The Bottom Line
Pros
- Heavy cast brass burners
- High BTU output for the size
- Heavy, high quality stainless steel cooking grates
- Individual ignitors
- 18,000 BTU rotisserie burner with full kit
Cons
- Side burners mounted too close to the rotisserie set up
- Some components are weak
Description
- Five 20,000 BTU heavy cast brass burners
- 750 square inches primary grilling area for a total of 900 square inches of cooking space
- Individual piezo electric igniters on the control knobs that are child proof
- 18,000 BTU rear mounted rotisserie with full kit and a double side burner unit
- Strong warranty and dealer support from the company
- Attractive design that fits into any enclosure, though the unit on cart is pretty basic looking
- Heavy 304 stainless steel "V-design" cooking grates
- Double walled, welded stainless steel construction
- 2 fold out side trays plus two drawers and large cabinet space for storage
- Two interior grill lights
Guide Review - Cal Flame CR5000DS Freestanding Gas Grill
In the late 1990's, the Cal Spa company decided to start making their own brand of gas grills to compliment their total outdoor entertainment products. They make everything from hot tubs to custom enclosures for plasma screen TVs, and they make all stainless steel grills. These grills are primarily designed to be built into Cal Spas enclosures but are available on carts and in pretty much an configuration you might want. Cal Flame also produces a full line of side burners and everything else you might want for a custom outdoor kitchen.The CR5000DS is the largest of the Cal Flame grills. This freestanding unit runs about $5,500USD. There are a wide range of mounting options with this grill but for purposes of this review I'm looking at the cart mounted unit. The Cal Flame grills are completely 304 stainless steel and the components are solid and long lasting. The CR5000DS has five 20,000 BTU brass burners that produce lot of heat for the 900 square inches of primary cooking area. If you want a good looking grill, with plenty of features this is a very good choice.
This unit has a rear mounted infrared 18,000 BTU rotisserie, interior grill lights (thermal resistant LED), and a full width drip tray. It is a very powerful grill with some really nice features. While there are comparable units for less money, this unit has better construction than most and heavier components. Especially nice are the heavy cast brass main burners which will probably last longer than you do.
One of the best things about Cal-Spa is that they are always thinking of ways to improve their products. This grill has a special, internally wired, water-proof power plug for your rotisserie motor.
