Barbeque: charcoal or gas/lava rock

Pat Mustard

I want to buy a barbeque. The gas ones are easier to clean but the charcoal ones have that proper barbeque taste.

It looks to me like a gas barbeque with lava rock has the best of both worlds. What do people think?

CJhaughey

There is no substitute for the taste of charcoal BBQ.
The lava rock just lets the fat burn giving the taste of burnt fat.
However Gas BBQ's are very convenient and fast to cook on which probably explains the popularity of them, people value convenience over taste.

NickTellis

Charcoal all the way... otherwise it just aint a bbq.

Pat Mustard

Thanks lads. That's what I needed to know. Charcoal it is.

NickTellis

I'd recommend getting a good quality kettle-type charcoal bbq - avoid those cheap 20 euro ones from woodies. And I'd also recommend picking up some smoked wood chippings - add them to the charcoal to give the food a really nice flavour (dammit, I'm making myself hungry now)

mags16

God bless your optimism!! I bought a charcoal bbq earlier this year naively expecting to use it every week. It's been used only 4 or 5 times. Barbecuing in the rain is not easy!


However the taste of a steak from a charcoal barbecue cannot be beaten. Sublime!

BennytheBall

I bought a cheapie charcoal one in Homebase last year - want a proper charcoal one now, the Weber ones look good esp the ones up around 300 quid..

Where in Dublin/nearby does a really good range of charcoal bbqs? Woodies, Homebase etc tend to do a few token cheap ones...

the watchman

Hi Guys. I have enough junk in my garden without have to store a bbq.
Just been to Lidls and bought half dozen disposables at €1.99 each.
just big enough to cook 4 steaks or 5-6 burgers. Charcoal included ready to go.

Reakon I'll get 3/4 chances to use them this year. Just right if you live alone or two of you. Then if you have a few people just use two of them.

My guestimate is that at best I'll only use 6 this year = €12. No cleaning no mess, no storage.
If I do that for 5years its only €60. Decent bbqs don't even start at that price.!!

Yep , they're for me all right.

Bring on the warmer months---I refuse to call it summer anymore. lol.

OmegaRed

Lads, can anyone recommend a brand if charcoals and where to buy them? Looking for something that stays White hot for a long time and doesn't break up and fall to far to the bottom of the grill...

I'm living in Dublin city center

thanks!

dolphin city

i need to replace my lava rock - anyone know where I can get lava rock.

I beg to differ about the "burnt fat" taste from lava rock - having had both a charcoal and a lava rock gas bbq, I can safely say that the gas is alot more convenient, and the taste is just as good as the charcoal.

Log-on

CJhaughey wrote: »

There is no substitute for the taste of charcoal BBQ.
The lava rock just lets the fat burn giving the taste of burnt fat.
However Gas BBQ's are very convenient and fast to cook on which probably explains the popularity of them, people value convenience over taste.

Speaking of taste, i have this BBQ bible book by some uk chef, he says its a myth that the taste comes from the charcol but its actually just from the fats and jucices melting down into the rocks/charcol whatver then burning and the smoke coating the food giving it flavor or something along those lines, that made me get a gas bbq where i wouldnt of touched one before!

Spinnaker

I noticed some LavaRocks at Homebase last week that claim to give an authenic charcoal taste. Don't ask me how. Didn't investigate.

I need to replace some lava rocks for a gas bbq. I'm interested in sources for good quality rocks. Dont want to be disapopointed with crumbling sand...