I guess it all depends on one's definition of "dirty". I tend to get grease, charcoal, and ash on my hands just about every time I use one of my kettles. Personally I don't consider this as being dirty. I simply wash off my hands and go on about my business. Yes I do get some on the cloths from time to time but it's only the grease that really bothers me. Somehow I still usually manage to get grease on the hands even when using a gas grill. In my opinion, a gas grill is less "dirty" for cooking but more "dirty" when it comes to cleaning.