The side tables are a little larger, great if you like having a lot of extra food prep space during your cooking. It has a griddle surface of 604 in.², which helps keep the size of the overall unit down a little bit. When we first saw the price we thought it was going to be a total rip-off. But after testing the griddle out and experiencing some of the clever design choices and premium build quality we can say that the price is mostly justified. Stainless steel construction and a removable grease tray make clean up the easiest out of all griddles tested.
As before, the size of the main cooking grate is not stated in the promotional materials/manual. The only real difference being this is just a larger pellet grill/smoker offering a total cooking area of just over 1,000 square inches. The smallest unit which is currently offered under the Expert Grill brand is the Commodore. This is a relatively compact pellet grill providing 770 square inches of cooking area. If you want more space there’s also a 5-burner griddle that bumps your cooking surface up to 750 square inches, and moves the grease catch to the side. The Primate looks and cooks like a regular gas grill but can be converted by swapping out the stainless steel grates for the griddle surface.
Instead of spreading yourself thin over two appliances, you and dedicate your time and energy on just one. Combo grills are a fantastic way to keep everything contained into one modern appliance, and is far more than just a quick gimmick. Streamlining your appliances from two grill to one simply by investing in a hybrid is a great way to stay organized, time-efficient, and clear-headed. Cooking and grilling appliances are fun, but they quickly pile up and dominate your kitchen and patio area. The mess this creates is not only impractical, but can also lead to unnecessary stress. The manufacturing costs for these types of grills are quite high, which means that these are a bit more expensive to purchase than single purpose grills.
It features cast iron grates and wire warming racks coated in a layer of porcelain. The grill has a Lid-Mounted Temperature Gauge to help keep track of your pre-heat status and monitor the inside temperature of your grill. The charcoal/gas grill also features dual temperature gauges, a crank adjustable height grate for charcoal, an access door and an ash pan that slides out for easy clean up.
Take a look at each grill’s cooking grate size (usually expressed in square inches) and consider if this will be enough. The amount of features it offers considering its mid-range price is remarkable, making it one of the best budget combo grills out there today. This is one of the smallest grills on the list, with a cooking area size of only 505 square inches. However what I would add here is that compared to a lot of other types of grill, this is still adequate size to work with. It also packs in cast iron grates across both its charcoal and propane grill elements, which ensures durability.
After cooking, it’s imperative that you clean your griddle to preserve its surface and avoid rust formation, even if you have a rust-resistant surface like stainless steel. These surfaces are then heated via gas burners that rest directly beneath the cooking surface. In addition, the cooking surface is made with rolled steel, which isn’t quite Charcoal Grills Combo Grills as rust-resistant but does allow for excellent heat retention and distribution. No, you can’t use charcoal fuel in a standard gas or propane grill. Gas grills are not designed to take on other fuels besides propane gas. Gas and charcoal is the number one priority here, but some models also add wood pellets as an added third fuel source.