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;1:1:

That tasty
barbecue question
... from every point
of view.

Steve Brown is in
the middle of the

debate.

H

ere's one more choice guaran-
teed to make your head spin:
charcoal or gas?
With the outdoor barbecue season in
full swing --- July 4 is the biggest outdoor
grilling day of the year — hands down
Americans favor gas-powered grills.
"Ifs all about convenience said Leslie
Wheeler, director of communications
for Arlington, Va.-based Hearth. Patio &
Barbecue Association. "Its similar to gas
fireplaces; a lot of people just want to flip
the switch. You don't worry if you have a

e: turn
_gas-,_
It hooked up to a
I is
it on and then turn it off. Ho
that?"
According to statistics compiled by
the HPBA, last year manufacturers
shipped 10,281,500 gas grills compared
to 6,863,000 charcoal grills. That wasn't
always the case. In 1985, the first time sta-
tistics were gathered, Americans favored
charcoal grills, 7,869,992 over gas grills,
3,173,000. But, since 1995, gas grill aficio-
nados have been leaving charcoal grillers
in their ashes.
Charcoal can't match gas for tidiness.
You pour messy, dirty briquettes from
the bag into the grill, then pour on lighter

fluid and wait. for perhaps as long as 30
minutes, until the fire is hot and the grill
is ready to go.You never run out of gas
with a gas grill; but you can run out of
charcoal and lighter fluid, usually an hour
before you're supposed to eat.
That doesn't mean that charcoal doesn't
have a few aces up its sleeve over gas,
notably flavor and cost. Loyal charcoal
enthusiasts insist their beef, poultry or
fish comes infused with a fresh, smoky
taste. Many others believe there is little
difference in taste between food cooked on
a gas or charcoal-fired barbecue grill. And

Gas Vs. Charcoal on page A36

July 17 • 2008

A35