavors the food.  Whether you use charcoal or gas doesn't make that much of a difference.  I don't know about you but when I cook on a gas stove, I use a pan.  LOL!!


----------



## JamesS (Jun 2, 2010)

Four or five times a year at best for me.  I had enough cooking outdoors in Boy Scouts.


----------



## CharlieD (Jun 2, 2010)

I used to grill practically everyday, but nowadays when I come home family is done eating, so when i cook I prefer to cook things that are easily wormed up and grilled foods are not always that great wormed up, like himburger for example, steak is still good even if you put it in microwave, but not hot dogs. I love grilling thou


----------



## babetoo (Jun 2, 2010)

it is to much trouble to have an outside grill for just myself. so any grilling i do is on my mini george forman. not really grilled but close enough for gov. work. lol


----------



## roadfix (Jun 2, 2010)

I grill at least once a week, year round.  It's not the cooking....I just love playing with fire.


----------



## FrankZ (Jun 2, 2010)

roadfix said:


> I grill at least once a week, year round.  It's not the cooking....I just love playing with fire.



Well.. that does make it better doesn't it?


----------



## roadfix (Jun 2, 2010)

FrankZ said:


> Well.. that does make it better doesn't it?


Being able to cook food on it is a side benefit....
Once I get my outdoor pizza oven done there will be even more fire play....


----------



## Andy M. (Jun 2, 2010)

roadfix said:


> Being able to cook food on it is a side benefit....
> Once I get my outdoor pizza oven done there will be even more fire play....



The local cops and firemen probably have your address circled in red.


----------



## Mimizkitchen (Jun 2, 2010)

Ofcourse they do Andy, they want their pizza fix... Now if he could just make donuts...


----------



## Janet H (Jun 3, 2010)

Propane and 2 to 3 x per week. But in my defense, I almost always use some fruit wood or herby thing like rosemary to improve taste a bit.  We have rosemary and sage growing right next to the grill so it's easy to remember


----------



## frozenstar (Jun 3, 2010)

Once a week or less depending on weather...  I'm more into using charcoal grills...


----------



## mollyanne (Jun 3, 2010)

Mimizkitchen said:


> I love to grill and living in florida you can pretty much do it year round... I have to say I probably do it 4-6 times a week,(that sounds a little dirty ) it just to damn hot to do things in the oven...


I love grilling too (i love it more when others do it) but I only do it about four times a year...in fact, I can't even remember the last time I did it...how do you think that makes ME sound? 

I use charcoal but wasn't exactly by choice. I'm intimidated by gas grills with the sounds of hissing and clicking and all. I bought a monster-size that was twice the size of me...$chi-ching$...and felt like it owned me instead of the other way around...so I gave it away after a few tries.


----------



## Mimizkitchen (Jun 3, 2010)

mollyanne said:


> I love grilling too (i love it more when others do it) but I only do it about four times a year...in fact, I can't even remember the last time I did it...how do you think that makes ME sound?
> 
> I use charcoal but wasn't exactly by choice. I'm intimidated by gas grills with the sounds of hissing and clicking and all. I bought a monster-size that was twice the size of me...$chi-ching$...and felt like it owned me instead of the other way around...so I gave it away after a few tries.



GIRL me thinks you should have kept that monster-sized thing with all its hissing and clicking, and just done it more often...


----------



## mollyanne (Jun 3, 2010)

...


----------



## Kayelle (Jun 3, 2010)

BreezyCooking said:


> Ugh - I know this is just a personal preference thing, but I could NEVER warm up to a gas grill.  To me, gas grilling isn't "grilling"; it's just moving your gas stove outside - lol!  What, exactly, is the difference?  Zip.  You're cooking on a gas stove.  Outside.  LOL!!



I agree with you 100% on this one Breezy !!

Andy, when you invent a gas grill that can produce the true flavor of a charcoal grill, you'll be in Bill Gates league.  So far, it's not been done.


----------



## roadfix (Jun 4, 2010)

I'm sure there are settle differences in flavor but I can't tell the difference between my gas and charcoal grills.  My burgers, ribs, and chicken all taste the same to me.


----------



## FrankZ (Jun 4, 2010)

Part of the enjoyment I get from grilling is building the fire.  Getting the coals where I want them is all part of the process.

I do use propane on our boat as I don't want to deal with charcoal and blowing embers on a boat.


----------



## chefkathleen (Jun 4, 2010)

I didn't vote cause my mood changes. But, since I'm in Fl. I do it as much as I want. I can't stand gas/propane. It makes the food taste funny/gross. IMO. If I want it to taste like something besides what it is, I'll had some wood to the charcoal for the smoke flavor.


----------



## buckytom (Jun 4, 2010)

i voted 2 to 3 times a week, but that's from april to november. it goes down to once a week or two in the winter.

as far as grills go, i reluctantly gave in, joined the dark side and got a gas grill. 

imo, there is most certainly a difference in flavour between gas and charcoal. you get some smoke from gas, and a particular char that sort of defines grilling. but charcoal, especially lump hardwood, adds an unmistakable extra taste that can't be produced with burning wood.
gas is just enough, however, to make the convenience of it well worth it.

and if you breath in the burning gas, you sound like darth vader.

both methods, though, are most certainly unlike "moving your oven outside", unless you have a grill in your oven.


----------



## BreezyCooking (Jun 4, 2010)

What I said was, that in my opinion, it wasn't any different from moving your gas STOVE outside.  Not your OVEN.  Big difference.


----------



## Andy M. (Jun 4, 2010)

BreezyCooking said:


> What I said was, that in my opinion, it wasn't any different from moving your gas STOVE outside.  Not your OVEN.  Big difference.



Either way, I think you're way off.


----------



## LT72884 (Jun 13, 2010)

Andy M. said:


> I've gotten lazier than ever in my old age and I know if I had to deal with lighting charcoal every time, I wouldn't grill very much at all.  Every once in a while I see a Weber charcoal grill in a store and think how good it would be to have one.  However, I come to my senses fairly quickly.



She noticed, thats why she bought you one! haha

JK


----------



## Andy M. (Jun 13, 2010)

LT72884 said:


> She noticed, thats why she bought you one! haha
> 
> JK



That's the beauty of having both.  No pressure.


----------



## LT72884 (Jun 13, 2010)

Andy M. said:


> That's the beauty of having both.  No pressure.



LOL, no kiddin. I need to get me a good gasser. It does kind of bite having to wait 15 minuetes for the lump to be ready. with a gasser its like 5 minutes and we are ready to roll.


----------



## moltogordo (Dec 18, 2010)

Not nearly as much as I used to. Before 2009, I probably grilled 4 or 5 times a week, even in winter. Living in Prince George, that says a lot.

The past two years I've been learning how to prepare Oriental and Indian cuisines, and they are not grill happy foodstyles.

I've mastered 25 or so dishes by memory from these areas, and will probably go back to grilling again on a regular basis this summer.

I tend to do things in cycles. Always have.


----------



## pacanis (Dec 20, 2010)

2-3x/week lately, but in the summer I'm probably around 7-8. That obviously includes some lunches. And I use propane 98% of the time, but sometimes I'll break down my WSM and use the bottom section as a charcoal grill, or I'll sear a tuna steak on my chimney charcoal starter, ala Alton Brown. Charcoal definitely adds a subtle difference to taste, but no way I would grill that much using a charcoal grill, plus charcoal seems so darn expensive compared to propane. And I do enjoy cooking on the stove, too, so sometimes all that's going on the grill is corn on the cob when it's in season, or other grilled veggies/sides. I'm pretty sure I would not grill as much if I used charcoal exclusively.


----------



## CraigC (Jan 28, 2011)

I chose "2-3 times" as this represents a good balance for the year, not including what is done on the pit. My motto is "Gas is an abomination". It is only good for crawfish boils, steaming crabs, blackening etc., but not to direct or indirect cook with!

Craig


----------



## CookLikeJulia (Jan 29, 2011)

For me, it's the same with Craig. I usually grill 2 - 3 times weekly, I just love the flavored of a grilled meat and veges.


----------



## chopper (Jan 29, 2011)

I grill whenever I can, and when it is just too darn cold or it is too darn windy (happens here often), then I use my indoor George forman grill with the removable plates.  It isn't the same, but it is good in its own way.  In the summer, I try to grill at least 4 times a week, but in the winter I have lots of other things I like to make in the oven.


----------

