BBQ Charcoal grills have at least four advantages:

• They cook hotter.

• You can burn wood in a charcoal grill, which gives you more flavor.

• It's easier to smoke in a charcoal grill.

• Charcoal gives you the primal thrill of lighting and playing with fire.

Of course, charcoal grills have a few negative aspects as well:

• They're fussier and messier. (Some grill jockeys might regard this as a benefit not a disadvantage.)

• They're less predictable and require more attention.

• They gradually lose heat and need to be re-fueled every hour or so.

Professional BBQers like to dump on gas grills, but actually, 70 percent of American grill owners prefer and use gas, and the number is increasing.

Barbeque Gas grills, also have their advantages and drawbacks. On the plus side:

• Gas grills offer the advantage of push button lighting

• Gas grills provide a constant and consistent heat with the twist of a knob.

• A propane tank will burn for as long as 20 hours.

The drawbacks to gas grills are:

• A slightly diminished flavor in the end product, for unlike charcoal, gas imparts no taste. But with the addition of chips and alike you can add flavor

• It's harder and in some instances impossible to smoke on a gas grill (however many new models have smoker boxes with dedicated burners, which, theoretically at least, makes this task easier).

• Gas grills deprive you of the thrill of lighting and playing with fire. You know...the WHOOSH factor

My Family owns both types of grills (and a smoker), we use both. We use the gas grill more (maybe as I get older I am getting lazier). On our boat we have a small gas grill as well.

What to look for when buying a gas Barbeque grill:

• At least two heat zones, so you can indirect grill.

• A built in gas gauge and thermometer.

• An easy to empty and clean drip pan.

• A smoker box with a dedicated burner (a standard feature on the better grills)

• A rotisserie attachment with a dedicated burner (a standard feature on the better grills)

• A side burner

• Side tables (space, space space, you need space)

• Sturdy construction and a good warrantee

What to look for when buying a charcoal barbeque grill:

• A tightly fitting domed lid so you can do indirect grilling

• Vents on the top and bottom for adjusting the airflow and, thus, the heat.

• A hinged grill grate, which makes it easy to add wood chips to the coals

• Front loading charcoal grills are good when you want to smoke a lot of food or grill over wood.

• Sturdy construction and optional side tables.

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