(4.8 / 5)
While Char-Broil is not exactly known for delivering the best high end grills they have done a pretty good job carving out a niche in the low to mid range grill market. This is another example of a grill that brings a pretty good makeup to suit its highly affordable price sitting a smidge under $200 dollars. Four burners gives you a nice large cooking surface so you can prepare a pretty large evenly heated meal without breaking the budget. It is nice to find a grill that will suffice for barbecues in this price range but in exchange for the deal we are losing some of the pieces that make other grills stand out. None of the materials are poor and at the same time very few aspects of this grill are elite allowing it to fit squarely in the middle of the low end grill market.
The main things that will draw you to this grill over similarly priced models is the unique design and the included cover. This is a simplistic grill that delivers most the things you will need along with the materials and coverage to provide and affordable long lasting grill.
Main Characteristics
This is the type of grill that does a pretty good job at scoring a low priced home run but is not built to fill up the stat sheet when it comes to its capabilities. You will find that they boast a 595 square inch cooking are for this grill, however a decent part of that belongs to the swing away warming rack that adds on over a hundred inches.
What you really have is around the 400 square inches that will make this grill good enough for the average family and barely enough for a decent sized barbecue. This shouldn’t be too much of an issue with its four burners however they only put out a total of 32,000 BTU’s so you are only getting 8,000 per burner which is pretty low even for a grill under $200 dollars. It is not all bad though because they threw in porcelain coated cast iron grill grates which provide the good durability and cleanability that make them precious especially for lower end grills.
Overall this is a pretty standard package to find in this price range while some grills will opt for just three burners with more individual power resulting in less grill space while also alleviating a bit of the frustration that comes with how long it takes to cook on weaker burners. This grill is best used cooking slowly and evenly with the hood down which could be a deal breaker for some customers.
Pro’s
- Creative design allows for quick access to quality grilling while also being collapsible and extremely convenient to store
- Four burners and a large grilling surface allow you to cook large meals without too much hassle
- Low price in conjunction with what it provide give you pretty strong overall value
Con’s
- Stainless steel is notoriously absent from the majority of this grills design
- No extra utility options to bring you anything more than just your basic gas grill
- Sits a bit lower than your average grill
Design
This is definitely one of the cooler aspects of the grill or at least more unique. While many lower end grills still use a cabinet design without a cabinet this grill uses a more classic design that is aesthetically pleasing because the extra space does not seem as wasted. This also makes the grill sit a bit lower than the average grill which also might bring some frustration.
On one side we have heavy duty wheels while the other features flattened legs which is relatively common for grills in this price range. On the outside we have two collapsible side shelves for extra prep and storage space since there is not much going on underneath. The hood features a classic design as well with stylish curves that make this grill unique and allow it to look good in its own right even without the stainless steel that all low end grills mostly dream of.
Finally the color is black here just about everywhere which allows it to stay looking good (good as best gas grills) but also makes it a bit more difficult to tell what need cleaning.
Special Features
Usually for lower end grills this is a section that does not get a lot of love and that remains the case here however we do have a bit of extra’s that might separate this grill from the competition for you. The biggest thing here is this grill can easily fold down for storage helping you prolong the life of your grill when it is out of season. In conjunction with this you also get a grill cover which is usually something you have to buy separately. This cover fits easily over the collapsed grill and adds a nice bit of value to a grill in the range where you would normally just set and forget.
Warranty
Once again Char Broil takes a step above to competition to provide you with a warranty that outpaces the majority of low end grill warranties. They decided to outfit this grill with a five year warranty that provides a massive bonus in value when for most grills outside of the major brands in this price range only get two years if you are lucky.
Image Credit: Amazon.com
Char-Broil Classic 4 Burner
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Summary
The great thing about the grill market is how you can find the right grill for you at any price range. This is a great example for the low end that provides all of the basics in a classic style design that is pretty appealing. While the overall power of the grill is a bit disappointing for four burners if you are not opposed to slower cooking with the lid down it should not be too much of an issue.
This is a pretty solid starter grill no matter how you slice it with the warranty and design. It's just a bit too bad they couldn't pump a bit more power in the burners or this grill would be almost perfect for the low end.