Ultimate Breakdown: Wood Pellet, Electric, Charcoal, and Gas Grills

 It’s almost summer. You know what that means: grilling season.

Time to break out the backyard grill, do a deep clean and gear her up for the inaugural lighting of the year.

Or perhaps your grill has seen better seasons, and it’s time for a new one. If you’ve been considering upgrading your grill, but are not sure if you want to stick with your current fuel type or make a switch, let this guide serve as a starting point. BBQ Depot has the answers you need.

Wood Pellet Grills: Advantages and Disadvantages

The first type of grill we’re going to be taking a look at are wood pellet grills. Wood pellet grills are like a specialized type of charcoal grill; instead of burning charcoal, though, they burn specialized, compressed wood pellets that you usually feed into a hopper on the side of the grill. As a result, most can be used as both grills and smokers.

Usually, they are very convenient to light and do not require lighter fluid or even a lighter, with a push button ignition to light the pellets, and internal controls to feed the grill. Most pellet grills are either barrel style or cart style grills, although there are others.

In terms of advantages:

• Pellet grills are both convenient and relatively safe. They also offer high heat and fast cooking.
• Pellet grills mostly use indirect heat, which means they are among the most versatile of all grills; in fact, you can even bake on some pellet grills, good news for bakers and pizza lovers.
• Many pellet grills double as smokers.
• Many pellet grills feature easy to use, fairly precise digital controls.

Now for the disadvantages:

• Fuel can be expensive and you will need to use special wood pellets to cook on a pellet grill.
• Some consider pellet grills expensive, but we offer a wide range of options here.
• Some pellet grills can take a little longer to heat up; you can’t cook on them right away like you can with most electric and gas grills.
• Pellet grills burn a little dirtier than gas grills and require more maintenance than both gas and electric grills. The ash from the firepot needs to be regularly cleaned out and the pellets need to be kept dry as they do not burn effectively when damp.

Electric Grills: Advantages and Disadvantages

Electric grills are exactly what they sound like. They use electrical resistance to power heating elements, over which you then cook your food. Unlike all of the other grills mentioned here, there is no open flame with an electric grill, which makes them relatively low maintenance, and some would argue, safer.

There are also many different styles of electric grills, many of which can be used both indoors and outdoors. There are tabletop grills, kettle grills, pedestal grills, and larger freestanding electric grills.

As for the advantages of electric grills:

• Because electric grills do not use an open flame, many of them are considered safer to alternatives. 
• Some living situations and building complexes do not allow open flames aka gas or charcoal grills, making electric grills the only alternative.
• In terms of convenience and maintenance, electric grills are the easiest to use and care for of all grills. There’s never any ash to clean up, either.
• There’s never any need to buy fuel; as long as you’re hooked up to a power source, you’re good to grill.
• By their nature, electric grills offer precision temperature controls, sometimes better than gas, charcoal and pellet grills can offer.

Now for the cons of electric grills:

• A common gripe of users of electric grills is that they don’t produce the same flavor as gas, charcoal and pellet grills.
• With most electric grills, smoking is impossible. Even if you can use a smoker box, it’s not as easy to do as it would be with charcoal or gas.
• If the power goes out, you can’t grill.
• As a general rule, electric grills have more specialized parts, especially compared to charcoal grills. This can make repairs expensive.
• They’re typically not as powerful as gas and charcoal grills.

Charcoal Grills: Advantages and Disadvantages

Charcoal grills are the classic among classics, and many different styles of charcoal grills, including kettle grills, egg grills, and barrel and cart-style grills. There are also portable, and even tabletop charcoal grills.

Charcoal grills require more skill to work with, it takes a little longer to light them and get them ready for cooking, and temperature controls are not as precise as they are with pellet, electric, or gas grills. However, purists love charcoal grills and some even say they’re the most authentic way to cook.

There are numerous advantages of charcoal grills:

• Charcoal grills usually produce the best flavor, and when using smoking chips they can be soaked or even dropped right on the coals, dry, as long as you control airflow properly.
• They vary widely in terms of size, style, design, and operation, and both very expensive, premier built-in charcoal grills, as well as small, portable, affordable grills are available.
• They are extremely versatile and it’s easy to set up dual-zone cooking with a charcoal grill. It’s also possible to cook both directly and indirectly.
• Because of their simplicity, there are very few parts that can break that will need to be replaced. There are no burners or igniter systems; only grates and hardware. This makes charcoal grills affordable to operate over the long run, provided they are properly cared for. They’re also generally easier to assemble, too.
• It’s not as hard to light a charcoal grill as you think; even without lighter fluid, a basic charcoal chimney can get the coals ripping hot in 15 minutes or less.
• While you might be able to get other grills hot, it’s easy to get a charcoal grill really hot - above 600℉, even 700℉ is possible.

As for disadvantages of charcoal grills:

• Charcoal grilling, including lighting the controls, setting airflow and temperature control, is a skill that is not easy to learn. Some also believe that cooking on charcoal is less healthy as a result of the chemicals and compounds produced during combustion.
• Charcoal grills are far dirtier than electric, pellet and gas grills, and ash needs to be cleaned out periodically, too.
• They take longer to light and heat up than other grills.
• Though the grills themselves are relatively economical and easy to repair, charcoal can be expensive if you grill a lot, especially compared to gas.
• Anywhere that open fires are not permitted will be unlikely to allow a charcoal grill.

Gas Grills: Advantages and Disadvantages

Now for gas grills, which most people around the country prefer for convenience, ease of use and precision. Most gas grills use either natural gas or liquid propane, both of which are relatively affordable and highly available, and gas grills are available in a wide range of styles and at an equally wide range of price points.

There are numerous benefits to gas grills, including but not limited to:

• Affordability and availability of fuel. Most hardware stores sell propane, and if you have a natural gas grill permanently installed, you’ll be just using your home’s natural gas, which is even more convenient.
• It is easier to light a gas grill; they’re ready to cook on almost immediately, and they’re fairly precise with respect to temperature control. Many modern gas grills even have digital controls.
• Many modern gas grills come decked out with features like bun toasters, rotisseries, side burners, and additional storage space under or at the sides of the grill.
• They’re relatively easy to keep clean, and you’ll never have to deal with ashes.
• With a smoker box, you can convert a gas grill into a smoker, giving you the ability to replicate the flavor you’d get on a charcoal grill. Also, it’s easier to maintain a constant temperature for longer with a gas grill than it is with a charcoal grill.

As for drawbacks, gas grills are not without their shortcomings:

• Charcoal proponents say charcoal produces better flavor than gas grills. We say its all in the seasonings and sauces with gas grills.
• For a propane grill with a gas tank, it can be inconvenient having to guess at how much cooking time you have left before you need a refill.
• Gas grills can be more expensive than other alternatives.
• It’s important to use a gas grill safely as gas leaks and improper connections can create a fire risk.
• Gas grills can require more maintenance than charcoal grills, making them more expensive to own over the long term.
• There are smaller, portable gas grills, but it’s generally impractical to try to transport most larger freestanding models.

A Note on Infrared Grills

One more thing to consider is an infrared grill, which does not produce radiant heat through combustion; rather, infrared grills consume their fuel to heat up heating elements that release infrared radiation and can reach very high temperatures, up to 700℉ and possibly even higher.

They heat up quickly, can cook rapidly, are tops for getting a good sear and sealing in juices, and are highly effective. The only real downside is the price, as many infrared grills can be quite costly. Still, they are a great option to consider especially if you cook a lot of meats on the grill and have been in pursuit of the ultimate sear.

Your Next Grill Awaits in Our Grill Shop

Whether you ultimately decide a charcoal or gas grill is for you - or something else - and are looking for a highly portable unit, a freestanding grill that offers convenience and flexibility, or a built-in grill to become a permanent fixture of your outdoor entertaining, we’re here to help.

We carry models from the top brands in the industry and offer next-level service. Take a look through our catalog of brands that represent the highlights in the industry and get in touch with us directly at 1-877-983-0451 (or visit us in our grill shop in Hollywood, Florida, if you’re in our area) if you need personalized recommendations on your next grill purchase. We are here to help, and happy to do so.