(4.3 / 5)When you get to grills on the lower budget range quality is king over everything else. You want a grill that delivers a long lasting build, with good power and a price that you can afford.
Char-Griller has done very well to bring you the quintessential package that provides all of that and more. With a powder coated steel build you can leave this grill out in the elements without too much worry.
This grill has three stainless steel burners that pack more power than you will find in most grills in this range. On top of that, you get an additional side burner that is pretty powerful in its own right. The real kicker though is finding this for a grill that only cost around 200 dollars or less. That is some great value when you throw in the great value of the porcelain enameled cast iron. All of this moves along well on a couple of heavy duty wheels. The Dyna-Glo DGB390SNP-D and the Smoke Hollow LS2418-4 are from the same category and you can compare them.
We even have a couple of smoke stacks that add a bit of style with substance giving you even heating. A nice package for the price if you don’t need anything too crazy and money is an issue buy this grill to avoid disappointment.
Main Characteristics
This grill does well with meshing power and quality for a package you wouldn’t expect to find at such a reasonable price. First off we have three stainless steel burners heating up a surface area of 438 square inches making it just large enough for the average sized family to make a multi-course meal.
With a 192 square inch warming rack, we have enough space to move your food around effectively as long as you put a bit of thought into it. Each burner has a power output of 13,600 BTU’s putting them well above the standard 10,000 for burners in this price range.
To supplement that they also included a side burner that reaches 12,000 BTU’s. It is really wild to find this much power in a grill under $200. To follow up on that excellent burner power, we have porcelain enameled cast iron grates that provide superior durability with a decent clean up as well. It is pretty clear that the powder coated steel build is favored over stainless steel to provide you a nice value without overpaying for the superficial.
The core of this grill is a respectable combination that makes this grill pretty good even for an established grill master. Anyway, I suggest look at the main page before you make choices.
Pro’s
- Strong durable steel build promises to last a long time even in poor weather situations
- Easy to replace parts that also aren’t too pricey
- Three stainless steel burners give you excellent power that trumps many grills that cost hundreds more
Con’s
- Not much stainless steel in design makes it so you don’t see dirt as well, but also makes it harder to clean
- Cooking surface is just barely good enough to make a meal for a standard sized family so it is not made for parties
Design
With all of the focus on the strong core, the design does lag a bit behind though not enough to be too big o an issue. This grill is made of powder coated black steel with a barrel design.
On the top of the unit, we have two smoke stacks that help with keeping the heat evenly distributed. Like most grills under $200, we do not have a cabinet instead opting for a powder coated a black panel with a large Char-Griller flame symbol emblazoned on the front.
That should effectively hide your propane canister but does not bring too much as far as storage capabilities are concerned. You will have to make due with hooks for your grilling tools as that is as far as the integrated storage feature goes on this model.
Two side shelves provide you with some extra work space with the one on the left housing the side burner. Finally, at the bottom, we have two heavy duty wheels for some mobility. This grill won’t win any beauty pageants but still looks pretty good for its sub $200 price tag.
Special Features
When you have a grill like this that brings so much raw value at such a low price features kind of get thrown to the way side, and that is the case here as only the most basic of propane grill features are provided here.
We have the built in exterior thermometer that gives you accurate temperature readings. Then we have the quick start electronic ignition system that allows this grill to get cooking at the touch of a button.
Outside of that, you might count the dual stacks to help with even heating which is pretty rare to see. You could also count the stay cool lid handle, but that is quite common. The primary special feature in this grill is most definitely the price.
Warranty
Most of the time when you get into a grill in this price range you will find quite the lackluster warranty usually only spanning a single year. Char-Griller has learned from the competition, so they have the customer in mind with a warranty that accentuates the overall value of this grill.
Char-Griller provides a five-year burn and rust through warranty that starts from the date of your purchase. Suffice to say this is perfect for a grill that is already affordable.
Image Credit: Amazon.com
Char-Griller 3001
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Summary
When it comes to value priced grill they aren't all created equal. While some grills focus on looking beautiful with their stainless steel this grill is completely focused on giving you the most value for the price.
It does not provide any crazy versatility that you can find in some propane grills, but you weren't going to find that for under $200 anyway. This three burner grill brings four in a pinch along with considerable power and a nice sized cooking surface to set a high bar for propane grills under 300 dollars.
If you are just looking for a grill that grills well without any of the extra stuff, then this is a model that will leave you quite satisfied.