Summer is passing by; it’s the perfect season for outdoor grilling. It’s an excellent opportunity for grilling enthusiasts to show some magic. If you still don’t have a griller, it’s high time to take the step and get it for yourself. When you go through the hit sources, or fuel for the grill, there are so many options in hand.
However, with some recent ideas, it’s now an established truth that some discourage using charcoal referring to some health issues. With that into the box, you must know charcoal grilling bad for you and how you can avoid risks. If you’re wondering which heat source or fuel option you should go for your next griller shopping, stick to the article to know more.
Is Charcoal Grilling Bad For You?
Although the charcoal grills give you the best flavor and texture, there are some serious allegations against charcoal grills being hazardous for health. Here is how is charcoal grilling bad for you and the things you should know to understand the health issues with using a charcoal griller:
Chemical compound emission
Charcoal and wood both burn dirty and produce some pollutant particles like soot particles and hydrocarbon. These emissions are not healthy; in fact, they are notoriously popular for causing lung and heart problems. The PAHs drip from the meat onto the charcoal underneath, evaporate, and rise back into the meat with smoke. Furthermore, the 17 different types of HCAs released from the char are well-known for their contribution to breast cancers, colorectal increment, and pancreatic. However, with the right cooking procedure and proper precautions, you can reduce the health issues with charcoal.
Air pollution
Apart from the health issues, grilling with charcoal also can have some problems with the air around. A study from the rising university lets us know that charcoal grilling can have some issues with air pollution. The grill releases polyunsaturated fatty acids into the atmosphere, which is well-known for its hazardous contribution to the atmosphere. Both the lump and briquettes charcoal have the same effect on the environment from the charred wood, which we use for the flavor. On the other hand, deforestation is another concern for environmentalists. However, charcoal production is often derived from the scrap or wastes of sawmills.
5 Mistakes To Avoid When Cooking On A Charcoal Grill
It’s now an established truth that charcoal does have its bad impacts on the human body and the environment. However, with the right procedures of cooking with charcoal can reduce the risks. Here are the common mistakes you should avoid doing when you’re grilling with charcoal:
Clean the grill before using it
Using a charcoal grill requires proper maintenance and cleaning jobs to make sure the griller is functioning well. Cleaning the grill before using it is a major step for the griller maintenance and good grilling experience. If you’re using a public grill, you should clean it properly before you start using it. Start the cleaning process with the grill grates, which is the most common place to build unhealthy chemical compounds. You don’t know when the last time it’s been used; cleaning before using it would be an excellent approach for healthier cooking.
Don’t rush for adding the food
Charcoal doesn’t heat up the same way propane burners do. You cannot treat a charcoal grill the same way you do with other grills, especially while adding the food to the grates. You have to preheat the charcoal entirely before you start adding the food into the griller, especially with briquettes. To get the right heat into the charcoal before adding the food, light up the grill, and heat it for about 15 minutes or more. When you notice a grayish abstract on the charcoal and an ashy layer with a nice color to it, you know it’s time for adding the food.
Use the right type of heat
Cooking the food on a charcoal grill can be daunting when it comes to selecting the heat type of the griller. Charcoal grills produce direct heat to the food for cooking; it’s similar to the high heat from a gas grill. Using direct heat to the food cooked it deep inside, but using too much heat can cause uneven cooking from the inside to outside. Low or medium heat using a barrier for the direct heat can also be a good option unless it’s a steak or other high-heat-centric food.
Don’t lift the lid too open
With a gas grill, opening the grill lid reduces the grill’s heat, but with a charcoal grill, it’s the opposite. When you use a charcoal grill, opening the grill lid will get it more oxygen to light up the fire even more. The charcoal will lit up more to cook the steak with more heat, even burn it if you’re opening the lid far too much. If you have to open the lid for flipping the food or checking it, don’t open the lid also open.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the most frequently asked questions about charcoal grilling that you might have an interest in:
Are charcoal grills hard to use?
Should a charcoal grill smoke a lot?
How long will a charcoal grill stay hot?
Final Thought
Using a charcoal grill can be a better option than a propane grill, especially when you’re doing it while camping where you need better portability. Charcoal grills can be more compact than the gas grills where the electric grills need electricity, which is not available while camping.
While the propane, gas, or electric grills are the neatest options, charcoal grilling has its charm intact since the beginning. If you’re concerned about charcoal’s health issues and wondering is charcoal grilling bad for you, now you have them all. It’s better to enjoy the better flavor of the charcoal grill if you’re not a regular griller. However, for the regular griller, I’d recommend rethinking the heat source option and consider gas over charcoal.
David Bower
Hello, This is David Bower. Let me, introduce my website Gas grill hub that will inform you about all the latest gas grill BBQ machines, it’s accessories, using and maintenance information. As a chef, I know about a good gas grill and its every particular thing but then again I have been researching this sector for the last ten years. On this website, I’ll provide you every single information that you should know about a gas grill.