The smoker vs gas debate — what are you actually cooking on?

Honestly I went through a phase of burning everything on my offset and came back to pellet grills, which gives me that wood flavor without the three-hour setup time. But the real question is whether anyone here has cracked the code on smoking brisket under 8 hours with those instant-rise techniques everyone hypes up on TikTok.

Gas for everything except brisket and ribs. The rest is overkill.

Short version: Gas is for speed and precision; smoke is for flavor and texture. Both have a specific use case.

Gas (natural gas, propane):

• Pros: instant start, precise temperature control (+/- 5 degrees), no ambient heat loss to the air around the grill, better sear because of higher BTU concentration in one spot.
• Cons: sterile flavor profile, requires fuel source, doesn't produce a crust as well on thick proteins (you get charring before you get rendering).

Smoke/Pellet/Charcoal:

• Pros: smoke ring deposition through Maillard + surface caramelization, fat drips onto hot coals create aerosolized grease that coats the meat, lower cook temps are better for breaking down connective tissue in cheaper cuts.
• Cons: temperature swings (especially gas smokers), prep time, soot cleanup, inconsistent results between cooks.

What to choose depends entirely on what's on the grill. Ribeye, brisket, and pulled pork