Happy New year; and if you live here, happy grilling season. A 365 day grilling season is convenient and it shouldn’t be taken for granted. It would be nice to build a big outdoor grilling station, but right now, time and sweet moolah are required elsewhere.

That doesn’t change the fact that a grill was needed. Not looking at anything to drop major coin on, but not a piece of crap that brings regret. After researching new grills, there was nothing worth buying under $250, but $350 was at the peak. Being a charcoal enthusiast, I had needs. Being married to someone that appreciates the simplicity of gas was also important. I wasn’t torn, I just new my parameters and was confident there was an answer.  And there was…

Market choices

The  Char-broil, Gas2Coal Hybrid Grill. At $250, it had a good rating, good company history, easily found parts, heavy iron grates, a side burner and the option to use charcoal. The only question was. Would it produce the heat to suit my needs, and did the charcoal insert work as advertised?

Aside from the lame red stripe and the needed panel modifications, I’m very happy.  The back burner rages away nicely, the grill grates retain heat and the charcoal insert is easy and awesome. It’s also the easiest lighting and cooking of charcoal I’ve ever dealt with. The lack of flare ups while cooking fatty hamburgers was a game changer.

Grill mods

The panel mods entailed unscrewing some bolts and attaching a magnet. The front panels are not designed to open, which was forcing me to access the grill from the rear. Inconvenient and irritating, but somewhat easily fixed.  After that fix, I did the same with the red panel.  I highly recommend this grill for anyone not wanting to invest long term and wanting a charcoal option.