Charcoal grill

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oddball

Smoke Blower
Original poster
Apr 6, 2008
126
21
Belleville, IL
OK, I know this forum is about smoking. And for that, I've got my RecTec which has been awesome, and the few times that I've had issues or wanted upgrades, their support is top notch.

Having said that, I also use a grill quite often, and I prefer charcoal over gas. The current selection of charcoal models is quite limited, especially if you want something on the large side and not a round Weber or Green Egg. I'm eyeing something along the lines of the Char-Griller Legacy 33in or the Royal Gourmet 30in. If there is something better, I'd like to take a look. Any suggestions?


Thanks,

Jim
 
Morning Jim,
IMHO. The purpose behind a charcoal grill is pretty straight forward. And just about any charcoal grill can give you the results you're looking for. As far as the usual picnic affairs go.
Even those cheap 20.00 dollar jobs found in the corner grocery store.
Or, those disgusting hibachi looking things found in state parks.
What I would look for is build quality and options it can use. Such as S&S and rotisseries.
That being said. I've had a couple Char-grillers over the years. Not the one you mentioned. And they were not bad. Though, they rotted out fairly quickly. One within a few years. The legacy models look pretty durable to me. And has some nice features. I would be investigating further into that crank up charcoal tray. I prefer the ones that adjust on pins myself. Can you get a hands on looky before purchase?
 
I know its round but weber makes the "ranch" kettle which is around 37" I believe. Quite a bit of real estate!
1653314598683.png


I agree with Steve. Chargriller makes an ok product but they only seem to last a couple three years before they rust out. Even under cover. Can always look into the cheaper barrel type smokers/grills.
 
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Let's use a little math to figure out the best bet for your money. New, not used.

Hasty Bake: $1299. Square, great smoker, and grill. 523 sq inches cooking space.

Weber 26": $429-$549. Round, great smoker, and grill. 530 sq inches cooking space.

Weber Ranch 37": $1680-$1880. Round, great smoker, and grill. 1075 sq inches cooking space.

If I was shopping for a charcoal grill, my wife would say, "So, is a square shape $800 better than a round one with the same cooking area?"

Chargriller Legacy: $249. Square. 870 sq inches cooking space.

Royal Gourmet: $240. Square. 525 sq inches cooking space.

At this point it is a matter of how long it will last? If cared for and kept out of the weather, either of the above two grills should last at least 5 years, less if kept outside just under a grill cover.

Happy shopping!
 
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Here's some grills you might want to look at. I've never used them but have seen some of R&V's products. They feature first rate workmanship and good heavy materials. The link below shows both their gas and charcoal grills.

 
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Here's some grills you might want to look at. I've never used them but have seen some of R&V's products. They feature first rate workmanship and good heavy materials. The link below shows both their gas and charcoal grills.


That SCG30C looks solid.
 
Any particular reason why you prefer a rectangular over circular? Here's a shot of my Weber 26" kettle. I'm cooking a 4.5 lb meatloaf, a full rack of spares and a 1 lb chub of sausage on it. Granted in it's stock form you can't adjust the height of the charcoals, but there are Santa Maria options available that could accommodate that.
1669714863581.png


As you can see I still have some empty real estate available.

Chris
 
OK, I know this forum is about smoking. And for that, I've got my RecTec which has been awesome, and the few times that I've had issues or wanted upgrades, their support is top notch.

Having said that, I also use a grill quite often, and I prefer charcoal over gas. The current selection of charcoal models is quite limited, especially if you want something on the large side and not a round Weber or Green Egg. I'm eyeing something along the lines of the Char-Griller Legacy 33in or the Royal Gourmet 30in. If there is something better, I'd like to take a look. Any suggestions?


Thanks,

Jim
Its sad to say but cheap grills do not last. Like the old saying says " You get what you pay for ". When you look at grills or smokers make sure you look for those that have good insulation around the doors and anywhere else heat and smoke can escape. Good luck finding one that is worth the cost unless you custom build which is very expensive.
 
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I am looking for a top quality charcoal grill...I’m sorry but I have to admit I’ve been on propane for 47 years.
Welcome to a different flavor world. Like others, I love my Webers, both are 22", and hopefully one day I will get me a 26".

My question is why do you want to be able to adjust the charcoal height?
 
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so ... i have a char-griller grand champ. i can't recommend it highly enough to tell the truth, although i doubt it'll last as long as the old barrel that it replaced. does not have adjustable height ... but then, typially i just build a fire big enough for what i'm cooking. LOTS of real estate, and the grates slide in and out without issue. has a removable ash tray/coal grate that makes cleanup easy, and it converts from a grill to a stick burner in no time. that being said... i burned the paint off the fire box on the very first long cook, and it's been a struggle to keep the rust off of it since. i expect it'll last me 5 years at most - and probably after that i'll pick up an old country brazos and add a removable grate for charcoal cooking in the business end because i can't ever see myself with a weber kettle after all these years cooking on a barrel.
 
A Weber Kettle can give you a solid 15-20 years of grilling if you keep it out of the elements. In my 40 years of grilling, I have had two 22'' and my current 26". I grill out year-round in my pole barn. Temps well below 32 in the winter. I still have all 3 of my Weber's just don't use the 22's anymore. I Probably fire up the 26" Weber on average, around 55 time's a year. Grilled Pork Steak last night 27* and windy but had wind break in the barn. There not as good of a company as they use to be Imo.
 
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