Firstly, to answer this question it is ultimately to do with fire. Fire is what gives bbq’d food its unique taste that everyone who bbqs strives for. This fire comes in two main forms, from burning Gas for burning a solid fuel such as charcoal. Each proving their own spin, pros and cons to the answer.
Getting to the bottom of these questions will help you decide what bbq is right for you.
Cooking with Gas:
One of the main benefits about cooking with gas is your ability to easily control the flame. Thus allowing you to control the temperature you are cooking your food. If the heat is too hot you need only twist the dial of your bbq.
However, because the flames are in a constant area of the BBQ as it is hard to evenly disperse the flame, hotspots will inevitably appear during the cooking process. You will need to keep track of these spots and adjust your cooking and bbq real estate accordingly.
A huge advantage of cooking with gas is there is almost no prep time. Just turn it on, wait for a bit for the elements too heat up and you are good to go.
Cooking with Charcoal:
Charcoal on the other hand is a temperamental fuel. Controlling the flame and thus temperature is more difficult here as charcoal produces uneven heat. It is however more constant over a longer period of time. Meaning you are able to cook food at the lower temperature for longer.
Smoke is another big factor which separates Gas and Charcoal.
As gas does not give off any smoke, you are reliant on the charring of the food to give you the bbq taste. Charcoal on the other hand gives off flavoursome smoke to add that extra complexity to the table and the signature bbq flavour.
Smoke can be stimulated using a smoke box with wood chips enclosed.
Charcoal tends to be the more expensive fuel supply but the additional flavour is worth it.