Grill baby grill! Gas, charcoal or electric?

You can smell it in the air. Grilling season is upon us. All over your neighbourhood, people are seasoning big juicy steaks on their cutting boards and roasting them on their BBQ. It smells so good that you finally decided to purchase a grill of your own, but what type of grill should you buy: gas, charcoal or electric?

Gas Grill
Pros

• A gas grill can be used all year round, not just during the summer. Some devoted chefs consider their gas grills to be a second oven where they cook almost anything from pizza to boiling water.
• Gas grills heat up very quickly. No need to wait a long a period of time for the temperature to be high enough. It’s so practical that grilling doesn’t have to be reserved for the weekends anymore! With a gas grill, you can treat yourself to a grilled meal even during weeknights!
• They are just as easy to turn off as they are to turn on. The fire in a gas grill is extinguished very quickly since all that is required is to shut the gas off.
• Cleaning a gas grill is a cinch! No charcoal means virtually no ashes to dispose of. All you need is a good grill brush and you’re good to go!

Cons

• Gas grills don’t come cheap. The bidding for these handy appliances can range anywhere from $150 to even $500.
• Gas grills comes with a lot of extra equipment. In order for them to function properly, they are equipped with valves and venturi tubes than be expensive to replace when they malfunction.

Charcoal Grill
Pros

• Nothing beats the smoke and flavor a charcoal grill can produce. Meat cooked on a charcoal grill is much more flavorful.
• Unlike what people might be lead to believe, the heat of a charcoal grill isn’t that difficult to control. A charcoal grill’s heat can be as high or as low as it needs to be, as long as you know what you are doing.
• Charcoal grills are much cheaper than their propane powered cousins.

Cons

• Good things come to those who wait. A charcoal grill can take up to 20 minutes before it is ready to cook.
• Grilling with charcoal is messy. Leftover meat can be more difficult to remove from the grill and let’s not forget the charcoal that needs to be maintained as well.
• You can cook with a gas grill in winter if you want to, but keep in mind that you will have to wait a while before it heats up and in the cold, that is no fun.

Electric Grill
When all else fails, you can always purchase an electric grill. Small electric grills are safe enough to be used inside your home and they do not require much maintenance. They may not offer the same flavor of a gas or even a charcoal grill but, they can make your kitchen feel like summer all year round.