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A Comparison of Wood vs Charcoal vs Gas Grills

There are several different fuel types you can use when grilling; each has its own set of positives and negatives. Wood vs charcoal vs gas are the most common sources of fuel used for grilling, and camping enthusiasts hotly debate which one is superior. Some aspects that affect your fuel choice include flavor, difficulty, and convenience. Read on as we examine the pros and cons of each fuel source and its effect on the cooking process.

 

Wood

Cooking with wood can be a bit more time consuming and requires more maintenance. However, wood-fired grills produce undeniably delicious, smoky flavor that you just can't achieve with other grills. Cooking with wood is convenient for hikers and campers as you can use foraged or split wood at your destination rather than carrying propane bottles or charcoal.

 

Charcoal

Although charcoal can be messy and more difficult to use than the other options, the difficulty is justified by its rewards. Charcoal allows for a hotter and longer-cooking fire without having to add more fuel. The flavor imparted by charcoal grilling is more well-rounded than gas but less so than wood. As your food cooks, juice drips on the charcoal, creating steam that will add more flavor to your food. It will also create a tantalizing sear on meat that will have you coming back for more.

 

Gas or Propane

Gas or propane is convenient to use as a fuel source for its plug and use capability and easy temperature control. However, what is not convenient is dragging along dangerous pressurized containers that are bulky and heavy to carry. Carrying propane is impossible to do while hiking and highly problematic when space is limited on extended van trips. The flavor you get using gas as fuel is not as robust as charcoal or wood, as you are cooking food over burning chemicals.

The convenience and versatility of being able to use either wood or charcoal in Otzi grills settles the debate between wood vs charcoal vs gas. With the Otzi patented adjustable grill height, you don’t have to wait until the wood or charcoal has burned down to coals as you can cook over an open flame without burning your food and adjust the grill down as the fire reduces to coals. The efficiency of our grills makes this even easier because it takes only a few handfuls of dry sticks to cook with. It also contains the ash that can be packed up to be disposed of after you leave the campsite.

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