When it comes to cooking meat, specifically grilling, one of the oldest debates concerns the best kind of grill. The outdoor electric grill vs gas.
There are open flame, propane, butane, and natural gas grills, and then there are charcoal grills and electric ones.
Today we will compare two types of grills – the outdoor electric grill and the gas grill. Both of these BBQ types have advantages and drawbacks, which you need to consider before making a final purchasing decision.
Electric vs. Gas Grill: A Side by Side Comparison
We will compare both grill types based on a few main factors, including taste, safety, ease of use, and others.
Flavor
One of the main points of comparison that we have to make is flavor. After all, if we talk about grilling and cooking apparatuses, the end result is one of the most important things.
There is no denying that grilling with a real flame produces a flavor like nothing else.
Most people will say that charcoal makes food taste better than gas, but at the same time, gas tends to result in a better taste than electric cooking.
There is just something about a real flame that changes the way food tastes for the better. If the flavor is your most important factor, you will want to go with a gas grill.
Heating Time
When you are hungry, you want to cook fast, so considering how long the grill takes to heat up is essential. For the most part, if you have a decent electric grill, it will heat up faster than its gas counterpart.
If you plan to grill at high heat, you can expect to wait for at least 10 minutes for a gas grill to get up to temperature, whereas a small electric grill will generally take about half that time. Of course, this is relative to the size of the grills.
That Sear and Sizzle
Not only is the flavor different when cooking with these two types of grills, but you may also notice a difference in the color and how well the foods are cooked. The issue with some electric grills, mainly smaller and cheaper ones, is that their heating elements may not be that strong.
Although they may be able to get very hot, once you put a lot of food on the grill, it may cool down the cooking surface to the point where your meat and veggies no longer sear and sizzle but instead boil and steam. If you want to avoid this issue, go for a high-quality outdoor electric grill with a powerful heating element.
Grilling Restrictions + Safety
If you live in a condo or an apartment, chances are that you are not allowed to use any sort of gas or open flame. This is obviously due to safety concerns; you don’t want to start a fire or blow up a propane tank in a densely populated building.
If you live in a condo or an apartment, your only option is an electric grill. That said, there are now many places where even electric grills cannot be used. Always check the regulations where you live before making any sort of purchase.
What it all comes down to is that electric grills are much safer to use. For one, if something goes wrong, you can just unplug it. If something goes wrong with a gas grill, this is not an option. Whenever there is highly flammable gas involved, there is a certain level of danger. Moreover, electric grills are also much less likely to cause flareups due to greasy food than gas grills are.
Cost
Something else to consider is that electric grills, particularly the smaller and more portable ones, is that they tend to be relatively cost-effective. They generally don’t use much power and are often affordable to buy in the first place. Gas grills are usually more expensive, plus you need to keep buying propane too.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that you need to decide which of these grill types is best for you. That said, if you live in an apartment or condo, the decision has most likely been made for you.
