Fire and Ice Thermos Grill by Char-Broil—Discontinued

The Fire and Ice Thermos Grill by Char-Broil has been discontinued. This model was replaced by the Char-Broil Grill 2 Go Ice, which in turn is now discontinued. Char-Broil hasn't introduced any similar models of pop-up portable grills with coolers.

The major difference between the two models is that the Fire and Ice Thermos Grill had a rigid plastic 10-gallon cooler beneath the grill. The Char-Broil Grill 2 Go Ice had two removable soft-side coolers beneath the grill. Both were designed to be transported easily. If you are buying a used or discontinued grill, find out what people liked about the Fire and Ice Thermos Grill. If you are looking for a current model, check our reviews of portable gas grills.

Overview of the Char-Broil Fire and Ice Thermos Grill

This model is a complete portable propane grill with a cooler. The grill head pops up on demand to a standard 32-inch gas grill height. It has a built-in level to help you get it set up correctly. The Thermos cooler acts as the base, giving you the option of taking not only the grill but all the food in one unit, or detaching the grill unit to use on its own with fold-out legs.

It has an open grill grate and a griddle section, letting you grill burgers and cook up some eggs at the same time. The cooking surface is Teflon coated and the burners are made of stainless steel.

Pros:

• Fully functional grill and cooler in one
• Large open grilling and griddle surface
• Can be adapted to standard 20-pound propane tanks

Cons:

• Hard to light in windy conditions
• At 66 pounds, you're limited where you can take it

Expert Review of the Char-Broil Fire and Ice Thermos Grill

If you are looking for a portable gas grill that will do basically everything, this model is worth considering (assuming you can find a discontinued or used unit). You get everything you need for a grill-out, including a bottle opener. This portable has an open grilling area for authentic grill flavor and a griddle area for cooking breakfast or other small items. The cooler acts as a base and gives the unit more stability. The large cooking surface gives you the ability to cook a lot of food, especially for a portable grill.

On the downside, the grill can be difficult to light, especially if the wind is blowing. An electronic igniter would help. And, at more than 66 pounds without food in the cooler, this grill isn't as portable as it could be. The wheels make it easy to move as long as you have a reasonably smooth surface to travel over. This is a great portable for mild camping, tailgating, or taking to the park. You won't be taking it hiking or to hard to reach locations. There have been complaints about the paint peeling, so make sure you keep this unit protected as much as possible.

The grilling performance of the unit is reasonably good for a portable. The heat is even and high enough for most tasks. You won't get a great sear, but you won't have trouble cooking at medium heat. The adapter for full-sized propane tanks is nice if you plan on using it a lot. Considering the size of the unit, the small one-pound disposable propane bottles won't last that long.