The Bottom Line
Pros
- High, efficient heating
- Low price all infrared design
Cons
- Low quality 430 stainless steel construction
- Cooking chamber trough section prone to rusting and potential failure
Description
- Three 8,333 BTU stainless steel tubular burners
- 500 square inches primary cooking area with a total grilling area of 680 square inches
- 25,000 BTU maximum output from the main burners
- 13,000 BTU standard side burner under a flush mounted cover
- Unique "infrared" design produces high temperatures from a low BTU output
- Heavy porcelain coated cast iron cooking grates
- On knob electric igniter (AA battery)
- Painted steel and stainless steel (400 series) construction
- Propane tank, rotisserie kit, and cover sold separately
- Made in China by Char-Broil exclusively for Home Depot
Guide Review - Char-Broil RED 3-Zone Infrared Grill (Model #463250509)
This model of the RED is a slightly smaller version of last year's Char-Broil RED 3-Zone. Loosing 5 inches in width and 54 pounds in weight is model is scaled down and cheaper so it can appeal to a wider market, but is basically the same grill as before. There is however a dramatic drop in the BTU output of this grill. Because of the design the RED series grills don't need a lot of fuel to heat up the cooking chamber. However this output reduction reduces the heat that this grill can produce. This is most likely due to some of the problems with this grill's design.Three burners focus their heat onto a rounded piece of porcelain coated sheet metal called a trough. The intense heat can cause the porcelain coating to flake off and expose the metal to the elements. This will lead to rusting. Once this rusts through the grill will be unusable. Warranty on this part is two years but doesn't cover rusting.
This grill comes equipped with a standard function 13,000 BTU side burner. Since the burners are isolated there is virtually no chance of flare-ups and so you won't need a rotisserie burner. Basically, this is a full function gas grill (rotisserie kit optional) for around $450USD.
The rest of the grill uses a combination of painted steel and lower grade stainless steel with plastic knobs. The stainless steel body parts are prone to discoloring and rusting over time so this grill needs to be kept clean and protected from the elements. If you buy this grill make sure you get a good cover for it.
