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1413580

A36

July 17 2008

Gas Vs. Charcoal from page A35

some say there is little difference in
the taste of food cooked in your gas
oven in the kitchen or your outdoor
gas grill. If that's the case, why even
bother going outside?
Because it's nice outside, espe-
cially in northern climes with short
summer seasons, said Steve Brown,
owner of American Fireplace &
Barbecue Distributors in Ferndale.
Grillers "like to take advantage of the
short, warm-weather season in a big
way," he said.
And Brown means big. High-end
gas grills can be large and cost as
much as $150,000, while a some-
what smaller large gas grill can cost
up to $10,000. These grills have all
the bells and whistles you could pos-
sibly want, including built-in lights,
infrared rotisserie burners, built-in
griddles and ice makers. People also
like gas grills because they "look
nicer:' Brown added. "We are often in
the looks business!' Of the hundreds
of grills he sells annually, 90 percent
are fueled by either propane or natural
gas.
Even the lowest of the low-end gas
grills are more expensive than a char-
coal grill. A covered, stand-up charcoal
grill, with legs and a lid, cost $66 last
year, said HPBAs Wheeler. An equiva-
lently sized propane grille costs $258.
If you add additional burners and
side tables you can count on paying
between $300 to $400.
In an effort to address the taste
issue, some gas grill manufacturers
have built models with ceramic flavor
bars. The bars catch grease drip-
pings and vaporize them into smoke
that infuses more flavor into what's
being cooked. Nonsense, said Brown.
"It doesn't work." And he disputes
the notion that charcoal-grilled food
tastes better, claiming any difference is
infinitesimal.
Perhaps the biggest negative to
charcoal grilling is health. Cooking
and grilling foods at high tempera-
tures can lead to the formation of
minute quantities of many potent car-
cinogens, comparable to those found
in cigarettes.
So you've finally settled on the
appropriate grill based on all the
reasons cited above. Well, here's one
more dilemma for you. If you are more
activist than epicurean, you have to
think green. Coal and gas have mark-
edly different impacts on the environ-
ment.

Charcoal releases much more car-
bon dioxide into the air. According to
the Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
based on the amount of fuel needed to
run a barbecue for one hour, a char-
coal grill pumps 11 pounds of carbon
while a gas grill spews out 5.6 pounds
of the stuff.
Charcoal supporters are quick to
note that, when factoring in the entire
production cycle, charcoal may be the
greener cooking fuel, as it is consid-
ered carbon neutral. That's because
charcoal is made from trees, which
have to be replaced by other trees that
suck up the carbon dioxide emitted by
the barbecue grill.
No matter how it's made, charcoal
presents a disposal issue once the
grilling is done. There is no environ-
mentally preferred way to toss out
charcoal remnants. Gas provides no
such 'disposal problems; you just flip
off the switch or refill metal canisters.
You own a dog and two cats, your
freezer contains cartons of chocolate
and vanilla ice cream and politically
you support ... well, we won't go there.
Then take the easy way, or perhaps
the smart way out; buy both grills as
many people have done. Gas allows
you to slap something on the grill fol-
lowing a busy day at work. You can
reserve the historical ritual of searing
a big piece of meat on the charcoal
grill on weekends for parties.
And now that you've finally settled
the coal vs. gas dilemma, you can pre-
pare yourself for the next hot thing in
grilling — electric-powered grills.

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