Gas2Coal is a new grill made by barbecue company Char-Broil. The grill is priced at around $300 and is available from Lowe’s. Find out if this hybrid grill is the right choice for you today in our review.
What is Gas2Coal?
Gas2Coal is a unique hybrid grill manufactured by Char-Broil. The grill lets you seamlessly switch between charcoal and gas.
Making the switch between the two fuel types isn’t quite as easy as just flipping a switch. It takes about 60 seconds to make the switch – although you can do it without tools.
One of the neat advantages of the Gas2Coal grill is that you can use the gas burners to ignite the coals – so you don’t have to worry about lighter fluid, paper, and matches anymore.
Gas2Coal is available primarily through Lowe’s, where it’s priced at $299.
Gas2Coal Features
Let’s take a closer look at some of the key features included on this unique Char-Broil grill.
-Make the Switch: This grill lets you switch between the convenience of gas and the smoky taste of charcoal seamlessly. You can make the switch in 60 seconds without tools. All you need to do is remove the grates, then add the charcoal tray and charcoal.
-Three Main Burners: These three burners deliver high heat across the grilling surface. The three burners deliver 40,000 BTUs.
-Cooking Space: 420 square inches of cooking area, 130 square inches in the warming rack.
-Side Burner: A 12,000 BTU side burner lets you create sauces and side dishes outside the grill.
-Efficient Charcoal Burning: The charcoal tray is specially designed to reduce flare-ups, allowing your charcoal to burn more efficiently.
-Cooking Grates: Porcelain-coated cast-iron cooking grates claim to be easy-to-clean with enhanced durability through stainless steel burners.
-Warming Rack: Keep your vegetables at an ideal temperature.
-Fixed Side Shelf: Gives you space to prepare or keep condiments nearby.
-Electronic Ignition System: Offers a reliable spark with every push and ignites charcoal without needing to use lighter fluid.
-Temperature Gauge: Keeps track of internal cooking temperatures to let you know when meat is ready.
-Warranty: All purchases come with a 1 year limited grill warranty and 5 year burner warranty. Lowe’s also sells extended warranties to help protect your grill for 2 or 3 years.
-Wheels: The grill features 7 inch wheels for mobility.
How to Make the Switch
The first question people ask about Gas2Coal is how hard it is to make the switch between charcoal and gas. Understandably, Char-Broil has spent a lot of time making sure this process is as easy as possible. Here are the three steps you need to make the switch:
Step 1) Remove the grates and slide out the charcoal tray
Step 2) Place the charcoal tray inside the firebox and fill it with charcoal
Step 3) Use the gas burners to light the charcoal
Basically, you just take out the main grates that you would usually use to grill, then slide in a specially-designed tray. That tray features three compartments. You line those compartments with charcoal, then use the ordinary gas burners to light your charcoal. The charcoal tray also has special guided airflow holes to reduce flair-ups, provide even heat, and create more efficient burning.
The days of piling a bunch of charcoal then, soaking that charcoal with lighter fluid, and then waiting for that charcoal to heat up are over.
What Do Customers Have to Say About the Gas2Coal Grill?
Charbroil posts reviews for their Gas2Coal Hybrid Grill online at their official website. You can also find reviews elsewhere on the internet. Most reviews indicate the same thing: it’s a great gas grill and a decent (not great) charcoal grill.
Basically, the grill is marketed towards those who enjoy using gas for most grilling, but like the flexibility of also being able to use charcoal from time to time. People who are serious about charcoal grilling might frown upon it – but this grill isn’t really marketed towards those people.
In any case, reviewers appreciate the convenience of being able to quickly light up their charcoal and evenly heat their food. They also like the fact that you can cook with charcoal in a shorter amount of time and you don’t have the taste of lighter fluid in your food (or the mess associated with charcoal burning).
In terms of gas grilling, the barbeque is widely praised. The 40,000 BTU burners are the most powerful in their class. The barbecue can heat up to 400 degrees in 5 minutes.
It’s also careful to make sure how you buy the grill: Lowe’s sells the grill either pre-assembled or ready-to-build. It takes about 2 hours to build the grill on your own – so you might want to pay the extra amount if you don’t want to follow instructions for two hours.
One final thing: the grill cannot be converted for use with natural gas. It can only use a 20 pound propane tank.
On both the official Char-Broil website and on Lowes.com, the grill has an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5.
Gas2Coal Pricing
Lowe’s sells the Char-Broil Gas2Coal Black Dual-Function Combo Grill at $299.00 USD.
You can pay an extra $39.97 for an extended 3 year warranty or $59.57 for a 4 year warranty. When you visit the Lowe’s official website, you can see whether or not there are grills available at your local Lowe’s, in which case you can get a free in-store pickup. Otherwise, you can pay to have the grills delivered.
Should You Buy the Gas2Coal Grill?
Char-Broil is slowly losing its reputation as a cheap barbecue manufacturer, and the Gas2Coal grill is one of the company’s higher-end products. It delivers best in-class heating with 40,000 BTUs (and a 12,000 BTU side burner). It’s also been widely praised for its material quality and solid build design. Reviewers on Lowes.com have given the grill an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5.
The Gas2Coal grill may not be suited for those who are extremely serious about charcoal grilling. Instead, it’s more marketed towards those who want the flexibility of switching between gas and charcoal without having to setup two grills in your backyard.
Overall, the Gas2Coal grill works as advertise to deliver exceptional gas grilling – and above-average charcoal grilling – at a reasonable price of $300.
