FarmerTan
"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
This looks like a possibility for me as well... Thanks!
Thinking of switching from gas to charcoal
- Thread starter KeenDogg
- Start date
My old, original, basic Weber 22" Kettle has provided our family with wonderful results for 30+ years. It has a few dings but still grills and smokes a wide variety of meats and veggies as good as the day we bought it. 
garyg
B&B membership has its percs
I switched to the BGE around 2010. Works a champ, I find easier to keep track of whether there's a spare bag of lump in the garage than to bemember if both LP tanks are full - or neither. THE BGE is vastly more versatile than a gasser, and the results taste better too. I had a high end gas grill prior (sold it for a couple hundred on Craig's List) but before selling I spent a couple months with a small Weber to see if I could live with the increased warm-up time (absolutely not an issue unless you are just a weenie griller) and the extra cleanup associated with charcoal (so little it pales in significance against the enhanced taste).
I use a Weber kettle grill for most things, but slower cooking I use the Kamodo Joe egg. I've used gas grills on vacation and the only advantage in my book is the speed of heating it up. I use a chimney to start the charcoal, or on the KJ I use a fire starter square.
I never have owned a gas grill.
Do you mean dumping ashes? Indeed, that effort is neglegible.
garyg
B&B membership has its percs
Yeah, I'd heard some folks whining about the extra "mess" of charcoal vis a vis using gas. I think I actually spend less total time with charcoal than lugging tanks to the LP place that whoops closed at 4 on Sunday instead of 5, standing in a line to get the little bomb filled etc. With lump its a side-aisle trip when at HD for something else. Heck my hardware now carries a couple brands of lump, but not propane ..
The BGE burns lump so efficiently that it's a short task to scrape out and dump maybe a quart? of ashes every 3-4 cooks. And the BGE when shut down shuts off all the Oxygen and saves the leftover charcoal!
ylekot
On the lookout for a purse
I have a Weber Genesis II 3 burner gas and a Weber Jumbo Joe for when I want to use charcoal. Usually just cooking for the bride and I so it is big enough for us. Best of both worlds
You can't go wrong with a Weber Kettle 22" grill and a charcoal chimney. The only downside compared to a gas grill is the start-up time, but I don't view that as an issue. I just do food prep while grill is heating.
That's like saying that powdered eggs are better because you don't have to deal with the mess of the shells.
And I agree that the "convenience" argument also is largely overblown (and, yes, may actually be in favor of charcoal). How about the "convenience" and "mess" of cleaning and maintaining a gas grill? And the lengths and expense folks go through to make gas grill food taste more like that from a charcoal grill? Talk about a lot of work to avoid a little. No, thanks.
I cannot speak to more expensive gas grills, but the cheaper ones which I have used are prone to rusted/rotted/burnt up burners. Then you end up replacing it with a universal fit that does not in fact fit and burns up even faster. I have tried to repurpose several grill bodies that I got tired of replacing burners in. The ole webber kettle just keeps on cooking. pros and cons on both sides.
Pellet cookers are great for smoking and even higher heat roasting with smoke, but I've yet to see one that does a good a job of grilling as something you can buy for under $100. They don't cook with coals, and the heat is too localized (despite some attempts to diffuse). They can get pretty much up to gas grill temperatures, but not really charcoal temperatures, and you will go through pellets like nobody's business.
I’m not sure that I’d count the faster heating of a gas grill as good thing. Waiting for the charcoal to get going is prime beer drinking and tall tale telling time with your friends. 
My Webber kettle has been going strong for 2 decades but that PK grill looks really interesting.
My Webber kettle has been going strong for 2 decades but that PK grill looks really interesting.
You help me convince my wife I need to spend $370 on a new PK Grill and I’ll GIVE you my 20yr old Weber.
FarmerTan
"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
Anything for a friend, my friend!You help me convince my wife I need to spend $370 on a new PK Grill and I’ll GIVE you my 20yr old Weber.
I'm actually pretty sure I can get the War Department to allocate the funds for one of those PK's...
I gave up on lighter fluid long ago. Wait as I might, I can still taste it in the meat.
- Thread starter
- #40
I was looking at one today. The only hang up for me is moving parts. More to go wrong and needs a power source. Not a deal breaker though!
