Choose a Santa Maria grill if you want live-fire flavor and hands-on heat control; choose a gas grill if you want speed and simplicity. The Big Horn Santa Maria grill burns charcoal or firewood and uses a hand wheel to raise and lower the grate, which turns a single fire into a searing-and-roasting tool. A gas grill ignites instantly and holds dial-controlled heat, but it cannot add the smoke and ritual of live fire. Your answer depends on which trade you enjoy.
The core difference: heat source and control
A Santa Maria grill cooks over an open fire of charcoal or wood, with an adjustable grate that changes the distance between food and coals. A gas grill cooks over propane burners with dial control. The first gives you live-fire flavor and precise height control; the second gives instant, consistent heat. Everything else — flavor, speed, effort, versatility — flows from that difference.
Flavor: the one thing gas cannot copy
Charcoal and wood add smoke and aromatic notes that a gas flame cannot produce. That flavor is the whole reason the Santa Maria format survives: a live fire over wood or charcoal seasons the meat in a way heat alone does not. Gas grilling is clean and neutral, which suits cooks who want the taste of the meat unmodified. If smoke flavor is the priority, live fire wins every time.
Heat-up speed and convenience
Gas wins on speed and convenience. It ignites instantly and holds a set temperature, with no fire to manage. A Santa Maria grill needs time to build a coal bed before cooking starts — typically enough lead time to plan around. If you mostly grill weeknight dinners with limited time, gas is the lower-friction choice.
Versatility: adjustable height vs dial heat
Each format is versatile in a different way. The Santa Maria grill’s adjustable grate lets you move from a hard sear low over the coals to a gentle roast high above them, using one fire for an entire meal. Gas offers easy, precise temperature control but fewer flavor dimensions. For a cook who wants to control heat by craft, the height adjustment is the more expressive tool; for a cook who wants set-and-forget, gas is simpler.
What the hand-wheel control changes in practice
On a gas grill you change heat by turning a dial; on a Santa Maria grill you change it by moving the grate. The Big Horn model’s oversized hand wheel and steel-cable system lift and lower the grate smoothly even under a full load, so a cook can sear a steak low over the coals, then raise it to finish, without touching the fire. That single control turns a fixed fire into a roasting-and-searing system, which is the honest appeal of the format for cooks who like being hands-on.
It also pairs naturally with a two-zone coal bed: keep a thicker bed under one side for searing and a thinner one under the other for a cooler hold, then use the grate height to fine-tune within each zone.
Which fits your backyard
Choose a Santa Maria grill if you enjoy tending a fire, cooking larger cuts, and letting flavor and ritual carry the meal. Choose gas if you want quick, low-effort grilling most nights and are happy to trade smoke for convenience. Match the grill to how you actually like to cook, not to which one looks more impressive.
| Factor | Santa Maria grill | Gas grill |
|---|---|---|
| Heat source | Charcoal or wood fire | Propane burners |
| Flavor | Smoky, aromatic | Clean, neutral |
| Heat-up | Slower, build coals | Fast |
| Control | Adjustable grate | Dial |
| Effort | Fire management | Minimal |
| Best for | Live-fire cooks, large cuts | Quick weeknight grilling |
Cost, installation, and long-term ownership
Upfront cost and installation separate the two formats too. A gas grill needs a propane tank (or a gas line if built-in) and, for built-in models, installation work; a Santa Maria grill is simpler — you need only a fire-safe spot and fuel. Over time, gas fuel is convenient but continuous, while charcoal and firewood are cheaper per cook if bought in reasonable quantities. Neither is dramatically cheaper overall; the more lasting difference is in what each demands of your time and attention.
Space matters as well. A Santa Maria grill with an adjustable grate and fire box tends to take a larger footprint than a compact gas unit. If patio space is tight, that favors gas; if you have a dedicated corner and enjoy a live fire, the Santa Maria reward is worth the footprint.
Common buying mistakes to avoid
The most common mistakes are buying a Santa Maria grill expecting gas convenience, or buying gas expecting wood flavor. A Santa Maria grill needs fire tending, so do not buy it if you want push-button heat. Gas cannot add smoke, so do not buy it for live-fire flavor. Match the grill to your cooking style before you buy.
Where the Santa Maria grill comes from
The Santa Maria grill takes its name from the California ranch-country tradition of cooking meat over an open oak fire with a grate that raises and lowers. Its defining feature — the adjustable grill at the end of a lever — was built so a cook could control heat simply by moving the food closer to or farther from the coals, which is exactly what the hand-wheel design on the Big Horn model replicates today. Understanding that origin explains why the format feels different from a gas grill: it was designed around live fire, not convenience.
That lineage is also why flavor and ritual are its strongest arguments. If the history of cooking over real fire matters to you, the Santa Maria grill is carrying on the tradition; if you just want dinner fast, a gas grill is the modern shortcut.
Who ends up happiest with each
In practice, cooks who enjoy process — building a fire, watching coals, adjusting a grate — tend to be happiest with a Santa Maria grill, because the ritual is part of the reward. Cooks who want food on the table with minimal ceremony usually prefer gas, and no amount of smoke flavor wins that trade for them. Neither is wrong; they are answers to different questions. If you still cannot decide, think about your weekends: if you linger by the fire, go Santa Maria; if you want the grill done by the time the salad is, go gas.
Santa Maria vs gas grill FAQs
Is a Santa Maria grill hard to use?
Not hard, but it demands more attention than gas: building the fire, managing the coals, and adjusting the grate during the cook. That attention is part of the appeal for live-fire enthusiasts.
Can a gas grill produce the same flavor?
No. Gas cannot add smoke, which is the defining flavor of charcoal-and-wood cooking. You can add a smoker box on a gas grill, but it is not the same as cooking over real coals.
Which is better for a beginner?
Gas is easier to start with because it removes fire management. If you want to learn live-fire cooking, a Santa Maria grill is a great second grill, not the best first one.
Can I use gas on a Santa Maria grill?
No — the format is defined by cooking over charcoal or wood. Some builders make gas-fired versions, but the Big Horn Santa Maria grill is designed for charcoal or real firewood, and that is where its flavor comes from.
Gas is easier to start with because it removes fire management. If you want to learn live-fire cooking, a Santa Maria grill is a great second grill, not the best first one.
To see the adjustable-grate system in action, review the Argentine Santa Maria grill product page before choosing your setup.
