Kenmore Charcoal and Gas Grill Combo Model# 611405

Can't decide whether you want a gas or a charcoal grill? Well a number of stores and grill makers think you have this problem and have come up with the perfect solution, they have welded a gas grill to a charcoal grill. What you get with this unit is two basic grills in one plus a 12,000 BTU side burner. It looks like an impressive unit but the question you have to ask yourself is, do you want a pair of mediocre grills dropped into a single cart or would you prefer separate units?

This is Nexgrill's entry into the gas/charcoal hybrid grill market. Selling for around $300USD this combo grill is the same price as similar units at Home Depot and Lowes. For 2011 Sears carried this grill without a side burner and I pointed out that it was the only one of this type without that feature. Now, for 2012 they have added a side burner and removed several of the body panels. In the last couple of years the gas/charcoal combination grill has become a popular item.

I know that there are people who would think that this is the answer to all your problems. You have a gas grill you can fire up after you get home from work at night, and a charcoal grill you can light for the weekend cookout. The question is, do you want all that in a single unit. If part of the grill fails, you end up with 5 1/2 feet of grill that is only partially useful.

The gas grill side is a 36,000 BTU 3-burner gas grill with medium weight porcelain coated cast iron cooking grates. While some of these components are not the best quality they are not necessarily that bad for the price. The BTU output is a little low for the size, but the grill will heat well enough to give you some good grilling power. Add to that a standard 12,000 BTU side burner and you get a a typical gas grill.

On the charcoal side you get a square box style charcoal grill, smaller than the gas side. The porcelain coated steel wire cooking grates are not going to transfer heat and are only good for keeping your food from falling into the fire. While relatively small, this charcoal grill gives you enough room for many grilling tasks, but is limited in indirect grilling space.

The questions you should be asking yourself is do you really need both a charcoal and a gas grill and if you do would it make more sense to buy one of each separately. After all if the gas components of this grill rust out and make that side useless you have a 5 foot long charcoal grill with limited cooking area. My recommendation would be to purchase a Weber Kettle for around $100 that will last you a good decade and perhaps a lower end Char-Broil Gas Grill for around $100 that will last a few years.