Propane, place among charcoal & stick burner?

[jjdbike]

Hey everyone.
I love my charcoal grill and my stick burner smoker.
We’re moving to SoCal.
We have the opportunity to acquire a propane grill. I’m trying to figure out if there are any benefits & uses for having a propane grill, when I already have a Weber charcoal grill & a stick burner smoker.
You’re thoughts?
JD

[Huskee]

Of course! They all have a place, they all have unique attributes. Gassers are very easy to operate, easier than starting logs or charcoal. They still make tasty food too.

However, have you considered a pellet cooker? They have all the convenience of a gasser- push a button to start, push a button to stop, quick low or high temp cooks or long low & slow smokes...however, they have a couple plusses that most gassers do not- smoky air for more flavor than a gasser, plus you can set a temp like your home oven, which you cannot do with most gassers until you learn where to set the knob, 2 or 5 or 8, etc. Something to consider.

[Dick Anderson]

You'd better pick it up. Some SOB in Sacramento is liable to outlaw stickburners in the next year or so.

[TripleB]

Outdoor fires are getting a hard look at by CARB, but the implementation schedule will depend on what District you live in

[dweverett]

A gas grill is a great addition for quick cooks. I have a lot of options but it gets most of the grilling duties for me — especially during the week.

Not sure where you’re moving in CA but I think a lot of areas have periodic burn restrictions. Depending on the specific restrictions the gasser might be your only option at times.

[scottranda]

One word: convenience

[Reds Fan 5]

A good gas grill is as essential as a kettle or smoker. We refer to it as our "weeknight grill." No ash, no starter cubes. On average I save 30-40 mins prep time because it lights instantly and heats quickly.

[Mosca]

Burgers and dogs. I got a free gasser that I finally cleaned up and repaired, and I do almost all my burgers and dogs there. In my repertoire it fits next to a Weber 22” Performer and a LBGE.

You can even do smashburgers (but not onionburgers) by smashing them first between two sheets of parchment. I also use it for grilling vegetables, and I use it to roast my hatch peppers. Incredibly convenient. Get it.

[Willy]

Just curious...why not onion burgers?

[Mosca]

Willy The onions will fall through the grate. You can use a griddle top, I’m just referring to a straight gas grill.

[captainlee]

Gas grills are convenient and do a good job. For quick cooks, which wouldn't benefit from smoke, such as fish, burgers....... One of my favorite grill cooks are bone in chicken breast smothered near the finish with Catalina dressing. Grill Grates really make the cook better, grate side for meat, flip on the flat side for fish.

[radiodome21]

I have a natural gas grill, an SNS kettle and a pellet smoker. No stick burner here. I used all three last night. The potatoes and corn were done on the gas grill and the chickens were done on the other two cookers.

Now that I’m back to work three days a week my wife does most of the cooking during the week. She is already familiar with using the gas grill so that’s gonna be the outdoor cooker that gets used the most during the week.

[fzxdoc]

Go for it. It's great for grilling and pretty versatile, since there is so much that you can do on it. Here are some pros:

A gasser is so convenient to use for quick weeknight dinners.

It's much easier to clean than pellet/charcoal/stickburner types of cookers.

Two-zone cooking is a snap with it.

It's a great searing station with Grill Grates.

You can use it as an oven, once you get the burner settings figured out for maintaining oven temps.

You can deep-fry on it, keeping the smell and mess out of the kitchen

You can get a griddle insert for it (I have a Steelmade one that I love), having a better-than-Blackstone griddle setup because the gasser's raised lid keeps a lot of the splatter off your deck, the heat distribution is better, especially on a gasser with 4 or more burners, and the griddle itself is a higher quality than what comes with a Blackstone or many other standalone griddles.

Yup, a gasser can be a handy addition to your cookers.

Kathryn

[jjdbike]

Thanks everyone.
I’m convinced!
Best regards,
JD

[WillTravelForFood]

if you find yourself using the gasser enough, we'd recommend picking up a 2nd propane container and keeping it filled and ready to swap in at a moments notice.

You'll always find yourself running out of propane at exactly the most inconvenient time (or, find yourself unable to schedule a tank refill run before the weekend)

And if you can, almost always go for a re-fill rather than an exchange. You'll get more gas in the tank and save some $$ overall.

[Bad Hat BBQ]

My Outdoor Cook area has an off set, a flat top griddle, gasser, and a propane burner

I love my smoker but I frequently find myself using 2 or more anytime I cook....