Grills & Smokers

Char-Broil American Gourmet Grill Char-Broil American Gourmet Grill Key FeaturesType:GrillCooking Area:738 sq. in. Oth...

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I gave up using charcoal for gas about 10 years ago. Gas seemed more convenient at the time and my Weber had been left out in the elements too long anyway. Recently, however, I began to tire of flavorless gas and replacing the innards of my gas grills every year (I live in a semi-tropical region - nothing lasts long outdoors). I wanted a charcoal-fired grill that gave me the option of grilling or smoking. I also wanted an offset smoker box.

The Char-Broil American Gourmet Grill was in my price range (under $100) and came from a good manufacturer (Char-Broil), so I took my chances on buying it sight-unseen from WalMart. The grill was shipped in its original box and arrived relatively unscathed within a week.

All parts were packed securely in the box. My first reaction was surprise at the size - the grill is small compared to most gas ones. But more on that after assembly. Assembly was very easy; I was done in about 45 minutes. All parts were easy to assemble and went together without any fuss at all.

The grill requires a one time burn-in to remove the oils used in packing. After wiping down the inside with vegetable as directed, I lit my first charcoal fire in years and let it go for the rest of the day.

I have since used the American Gourmet Grill to grill hamburgers and hot dogs over the open flame grill and to barbecue pork chops using the offset smoker. If, like me, you remember time wasted soaking charcoal with ligher fluid and waiting forever for it to get hot, then you need a charcoal chimney. This simple device, available just about anywhere for around $10, lights your coals using only newspaper and about 30 minutes. Once they are ashed over, just dump them in the grill and you are ready to go. I switched to lump coal after reading that charcoal brickets use a chemical binder; both light and burn equally well.

Grilling the hot dogs and burgers was as easy as using a gas grill. The temperature was easy to control using the 2 dampers on the grill and the attached thermometer took the guesswork out of the process. Unlike all other temperature gauges that have come with grills past, the Char-Broil looks like it might last for the long run. Using the off-set smoker was also a breeze. I added wet wood chips to the lump charcoal with delicious results. The thick chops cooked to perfection in under two hours and all I had to do was turn them once and add a few lumps to the fire. Again, temperature was easy to control with the dampers.

Cleanup is easy. The food surface grates are easily removed and so are the ones that hold the charcoal. I removed the ashes with a child’s sand shovel. That process used to seem like a chore in my Weber days, but it only took a minute using the American Gourmet Grill.

Finally getting back to the size of the grill, the cooking area is smaller than deceased gas grills. That said, I have had no problem feeding my family of eight with the American Gourmet Grill. This includes the meats I’ve cooked as well as baked and sweet potatoes on the side. I would not recommend the American Gourmet Grill for large parties, but it’s more than sufficient to feed even a big family like mine.

All told, I’m very happy with my purchase of the American Gourmet Grill. It was easy to assemble, its small size and wheels make it easy to move and store, and flavorful, smoked or grilled food is easy and fun.

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Tags: AMI, Char-Broil, Charcoal, Gas, Gourmet, Weber, Wood