The charcoal-versus-propane debate becomes more interesting once Rhett and Link have to identify the cooking method without seeing the food. Steak, shrimp and vegetable skewers, corn, barbecue chicken, hot dogs, and burgers are prepared both ways, with the hosts blindfolded and asked to locate the charcoal version before deciding which result they actually prefer. The setup quickly undermines the assumption that charcoal's flavor will always be obvious: even two hosts who enter the test openly favoring charcoal repeatedly struggle to distinguish it from gas.

Steak establishes that uncertainty immediately. Both versions taste good enough that Rhett and Link disagree about which one carries the charcoal character, and only Rhett identifies it correctly. More revealingly, Link still prefers charcoal after learning that his guess was wrong, while both acknowledge that propane produced a perfectly enjoyable steak. That contradiction is useful because it exposes the difference between having a preferred grilling philosophy and actually recognizing the result blind. Once the blindfolds come off, the smell, flames, and ritual of charcoal become part of their preference again, suggesting that the grilling experience influences their enthusiasm alongside flavor.

The shrimp and vegetable skewers provide the clearest argument for propane. Both hosts choose the gas-cooked version while mistakenly believing it is charcoal, and grill cook Colby agrees that it turned out better. His explanation centers on temperature control: the propane grill could be turned down immediately, whereas managing excessive heat from charcoal required physically moving the food toward a cooler area. Within this particular cook, that control apparently helped keep the shrimp juicy without overcooking them. It is the episode's most useful practical insight because the preference is connected to a specific difference in how the grills were operated rather than simply declaring one fuel inherently superior.

Charcoal becomes easier to recognize with foods that pick up stronger char and smoke. Corn produces one of the clearest distinctions, with the hosts describing the charcoal version as smokier and better. Barbecue chicken similarly benefits from charred edges and skin, while hot dogs become identifiable largely through scent and the smoky character absorbed by the meat. Burgers return the test to subtler territory: Rhett eventually recognizes charcoal from an edge bite, while Link incorrectly thinks the gas version tastes smokier. Across these rounds, charcoal wins most of the hosts' preferences, but the difficulty of identifying it consistently keeps the outcome from feeling predetermined.

The experiment is still far too informal to settle a broader grilling debate. There is one cook, one preparation of each food, and no repeated trials demonstrating that the same results would occur under different temperatures, techniques, grills, or cooks. Sauces and toppings can also complicate comparison; the burgers include jalapeños that Rhett specifically says make identification harder, while the barbecue chicken is sauced during and after cooking. The video supports the narrower conclusion that Rhett and Link preferred the charcoal versions of most foods prepared for this test, with the gas skewers as the notable exception. It does not establish that charcoal is objectively better for steak, chicken, hot dogs, burgers, or corn in general.

Fortunately, the episode treats the experiment primarily as entertainment. Each incorrect identification removes an absurd “dad privilege,” ranging from sensing thermostat changes to making a well-timed joke or maintaining a secret second family. Discussions of ash vacuums, pellet grills, khaki shorts, Skechers, hot-dog anatomy, and “corny on the bob” give the blind tasting the familiar conversational chaos of Good Mythical Morning. Rhett and Link's existing opinions also become part of the joke: Rhett talks about preferring charcoal because it feels more like an art, while Link admits that his pellet grill has largely replaced the charcoal setup he once used.

The pacing is less consistent than the central test. A lengthy sponsored segment arrives before the grilling begins, and a Mythical Society promotion later interrupts the sequence before the hot-dog round. Several tangents also stretch well beyond what is needed to compare the food. Yet the actual experiment produces enough genuine uncertainty to remain engaging, particularly because the hosts are not simply confirming their stated charcoal preference every time. Rhett ultimately wins $5,000 for Reading Is Fundamental, and the closing conclusion—charcoal for most of these foods, gas when easy heat control matters—feels reasonably aligned with what happened during the tasting rather than imposed on it from the beginning.

Pros

• Blind tasting reveals that charcoal and propane can be substantially harder to distinguish than the hosts initially expect.
• Testing steak, seafood, vegetables, chicken, hot dogs, and burgers shows that the preferred cooking method can depend on the food rather than producing one universal result.
• The shrimp round provides a practical discussion of propane's immediate temperature control and how that affected this particular cook.
• Corn, chicken, hot dogs, and burgers demonstrate several ways smoke, charred edges, and scent can influence the hosts' charcoal preference.
• Dad-privilege stakes and Rhett and Link's grilling stories keep the repeated comparisons playful.

Cons

• A single preparation of each food cannot establish that the preferred results would hold across different grills, temperatures, techniques, or cooks.
• Sauces, toppings, and other preparation choices sometimes make isolating the effect of charcoal versus propane more difficult.
• Sponsorships, promotions, and extended tangents interrupt what is otherwise a straightforward and engaging blind comparison.

Charcoal wins most of the food battles, but the more revealing result is how often Rhett and Link struggle to recognize it. Steak and burgers prove surprisingly subtle, while corn, chicken, and hot dogs make smoke and char easier to detect. Shrimp provides the important exception, with propane's controllable heat producing the version both hosts prefer in this test. None of that settles the charcoal-versus-gas argument scientifically, and the episode's limited methodology does not justify a universal grilling rule. As a blind taste experiment, though, it does something more entertaining: it challenges two admitted charcoal fans to discover whether their preference survives when the flames, smoke, and ritual are hidden from view.