To think gas barbecues are a waste of space?!

[MerryCosIWonaGold]

So, Friday we were at a 'proper' barbie with half burnt sausages, burgers and it was all smoky, yummy. I do adore the special summer taste.

Saturday we were at another, much posher, barbecue with 'barbecued' prawns, lamb, chicken, sweetcorn, the works. Problem being you don't seem to actually get any barbecue flavour. May as well chuck it in the oven or under the grill? What is the point other than men seem to be more willing to dabble with it? All that delicious food would have been gorgeous on a proper charcoal barbecue.

Gas Barbies. Waste of space, I tell ya!

tbh I've never had a 'smoky' taste off a charcoal bbq, just a burnt taste and to cause even more controversy we have an ELECTRIC bbq!!!

Well, it's a griddle on legs and we use it outdoors so it falls into the bbq category, we actually have 2, one at home and one at the caravan, perfect for the british weather because we can bring it inside the conservatory/awning if it rains.

LOLZ at OP and asking hosts before hand whether it will gas or charcoal bbq. Obviously a massive joke as one could never be so rude. Ha ha.

Dogsmum, I've heard it all now. Electric!!!!

Loving MN barbecue snobbery. I'm not hugely into barbecues, but I do love my food and I was just SO disappointed at the taste from the gas barbecue. For some reason, I thought they always produced the same flavour. Clearly, it depends on what kind you have/ what other stuff you have on it. Also to me, part of the fun of the barbecue is lighting it, playing with fire and making sure you can cook on it without burning - isn't that why men like it?

Yanbu. It's all they have in Oz. It's like the kitchen's outside...and for their lifestyle that's a good thing I suppose. But in the UK, all BBQ food should taste charcoaly!

In Oz they have communal gas barbies in the park! Fabulous...people have their DC parties there and cook! I loved that. I imagined how that would turn out in the UK!

BBQ squirrel anyone?

MidnightinMoscow

I've heard it all now.

It's embarrassing to use a gas BBQ when entertaining?

MN wank-fuckery at its best.

'Wank-fuckery' is a fabulous way to describe it. Some people will be snobby where you'd think it wasn't possible.

We use ours all year around. At least twice a week. It's great when you are dieting as you can have grilled tasty meat

My gas one tastes grilled.
I think you're a twat

If you want a grilled taste, use a grill! Now there's a thought. And it'll save you a few bob too.

Ah. But a BBQ doesn't stink the kitchen out. Plus it tastes of a BBQ. Is diffo taste.

YANBU, I don't get them either.
I lived in Australia for two years, where gas barbecues are the norm, and the food doesn't taste any different, plus I went to some barbies, where they cooked the food outside on the gas barbie, the brought it inside to eat.
I never did get what that was all about

We do that in. Dec. for us it's just a way of cooking . Quick easy tasty.

You could always put BBQ sauce on it

I think I agree OP

I deffo prefer charcoal BBQs but can see why gas ones are more conveniant. If I lived somewhere hot I'd probably have a gas one.

My next door neighbour has been a real nuisance they've had several bbq's lately (with those horrible disposable ones bilching black smoke all across my garden & washing). They don't bother to warn us (we used to get on, but since we complained about their extension - long story, no planning permission, still not finished, our property being damaged along the way by their cowboys etc). Not sure what we can do about it, but I think those disposable ones are the worst! Sorry to hi-jack your thread, but do the gas ones smoke less? DH wants to get some disposable ones, put them next to their side & just light them & leave them!

I prefer the taste from a real BBQ personally - and no, it doesn't have to be burnt either.

BUT BIL and SIL have a gas BBQ which they use all the time. They use it for cooking outside loads, not just for a special summer BBQ thing. They use it for cooking bacon and sausages for breakfast, grilling meat/fish for dinner, etc. SIL is Australian and I think it is just something she grew up with. There is no way they could use a proper BBQ in the same way they use their gas one. They use it for a lot of food but esp high fat type food like bacon and sausage as then it means they don't have the mess from it in the house.

they buy stuff they add to it to get a smoky BBQ type smell.

There are only two kinds of barbecues - ones that you use, and ones you don't use.

You are far more likely to get use out of a gas barbecue.

Charcoal is a pain, and the food really doesn't taste better unless you enjoy cinders.

at BBQsauce!

We have definitely used ours more this year, even with the rain, than we did with the charcoal. Good idea to do high fatty stuff on it as well, the merguez sausages spat grease all over the kitchen and grill. Now he does them on the BBQ instead, far less mess to clean up.
They produce less smoke than charcoal although we still move it to the other side of the house if neighbour has her washing out.

If I had a gas barbecue I wouldn't use it. I would put my food in the oven and roast it. Or grill it. Unless I had loads of people round, in which case I would use charcoal (and get my Brazilian friend to do it) as you get a better flavour from it.

Man, I hate BBQ sauce and 'bbq' seasoning. Does not resemble any barbecue taste I am accustomed to. Gross.

(I may be persuaded to get a gas barbecue if you don't have to clean them. Really? Where does the fat go?)

I think both taste the same. I never clean the gas BBQ so I guess there is a good layer of charcoal on it anyway.

MerryCosIWonaGold

(I may be persuaded to get a gas barbecue if you don't have to clean them. Really? Where does the fat go?)

Any that doesn't get burned off drips down and is collected in a little cup at the base of the barbie. The little cup needs emptying periodically.

Hmmmm...I reconsider my original OP. As much as I do like a proper barbecue flavour, I really don't like cleaning....seeing the benefits of the gas barbie now. So, which ones can make the food taste a bit more 'proper'?

My friends' gas BBQ:

only gets used once in a blue moon as it is such a faff to light
burns the sausages
requires an enormous amount of planning
gives off toxic fumes while the charcoal gets going
leaves the chicken raw in the middle
has a limited window of cooking time between when the coals are hot and when the coals die down
requires constant monitoring to ensure the coals are OK and the meat is constantly turned
makes everything taste burned

Our gas BBQ:
gets used whenever the weather is nice enough
can be turned on and off between courses so a meal can last hours (if you want)
doesn't result in the neighbours calling the fire brigade whenever it's started up
requires no more than 2 minutes of planning
actually cooks meat without burning it (god forbid!!)
makes everything taste BBQ-y
looks better :)