When you’re cooking on a barbecue grill, most of the food’s flavor comes from being cooked over an open flame. The heat of the grate chars the food. And when there are wisps of flame from the dripping fat, it gives the meat that extra special barbecue taste. If you use a charcoal BBQ grill in which you use lump charcoal or even wood, that extra barbecue taste is intensified.

It’s a little time consuming to start up a charcoal BBQ grill. The charcoal has to be brought out from the garage or shed. It has to be portioned out correctly on the grill and then lit. It needs around 30 minutes of burning before it’s hot enough to cook over. You have to keep topping up the charcoal if you’re cooking something for an extended period of time. And when you’re done, there’s the ashes to be disposed of.

As well, remember that with a charcoal grill, you can’t have total control over the cooking temperature. If you go for an expensive model, it has ramps which can be raised and lowered. Otherwise you can produce different temperatures by raking the coals around.

You can’t rush things with a charcoal BBQ. If you’re in a hurry and have no time to wait for the charcoal to heat up, then a gas grill is definitely more convenient. Many people like to come home after work and start up the grill; since a charcoal BBQ takes quite a bit of time, it’s not often the best choice for this scenario.

However, don’t forget that there’s a lot of pleasure that comes along with grilling on a charcoal BBQ. For starters, it’s always fun to watch a fire, and be in better control of the cooking process as you grill your meat to perfection. And there’s no doubt that food prepared on a charcoal grill is much tastier than what you’ll get from a gas grill.

A typical charcoal barbecue grill is very affordable. Really, all that’s required is a good stock of charcoal. Although the expense will add up, it’s really not much different from the propane you need to run a gas grill. Also, the charcoal grill lasts a very long time, as it has very few parts and a simple design.

Of course, it’s up to you in the end whether you go with a charcoal or gas BBQ grill. The charcoal grill can make some particularly tasty steaks. This can be a truly enjoyable experience. It’s a great choice when you’re not pressed for time and you get a lot of pleasure out of the authentic BBQ taste of meat cooked over charcoal.