The Char Griller 5050 is an all in one standard size gas and charcoal grill and is just the grill for the griller who loves to do it all. There is an optional smoker box, making this grilling duo invincible. The griller will be the king of diverse grilling with more than 1,200 square inches in cooking area.
For more information on the this Charcoal / Gas Grill click here visit Amazon.com. Otherwise continue reading for an in depth review on this grill.
Char Griller 5050 Features
Separate Side Burners
- The gas grill has an electronic ignition and three separate burners and side burner for cooking side dishes while the three burners cook the main meal. The grill burns at 40,800 BTU’s while the side burner has an amazing 12,000 BTU capability. The gas grill has the controls on the front within arm’s reach.
- When you first take a look at the design of the Char Griller has very distinct look to it. It looks like it is almost like they decided to stick two grills together and make it into one. Each grill has cast iron grates coated with porcelain for even heating and better heat distribution. Each grill has a warming rack and a stainless steel heat gauge.
- The grill frame is stainless steel with a rack and shelf under the grills. The frame also has two back wheels for easy towing and moving.
- The charcoal grill has an easy to adjust charcoal grate with dampers on each side to control the heat. A quick cleanup can be achieved with an easy to dump and clean ash pan. The grill also has a lid for keeping the heat concentrating on the food.
Design
- When you first take a look at the design of the Char Griller has very distinct look to it. It looks like it is almost like they decided to stick two grills together and make it into one. Each grill has cast iron grates coated with porcelain for even heating and better heat distribution. Each grill has a warming rack and a stainless steel heat gauge.
- The grill frame is stainless steel with a rack and shelf under the grills. The frame also has two back wheels for easy towing and moving.
- The charcoal grill has an easy to adjust charcoal grate with dampers on each side to control the heat. A quick cleanup can be achieved with an easy to dump and clean ash pan. The grill also has a lid for keeping the heat concentrating on the food.
Grilling Surface
- With a grilling surface of 1260 square inches between 3 different grills there is plenty of space to handle any grilling functions. Each grilling surface also has its own temperature control on heat which is very useful.
Pros
- The quality of construction is a definite fan favorite of grillers who use this grill. The versatility is another fan favorite as most people have a preference for the food they liked grilled on a gas grill and food cooked on a charcoal grill. The Char Griller 5050 Duo lets everyone has their favorite.
- For those who grill all year long, find the grill stands up to all climate changes and the varying degrees in temperature for those who live in areas with seasonal temperature changes.
- Ease of assembly is another fan favorite, but found it takes two people to efficiently put the grill together. Other Char Griller models came with cheap and flimsy plastic wheels, but the Char Griller people listened and the Carr Griller 5050 is equipped with substantial wheels.
- Having 2 grills with 2 different covers comes becomes very handy when you have several grilling work going at the same time. You can have your steaks cooking at low temperatures on one end and have you franks and hamburgers on another without having to lift the cover up each time one section is done.
Cons
- One consumer who purchased and used the grill found the charcoal grill was not very air tight. There were gaps as wide as ¼”, and that does not allow the griller to control the heat very well.
- The perimeter of the grates does not have any bumpers to keep the food from sliding off when using spatula action to turn or remove the food from the grill.
- Other parts of the Char Griller 5050 Duo rusts out very quickly if not protected from the rain. For the price of the grill, rust should never happen.
Consumer Ratings
At the time of writing this review the Char Griller 5050 has 3.7/5 star rating on Amazon.com. Out of the ratio about 60% of the users gave it a 4 to 5 star rating and 8 users gave it the lowest score of 1/5 stars. Most users like the versatility of being able to choose to cook with gas or char coil and the quality of the materials. On the negative end the biggest complaint was rust complaints. While most gas grills are made of steel and it is prone to rusting this particular seems to have very vocal complaints. So if this is concern for you than you should definitely do further research on this problem. I have tried to find if there are any major recalls on the product and was not able to find any major recalls.
Most BBQ grills are prone to rusting especially if it is left in the elements and especially one made out of steel so my suggestion is to go get some rust protection and cover it up with a cover if this is going to be left in the open. Otherwise put it in the garage when you are not using it and especially in the winter time.
Pricing
The pricing of the Char Griller 5050 Duo Gas and Charcoal Grill is normally $350 to $400 depending on the retailer. It is priced relatively competitive compared to Weber and Char Broil Grill of the same size and power on the market. In fact if you were find similar grill in either of the competitor price range you will often find that it is in the $500 so the 5050 is definitely the cheaper option.
Depending if it is on Amazon.com does not have it at a very price and it does come with free shipping.
Click here to see the latest price on the Char Griller 5050
Conclusion
As stated in the previous paragraph if you are looking for a large grill at for a lower price this is definitely a product you should take a look. Char Griller has position itself pretty as an alternately to more expensive grills. I cannot really say how much cheaper this grill as compare to its competitors because pricing change depending on other factors but in general you can find this grill cheaper than others at $80 to $100. The option to choose between grilling in char coal and gas is very attractive as well as char coal does provide a different taste and with the gas price going up it may be a cheaper option as well!
