Update: Char-Broil Red - Week Four

It's been four weeks since I started playing with my Char-Broil Red 3-Burner Gas Grill. Two weeks ago I pointed out that the U-Emitter (Trough) that is the integral component of this grill was showing signs of problems. Just to explain a little about how this grill works, the U-Emitter is a half cylinder piece of sheet metal coated with porcelain. Underneath it sits a gas burner. The burner focuses its heat directly onto the U-Emitter. The U-Emitter then radiates heat towards the cooking surface. This heat is 100% infrared heat. The burner is completely isolated from the cooking chamber so there is no flame in the cooking chamber. The problem appears to be that the intense heat focused on the U-Emitter causes the metal to expand. Porcelain doesn't expand. This causes the porcelain to separate from the metal exposing that metal beneath to the elements (and anything that falls into the grill). As you can see from the picture to the right, my U-Emitter has lost large portions of the protective porcelain coating and the metal underneath has started to rust. Now I have used this grill more than the average person would, heating it up nearly every day for four weeks and cooking on it 18 times, but still this would appear to be a problem. As I have said previously the U-Emitters are covered for two years under warranty. The problem is that if you live in a harsh environment and use the grill frequently you may need to replace these parts several times in those two years. Because of the intense heat, this grill burns off all oil and grease that could potentially protect the metal.

The neighbor across the street used to be a fireman and is quick to respond to rising smoke. Now, he's used to me and my many cookers but in the past few years he has run over twice to make sure I hadn't lit the house on fire. Once was in response to a cheap bag of lump charcoal that produced more smoke than fire. The second time was in response to the Red. There is no drainage in this grill. Everything that falls through the grate (grease, marinades, sauces, etc.) has to burn off. Actually to say "burn" implies fire. It's more like incinerating without flame. This produces far more smoke and a simple flare-up (though this grill can flare-up under certain situations). If you cook only vegetables and lean meats you will probably never really notice the problem. If, however, you grill fatty burgers or other foods that produce a lot of drippings you will get a lot of smoke, and I mean a lot of smoke. While this isn't necessarily a hazard it is something to be aware of, particularly if your grill is going to a small space.

As I have said before, this grill cooks well. It has an even, high heat but is also capable of cooking indirectly and at low temperatures. Out of the box it is a good with a couple of issues. I'm sure that most anyone who buys this grill will be satisfied and will enjoy its unique grilling abilities. However, considering the issues with the U-Emitter I have to say that I remain convinced that the overall durability of the grill is low. Many users will experience problems with the grill over time. Considering the sale prices of $600 for the 3-burner and $900 for the 4-burner you would want a grill that will last at least 4 to 5 years.

Check out my reviews of the:

Char-Broil Red 3-Burner
Char-Broil Red 4-Burner

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