Published 9 August 2026 · Last updated 15 October 2026 · By Ben Austen · Affiliate disclosure
I’ve cooked on both. I had an Outback 3-burner gas BBQ for a couple of years, which came free from a neighbour, and before that I cooked on a Weber Master-Touch charcoal kettle for more than twenty years. Now it’s a Big Green Egg Large, a ceramic kamado, and I’ve cooked on that more than twenty times. So in the charcoal vs gas BBQ question I’m on the charcoal side, and gas always feels like cheating to me. But gas is a perfectly good way to cook, and for some people it’s the right one.
Key takeaways
- If you want weeknight burgers and sausages with no fuss, buy gas.
- If you want long cooks like pulled pork and brisket, buy charcoal. Gas doesn’t do low-and-slow well, and a smoker box on a gas BBQ doesn’t fix that.
- If you’re not sure yet what you’ll cook, start with a charcoal kettle. The Weber Master-Touch I cooked on for more than twenty years is £299.
- A kamado is the upgrade. It holds a low temperature for hours, but it takes a while to learn.
- I’ve never done a blind tasting, so I can’t tell you charcoal tastes better. Maybe it doesn’t, but it feels better to cook on.
At a glance
| Charcoal kettle | Kamado | Gas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What I’ve cooked on | Weber Master-Touch, 20+ years | Big Green Egg Large, 20+ cooks | Outback 3-burner, a couple of years |
| Low-and-slow | Yes, in my view it’s good at it | Yes, for hours on one load of charcoal | Not well |
| Fuel | Lump charcoal | Lump charcoal | Bottled gas |
What’s the same
All three cook burgers, sausages, chicken and steak over direct heat, and all three have a lid.
Kamado vs gas grill
A kamado’s thick ceramic walls hold the heat, so once it’s up to temperature it stays there for hours with the vents nearly shut. For pulled pork I run mine at 110°C (230°F) and leave it. A gas BBQ is quicker to get going and you turn a knob to change the heat, but it doesn’t hold a low temperature for a long cook the same way.
The catch with a kamado is learning it. I can have mine cooking in about 20 minutes now, but your first few cooks will take longer, and if you let it get too hot it can take an hour to come back down.
Charcoal kettle vs gas
A kettle is the cheap way into charcoal. I used a chimney starter and lump charcoal on my Master-Touch every time, and mostly cooked chicken thighs, koftas and sausages. I never did long cooks on mine, but in my view a Weber kettle is good at them. Lid down, or the fat flares up. Chicken skin was the worst for that.
Charcoal vs gas: where each is right
- You want weeknight burgers with no fuss: gas. If none of the reasons to move away from it apply to you, it’s a perfectly good tool.
- You want pulled pork and brisket on a Sunday: charcoal, and a kamado if you can. Not a gas BBQ with a smoker box. If £1,495 is too much, a cheap kamado from Aldi or Lidl when they’re next on sale.
- You’re buying your first BBQ for under £500 and don’t know yet what you’ll cook: a charcoal kettle, like the Weber Master-Touch at £299.
- You’ve got a balcony or a small patio: a small kettle or a pizza oven, not gas.
- You’ve got kids to feed on weeknights and room for two: gas for the weeknights and a kamado for the weekend works. Speaking for myself, I wouldn’t use the gas, but that’s me.
Common questions
Why do people prefer gas?
It’s quick and easy, and you turn a knob to change the heat. For weeknight burgers that’s hard to beat.
What are the disadvantages of a charcoal BBQ?
It takes longer to get going, it takes practice to control the heat, and there’s ash to clear out after. Clearing the ash is one of the worst bits of my Egg.
Is a kamado worth it?
If you want long cooks, yes. Mine holds a low temperature for hours on one load of charcoal. If you only want quick weeknight cooks, a £1,495 kamado is a lot to spend, and gas or a kettle will do.
Kamado vs gas BBQ for low-and-slow?
A kamado. Gas doesn’t do low-and-slow well, and adding a smoker box doesn’t change that. If you want to try it cheaply, a kettle or an Aldi or Lidl kamado is a better way in.
Can a charcoal kettle do low-and-slow?
Yes. I only ever did quick cooks on my Master-Touch, but in my view a Weber kettle is good at long ones.
Sources and how I checked
- My own Outback 3-burner gas BBQ, Weber Master-Touch and Big Green Egg Large.
- Weber UK and World of Weber for kettle prices; Big Green Egg UK and Kamado Joe’s UK site for kamado prices, October 2026.
How I got this, and what I’ve spent
The Outback came free from a neighbour, my parents bought my Master-Touch around 2000, and my Big Green Egg Large was a Christmas present from my sister Kate. Nobody sent me anything here, and none of the links are affiliate links, so nothing here earns a commission.
Final verdict
If you just want burgers on a weeknight, gas is fine. If you want long cooks, or you like the idea of learning the fire, go charcoal: a kettle if you’re not sure yet, a kamado if you know. That’s where I ended up.