Gas Barbecue vs Charcoal Barbecue?

Gas

Gas barbecues can be lit easily and heated up quickly, due to the nature of their fuel and burners. For speedy and convinient outdoor cooking, gas BBQs are definitely the way forward. 

Their heat supply is both consistent and controllable, because you can shut off the supply at any minute, but until you do it will keep providing fuel. A feature you will find on many of our gas barbecues is an inbuilt temperature gauge, allowing you to check the heat - something you won't find on charcoal barbecues.

Furthermore, the heat supply is provided by simply opening the valve of the gas cylinder and clicking the ignition system - this is far easier than lighting up charcoal. All of our gas barbecues come with a hose and propane regulator too, so you don't have to mess around looking for one that will fit.

Gas barbecues come in a number of different sizes - the smallest tend to have 2 primary burners, the largest, 6. If you are going to be using your BBQ relatively regularly to cook for a decent number of people, then consider investing in a larger model: don't worry about wasting gas - each burner will be independently controlled and switched on.

Most gas BBQs have side shelves, which provide additional cooking space: this is a feature you won't find on many (if any) charcoal BBQs. Larger models also often have side burners, which allow you to fry food and cook sauces outside and keep your cooked food warm. This is opposed to the 'grab it while it's hot' style of charcoal BBQing.

A modern feature many high-end gas barbecues feature is an infrared burner. A ceramic plate, with thousands of tiny holes in it, has a flame focussed on it. The heat of the flame is turned into infrared energy,and the heat produced is much higher and consistent than standard grill produces.
 
Alfresia stocks a range of gas bottles, both propane and butane, in a variety of sizes.

Charcoal

When searching for a traditional barbecuing experience, then a charcoal barbecue is definitely the way forward. They tend to be significantly cheaper than a gas BBQ, so suit any budget.

When you are using a charcoal barbecue, ensure that you are attentive with flavours because only charcoal cooking can give food an authentic char-grilled taste and flame-grilled appearance. You must make sure that the charcoal is lit up to 45 minutes before cooking (instant-light can be reading in 15 however).

Another advantage to charcoal barbecues is that many are can be folded up, making them easy to pack up and take camping or to the beach. Some even feature folding side tables, which provide instant additional space when needed.

One type of charcoal barbecue is a 'kettle'. These feature a funnel, cooking grid and a lid which are all enamelled with porcelain. This treatment makes cleaning very easy. When the lid covers the barbecue, hot air circulates the area and can be regulated like a conventional oven. This means that it is ideal for cooking large pieces of meat. The circulating warm air is channelled into the kettle by the funnel, stopping the food from being burnt to a crisp. Most of the drippings vaporize, and this gives the food the typical bbq flavour.

In addition, most of the drippings vaporize and give the food the typical barbecue flavour. 

On Alfreisa we stock a huge selection of barbecues, both gas and charcoal, and accessories, like fuels and covers. Alfresia is also a supplier of garden furniture, check out all our ranges today!