Bobby Flay's Stance On The Charcoal Vs Gas Grill Debate

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Bobby Flay is constantly reinventing himself, from the Southwestern-style chef he was at Mesa Grill to the all-things-Italian expert he styled himself as after filming "Bobby and Giada in Italy." While he may be found calling people out for incorrect pasta practices, he's also dished out plenty of advice on best barbecue practices. This befits someone whose first Food Network appearance was on a program called "Grillin' and Chillin'" and whose subsequent shows have included "BBQ with Bobby Flay," "Grill It! with Bobby Flay," and "Throwdown with Bobby Flay." Needless to say, he has weighed in on the charcoal or gas grill debate, although in uncharacteristic Flay fashion, he first tried to hedge his bets.

As Flay told People in 2017, "I think if you want to use charcoal, it's a great idea. It's more pure, it's got more flavor, it's more old school. But I understand the gas grill for sure. I own both." When he spoke with Delish that same year, he was a bit more forthcoming. "If you have the time and conviction, charcoal is better," he stated, adding, "You can flavor the food more with charcoal." There you have it, gas fans. The grill king has spoken, and he's on Team Charcoal.

If you choose to grill with charcoal, it can be a little more complicated than using a gas grill: Instead of just turning on a knob, you have to get the fire started yourself. For this purpose, Bobby Flay suggests one essential piece of barbecue equipment. Flay highly recommends using a chimney starter, calling it perhaps the best $20 investment you can make in grilling equipment. In fact, it needn't even cost that much — the 4.7-star Kingsford heavy-duty deluxe charcoal chimney starter is currently selling on Amazon for under $15.

Flay explains that the best way to use a chimney starter, which is essentially a metal tube with a handle and ventilation holes, is to place it on the grill grates and fill it with crumpled-up newspaper and charcoal briquettes. When you touch a match or lighter to the paper, it will catch fire, and will then quickly transfer the heat to the stacked-up charcoal. In about 15 minutes, the coals should be ready to pour out into the grill. Don't wait much longer, though, otherwise the burning briquettes may expend all their heat inside the tube before you have a chance to start cooking.