The charm of charcoal

While flipping through the pages of a shelter magazine recently, I spotted an ad for an appliance company known for its pro-style kitchen appliances. But this spread was for the manufacturer's outdoor-kitchen line. The stainless-steel gas grill, refrigerator, beverage center, and other elements arrayed across the two pages glistened in the sun in a to-die-for setting.

How could I ever be happy with my puny charcoal kettle grill, a basic pair of tongs, and a no-frills picnic table?

But I am. For nine summers and, with any luck, many more to come, this basic charcoal cooker has done its job well. Friends have gathered around the table to enjoy wild salmon that we grilled on cedar planks and burgers that bring back the summers of our youth.

Fifty percent of Americans own a charcoal grill, according to Weber, which introduced its familiar dome-lidded charcoal kettle in 1952. The Illinois-based company says it has seen an increase in sales of charcoal grills over the past decade, suggesting a renaissance in this type of cooking. If all those barbecue and grilling shows on the Food Network, the Discovery Home Channels, and other outlets are any indication, Americans have discovered the pleasures of smoke (as in food).

At Consumer Reports, we focus on gas grills because that's what sells the most these days, according to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association. (In many ways, today's gas grills are more convenient to use, hence their rise in popularity.) Of the more than 17 million grills shipped in 2006, 58 percent were gas, 40 percent charcoal, and 2 percent electric. Note that just 20 years ago, 69 percent were charcoal, 30 percent gas, and 1 percent electric.

I might be bucking the trend, but to me, nothing tastes as good as food cooked over charcoal.

No matter the type of grill you use, remember this thought from Jamie Purviance, author of "Weber's Charcoal Grilling: The Art of Cooking With Live Fire": "Each time we light a live fire, we reconnect with generations of ancestors all the way back to the beginning of civilization."

Perhaps the sentiment is a bit over the top, but I'll keep it in mind next time I fire up my trusty grill.—Kimberly Janeway

Essential information: Let our Outdoor Living Guide help you make the most of your deck, patio, or yard. And before you plan your next summertime gathering, check out our easy, delicious grilling recipes, including an incredible grilled pizza. Find out what grills other people are buying and what grilling topics are hot in our grills forum.

(Photo © 2006 Weber-Stephen Products Co. Used with permission.)