Charcoal BBQ Grills - Nothing Beats Food Cooked Over Charcoal

For a long time the only type of grill available was a charcoal grill and it's still very popular. Why?  Because nothing really beats it for taste! Traditional charcoal grills add a distinctive flavor that, so far, no other grill has been able to duplicate.

For those of you out there not familiar with a charcoal grill (are there any of you out there?), here is a brief primer on what a charcoal grill consists of.  Basically, chunks of black carbon (charcoal briquettes) are arrayed in a pyramid at the bottom of your grill and ignited, usually with the help of BBQ lighter fluid, although if you don't like the idea of lighter fluid, you can also opt for a variety of fire starting appliances. You can also buy fast-lighting briquettes with the starter already on the briquettes.  Once the briquettes start to glow red, they're spread around, at which time you place your cooking grid on the grill (carefully, because it's hot!) and put your food on the  grid. You can also put all your briquettes on one side of the grill and the food on the other if you prefer indirect cooking.

While cooking with regular charcoal briquettes results in very flavorful food, you can even buy coals which are flavored themselves to add a special wood and smoky aroma that makes its way into the food. Adding cherry or other natural woods to the mix also enhances a barbeque.

Pros of Charcoal BBQ Grills

• The number 1 benefit of using a charcoal BBQ grill is the taste.  Again, there's nothing like food cooking on a charcoal grill. 

Cons of Charcoal BBQ Grills

• Though there's no denying that the taste of meat cooked with charcoal has a unique flavor, they do require a bit more effort to prepare, use and clean.
• Charcoal grills usually require some kind of gasoline-like fluid to assist the briquettes in heating to the point that the fire becomes self-sustaining. That can easily put a foul taste into the food if the fluid doesn't burn off completely before you start to cook. Some say it may also be bad for your health.
• The coals also require a long cool-down period and have to be replaced after one or two uses.
• The temperature can be hard to control. Once the coals glow they reach a temperature determined by the chemical composition of the briquette. To reduce the heat, you have to reduce the number of briquettes or separate them and even that has a limited effect. When flare-ups occur, such as from grease drippings, high flames can be produced that scorch the meat unevenly.
• Clean up is often messy.

Some Charcoal Grill Solutions

While you do have to live with some of the inconveniences of a charcoal barbecue grill, such as the replacement of the coals and the cleanup, there are some things you can do to overcome some of the disadvantages of a charcoal grill.

Alternative Lighting Methods

Most people love the taste of charcoal-grilled food, but nobody loves the taste of lighter fluid. If you put your food on the grill before the lighter fluid burns off, that's what you're going to taste.  We recommend using an alternative lighting source for your grill.

The Chimney

Chimney's are ingenious contraptions which allow you to light the briquettes outside of the grill with no fluid, then transfer the briquettes to the grill when they're ready. The one pictured is a Weber brand chimney. The Chimney should come with some directions, but, basically, you set the chimney on a fire-proof surface, such as brick or concrete, put the coals inside the chimney, and light from the bottom (you can put newspaper under the coals in the bottom of the chimney, which helps it light).  Do be careful when transferring the coals, as there may still be some flame.  Also be careful when using newspaper, as some of the lighted paper may fly away.

Electric Charcoal Starter

Another option is an electric charcoal starter, which are like big prongs you plug in and stick in with your coals.  It heats up the coals, starting them on fire.  You do need to have an electrical outlet handy, but it works pretty well.

Below we're including some eBay auctions featuring Grill Chimneys items.  You can get both items pretty cheap on eBay.  The price is well worth it.

Grill Chimneys: 

Tips When Buying a Charcoal Grill

One of the first things to consider when purchasing your first charcoal grill is what you will be using it for. If you plan on traveling and using your charcoal grill, you will want something small enough to travel with you. Smaller charcoal grills are ideal for cookouts, camping, and tail gate parties, but would not be useful if you were cooking for a larger amount of people. Smaller grills that are easy to transport usually cost under 20 dollars, so you may want to consider purchasing a separate grill for smaller occasions.

Safety should also be a major concern when you are picking out your first charcoal grill. Since you grill will contain hot coals, the number one concern should be whether or not your grill is sturdy. Look for a charcoal grill with a sturdy structure and sturdy legs. If you grill doesn't have sturdy legs, it’s chances of falling over is much greater. When a charcoal grill falls over, it send hot coals flying. If you choose a brand such as Weber, you can be assured you're buying a well-built, sturdy charcoal grill.

Consider also buying a fire extinguisher which you will have handy when cooking outdoors.  

Synonyms: BBQ, barbecue and barbeque are used synonymously.  barbque, barbequed, barbeques, barbaque, bar-b-que, bar b que, barbacue, barbecued and barbecues are typos for "barbeque."  Charcol, charcole and charcoll are typos for "charcoal."  grills, grille and grilles are typos for "grill."