Here is a list of question you will need to ask yourself to help you decide.

1. Are you an experienced griller?
A portable gas grill is far easier to cook with than a charcoal grill. If you are new to grilling, you definitely want to choose this option. When cooking with gas, you have a lot more control over the cooking temperature. You can quickly change the grill from very hot, to not so hot, and vice versa. With charcoal, you are not able to change the heat, only the distance of the food from the grill.

2. How important is convenience?
Natural gas grills are ultra convenient. Lighting one is easy, even if it is raining outside. Charcoal, on the other hand, can be very difficult to light, and nearly impossible if it’s raining. It is also much dirtier. Charcoal always seems to get everywhere, including all over your clothes, and the builds up black soot. Cleaning a gas involves little more than a quick scrape with a cleaning brush.

3. How important is cost?
Natural gas grills tend to be more expensive the portable charcoal grills. This is because they are more difficult to make. A charcoal grill is basically a grill on top of a metal container. On the other hand, a gas grill is a little more intricate, because of the gas. This makes it more expensive.

4. How important is the flavor?
Charcoal, without a doubt, cooks the most flavorful food. The smoke from the charcoal lends a great smokey flavor to the food that is being grilled, and really makes for a flavorful steak, chicken, pork chop. A true barbequing purist will always choose charcoal over gas. Natural gas is easy to cook with, however it does not add flavor to the food it is cooking.

5. Are you concerned about polluting the environment?
When it comes to the envirobnment, the debate between charcoal and gas basically comes down to which one is LESS damaging. Believe it or not, charcoal is worse for the environment than propane. Most charcoal is made from petroleum, sodium nitrate, and coal dust. When it burns, this all goes into the einvironment, Although propane is in no way good for the environment, it does pollute significantly less than charcoal.

So there you have it. When you are trying to decide what type of grill to look for, ask yourself these five questions. They should help narrow it down for you, and you´ll then be ready to start looking for a particular type of grill.