Why A Gas Barbeque is Objectively Better Than the Rest

Here at Brighter we’re partial to a barbeque. Whether on a warm summer afternoon or a cold winter evening, there’s something precious about a gas-powered barbeque with family or friends. However, amongst barbeque lovers (including many of our followers), an ongoing debate sizzles away and can get, well, heated. The debate pits the ever-popular natural gas barbie against charcoal barbeques.

A recent article from the website Wired has objectively proven that the natural gas barbeque is, in fact, better than a charcoal barbeque. And, although we’re biased to a gas barbeque, the science does stack up.

The article argues that, although coals are better at transferring radiant heat to food (gas has to heat a plate or set of bars to heat food), there is absolutely no difference in flavour. That’s right, the claims of charcoal barbeque purists aren’t backed up. Food doesn’t differentiate between heat, and once coals are hot enough, there’s no aromatic compounds left to transfer to the food. Although the oils and sugars from the meat that drip onto charcoal do turn to smoke and rise again to coat the meat or veggies, that’s not because of charcoals. In fact, a blind taste test performed in the US revealed that when it came to hamburgers, testers could not differentiate between patties cooked on charcoal and a gas barbeque.

The website Modernist Cuisine has more information on the science of the situation.

More than that, a natural gas barbeque heats up incredibly quickly (whereas charcoal takes over 15 minutes to heat), making it the perfect solution for quick barbeques after work, soccer practice, Saturday chores or whatever it is you’re doing. It’s also a whole lot cleaner and less smoky, making it ideal for use during the cold winter months. Australians understand this, which is why we’ve been called the barbeque capital of the world, just under half (46%) of Australians use a barbeque for cooking at home, or why 88% of Australians say food cooked on a barbeque tastes better.