BBQ Dilemma. (Manstuff)

[doorframe]

I appear to have reached a turning point in my life. Like all real men, the BBQ is 100% my domain, and has been for over 30yrs. The wife knows not to encroach when I'm adorned with welding gloves and pinny, and an ice cold bevvy! She can busy herself with menial tasks like preparing the salad (for the girlies, obviously), buttering the rolls, frying the onions, sorting out the cutlery, laying out the patio set, fetching out the soon to be perfectly prepared meat, and, of course, bringing me another bevvy.

Alas, this year I fear the trusty old BBQ has come to the end of it's illustrious career. It's a basic gas barby, about 8 yrs old, and has well outlasted all of it's predecessors. But the burner has finally rusted through, and it's soon to go to the end of the driveway, where our local travelling community will be only too pleased to collect it and send it on it's way to metal heaven. There's a tear in my eye as I write this.

Anyway, here's the dilemma. Every gas BBQ I've ever had, and I have had a few, has had lava rock on a rack above the burner. I consider the lava rock to be a vital part of the set up. But, all the gas BBQ's I'm now looking at are just inverted grills. No lava rock, not even a rack to put lava rock onto! What's going on? Is this a new thing or has this been the norm for a while? Has anyone got one like this? I need to know, from a real man's point of view, what it's like to cook on one of these 'things' without the spitting flames as the fat drips onto the rocks and adds to the flavour as the girlies look on in awe. It all sounds like it's going to be a rather tame experience!

 

[Jake]

Is there such a thing as a gas barbecue?

 

[gregmcateer]

You are of course, completely correct, that a 'normal' gas bbq is actually a lass's bbq.

However, if you were my Dad, you would consider anything less than a half oil drum with at the very least half a spit roast lamb, to be the cooking equivalent of homosexuality.

Fortunately (I feel), we are a littel more enlightened, (if you'll excuse the pun) and I have found a modern gas bbq to be an acceptable imitation of the canine's testicles. I fully recognise it is only an imitation of a real man's cooking facility, but it is damn convenient and you can even leave the lass to clean up afterwards should the cool tinnies become empty quicker than you may have expected, leading to a quiet slumber on the lounger patio chair.

HTH

Greg Ducking-as-I-Type-McAteer !!

 

[Harbo]

I've had a propane fired Webber for over 10yrs. It uses what looks like inverted lengths of angle iron under the rack. The fat drops onto them and they work just like the lava rocks.
It also allows you to cook by convection and gives great results - as if the food had been turned on a rotisserie.
I use mine very regularly from approx Easter to October whenever the weather allows. Great for fish leaving the smells outside

Rod

Rod

 

[Glynne]

No mention of charcoal - or am I just way behind the times as usual?

 

[DiscoStu]

As Harbo says, I've got a webber with the flavouriser bars and it's excellent. Not cheap but comes with a 25year guarantee and you can tell its quality when you try and lift the lid. I have also used the woodchip smokers on it and again that provides excellent BBQ flavour. I've had gas before and went back to charcoal but now have the webber and love it. You do find yourself being slightly consumed by the brand though!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

My mate used one of those small gas camping stoves to cook all fish outdoors - the flat ones you can buy for £12 - £15 with four throw away cylinders. Even mid winter he used it just outside the back door - it saved all smells in the house. When pubs opened 12pm - 2pm on Sunday lunchtimes, at 11.30am I used to pile a Webber kettle barbie as high as I could with offcuts and logs, light it and head for the pub. When we go back at 2.40pm, it was perfect to cook on. Better than charcoal, even.

 

[woodfarmer]

I had a gas BBQ and ended up giving it to a friend. since the last 15+ years have been using charcoal. some how I get on with it better and it cooks better for mew. My favourite one was a cheap Chinese cast iron round thing not unlike a pot bellied stove to look at. now well rusted and cracking all over. My next project will be to make something similar from an old 15kg gas cylinder.

They are nice to sit around with short ends of logs burning. (which eventually turn to charcoal at which point you can cook on them

 

[RossJarvis]

Weber? did they stop making carburettors and start on BBQs :? ? Or are you lot cooking on top of your car engines? Apparently my grandad did that in the Western Desert.

 

[DiscoStu]

Cooking on the engine block still works well! Although probably not ideal for trying to do cheese on toast. But some of the wayfarer type meals work well.

 

[SammyQ]

"local travelling community"

Is anyone else having trouble with the contradiction in that phrase?

Sam

 

[doorframe]

"local travelling community"

Is anyone else having trouble with the contradiction in that phrase?

Sam

Leave it Sam!!! :wink:

What the hell are flavouriser bars?????

 

[Spindle]

Hi

Gas Barbie is on my list of things to make - once if find a suitable set of burners at the boot sale.

Regards Mick

 

[cambournepete]

We have one of these new-fangled gas BBQs without the bricks and it works very well.

 

[Newbie_Neil]

As others have said, the Weber/Webber with the flavouriser bars is excellent. It's not cheap, but worth every penny.

Neil

 

[Harbo]

Sorry its Weber - just found the owners manual - I bought it in 1994 and still going strong!

Rod

 

[whiskywill]

They had one of these on trial at a local pub fete last summer. http://www.thebbqshop.co.uk/BigGreenEgg.html
It was no different to any other barbecue and couldn't keep up with demand. I'll be keeping my £1600 to buy charcoal.

 

[doorframe]

£1600 for a BBQ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sheer madness. I'm looking at £100 max!!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The best and most efficiently run bbq I ever saw was done on two half oil drums well stocked with charcoal. As one cooled it was wheeled to one side and topped up, and the second one was wheeled into place hot and ready to go. It was outside a very busy bar, and there were queues there from 7.00pm when I got there to 1.30am when it closed.

 

[Harbo]

The big advantage with a gas one is that you can cook almost immediately as they get up to temp in a couple of minutes.
I certainly would not be using mine as frequently if I had to wait until the charcoal coals were ready.
Switch on, cook your food, switch off - no hassle. Cook as much or as little you need - I often only cook a steak or a fish.
You wouldn't bother if you were having to light and wait for charcoal?

Rod