Benefits of Charcoal Grills

A barbecue grill, or simply a grill, is used for slow cooking of food by heating it from below. There are many types of grills available in the market. You have charcoal grills, gas grills and electric grills. Gas grills are easy to clean, and food cooks faster in a gas grill. Most people who love barbeques, prefer a charcoal grill because they feel that the distinct taste and flavor that you get from grilling your barbecue on a charcoal grill, can never be obtained on a gas or electric grill. When you consider buying a charcoal grill, you should take into account the quantity of food that you wish to prepare and then choose a size accordingly. So, are charcoal grills indeed the best? Just have a look at the benefits of charcoal grill and find out for yourself.

Merits and Demerits of a Charcoal Grill

In this section, we shall discuss the potential benefits of using a charcoal grill and also the major disadvantages of the same.

Advantages of a Charcoal Grill

Meat grilled in a charcoal grill has a distinct smoky feel to it that connoisseurs feel can never be found in meat cooked on gas grills. Here are a few more advantages of using a charcoal grill, which make it the favorite of most professional chefs.

• It cooks the meat slowly and over a long period of time, due to which the meat retains its tenderness and remains moist.
• The slow and continuous exposure to heat due to slow cooking, causes the fat in the food to liquefy and get separated from the meat. This way the meat gets rid of excess fat and hence, calories!
• Nutrients like proteins, vitamins and minerals present in the meat remain intact and hence, the end product is much more nutritious.
• With a charcoal grill, the temperature of the fire is much higher as compared to a gas grill (as high as 500F), due to which the food is exposed to more heat. This ensures that the food is properly cooked even on the inside.
• A big advantage of using charcoal grills is that not only can you control the temperature of the grill, but also shift the coals to change the temperature of different spots on the grill.
• Charcoal grills are the cheapest among all types of grills.
• Charcoal grills are portable and easier to carry as compared to the other types.

Disadvantages of Charcoal Grills

In spite of so many advantages, charcoal grills come with a few drawbacks as well. A few of them are given below.

• Charcoal grills are messy and require you to clean up after you've roasted your barbecue.
• They are not easy to light and require a lot of effort from your side.
• They are slow and take a long time to acquire the desired temperature.
• Occasional flare-ups can be annoying and sometimes dangerous.
• It is difficult to determine the temperature of the grill.
• You cannot reduce the temperature significantly at one go, as there is no knob for regulating the temperature.
• The continuous emission of smoke from the grill can be hazardous and on prolonged exposure, may lead to breathing problems.

However, modern charcoal grills come with starters to help you ignite them faster. Also, the problem of detecting the temperature of the grill can be easily overcome by using an oven thermometer. To make your food taste better, place it on the grill such that there is a small gap between the piece of meat you're grilling and the layer of charcoal. So, if you know the tips to use a charcoal grill and are ready to put the required effort to "prepare" your charcoal grill in advance, you'd be more than happy with the results!

Finally, the type of grill that you choose depends a lot on your lifestyle. Nowadays, when there are so many models of charcoal grill available in the market, it should not be difficult for you to find one that suits your needs. But since more and more people are going for propane or gas grills, choosing a charcoal grill might be a tough decision for you to make. However, if you choose carefully, it can prove to be a great choice indeed!