Why I got a gas grill

[LostArrow]

I've cooked with charcoal grills my whole life. I'm now 61 and been using charcoal for over 40 years.
 About 12 years ago my oldest child moved home and brought her gas grill with her. I used it a lot over the year she lived with us and then she moved and took it with her. 10 years ago  my family bought me a nice Vermont castings three burner basic gas grill. Over the years I've learned to use it for several things. The most common thing I use it for is a finishing oven. Most of the time now I will smoke things about 5 to 6 hours ( ribs about two hours) on on my smoker. Then foil or pan and finish on my gas grill.
When I do smoke I usually smoke much more than I will plan on eating at the time and foil and  vacuum seal. When I want something smoked quickly I will on defrost and finish on the gas grill.

I do use the gas grill for primary grilling about four months of the year. January and February the days are so short and it's cold enough that when I get home I have no desire to like the charcoal in the cold & dark. July and August in Mississippi the less time you spend out in the evening the better!
 When my Vermont Castings Firebox started failing this summer I started looking & found a used Wener Genesis in good shape & bought it!

[smokeasaurus]

I used to hate on gas grills, but as I have gotten older and hopefully a tad bit wiser, I can sure understand why they are the best sellers year after year.

[jjjonz]

I love my older Genny...like LA says it's good for quick cooks and holding. The GrillGrates has made this grill the best...no flare ups.

[deestafford]

I have a five burner CB infrared and an SRG with the grill capability.  I  use gas 'cause I'm lazy.  Dee

[RAD]

I use both, not sure which I use the most.

[Hub]

Gas grills are a wonderful invention but, like every other type of cooking device, have their limitations, too.  Nothing is perfect or universal.  What gassers do best is get hot quickly and easily.  Heat is all they have to give so you have to do something else to add "character" to the cook. 

I think a set of Grill Grates are the best thing you can do for any gasser.  They eliminate the flare-ups, even out the grid temperatures, and move the "sizzle" right under the meat where it can kick in some flavor. 

Hub 

[teesquare]

Gas grills are a wonderful invention but, like every other type of cooking device, have their limitations, too.  Nothing is perfect or universal.  What gassers do best is get hot quickly and easily.  Heat is all they have to give so you have to do something else to add "character" to the cook. 

I think a set of Grill Grates are the best thing you can do for any gasser.  They eliminate the flare-ups, even out the grid temperatures, and move the "sizzle" right under the meat where it can kick in some flavor. 

Hub

Yep...that is perzackly the way I see it too! And...If you want to add some smoke flavor ( in cold weather only for for safety reasons ) add n Amazen Smoker tube in the grill - and cold smoke your food BEFORE you fire up the gasser.

[Tailgating is my game]

I grew up on charcoal (dad) but as he got older gas became his choice. When I started it was gas for me but I do like the taste of charcoal better. With tailgating I started with charcoal but switched to gas. I do have an 18inch weber charcoal that I should fire up

[akruckus]

I use both, gas most of the time because it is only, but if having people I use the Weber Jumbo Joe for proteins.  Jumbo Joe comes in handy with tailgating too.

[MJSBBQ]

I used to have flare ups all the time, but was grilling on a Jen Air outdoor set up. I flame kissed and burned a lot of protein.

I got the Char Broil 4 burner Infra Red, and it was like magic for me with the infra red troughs!  I added the Grill Grates when my regular grates got a bit rusty (darn Grill Daddy) and the combination of the IR and the Grill Grates has worked very well for me.

I use gas because I am lazy and my life style is usually hectic and go go. Gas is convenient and predictable. Uncover, turn on , wait 10 minutes and grill. Yea, I am pretty simple, but it works and gives great results.

I have the Amazen smoke tube, but when I want to really smoke something, I go to my old reliable ECB. One of these days, I will upgrade that!

[SC Cooker]

I've been cooking on a gas grill for several years, and as a rule all our protein is cooked on it. As a result, it is used more than our range in the kitchen. I have natural gas running to my patio, so there is no worries about tanks running out. The health benefits are better, and it is as convenient as cooking in the kitchen. On weekends, I will use my charcoal cookers and smokers, but the gas grill is our go to for daily cooking and convenience.

[Ka Honu]

  I  use gas 'cause I'm lazy. 

I'm with Dee.

[ACW3]

I use Tim's gas grill to clean all my grates periodically.

Art

[Big Dawg]

I use Tim's gas grill to clean all my grates periodically.

Art

But really, I cooked, solely, on gas for a number of years.  10-12 years ago, when I got into competitive BBQ, I jumped back on the charcoal bandwagon and haven't regretted it a bit.

That being said, there are - as have been aptly stated here - very legitimate uses for gassers.  In fact, I'll be cooking some rib eyes on one at my dad's house this evening.  They may not be quite as tasty as ones I would cook on my kettle, but they will be worth the price of admission ! ! !





BD

[aliengriller]

Started with charcoal over sixty years ago.   ABOUT ten years ago, broke down and got a 4 burner gasser Brinkmann.   Unfortunately I gave away my trusty CB charcoal grill that was my parents--at that time it was probably getting close to 45 yrs old.    Knew I made a mistake two weeks after I did it.   Used the gasser until I conned my family into buying me a CB940X for Christmas and my birthday combined bout five years ago.   Also have an SRG, which with just two of us, is used in a pinch for some things.   Usually I use it for chickens and turkey--except when in a hurry for hamburgers/steaks, etc.   

Use my trusty 940X almost exclusively.   Guess I'm just too damn old and ingrained in how it works and cooks almost everything.   In fact, today two of the kids asked that I do the turkey for Thanksgiving the way I used to, pre SRG days--rotisserie style.   Sure does make for one moist, tasty, tender turkey.    IF it's not snowing Thanksgiving, that's how I'll do it.   Patio is covered and on the south side of house, so if sunny it should not be a problem.