Grilling choice comes down to charcoal vs. gas

There are reasons for choosing either option.

It’s summertime and the grilling is easy ... unless you have no idea what you are doing.

I’ve never even owned a grill — unless you count a George Foreman, which I’m sure any respectable grill master does not.

So it’s nice that there’s a lot of grilling advice floating around out there. And the experts at DealNews.com offer a lot of insight on the cost of owning a gas grill versus the cost of a charcoal one.

Cost to purchase: Charcoal grills win hands down mainly because they are so simple — a cooking grate and receptacle to hold charcoal. Got $15? You too can own a charcoal grill. A more accurate comparison is a basic charcoal grill that runs about $100 versus a basic gas grill that runs about $160.

Operating cost: Gas grills need natural gas or propane, which costs about $30 for 20 pounds and requires refills. Calculate your usage as one hour continuous cooking time for each pound of propane. So that runs you about $1 per hour after you purchase your initial canister. Charcoal grills need charcoal. Estimate the cost of bricks at $2.50 per cookout, plus a supply of lighter fluid at $6 and you’re at $8.50. So gas wins on operating cost.

Flavor: Though it’s hard to tell for basic items like burgers and hot dogs, grill experts say charcoal grills give the best flavor, particularly when you use flavored wood chips.

Portablility: Obviously, charcoal wins out here.

Time: Clean up after using a charcoal grill is a pain and waiting for it to heat for 20 minutes could ruin the party if you don’t plan well. Advantage? Gas.

When you grill, do you break out the charcoal or are you a gas grill aficionado? COURTESY OF CHARCOAL COMPANION STEVEN RAICHLEN BEST OF BARBECUE