Liquid Propane Grills
How Do Liquid Propane Gas Grills Work?
These days, grilling enthusiasts have a wide swath of fuel sources to choose from, ranging from traditional charcoal to propane and even natural gas. In this article, we compare liquid propane grills to these other grill types. Liquid propane grills remain the most popular type of grill due to their convenience, low initial cost, relative eco-friendliness, and more efficient use of energy.
Convenience
Liquid propane grills are especially popular with people who often grill outside of their own backyard, such as RVers and campers. One reason for this popularity rests on the fact that liquid propane grills tend to be more portable. Unlike natural gas grills, which must be directly attached to a home’s natural gas line, propane grills rely on individual, replaceable tanks of propane to fuel them. Furthermore, propane grills are permitted at most camping sites, as opposed to charcoal-based grills, which are often prohibited as a result of the soot their produce.
Low Cost
Liquid propane grills tend to be much less expensive than their natural gas grill counterparts. While natural gas grill owners generally benefit financially in the long run, the initial cost to attach the natural gas grill to the gas line can be quite pricy. In contrast, propane tanks usually cost somewhere around $30 and are available at most supermarkets, drug stores, and convenience stores.
Environmental Factors
While natural gas grills are marginally better for the environment than liquid propane grills, both of these kinds of grills are considered eco-friendly when compared to those that use charcoal. You will likely notice some fumes when grilling with a liquid propane grill, but these will be far less intrusive than those produced by a charcoal grill!
Efficiency
Propane grills are far more efficient in terms of heating your grill to higher temperatures more quickly and with less fuel. If you prefer cooking with especially high temperatures, then liquid propane grills are probably the best fit for you! The reason that these propane grills are more efficient is because there is more energy in propane than natural gas—approximately 2,500 BTUs in propane to 1,000 BTUs in natural gas, or more than double the energy.
Conclusions
The long and short of it is, if you’re planning on travelling with your grill, love cooking at high temperatures, or don’t have a lot of money to pay up front, stick with the propane grill. Just make sure you stock up on enough propane tanks to last you through all of those summer BBQs!