Home LivingGardenBarbequeCharcoal vs Gas vs Pellet vs Electric: which type of barbecue is best for you?These are the best things to look for when choosing the right barbecue for your needsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Home LivingGardenBarbequeCharcoal vs Gas vs Pellet vs Electric: which type of barbecue is best for you?These are the best things to look for when choosing the right barbecue for your needsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
These are the best things to look for when choosing the right barbecue for your needs
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Unsplash)
(Image credit: Unsplash)
Jump to category:Charcoal BBQsGas BBQsPellet BBQsElectric BBQsHow to choose the best barbecue for you
Jump to category:Charcoal BBQsGas BBQsPellet BBQsElectric BBQsHow to choose the best barbecue for you
Today, we have a huge selection of fancy barbecues at our disposal – from small electric balcony models to outdoor kitchen behemoths capable of feeding the 5,000. However, choosing the right type of barbecue isn’t as cut and dried as it used to be when everything ran on charcoal and we had no choice in the matter. In fact, today we have four completely different barbecue fuels to choose from – charcoal, gas, pellets and electricity – and they all have their pros and cons.
To make this conundrum easier to swallow, we’ll look at each fuel in detail so you have an easier time making a decision. Barbecue fuel choice is mostly subjective so what works for you won’t necessarily work for someone else.
So roll up your sleeves, get your apron on, grab you tongs and let’s get down to the nitty and the gritty.
Charcoal BBQs
Pros and cons of charcoal barbecues
Weber Mastertouch charcoal barbecue(Image credit: Weber)
Weber Mastertouch charcoal barbecue
Weber Mastertouch charcoal barbecue
(Image credit: Weber)
Let’s begin with the original BBQ fuel, the one most professional chefs will say is the most authentic way to barbecue, no questions asked. They’re right to some degree, especially when it comes to searing and grilling, whether it’s indirect with the lid on or fast-and-furious brazier style with the lid off. Charcoal is also a top fuel for low-and-slow smoking.
Best charcoal barbecue brands: Weber, Napoleon, Masterbuilt, Big Green Egg, Char-Broil and Kamado Joe.
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PROS
CONS
Gas BBQs
Pros and cons of gas barbecues
Napoleon Rogue gas barbecue(Image credit: Napoleon)
Napoleon Rogue gas barbecue
Napoleon Rogue gas barbecue
(Image credit: Napoleon)
Best gas barbecue brands: Napoleon, Weber, Char-Broil, Everdure and Broil King.
PROS
CONS
Pellet BBQs
Pros and cons of pellet barbecues
Broil King Regal 500 pellet grill(Image credit: Broil King)
Broil King Regal 500 pellet grill
Broil King Regal 500 pellet grill
(Image credit: Broil King)
Pellet grilling has become more popular over the years, especially in the US where they love their smoked meats. This is because pellet grills use differently flavoured wood pellets that burn in a fire pot to create an authentic campfire smell that infuses food with rich smokiness. Since pellet grills are computer controlled, you can set a temperature and it will stay that way for the duration of the cook. Pellet grills are especially popular for low-and-slow smoking. In a nutshell, if you struggle with charcoal or gas, a pellet grill will revolutionise your outdoor cooking. However, they are generally not good for searing. And they’re expensive, too.
Best pellet grill brands: Traeger, Broil King, Weber and Pit Boss.
PROS
CONS
Electric BBQs
Pros and cons of electric barbecues
Char-Broil Smart-E electric grill(Image credit: Char-Broil)
Char-Broil Smart-E electric grill
Char-Broil Smart-E electric grill
(Image credit: Char-Broil)
And so we come to the most recent type of fuel that may one day – in the distant future – become the fueldu jourfor most barbecues. At the moment, the vast majority of electric grills are of the portable kind so they are a perfect choice for balconies and small patios. And since they don’t produce a naked flame and theoretically run on an endless supply clean energy, they are both safer to use and better for the environment. They are also cheapest of all barbecues to run.
Best electric barbecue brands: Weber, Char-Broil, Ninja and Napoleon.
PROS
CONS
How to choose the best barbecue for you
Best type of barbecue for authentic flavour
(Image credit: Broil King)
(Image credit: Broil King)
If what you want is the ultimate in authenticity with pure outdoor barbecue flavour to match, pellets or charcoal are the fuels for you. Charcoal barbecues are cheapest to buy and generally cheaper to run than pellet grills. They are brilliant for general grilling and superb at searing steaks over high temperatures. But they are also much harder to keep under control.
Best type of barbecue for smoking
(Image credit: Traeger)
(Image credit: Traeger)
Best type of barbecue for searing
(Image credit: Skitterphoto | Pexels)
(Image credit: Skitterphoto | Pexels)
When it comes to searing meat or adding char marks to vegetables, the charcoal barbecue rules the roost, though the same can be said for the gas barbecue, too. What you need when searing is a bed of white hot charcoal beneath the grate and a temperature of around 250˚C (around 480˚F) – something any charcoal grill or any decent gas barbecue is capable of. However, the searing process is quite short lived and needs to be followed up with a slower cook at a lower temperature (or vice versa if reverse searing). Hence, be sure to lay the charcoal bed to one side so there is an area where the meat can be cooked more indirectly.
In some ways it’s easier using gas to sear because you can either lower the heat quite quickly or, if you’re using a two-burner model, simply move the meat to the area with a lower temperature. If using an electric barbecue, your only option is to remove the meat, reduce the temperature and put it back on again. Most pellet grills aren’t suitable for searing meat though Pit Boss has a clever system on their models which enables steaks to be seared directly over the fire pot’s naked flame.
Best type of barbecue for convenience
(Image credit: Weber)
(Image credit: Weber)
Two clear winners here – electricity and gas. Electricity is the most convenient fuel of all because it is permanently on tap and requires no shopping expeditions or worse, being caught on the hop because you forgot to buy more charcoal or a fresh gas bottle and all the shops are shut. With an electric grill you simply turn it on and grill till the cows come home.
However, gas barbecues are just as easy to use and they’re mostly hassle free with no cables or bags of charcoal to wrestle with. Simply light the burners and grill.
Best type of barbecue for reliable cooking results
(Image credit: Broil King)
(Image credit: Broil King)
It’s very easy to burn food on charcoal and almost as easy to burn it on gas and electric, too. However, if you follow the number one rule of grilling – if you’re lookin’, it ain’t cookin’ – and keep the lid closed all the time, you will find it hard to burn anything on a pellet grill.
I use myBroil King Regal 500pellet grill more than any other because it runs itself so efficiently I can entertain my guests without constantly running back and forth to check on it. I simply set a temperature, slap on the goodies and retreat. I even have an app that keeps me posted on temperatures and cooking times. If you want an easy time at the barbecue and like to spend time with your guests instead of frantically flipping food all the time, the pellet grill is the one for you.
Best type of barbecue for low running costs
(Image credit: Ninja)
(Image credit: Ninja)
Believe it or not, electric grills are cheapest to run – about 60p an hour for an average 2.4kW model. Compared to pellets (around £25 for 9kgs), charcoal (around £19 for 10kgs) and gas (£35 for 5kgs), electricity generally works out cheaper per barbecue session. And it never runs out of fuel.
Looking for a great recipe to go with your new barbecue? Head over to our guide to thebest BBQ recipes to make on charcoal, gas, pellet & electric grills
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