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Which is the best barbecue? The difference between gas BBQs and charcoal BBQs

A dog looking up at food being cooked on the BBQ
With barbecuing being a popular summer activity, it’s no wonder that choosing the right BBQ is a tough choice. 

BBQ Tips: Choosing between Gas or Charcoal

Gas vs. charcoal has to be the oldest debate in the world of barbecues. The opinions of BBQ enthusiasts do differ, with some mentioning the “authentic” experience you get when using a charcoal BBQ , but others highlighting the multiple benefits of barbecuing with gas.

Here’s a quick comparison between the two types of BBQs.

Convenience & Versatility

If you want to get cooking quickly, you can’t beat a gas BBQ – it’s the easiest way to enjoy a healthy BBQ cooked to perfection. Gas provides instant heat, meaning you can enjoy the spontaneity of cooking outside, and if the rain does come, it’s so much easier to pause your cooking! Throwing a couple of steaks on a gas BBQ takes virtually a couple of minutes, something that you can’t do with a charcoal BBQ. With charcoal BBQs, you need to wait for the coals to go white and put in more guesswork when it comes to timing , plus you may need to stop barbecuing for a period to replenish you fuel supply.

Using a Gas BBQ opens up far greater possibilities to try a more diverse selection of BBQ recipes as you can utilise BBQ accessories such tools such as rotisseries and pizza stone grills. Many gas BBQs also boast multiple burners so maintaining control over multiple dishes at once is easy. Gas BBQs are also easier to clean as you don’t need to dispose of the ash after each use.

Precision Cooking

Most gas BBQs come easy to use heat controls so you can cook food exactly how you like it.

The easy Sure-Lite™ electric ignition system present in many Broil King BBQs such as the Broil King Monarch 340 and Broil King Signet 340 allows users to start cooking instantly, without having to wait for up to 20 minutes like in the case of charcoal BBQs.

With a gas Broil King BBQ, you can actually control the heat precisely, so you don’t end up with a steak that is too rare or overcooked.


The delicious BBQ flavours you get from the meat dripping onto the heat source below which erupts into smoke and infuses the foods on the grill actually happens regardless of whether that heat source is charcoal or gas. Many BBQs in the Broil King range such as Broil King Gem feature a Flav-R-Wave cooking system which ensures even heat distribution across the entirety of the grill surface and helps to enhance the BBQ flavour.

In essence, gas BBQs offer a much easier and convenient barbecuing experience, whilst still offering the same great BBQ tastes we all know and love.