[-]

Kevin7650@reddit

If you wanna prioritize convenience, propane. If you wanna prioritize flavor, coal.

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Aggravating-Key-8867@reddit

How do you make BBQ with a propane grill?

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Suppafly@reddit

I’m 99% sure he meant a grill. For British people “BBQ” is just the name for hamburgers and hotdogs you cook on a grill.

It's mostly that way in the US too. It's mostly just the people from Texas on reddit that get butthurt about people not making the distinction clear enough.

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captmonkey@reddit

You can use a smoker box. It's not my preferred way to make BBQ, but I've done it before for both pulled pork and ribs.

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MyUsername2459@reddit

Pellet grills are an absolutely wonderful compromise there. The flavor of wood, with most of the convenience of propane.

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NemeanMiniLion@reddit

And for a quality model, I recommend the Yoder YS640. Purchased mine used and it sits outside uncovered year round with temps from -20F to 115F. I do cap the stack though. Great machine.

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Suppafly@reddit

I'm sure those are great machines, but you can get the store brand generic pellet grill/smoker for like $500 and those cost $2600.

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NemeanMiniLion@reddit

Mine will last 20-30 years with little maintenance. You get what you pay for. A traeger or something is great for some, this will be for the "buy it once" person I agree. I paid 900.

[-]

I’ve started using my pellet grill for almost everything. It doesn’t have the flavor of charcoal grilling nor does it smoke quite like a chimney smoker but the convenience & versatility is hard to beat.

My latest trick has been using the pellet grill & lower temps to get meat to the desired doneness then using a torch to reverse sear prior to serving. Lets you get a good mix of smoky flavor and Maillard effect while enjoying the simplicity of a pellet grill.

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kaimcdragonfist@reddit

Depends on what your apartment/flat allows, though if you own your own place then disregard this.

My apartment only allows gas grills should we opt to buy one at all. I usually prefer that, but my father in law has a pellet smoker and ngl I’m kinda jealous of that

[-]

marbanasin@reddit

And coal is really not that much of a pain. Like, just fucking start the fire and then go inside and prep all the shit you need to prep to cook anyway. When done you have a fire ready. If it's almost ready, you crack a beer and enjoy your patio / deck / lawn / whatever for a few minutes.

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Suppafly@reddit

Like, just fucking start the fire and then go inside and prep all the shit you need to prep to cook anyway. When done you have a fire ready. If it's almost ready, you crack a beer and enjoy your patio / deck / lawn / whatever for a few minutes.

This, although usually I feel like I need a shower to get the smoke smell off my clothes and hair afterwards, which adds to the time.

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HippieJed@reddit

Coal for grilling? Or is that another term for charcoal vs what is actually mined? I have never heard of using coal.

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Some_Rando2@reddit

Many people call charcoal just coal. Nobody should grill with actual coal.

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poopiebutt505@reddit

I have never heard anyone.call.charcoal "coal". I know the individual briquits get called "coals", but never get the "COAL" for the grill.

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Some_Rando2@reddit

Well, you can't say that anymore if you read the OP.

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Prairie_Crab@reddit

Charcoal briquettes are sold in bags here in the USA.

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HippieJed@reddit

I had never heard it called coal. I have used charcoal my whole life

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captmonkey@reddit

Charcoal is fine for like a weekend when I've got time, but it's hard to beat the convenience of gas. I go out and turn a knob and press a button and I've got flames. A few minutes later, it's heated up and ready to cook. When I'm done, I turn it off. I work from home and I can easily grill something on my lunch break with gas. I have a charcoal smoker that I use for BBQ, but I use a gas grill for my everyday grilling.

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cans-of-swine@reddit

If you want to keep Hank Hill happy you choose the propane.

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OO_Ben@reddit

OMG IT'S SO JUICY!

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ennuiui@reddit

I tell you what.

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FormicaDinette33@reddit

I will never hear the word “propane” without thinking of him! There’s a reboot, right? Have you seen it?

[-]

Draconuus95@reddit

Pretty good. Hoping we get more of it.

[-]

Red_Dawn24@reddit

The reboot is definitely worth watching imo. I think it kept the spirit of the original while taking place in modern times.

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mapotoful@reddit

Taste the meat not the heat

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Tomj_Oad@reddit

Charcoal. Not bituminous coal

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OO_Ben@reddit

Oh no he said what he said. Bro is cooking over COAL

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ScatterTheReeds@reddit

The chimney starters are great. You don’t need those gasoline soaked briquettes.

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CarolinaSchola@reddit

Taste the meat, not the heat!

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StuckInWarshington@reddit

Got time to kill, get an offset smoker and use wood.

Want to smoke things with less effort but reasonable results, pellet smoker.

Just want to grill steaks and burgers, propane.

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Different_Bridge_983@reddit

The good thing about this question is that there’s one clear and obvious answer that has universal consensus…

I’ll let someone else go into the details.

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dgmilo8085@reddit

And that consensus is a traditional 22" ceramic Weber kettle grill.

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Suppafly@reddit

I'm not even sure porcelain is an accurate name for the coating on the steel kettle.

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dgmilo8085@reddit

Weber Original Kettles are made from steel with a porcelain enamel coating.

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Schpyder@reddit

It's enameled.

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dylans-alias@reddit

Not ceramic

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joe-barton74@reddit

No it's metal but we all understood

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dgmilo8085@reddit

I meant porcelain, nice catch.

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GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit

I maintain if you can't cook on a Weber 22, you just can't cook.

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rextiberius@reddit

I might be a little useless when it comes to all that fancy cooking stuff, but put me in front of that ceramic circle and Gordon Ramsey would be impressed.

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Femmack@reddit

I don't trust anyone who disagrees with this statement. We can discuss the merits of the various outdoor, fire related cooking philosophies, but this here should be a universal truth.

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Briilliant_Bob@reddit

🤣

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Exnixon@reddit

1) What is a BBQ? Do you mean a grill? A smoker?

2) You realize you just started a civil war in Texas, right?

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chubbegg@reddit (OP)

Mate idek the difference between a grill and a smoker just looking for some help on what’s what😭

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cfbluvr@reddit

A smoker makes food taste good a grill is what you cook your burgers steaks and hot dogs on.

Never propane. Don’t care what hank hill says.

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GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit

A grill is primarily for direct heat over open/flame coals. To cook quickly. Steaks. Bratwurst. Burgers.

A smoker is for slow-cooking meat over a long time (see: many many hours/overnight). Pork shoulder. Ribs. Biscuit.

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GOTaSMALL1@reddit

This is pretty decently accurate… but they also aren’t hard/fast rules. I don’t even have a grill anymore. Everything from hotdogs to turkeys gets cooked in the smoker.

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triggerhappymidget@reddit

On the flipside, I don't have a smoker and do everything on the Weber Kettle. I'm sure it's not as good as a dedicated smoker, but I've done ribs, cheese, chuck, pulled pork, etc. and think it turns out pretty damn good.

I think the Weber is the closest to a "Jack of all Trades" grill, especially if you don't have space for a smoker.

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caf61@reddit

This one would be a great place to start OP.

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BigPapaJava@reddit

And… with a grill, you can buy an aftermarket tube smoker from Amazon, stuff it with wood pellets, and use the grill as a smoker if you set it up right.

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bananajr6000@reddit

My smoked burgers are divine

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GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit

Of course.

I was speaking in generalities that will hopefully educate our BBQ uneducated cross-Atlantic cousin on the two different styles of cooking.

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BigPapaJava@reddit

So what do you want to cook and how many people do you need to cook for?

You can take nearly any grill, add a “tube smoker” (literally just a metal cylindrical tube you can stuff with wood pellets to light and use for smoke flavor), and then set up all your heat to come from the opposite side of the grill. That

Frankly, we could recommend good brands (Weber) but those are sold at a premium price. At this stage, just buy whatever inexpensive charcoal or propane grill you can find at the store or online and roll with it. I started on a 14” square charcoal grill I bought for $20 one fall, which was great for that time:

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V-Right_In_2-V@reddit

I have a Big Green Egg and that thing kicks ass. It’s pricey but it’s a buy once, cry once kinda thing. It can grill and smoke

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SysError404@reddit

Okay, so here is a little rundown.

In the US, BBQ is a type of cuisine. What it seems like you are looking for is something to cook on outdoors. That would be either a Grill or a Smoker.

As for Grills or Smokers, it depends on the time frames and how involved you want to be. If you are just looking for something to cooks some steaks, burgers, sausages or chicken on from time to time. You are looking for a grill.

You can get a Propane grill or a Charcoal grill. And which one to get really comes down to personal preference. They both have their pros and cons.

A smoker, is something you would generally use for cooking something a lower heats over long periods of time. This is generally for tougher or fattier cuts of meat. Or for a specific desired type of food. Smokers are generally heated by Wood. Some of them use wood pellets, some are wood chips. Guys that know what they are doing will harvest and chop their own wood for their homemade smokers. But again Low temps, Long time. A brisket is going to take you like 14-16 hours to smoke.

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cdecker0606@reddit

Our pellet grill is awesome! Allows us to smoke a pork butt or brisket (or pizza) but also do quick burgers and hotdogs.

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78723@reddit

Get a web

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ucjj2011@reddit

A grill uses direct heat (from propane or hot coals) to cook relatively fast, usually at temps around 400-500 F (200-260 C). Good for cooking things like burgers, sausages, chops (steak, pork, chicken cuts) and vegetables.

A smoker uses indirect heat from coals, wood pellets, or even electric to cook larger cuts of meat like briskets, whole chickens, or pork shoulders or butt slowly, usually 6-10 hours (and sometimes longer) at temperatures around 225 to 300 F (107 to 150 C). Flavored wood chips (Cherry wood, Hickory, etc) are usually added to add flavor through the smoke. The idea is to make the meat very tender.

If you look online, you will see a lot of recipes that talk about ways to use a regular grill as a smoker. They also sell combination units that have both a grill and a smoker.

There's a huge difference of opinion on whether charcoal or propane is best. One of the big factors for you may be, can you get propane in your area? I personally prefer a gas grill, because I have limited experience working with charcoal, and it can take a long time (30 minutes or so) for the coals to be ready to cook on, and I feel like I don't have very much control over the temperature. They also sell pellet grills that use small wooden pellets that burn - some of these that I have seen have flow controls on them to help regulate the heat.

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Burritozi11a@reddit

There's levels to this shit

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Self-Comprehensive@reddit

A grill is for quick cooking hamburgers, steaks, hotdogs and that sort of thing. A smoker is for slow cooking large cuts of meat like ribs, brisket, whole chickens and turkey. I prefer coals and wood for both but the convenience of gas is important for some people

[-]

MyDaroga@reddit

Very sincerely thought I was on r/Texas at first

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BoringPrinciple2542@reddit

If he meant actual barbecue I think OP would have mentioned pork.

runs away before shots are fired 😂.

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GreenStrong@reddit

Those Texans are good at barbecue, the only mistake they make is they start with the wrong damn animal. A pig is what you want to cook, not a cow.

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cfbluvr@reddit

Pork ribs might be tastier than beef ribs but brisket is what men eat

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JosephBlowsephThe3rd@reddit

Thought i was on r/NorthCarolina. A lot of debate there over BBQ from Eastern & Western NC

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averagejosh@reddit

As a native North Carolinian, I welcome all North Carolina barbecue into my mouth.

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TheGrandExquisitor@reddit

Same..

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Tough_Tangerine7278@reddit

I saw the question and clicked the comments to see the drama. The OP knows not the gravity of what they asked.

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Perfect_Storm_425@reddit

Grills are referred to as BBQs in other parts of the US

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RobThree03@reddit

Yes, but we’re wrong. 😉

I grew up in the Midwest thinking a charcoal grill was a barbecue grill. I spent a decade in Texas and learned the difference.

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cfcblue26@reddit

I was so confused on that first one. I thought he meant the actual food.

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DeiaMatias@reddit

Okie here. We've joined the war

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PK808370@reddit

Are you sure this wasn’t on purpose? A little asymmetrical warfare? MI(whichever # does this there) coming over to soften us up?

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blipsman@reddit

Do you mean a smoker or a grill?

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chubbegg@reddit (OP)

To be honest mate idk the difference

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Thrillhouse763@reddit

A grill is charcoal or propane used for shorter cooking duration type meals.

A smoker is intended for low heat and long duration cooking. When you think of American BBQ, this is what you're probably thinking of. Ribs, pulled pork, brisket, etc.

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Consistent-Sea-4311@reddit

He’s probably thinking of something to cook steak, burgers, sausage, etc…outside. He talking about wanting a grill.

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Thrillhouse763@reddit

The damn red coat doesn't know wtf he wants

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MyUsername2459@reddit

A smoker works at relatively low temperatures, over a long period of time, with aromatic wood & charcoal. It's used only for making barbeque.

A grill works mostly at higher temperatures (some CAN work at lower temperatures, but they aren't optimal for it) and are used MOSTLY for things like cooking steaks, burgers, hot dogs etc. You may be able to use one at a lower setting for barbeque (especially something like a pellet grill). Grills generally are either gas (using canisters of propane gas), charcoal (burning charcoal briquettes or chunks of charcoal) or pellets (burning small pellets of wood fuel), Gas grills tend to be very foolproof, but no real flavor. Charcoal imparts a lot of flavor, but can be very labor intensive and touchy to get perfect. A pellet grills is a nice compromise in that the process is more automated and has more flavor, but purists tend to hate it.

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spacedman_spiff@reddit

Are you trying to have a backyard cookout with burgers and sausages? Get a grill. Gas grills are quick and convenient, charcoal grills are cheaper (here at least).

Smokers are for slow and low cooking for tough cuts like pulled pork or brisket. This is an hours long process. You can also smoke fish and cheese.

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Unhappy-Ad-3870@reddit

What do you want to cook?

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blipsman@reddit

A grill is for quick cooking on high heat, like grilling hamburgers, steaks chicken breasts, sausages.

A smoker is for low and slow cooking with smoke, for making BBQ like smoked brisket, ribs, pulled pork.

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GutterRider@reddit

Just get a Weber grill.

You can get one for around $100. You can grill or smoke, whatever you want.

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Lawyering_Bob@reddit

OP, this but I'd get a crockpot too.

You can smoke a butt a couple of hours at 250 on the Weber then in the crockpot on low over night.

You can always wein off the crockpot but it's a learning curve trying to go low and slow for 6,8,10, 12 hours

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Suppafly@reddit

You can smoke a butt a couple of hours at 250 on the Weber then in the crockpot on low over night.

never thought of that, I've been wanting to get into smoking more with mine and have been scared off by having to learn how to do that snake thing with the charcoal.

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Suppafly@reddit

I think everyone should own a weber kettle and cook with charcoal, but it depends on what your desired outcome and budget are. If you just want to cook good food and don't care about the details and have a decent budget, get one of those pellet grills that you can grill or smoke on. Or if you just want to grill some burgers occasionally and don't want to mess with charcoal, whatever cheap propane grill is at your local hardware store is probably fine.

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Turd_Fergusons_@reddit

I would buy a "big green egg".

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ButtToucherPhD@reddit

BBQ is what you make. A grill is what you make it on. So the question is, what kind of grill do you want? I have a smoker and a charcoal grill. I'd recommend a kettle style charcoal grill. You can do the general grilling (hamburgers, hotdogs, steak) and still have the option to smoke stuff using wood chips.

I don't like propane grills, unless you're going with a flattop.

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Silly-Resist8306@reddit

Never gas. A Weber charcoal grill is the perfect novice equipment. It costs about $100 and is easy to use. Learn to cook before you decide what more expensive equipment you might like.

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Apkef77@reddit

Weber Kettle, charcoal.

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TheNinjaJedi@reddit

I have 8 bbqs and grills at home, and if I could only have one it would be my Weber kettle.

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joe-barton74@reddit

Putting aside for a moment the definition of the term BBQ, OP meant to say grill, this is the answer the best selling grill in us history for a reason can never go wrong

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daswisco@reddit

This must be the starting point for all. An old beat to shit Webber kettle was left in the shed when I bought my house and I grilled on that thing for years before i bought a replacement. Replacement parts are found everywhere and they are just synonymous with backyard cooking. A Webber kettle grill is the American icon everyone should start their grilling journey with. You can move on to propane, smokers, pellet grills, egg grills, or whatever afterwards, but you should start with a Webber.

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GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit

I bought a Weber 22 off craigslist for $15 like 12 years ago.

It's my favorite thing. I use it weekly. Have made some absolute killer meals on it.

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bleula@reddit

100%. Learning to get the coals hot and cooking to temperature is OP’s next lesson.

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cuentalternativa@reddit

A lot of people like the kamados since you can grill or smoke on them

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Inspi@reddit

Charcoal for flavor and getting to play with lighter fluid.

Propane for speed.

Smoker for getting up before dawn to start cooking dinner. A very tasty one though.

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GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit

You do not "buy a bbq."

You purchase a "smoker."

Unless you mean a grill, but that is different.

I prefer wood and charcoal, but I totally get the advantages of pellets and electric and whatever else.

You need to ask, first, what your goal is and then tailor your equipment to that end.

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gfunkdave@reddit

You don’t “fire this baby up.” You bring it slowly up to temperature.

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BlackbeltKevin@reddit

Okay, when do we throw the burgers on?

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Highlifetallboy@reddit

You can smoke on a Weber Kettle grill . . .

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GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit

I know. I've done it. I made a home built smoke box. It worked, just a lot more man hours and work.

Upgraded to a Weber Smokey Mountain and it is amazing.

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Highlifetallboy@reddit

Snake method. Easy peasy

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spacedman_spiff@reddit

He means a grill.

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Cryptographer_Alone@reddit

Ok, if you only want to cook fast on high heat (steaks, burgers, hot dogs, sausages, etc) then a propane grill will likely have the easiest learning curve. For charcoal you have to learn the art of charcoal (lighting it, building heat, managing the fire, etc), then learn to cook on it. On quick cooks, you likely won't taste much difference.

If you want to smoke and grill, I'd say that the best thing to start with is a kettle charcoal grill or a steel egg charcoal grill/smoker. Both use charcoal, but both can also do long smokes as well as quick cooks. A steel egg will make managing the charcoal over a long brisket smoke easier, but they are more expensive and harder to find in store.

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professorfunkenpunk@reddit

For all the people saying BBQ is a style (which is correct) ther me was a time when grills and cooking out on the grill was referred to as BBQ. It’s not a common usage anymore but there was a time when BBQ was not as much of a religion as it is now

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professorfunkenpunk@reddit

A gas grill is easier and probably more economical long term (more expensive up front but the gas will be cheaper than charcoal). Subjectively, I think charcoal tastes better and is probably easier to smoke with (you can Throw in some wood chips).

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Black_Bird265@reddit

Coal. Throw in some hickory wood chips for extra flavor

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feetnomer@reddit

Burning wood down to embers is the absolute best way to grill. Use hard woods, fruit/nut woods and stay away from pine woods. Make sure the wood is seasoned(low moisture) well. Once you cook over wood, you'll never use charcoal or gas ever again.

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Skin_Local@reddit

Propane for quick and easy, coal for quick easy and flavor, wood pellet smoker for easy and flavor, standard smoker for flavor with a learning curve.

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NOTcreative-@reddit

Check out r/grilling

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Entropy907@reddit

Definitely recommend a wood pellet grill/smoker (like a Traeger). Great for salmon.

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Dusty_Old_McCormick@reddit

I got a double grill with charcoal on one side and propane on the other. Best of both worlds!

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g-burn@reddit

Are you wanting to smoke, grill, or both? Are you just wanting to try it out or do you think this is something you’re really going to really get into?

In my opinion, even if you aren’t going to grill regularly, it’s best to get a good quality grill so it can at least hold up to the elements. I’m about to sound like a total Weber shill here but Weber makes a hell of a grill. I have 2 of them myself and am very happy with them.

The Weber Sprit line is a good gas grill for burgers, steaks, fish, kabobs, etc. You have more temperature control with gas and it’s easier to use. It’s less messy too since you don’t deal with ashes. It’s all direct heat though so you can’t smoke with them. I own a 4 burner Spirit and like it a lot.

If you are looking for something more traditional and want to use charcoal, you can look at the classic Weber kettles. There are a lot of attachments available for these so you can dabble in different types of grilling and even some smoking. Coals are can be messy though and they can be a bit more of a fire risk since it takes a while for the coals to cool down when you’re done. They are also relatively portable so you can take it to a picnic, camping, or tailgating. I don’t own one but it is THE charcoal grill.

If you want to dive right into smoking, I love my Weber Summit Kamado. It’s like a Big Green Egg but made of metal so it’s more durable. These are not cheap though and there’s a learning curve. They require babysitting since you need to manually adjust vents to prevent run away temps or killing the coals and your temps can yo-yo a lot if you are new to it. But when you get there hang of it, they are a blast to use and smoke a mean brisket. It uses lump charcoal and briquettes so you have a lot of options in smoking woods. They can also do good old fashioned direct heat grilling, but i mostly just use my gas grill for that.

If you want to smoke and don’t want to babysit (totally understandable since smokes can go for 20 hours sometimes), you can look into pellet grills. It’s not a Weber but Traeger is a popular brand to look at. I’ve never had one but I have friends that are happy with them. They use pelletized wood for fuel and are automated so the computer adjusts vents, temps, and how/when to add pellets. Sometimes I wish I had one of these so I can set it and forget it, but part of the enjoyment of smoking is just babysitting the grill all day in excellent weather, a ballgame, and copious amounts of beer and/or whiskey.

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CraftFamiliar5243@reddit

If you want to cook a variety of food over a live chacoal fire a Weber kettle is the most popular option.

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TheKiddIncident@reddit

My lord man. You have no idea what you just started. This is a religion in this country.

I would start with a simple Weber propane grill. You can buy a Weber Silver almost anywhere and it will do 90% of what super expensive grills will do for half the price. Start with steaks, etc. and work your way up.

Save the smoker for when you really want to dive in deep.

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beardiac@reddit

It really depends on what you intend to cook on this grill. If you're most likely just going to be making burgers and/or hot dogs, which charcoal is still better for those, gas is easier and cleaner for beginners.

If you want to make some real bbq foods like ribs, steaks, chicken, pork chops, etc., then charcoal is going to be way better as it will allow you to infuse smoky flavors into things.

If you want to make bigger cuts of meat like pork roasts or brisket, you need a true smoker to cook things slowly or a large enough charcoal grill that you can setup a cool zone to do the same.

And while I think they have their place, anyone who tells you to get a Blackstone griddle is wrong or doesn't have your best interests at heart.

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FriendlyEngineer@reddit

Get more specific. We call propane and charcoal grills “bbqs” but true American barbecue is mostly smoked.

So are you looking for recommendations for a grill to make burgers, hot dogs, chicken, etc

Or do you want a smoker that can smoke ribs, brisket, pulled pork and stuff like that?

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chubbegg@reddit (OP)

Cheers for the info pal tbh I didnt even know they was any different types off grills n smokers just trying to find out more on it before getting one

[-]

FriendlyEngineer@reddit

No problem. It all comes down to what you want to cook.

Propane grill is most convenient for burgers, hot dogs, chicken wings, but will have the least amount of flavor.

Charcoal grill for the same stuff. Flavor is better but it’s more work to light it, manage heat, etc.

Both are direct heat. Basically cooking over fire.

Smoker is a different cooking method. Indirect heat, low and slow for tougher meats like ribs and brisket. Smoking will imbue much more flavor than grilling. And you can still smoke things like hot dogs and chicken wings as well.

[-]

swake3@reddit

NEW JERSEY!

Get a rope.....

[-]

Much_Job4552@reddit

Who calls a grill a barbeque?

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FriendlyEngineer@reddit

The coasts.

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Unhappy-Ad-3870@reddit

Grew up in the NY metro area and we called it a BBQ grill.

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MyUsername2459@reddit

Heck, I didn't even THINK they could be asking about how to fix burgers and hot dogs. The idea that they were talking about making pulled pork and such just seemed so obvious.

[-]

FriendlyEngineer@reddit

Yeah I just figured because where I grew up, BBQ and “Cookout” are used interchangeably.

[-]

Outlaw_Josie_Snails@reddit

Get a Weber kettle gril 22-inch (57cm)

r/webergrills

r/smoking

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78723@reddit

You can’t bbq on a gas grill.

[-]

cmh_ender@reddit

I think you mean Grill (hopefully). If you want fast, propane, everything else? Something like a big green egg (type of grill) is awesome.

[-]

dgmilo8085@reddit

I love the egg, but I am guessing that \~$1700 is a lil much for OP's fist BBQ

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cmh_ender@reddit

buy once cry once? jk jk jk

[-]

The_Menu_Guy@reddit

If you want a grill, the Weber E-310 gas grill is a great tool and gets up to 550 F. The standard Weber charcoal grill is excellent as well.

For a smoker, I like the Masterbuilt electric.

[-]

DMJessus@reddit

Them's fighting words, but I'll try to calm down my Texan heart and be kind.

Most UK lads I know use BBQ to mean cook out stuffs like burgers, hot dogs, sausages, etc... grillin stuffs. In which case you want a grill. Your options are propane or charcoal.

Propane is clean burning and convenient. Plenty of people prefer it. Charcoal is smokey and fiddly but imparts flavor in that smoke. I prefer charcoal. Woodfire grilling can be done on a charcoal grill too. The smoke is what imparts the extra flavor. Delish! People pay a lot of money for that smokey flavor.

Now. The problem is you called it BBQ... and BBQ to Americans is low n slow smoked goodness. Not just grilled.

For a beginner, without a mentor to teach them and just youtube university to learn from? An electric wood pellet smoker will do ya fine. They're expensive but controlled and will give you room to learn before you build a smoker out of a metal trash can and a oven grate. Control over your temp and moisture is important.

You will have to control the moisture regardless, but the electric smoker will maintain the temperature you set it to until you learn enough to handle a smoker that doesn't do it for you. Like the ones people build out of metal drums and steel grates, or traditional pits. Or stick to the electric one.

We are all brothers and sisters in brisket. Even if your sauce is mustard based. We all agree on low and slow.

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Tacoshortage@reddit

I've had them all. Smokers, Gas Grills, Charcoal grills, water smokers...and the best and most versatile remains my beloved Big Green Egg. I can do anything with it. It is certainly more work, but it does BBQ better than any smoker so far for me.

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Femmack@reddit

Listen, if you wanted to start a fight, you coulda just said that

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DodgerGreywing@reddit

From the title I thought he was asking what regional style of BBQ was the best and I was set to read an all-out war in the comments.

"Best device to cook meat" is only slightly less polarizing.

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Femmack@reddit

Listen friend, I went through the very same stages of thought.

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Usagi_Shinobi@reddit

It really depends on the application. For general purpose grilling, gas is the easiest to work with.

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Careless-Internet-63@reddit

Propane is convenient and you're getting the least added flavor from it, so if you like the flavor of the meat and whatever seasonings you add that's the way to go. Charcoal adds a bit of a smoky flavor and some people prefer it because of that

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sparklyjoy@reddit

Can you use wood planks or pellets or something with propane if you want more of that kind of flavor?

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Arammil1784@reddit

Absolutely, yes.

I have a small, shallow, cast iron box I bought just for the purpose. I fill that with woodchips--like apple or cherry wood chips--that have been soaked in water. I put it right on top of the 'flavor bars' or the metal shields above the gas tubes right before putting the food on. It'll fill the grill with wood smoke in no time, and then any time I open the grill I throw so more soaked chips in or a little water to the iron box to keep the chips from igniting.

If you want true 'smoke' flavor, you need a smoker not a grill.

All the die hard coal-fanatics think there is something special about all your food tasting like exhaust fumes. It's mostly just to hide the lack of cooking skill, I figure. Most of the time, the 'smoke' flavor on a grill is coming from the burning grease and other liquids that drip off the food any way.

That's the function of the 'flavorizer' bars. Grease drops on them, burns and smokes, and your food gets that classic 'grilled' taste. A little smoke box like I use can add some wood flavors, too. Coal as fuel for fire doesn't burn efficiently so the smoke contains small particles of uncombusted fuel as well. That's the 'flavor' you're getting: coal dust.

Also, if you can't cook meat properly in the kitchen, you aren't going to be any better at cooking it on the grill. Some people think they're great at grilling because all the carbon from over cooking at too high of a temperature and the coal dust convince them their food is good. They just like the burnt char flavor of carbon.

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Teknicsrx7@reddit

You could use a propane grill to light your charcoal grill

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Careless-Internet-63@reddit

I haven't really seen a propane grill set up for that but maybe they exist. I have seen which smokers that are set up to use pellets

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extendedsilence@reddit

If you can only have one device to do everything, then I would say that there are basically 3 types of devices you can buy: a pellet grill/smoker, a charcoal grill (barrel-style) with an offset smoker attached, or a big green egg (or similar kamado grills)

The pellet grill is probably the easiest for most people, but requires electricity (mains power or a generator/battery) to run the pellet feeder and other electronics, but a pellet grill also can maintain temperature and smoke without much attention (other than refilling the pellet hopper if/when it empties)

The other two types don't require power, but then you're the one that has to feed it sticks/wood as needed to maintain temperature and smoke, so you'll have to check on it regularly. A grill w/offset smoker is probably the cheapest so is popular. Big Green Egg kamado grills are pricey (and heavy) but people who love them swear by them.

I like convenience and also don't have a good place to store actual wood, so pellets for me (as it is much easier for me to have bags of wood pellets and sealed buckets to store opened pellets)

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SmokedPumpkin@reddit

The people who are telling you that BBQ only refers to the food and not the grill are incorrect. It absolutely is regional. I have definitely lived in parts of the US where the grill itself was called the barbecue.

And you can make good food on any kind of grill, even a hibachi. It’s about the recipe and the cooking skills, not the equipment. The best stuff is cooked over hickory or mesquite. But I wouldn’t use gas, you might as well use your cooker if you’re gonna use gas.

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ElPadero@reddit

American in England here.

I bought one of those round ones for coal for super cheap, it’s lasted me about 4 years. Thinking about getting one I’ve seen at Asda or bNQ that’s more rectangular shaped and has a little rack inside of it.

Personally I prefer the coals cuz I think lighting the fire is fun.

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ScatterTheReeds@reddit

Charcoal briquettes, but I highly recommend the chimney starters.

Also, google the different style. I personally love the St. Louis bbq. I should have mentioned that in the recent Missouri thread.

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AnybodySeeMyKeys@reddit

Now look what you did. Fights are going to be breaking out because of your question.

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DiscontentDonut@reddit

We call them grills, here. BBQ to us is the food resulting from the barbecuing process.

Different grill types result in different tastes. It depends on your preference. I won't pretend to know a lot, but I at least know that where I live, you get:

a charcoal grill if you want more of that "flame-broiled," smokier, tangier taste
a propane grill if you want a more meat-forward taste, meaning you want anything like smoke to interfere with the taste, you want it "cleaner" or closer to the natural meat taste
a smoker, or wood burning grill, if you have a lot of money

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Dirk_McGirken@reddit

Propane for a pure flavor, charcoal for a smoky flavor. Get a 2 in 1

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swake3@reddit

If you are making BBQ without smoke, you aren't making BBQ. Might as well cook it in the oven.

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ChapterOk4000@reddit

I have a Weber Genesis Propane grill with side burner. I'm not some super BBQ person, I just like an easy grill and this is it. I can grill pork chops, chicken, steak, burgers - throw veggies in a grill pan on the other burner - and use a regular pan on the side burner. I live in California so grill tear round. I rarely need to use my stove.

If you want ease of use, this is the way to go.

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sideshow--@reddit

I think in the UK, most average people would call both grills and smokers BBQs. They don't seem to be as precise with the language as we are here in the US. Most UK people probably mean grill when they mean BBQ though. That's what I suspect at least.

In any event, if you want something delicious, but that will take more time when you're doing it, is a Weber Kettle 22 inch. That's the gold standard. You can grill, and you can smoke too. It's the most versatile unit you can buy. They will last decades with minimal maintenance effort. And when you, do need to replace something, it's easy and generally cheap.

Gas will be basically an outdoor oven. There's nothing you can't do on a gas grill that you can't do with an oven, stove top, and a cast iron skillet or stainless steel pan. But it's nice to cook outside and you can press a button and be ready to cook in like 10 mins. It's more expensive and has more maintenance though.

For a smoker, there are Traeger pellet feeders, Summit Kamados, and Smokey Mountains. But something tells me that OP isn't really trying to smoke, and just wants a grill. So overall recommendation is a Weber 22.

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carlsdad19@reddit

Very observant. The sacred and the propane.

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termgrin@reddit

I prefer the flavor of a charcoal grill but use the propane grill waaay more often.

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Soggy-Attempt@reddit

Are you looking to grill a steak or smoke a brisket?

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Ruthrfurd-the-stoned@reddit

More hardcore people will gate on it but I’d go for a wood pellet. Takes a lot of the failure points out of smoking and / or roasting while also super easy to just use as an actual grill

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MyUsername2459@reddit

Yeah, hardcore BBQ fans hate them because they're purists. . .but for more casual practitioners, or people just getting into it, a pellet grill is a great thing to have.

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swake3@reddit

First off, real slow cooked BBQ is cooked with indirect heat using WOOD.

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captainstormy@reddit

A BBQ is a cooking style and an event (only if there is actually BBQ, otherwise it's a cookout).

You are talking about buying either a Smoker or Grill, you gotta tell us which you mean.

Gas is more convenient, charcoal tastes better.

Personally I have a gas grill I'll use just to cook dinner quick and easy in a week night. But I prefer charcoal and use it everytime I'm not in a rush.

Also, use natural lump hardwood charcoal (I prefer hickory). Never briquettes.

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Impulse2915@reddit

OK pal, let me lay it on you. Go to the store and get the OG, the 22" Weber Grill. Get a charcoal chimney and watch YouTube how to use it.

Now for some lessons:

how to grill the perfect burger

How to grill brats perfectly

Reverse Sear Method for Steaks

Happy Memorial Day 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸

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sleepygreendoor@reddit

Got to be in the top 5 greatest questions ever asked in this sub. Well done!

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Intelligent-Invite79@reddit

Get you a Weber kettle charcoal grill. Good all around grill that you can eventually learn to smoke with.

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Apart_Insect_8859@reddit

Do you want to grill things or bbq them? And are you bbqing meat, or are you smoking it?

And how much are you investing in this? Are you thinking of having people over on a random weekend once a month for burgers? Or do you want this to be your new hobby or even you entire personality?

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tvan184@reddit

At lot depends on what barbecue means to you.

Is it the long smoked for hours product like Texas brisket or whole hog like in the Carolinas or a backyard grill where you have a grill with some charcoal and throw steaks, burgers or chickens on for a few minutes and toss on hotdogs for the kids?

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CollenOHallahan@reddit

What a fucking British way to ask a question. "Lads" lol.

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EngineeringOwn2990@reddit

Weber Smokey Mountain is great

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DeiaMatias@reddit

My husband owns a bbq restaurant and also takes home grilling and smoking far more seriously than anyone really should, so let's get some terms straight.

In the southern US, bar-be-que is a type of food, not a tool used to cook food. Personally, I feel it is one of the best types of food, but I realize that everyone is entitled to their wrong opinions.

To make BBQ food, you need.... well alot of things, but the main thing is a smoker. It's designed to cook meat for a long time over low heat. Professionally, we have a Southern Pride. But if you don't have $30,000 sitting around, Oklahoma Joe makes an amazing home smoker.

What I THINK you're referring to is a what we call a grill. There's propane and charcoal grills.

As I said above, my husband has an unholy obsession with cooking meats. He far prefers charcoal for flavor. You can get a round black Weber grill for like $80 pretty much everywhere. It will do everything you need to do. Some of the best steaks I've had in my life were cooked on our Weber. Every dad in American has cooked a meal on this exact same grill. They're cheap, they haven't modified the design in about 50 years, and they're indestructible.

If you don't want the mess of charcoal, get a propane. We have one. We never use it. I have no idea what brand it is. Someone else will have to give you that recommendation.

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Traditional_Trust418@reddit

You mean like a grill? We eat BBQ. You cook the BBQ on a grill or in a smoker. Lol

Sorry, idk how to help. Seems like men around here just buy the most expensive grill they can find to show off. Idk anything about grills themselves

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dgmilo8085@reddit

There is no better grill than a traditional ceramic Weber kettle BBQ.

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Not_Rude_Cauliflower@reddit

Weber Original Kettle Charcoal grille is what you want for that classic American feel. "BBQ" is whole subculture and major level up, not a starting point.

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HumbleLife69@reddit

Charcoal

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bdrwr@reddit

Charcoal tastes better, but gas is more convenient and easier to keep clean.

Some people will insist that a gas grill does not make your food taste like gas fumes—these people are liars. Its faint but it's there.

For someone totally inexperienced such as yourself, I recommend keeping it simple and cheap. Get one of those small, round, black charcoal grills. Once you've played with it and gotten a feel for grilling, then you can look at fancier options, smokers, multifunctional ones, etc

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ryguymcsly@reddit

Lots of misinformation in this thread. Just get a cheap Weber grill and some charcoal. Get good at burgers and dogs before you invest in a smoker.

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musaXmachina@reddit

I would get a Weber and start with coal and work up to wood. I would only use propane if I had no other options.

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ZLunatheholy@reddit

I like our Zgrills pellet grill,it's electric powered but does pellets and makes amazing smoke,we just smoked a lasagna on it,was epic. My father in law has a traeger and has smoked cookies on it ,they were really tasty.

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Responsible-View-804@reddit

So you’re talking about a grill… a barbecue is a type of food

I would say without doing a lot of in depth research, propane is the most consistent but the more in depth stuff produces better results * if you know what you’re doing.

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sparklyjoy@reddit

What are you trying to cook? Is the big question.

Are we talking about hot dogs and hamburgers, or brisket or…?

If you really mean barbecue and not just grilled meats, what kind of American barbecue have you had and enjoyed? We have really intense regional differences.

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haveanairforceday@reddit

For grilling i prefer a gas grill. They are just way easier. Charcoal/wood can be better but its so much more work i end up not using it.

What we call barbecue is different that grilled meats. To us that means it was smoked with indirect heat for a long time at a lower temperature. The easiest way to get into that is an electric pellet smoker like Traeger (not sure if thats available in the UK) but traditionally it would be a wood fire with oak or hickory or another flavorful wood used to make smoke. Often smokers are home built

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PeorgieT75@reddit

You have no idea of the rabbit hole you started down, good luck.

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etrnloptimist@reddit

Most of us have propane (gas) grills because they are very easy. Do you have propane by you?

We use charcoal in two circumstances. First, camping, tailgating, and traveling. Second, if we are very serious about barbecuing. "Real" bbq is over wood or charcoal. But that is a bit elitist. Every filthy casual has a propane grill.

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Impossible_Memory_85@reddit

Do you want to taste the meat or the heat?

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Vulpix_lover@reddit

Oh you got a lot to learn

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MyUsername2459@reddit

Oh, are you TRYING to start a war? ;-)

Seriously, arguing over the best BBQ, whether the best meat to cook, or way to cook, or regional style to use is a way to start some epic arguments.

Personally, I'll say a wood pellet grill with good aromatic hardwood pellets (like mesquite) is a good choice for someone who is new to this and just learning. . .and I'm SURE someone will be along any moment now to disagree with that and tell you something totally different.

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