The first barbecue you buy tends to set the tone for the next few summers. Pick gas and you could be cooking within twenty minutes of unpacking it. Pick charcoal and you'll spend that first evening reading about chimney starters and where to put hot ash. Neither is the wrong answer. What matters is how you actually cook, where the grill lives, and how much patience you have on a wet Tuesday evening.
Gas grills run on propane, sold in the UK as patio gas, connected by a regulator and hose. Turn a knob, press the ignition, and you have controllable heat within a few minutes. The lid thermometer gives you a rough idea of the chamber temperature, and the burners let you set up indirect zones for roasting a chicken or cooking a whole fish. Butane bottles are cheaper but struggle in cold weather, so most people run propane year-round.
Charcoal is slower to start and harder to adjust, but it reaches higher temperatures. A full chimney of lit lumpwood will sear a steak harder than most domestic gas grills manage.
Lumpwood burns hotter and faster, with more variation between pieces. Briquettes burn longer and more evenly, which suits longer cooks and low-and-slow sessions. Skip anything pre-soaked in lighter fluid; the smell lingers in the food. A chimney starter and a couple of firelighters are all you need.
Fat dripping onto hot coals creates smoke that clings to the food, and that's the flavour people mean when they say charcoal tastes better. It's real, but it's smaller than the mythology suggests. Most of the difference comes from how the food is cooked: a steak seared hard over high heat tastes better than one greyed gently on a low gas flame.
Gas isn't flavourless. It's neutral, which is an advantage for delicate things like fish, halloumi and vegetables. If you want smoke, put a handful of soaked wood chips in a smoker box or a foil parcel with holes poked in it, and rest it over a burner. You'll get a decent smoky note without any of the fuss.
At the cheaper end of the market the two are fairly close, but gas typically costs more for a grill of equivalent build quality because you're paying for burners, a regulator and a sturdier frame. You'll also pay a deposit on the first gas bottle and keep paying for refills. Charcoal is cheap per bag, but a long cook on a big kettle can use more than you'd expect, especially if you're cooking for a crowd.
Think about the extras too. A cover, a decent wire brush, an instant-read thermometer, a chimney starter — those add up whichever route you choose. Don't stretch the budget on the grill and then skip the cover; a rusty grill you resent is worse than a cheaper one you look after.
Gas wins on tidiness. Heat the grill on high for ten minutes, brush the grates, empty the drip tray, wipe the outside, cover it. Charcoal leaves you with ash to deal with, and the grates need more attention because they're often not enamel-coated.
Two safety points apply to both. Never use a barbecue indoors, in a garage, in a tent or under an enclosed awning — burning fuel of any kind produces carbon monoxide. And never tip ash into a bin while it's still warm; leave it to cool completely, ideally in a metal bucket, before disposing of it.
Space, smoke and neighbours decide this more often than flavour does. Charcoal needs clearance around it, somewhere safe for hot ash, and more tolerance from anyone with washing on the line or a bedroom window open. Gas needs a spot for the bottle, kept upright and in a well-ventilated place rather than sealed inside a hot shed.
Small courtyards and balconies push most people towards gas, or a compact kettle at most. If you live in a flat, check your lease, tenancy agreement or building rules before buying anything — some prohibit barbecues on balconies, and the managing agent or your landlord is the person to ask. On a windy site, whichever you choose, position the grill so smoke drifts away from the house and from your seating.
Run the weeknight test. Picture a Wednesday: if you'd genuinely light a barbecue and cook sausages for four after work, buy gas. If the honest answer is that you'd use it mostly on sunny weekends with a drink in hand, buy charcoal and enjoy the slower pace.
Then spend on build quality rather than features. A thick lid, sturdy legs, a decent ash pan or a well-supported burner bar and a sensible warranty will matter far more than a side burner you never use. Buy the cover at the same time as the grill. And whatever you choose, cook on it often in the first month — every barbecue, gas or charcoal, gets easier once you know how it behaves in your own garden.
Photo: webandi / Pixabay
