Bbq choice?

Soldato
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Pro Tip: ( :D ) When the Mrs. is out with the girls and it's just you and you want a steak try this.

Remove the grill grate and place the chimney on the coal grate. Fill just 3/4s full and light. When coals are white place the grill grate on the chimney and put the steak directly over the chimney. Oh baby! It's like cooking over a jet engine! Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the steak and your personal preference. For 1.5 inch steak cooked rare/medium rare takes ~ 2 -2.5 min/side. YMMV.

Great thing about searing over the starter, once done you can chuck the briquettes back in the BBQ with the vents closed, and use them again 2/3 times for the same purpose.

Amazing flavour though from the char, there's something about cooking over afterburner plasma :D
 
Caporegime
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13 Jan 2010
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Llaneirwg
After much faffing and the smell of bbq coming over the fence I think I might go for a gas.
I think the main thing for me is there is mostly only going to be two of us. So coal is just going to be too much faff. I'll probably do it much more regularly if it's quicker too.

Unless coal isn't as slow as it seems.
 
Soldato
Joined
17 Sep 2006
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Gloucestershire
Get a coal Weber Touch Master.

We bought one not long ago, but used it a few times. Does exactly what I need it to, and very easy to set up and clean afterwards.

Don't get a gas! That's just like getting an outdoor kitchen!
 
Soldato
Joined
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21,946
After much faffing and the smell of bbq coming over the fence I think I might go for a gas.
I think the main thing for me is there is mostly only going to be two of us. So coal is just going to be too much faff. I'll probably do it much more regularly if it's quicker too.

Unless coal isn't as slow as it seems.
Weber 57cm MasterTouch with GBS (for all the novelty accessories later on) and a chimney coal starter.

Don't get gas.
 
Soldato
Joined
5 Mar 2010
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12,305
Yeah nothing like a BBQ over hot coals. But i agree, with just the two of us, i find it a massive faff to set up and cook for just us two. So it only really gets used when we have people round.
 
Soldato
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21,946
Yeah nothing like a BBQ over hot coals. But i agree, with just the two of us, i find it a massive faff to set up and cook for just us two. So it only really gets used when we have people round.
Do you have a chimney? This was a game changer for me in terms of the faff. It lives in the BBQ alongside the coal, so total setup <5mins. Wait 20mins whilst it heats up (prep salad and what not) and then it all comes together great. Tidy up in the Master Touch is easy as well as it has a dust pan at the bottom.
 
Caporegime
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Llaneirwg
Yeah nothing like a BBQ over hot coals. But i agree, with just the two of us, i find it a massive faff to set up and cook for just us two. So it only really gets used when we have people round.

Yeah this is the toss up I have.
If I want to just cook a few burgers on a sunny evening after work I doubt I'll use a charcoal. Most people seem to say gas is quick. Charcoal is better but slower.
 
Soldato
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21,946
Yeah this is the toss up I have.
If I want to just cook a few burgers on a sunny evening after work I doubt I'll use a charcoal. Most people seem to say gas is quick. Charcoal is better but slower.
Its part of the theatre. It'll add 20mins to your day.
 
Soldato
Joined
10 Sep 2003
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Midlands
Yeah this is the toss up I have.
If I want to just cook a few burgers on a sunny evening after work I doubt I'll use a charcoal. Most people seem to say gas is quick. Charcoal is better but slower.

Lighting a weber is about as hard as faffing with a gas canister.

Pour half a chimney starter of charcoal
Light 2 lighter cubes underneith
Wait for 10-15 mins until it's roaring hot
Pour into BBQ
Cook

It also requires no cleaning (other than emptying the ash tray every few weeks). I've not cleaned mine in over a year, just a quick brush down with some scrunched up tin foil after use and job done. With gas you end up with grease in all the little crevices which tends to smell of old cooking oil after a while.
 
Soldato
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3 May 2012
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Wetherspoons
I don't agree charcoal is quick.

Not as quick as a gas BBQ, and having both I use the gas BBQ more often then charcoal.

Charcoal is more of a weekend thing, if I just want to grill some burgers or something I'll always use the gas one.

Yes you can get a charcoal one going quick, I don't bother with a chimney starter, I put firelighters under and douse it with white spirit or engine degreaser, gets it going real fast.

But why bother for something you are going to cook quickly, like a burger or chicken off the bone etc, anything like that just easier on gas.

Gas has limitations though, where as charcoal you can do anything a gas one can and lots of things a gas can't.
 
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