Tips to Grill Greener this Memorial Day weekend

SuperGreen

Grill Greener!

Memorial Day weekend is the "unofficial" start of grilling season. Check out what you can do to be more ecologically aware while you fire up the grill. Gas, propane and electric grills burn cleaner and more efficiently than charcoal or wood. That means better air quality around your cook station and in the surrounding community. Electric grills are the cleanest as they release 99% less carbon monoxide and 91% less carbon dioxide than charcoal; the next best choice would be propane.

If you do opt to barbecue with an old-fashioned solid fuel you can minimize the potential health impacts by using all-natural, sustainably produced charcoal or wood briquettes. You want to stay away from charcoal made with conventional additives such as coal dust, sodium nitrate, limestone, starch, sawdust or petroleum products. When conventional charcoal containing these additives is burned it releases toxic by-products, which can get into your food. In particular, stay away from the "easy-to-light" briquettes, which have been soaked in petro-based lighter fluid--these are the worst hazards to your health and environment. If you need to use lighter fluid, look for newer ethanol-based options, which are cleaner than petroleum-based products.

curlydoglover

Random question since we have a gas grill so this article's kinda moot

But do they ever take into account the environmental cost of how the electricity is produced when making statements like: "Electric grills are the cleanest as they release 99% less carbon monoxide and 91% less carbon dioxide than charcoal"?

I always kind of side-eye statements like that because I highly doubt it.

lilbit07

In order to justify my air polluting, all-natural wood briquettes ... I'd like to point out that gas and propane are non-renewable and electricity could be generated by who knows what.  So there...

7river7wed7

huh. We use charcoal...since it's never even crossed my mind, I'm fairly certain it's not all natural. Cooking on gas just isn't the same.

Jeff & Em

curlydoglover:

But do they ever take into account the environmental cost of how the electricity is produced when making statements like: "Electric grills are the cleanest as they release 99% less carbon monoxide and 91% less carbon dioxide than charcoal"?

I was wondering exactly the same thing.

But go us for having the 2nd best option!

Unless that's negated by starting our grilling season a month or so ago instead of waiting for the "real" start?

curlydoglover

Jeff & Em:

curlydoglover:

But do they ever take into account the environmental cost of how the electricity is produced when making statements like: "Electric grills are the cleanest as they release 99% less carbon monoxide and 91% less carbon dioxide than charcoal"?

I was wondering exactly the same thing.

But go us for having the 2nd best option!

Unless that's negated by starting our grilling season a month or so ago instead of waiting for the "real" start?

If it's negated by starting a month early, we're screwed since we grill year-round, even in the snow.

grahamsm3

SuperGreen:

Grill Greener!

 If you need to use lighter fluid, look for newer ethanol-based options, which are cleaner than petroleum-based products.

better than lighter fluid at all if you are using charcoal

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?client=safari&q=charcoal+chimney&oe=UTF-8&cid=1051211995345888770&ei=hycATLG3GoW62AS82IDHCQ&sa=title&ved=0CAcQ8wIwADgA#p

range from $10-$20 at stores that sell other grilling supplies.

 

lilbit07

grahamsm3:

SuperGreen:

Grill Greener!

 If you need to use lighter fluid, look for newer ethanol-based options, which are cleaner than petroleum-based products.

better than lighter fluid at all if you are using charcoal

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?client=safari&q=charcoal+chimney&oe=UTF-8&cid=1051211995345888770&ei=hycATLG3GoW62AS82IDHCQ&sa=title&ved=0CAcQ8wIwADgA#p

range from $10-$20 at stores that sell other grilling supplies.

 

We use a Weber chimney with our charcoal.  It's slow going, but it does help.

Pescalita

We have a gas grill, charcoal (for grilling and smoking) and the mini charcoal smokey joey (for small grilling/smoking projects, or as a surface for the charcoal chimney so it doesn't explode the concrete).

We use Royal Oak natural briquettes. We order it from DoItBest.com and pick it up at our local store. It's the same stuff as Lazzari which is available at grocery stores or BevMo, but way cheaper. The performance - low ash, consistent temp, slow burning - is miles better than the standard blue Kingsford.

We'll be using the Royal Oak and hickory for a brisket on Monday! 

sillygoosegirl

I miss my grill.  I like to think of grilling as a very environmentally friendly way to cook in the summer since it doesn't force the AC to work extra hard to cool down the kitchen.  Someday we want to get one of those big fancy grills with burners built in, and add a pizza stone, and never cook inside in the summer again.I've heard conflicting reports on whether gas or electric is more environmentally friendly for cooking in general.  Probably depends a lot on where your electricity comes from.