The gas braai vs charcoal question has a plain answer for most Australian backyards: buy charcoal if you want the real braai, and keep a gas barbecue as a backup if you live where total fire bans are common. Charcoal gives you the smoke, the coals and the ritual. Gas gives you speed and, on a total fire ban day, it may be the only legal option. The rest of this guide shows you how to pick, without the usual shouting match.
We are not linking any product here. Prices and stock change too fast, and we would rather give you the rules for choosing than a shopping list that goes stale. Where we mention a fire rule, it comes from the fire authority’s own website, checked on 20 October 2026. Rules change, so check your state’s site on the day.
Table of Contents
Gas braai vs charcoal: the short comparison
| What matters | Charcoal | Gas |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour | Smoky, with that coals-and-fat flavour South Africans mean by a braai | Clean and mild, closer to a hotplate |
| Time to cook | Allow time to light and burn down to ash-covered coals | Switch on and cook |
| Total fire ban day | Not allowed | Allowed only under strict conditions |
| Heat control | Needs practice: move the coals, adjust the vents | A dial |
| Cleaning | Ash to dispose of safely | Grease trap and burners to clean |
| Best for | Weekend braais, wors, lamb chops, slow cooks | Weeknights, quick dinners, ban days |
The fire rules decide more than you think
This is the part that surprises new arrivals. On a total fire ban day, burning wood, charcoal or heat beads outdoors is not allowed in New South Wales. The NSW Rural Fire Service says solid fuel barbecues and pizza ovens cannot be used outside during a Total Fire Ban. It lists gas barbecues as allowed only if an adult supervises the whole time, nothing combustible is within two metres, there is an immediate and continuous water supply, and the barbecue is within 20 metres of a permanent private home or in an approved picnic area.
Victoria is similar. The CFA says solid-fuel cookers are banned across the state on a Total Fire Ban day, and gas or electric cookers are allowed only in a properly built fireplace or a commercial barbecue made for cooking, with 3 metres of clear space around and above it, an adult watching the whole time, and the cooker switched off before you leave. Its barbecue fire safety page has the full list. Our own guide to braai fire rules in Australia covers the state-by-state picture.
So if you live somewhere with long, dry summers, a gas barbecue is not a betrayal of your braai heritage. It is the reason you can still cook outside on the worst days.
Flavour: why charcoal still wins for a braai
Charcoal cooking is about more than heat. Fat drips onto hot coals and throws smoke back at the meat, and the fire itself is half the point of a braai. Boerewors, lamb chops and a good steak all taste better with that smoke. Gas can brown meat well, but the flavour is cleaner and less smoky. If the taste of a proper braai is what you miss from home, charcoal is the answer.
If you are weighing up a kettle against another style of charcoal cooker, our kettle braai vs Weber guide goes into detail. And once you have chosen charcoal, the fuel matters too: see charcoal vs briquettes for a braai and the best wood for a braai in Australia.
Convenience: when gas is the sensible choice
Gas wins on a Tuesday night. There is no waiting for coals, no ash to carry out, and heat control is a dial. If you cook outdoors three or four times a week, or you are feeding kids at 6pm, gas is the barbecue you will actually use. Charcoal is a weekend ritual, and that is fine. The point of the right barbecue is that you use it.
If lighting charcoal is the thing putting you off, our guide on how to light a braai fire without the firelighter taste removes most of the pain.
Gas safety, in one paragraph
Gas needs a little care. The CFA advises checking hoses, O-rings and connections for cracks, brushing soapy water on the connections, and then opening the cylinder valve without lighting the burners. If you see bubbles or smell gas, turn it off and fix the connection before you cook. Never use a gas barbecue indoors, including in a garage or shed, because of carbon monoxide. Clean the grease from the drip tray too, because fat can start fires. Charcoal has its own rule: never leave coals unattended, and put them out fully when you are done.
What to buy: a simple way to decide
The honest answer to gas braai vs charcoal depends on your week, so ask three questions. How often will you cook outside? Do you live somewhere with regular total fire bans? And how much do you care about smoke flavour? If the answers are “most weeks”, “yes” and “a lot”, own both: a charcoal kettle for the weekend and a small gas barbecue for weeknights and ban days. If you only have room or budget for one, pick charcoal for the braai and flavour, or pick gas for speed. We do not name a brand here because the right size depends on how many you feed. For most families, a standard 57 cm kettle suits charcoal, and a two or three burner model suits gas.
Frequently asked questions
Is a gas braai a real braai?
Purists say no, because a braai is cooked over wood or coals. In practice, plenty of South Africans in Australia use gas for weeknights and charcoal for the real thing. Both cook meat well.
Can I use a gas barbecue on a total fire ban day?
Sometimes, with conditions. In NSW, a gas barbecue needs an adult supervising, nothing combustible within two metres, a water supply, and a location within 20 metres of a home or in an approved picnic area. In Victoria it must be in a properly built fireplace or a commercial barbecue, with 3 metres of clear space. Check your state fire service.
Which tastes better, gas or charcoal?
Charcoal, for most braai fans, because of the smoke from the coals and the dripping fat. Gas is cleaner and milder.
Is charcoal cheaper than gas?
It depends on how often you cook and what you buy, and prices change too quickly to quote here. Compare the cost of a bag of charcoal or briquettes and a gas bottle refill at your local shops.
Should I own both?
If you cook outside often and live somewhere with total fire bans, yes. Charcoal for the weekend braai, gas for quick dinners and ban days. Our braai vs bbq guide covers the wider debate.
The best next step is simple: check your state’s fire ban rules, decide how often you will really cook, and buy the barbecue that fits your week, not your nostalgia.
