Another BBQ

[MrIncredible]

Bit blustery today but were going to have another bbq (love cooking outside on the barbie).

I have always been a traditional coal user and shunned the idea of gas until Mr i bought me a Webber gas bbq for my birthday last year.


But are you a gas or coals cooker?

And, were going to North Devon this year and was thinking of buying a couple of these disposable coal bbq's (currently £2 each in asda's) to take with us, Are they any good?
I will be cooking for four (two adult two children)

[hammerman]

Always been a gas user until a few weeks ago when i bought a coals BBQ. much prefer the coals although i must admit that sometimes, i only want to cook a small amount of food and it's a bit of a PITA waiting ages for the coals to light etc.

Might have to invest in a small gass BBQ as well as the charcoal one.

As for the disposable ones....always found them to be over pretty quick and a complete pain to dispose of.

[Bumbelz]

I prefer coals as you can throw woody herbs like rosemary on them. Those disposable one are very quick burning as hammer said and you have to be careful what you put them on or near.

[ethandron]

cannot abide bbq's. the food is usually completely ruined - charred on the outside and raw in the middle, or just generally completely overcooked. and the smoke and fumes created are a complete and utter nuisance to those around.
we sometimes have a bbq though, it's just that we cook the food indoors in the oven or under the grill - much easier, less messy and the food is done to perfection :o)

[hammerman]

I think you can add soaked hickory wood chips to gas bbqs zeb which gives a more smokey, authentic taste. Mind you, i can cremate stuff just as well on gas as i can on coals....lol

[ethandron]

don't see the point of doing that zeb, just makes double the work.
what also makes me laugh is it's usually the men who like to do the bbq, 'so you don't have to cook dear'. and what do they do? stand over their little contraption with beer or whatever in hand, occasionally flipping a burger/steak/sausage. who does the rest of it - makes the salads, prepares the whole thing, sets everything up, clears everything away, traipses from kitchen to garden a hundred times?? hmmm, not my idea of fun...

[MrIncredible]

cannot abide bbq's. the food is usually completely ruined - charred on the outside and raw in the middle, or just generally completely overcooked. and the smoke and fumes created are a complete and utter nuisance to those around.

You must be doing it all wrong! Bbq takes a lot longer to cook that's why people rush it and have it charred on outside raw inside! Nothing beat cookin in the sun with a large gin n tonic! Haven't poisoned anybody as yet! (But then again thereks always the 1st time)

[heathfield]

Those disposable bbq's are just about impossible to get clean again! ;-)

[welshlibranr]

We have a gas Barbecue, so much easier to control, We love it, we add hickory chips to the coals sometimes to add to the flavour, I cook my Sunday roast on ours in Summer, it works really well, and stops the kitchen getting very hot!..............as for the disposable ones, as long as you wait for the coals to get grey before cooking they work really well and stay hot for ages..............