Gas vs. Charcoal: BBQ Showdown

Charcoal barbequing: It’s fantastic. There. We said it. Glowing coals burn hotter than gas, they smoke and sizzle. It’s delicious. It’s fun. It’s a romantic way to grill.

On a lazy long weekend, with nothing to do but linger by the grill, it’s the best. Whimsical relaxation with a sumptuous reward.

Flash back to the real world. Traffic, appointments, rumbling stomachs, missed calls.

Gas on. Igniter on. Your blazing hot gas grill is ready to sizzle, and sizzle it shall.

No horseplay. Just an efficient, effective way to get out in the backyard and enjoy feeding the people you care about.

A 2019 article by geek bible Wired.com refutes the charcoal enthusiast creed — that glowing coals make for better flavour.

Citing Modernist Cuisine, the author says that carbon is carbon. There are no aromatics in the coals that could add flavour. The flavour is imparted by the fat, oil, and other drippings striking the heat source. Turned into smoke, they rise through the grates to coat your protein, stamping your passport to Flavour Country.

A gas BBQ does that as well as a charcoal grill. It doesn’t just deliver delicious. It gives you back time. In the lives we’re living, what’s more important than that?

Learn the Chef’s Secret to cooking with natural gas in Brighter’s exclusive series with Adrian Richardson here.