Choosing a BBQ – Charcoal, Gas or Smoker? – You Decide!
Thinking of purchasing yourself a new barbecue, and cash isn’t any object, then you will gladly hear your options are endless. Conventional barbecues now come in charcoal, gas and electric varieties, all with their own unique benefits. However, if you wish to be a little more adventurous, you have access to your shiny new smoker instead. Smokers cook food slowly, using hot smoke instead of intense heat from the direct source. On top of that, there are some different types of smoker, each working in a slightly different way.
Confused? Don’t be – the guide below provides you with a concept of what’s on offer, so you can result in the right option for your requirements.
Charcoal barbecues
Usually the cheapest type of barbecue, a charcoal grill can also be great for flavour, as it naturally gives food a smoky taste. Nowadays charcoal barbecues are available in all shapes and sizes, and some are even disposable, which is perfect for festivals or summer days in the local park. However, there are a couple of drawbacks to be aware of thinking about buying a charcoal model. Firstly, they are not very versatile, and creating different heating zones can be tricky, with respect to the shape of the base. Secondly, you’ll need to buy and get rid of charcoal and firelighters every time you use it, which may be a problem.
Gas barbecues
These tend to be more expensive than charcoal models, usually costing countless pounds. However, there is a valid reason for this – gas barbecues often include warming racks, work surfaces, and other bonus features. They’re also excellent to cook food evenly, and models with multiple burners allow you to create different heating zones. You get a number of cooking options, with a few catering for stir frying, rotisserie cooking, and smoke boxes. On the downside, gas cylinders are very expensive, and they are extremely heavy. Plus, a gas barbecue must be carefully cleaned, like a lot can go wrong if you don’t take care of it properly.
Electric barbecues
A more recent appearance on the market, electric barbecues are brilliant for small patios and balconies. They’re much less of a fire hazard than gas or charcoal models, and therefore are the perfect option if you want to cook in an area with open flame restrictions. However, they don’t offer as many cooking options as a propane gas grill, and do not give food the great smoky taste you receive with a charcoal model. Plus, you cant ever drive them too far from the nearest plug, if you don’t come with an extension cable.
Verdict
Conventional barbecues are brilliant to cook food quickly, causing them to be ideal for an outdoor party that requires a continuing way to obtain burgers and bangers. More expensive models also permit you to cook in a number of various ways, and you can make use of a little smoke box with many models too.
Offset smokers
The most typical type of barbecue smoker, an offset smoker features two chambers – a fireplace box, which creates smoke, and an adjoining chamber where the meals are cooked. Meals are cooked slowly on the longer time, and you’ve got to keep track of the temperature, that is controlled by regulator vents on the fire box and smoke stack.
Upright Drum Smokers
Also known as an ‘Ugly Drum Smoker’, a UDS is only a steel drum with multiple cooking grates inside, with smoke travelling upwards from charcoal and wood which burns at the bottom. These are a little more unwieldy to operate than an offset smoker, but they’re very fuel efficient.
Vertical water smokers
These bullet-shaped smokers work in a similar manner to some UDS, the difference being they’ve the addition of a water tray in between heat source and the cooking grates. The water tray adds humidity, which will help keep food moist and helps conserve a stable temperature. The tray also catches fat and juice which drips from the meat, preventing any flare ups, even though some purists state that vaporised fat adds flavour to food.
Gas smokers
A taller version of a UDS, a gas smoker heats the smoke-emitting wood chips having a gas flame, instead of charcoal. They also use less wood and therefore are temperature stable, although gas fuel is generally more expensive.
Verdict
Smokers are great for creating unique, sumptuous flavours, which vary depending on the type of wood chips used to produce the smoke. They’re also excellent at producing tender, juicy food that falls from the bone, making a smoker perfect for cooking ribs, steaks, whole fish, and even certain vegetables. However, the indirect slow-cooking method means that you won’t be turning out a brand new round of food every fifteen minutes.