5 Best Gas and Charcoal Combo Grills for the Outdoor in 2024 | 1000-Gadgets
In this article, we'll go into a detailed review of 5 different gas & charcoal grills
to answer questions for different tastes, requirements, specific needs...
Gas & charcoal combo grills offer the speed and convenience of gas with the option to switch to the rich smoky flavor of charcoal.
We’ve scanned the market for the best gas charcoal combo grills and summarized what we found in a detailed review.
There will be a sort of guide and summary at the end with a few tips to help guide you toward the best new combo grill choice that fits your needs & wants.
The best gas and charcoal combination grills reviewed:
1. Best Overall – Char-Griller 5050 Duo Gas-and-Charcoal Grill
The Pros:
- Lots of cooking space across the two grills
- The grill comes with electric gas starters
- Additional side burner
- High BTU output burners
The Cons:
- The grill comes in a fair amount of pieces and owners have reported that assembly instructions are not particularly clear
The Char-Griller 5050 Duo Gas-and-Charcoal Grill solves the problem of having to choose between gas and charcoal by simply putting two cooking surfaces next to each other.
The gas surface has three stainless steel burners with a total output of 40,800 BTUs, which can quickly bring the temperature up to 500°F – more than hot enough to get a good sear on a steak.
The electric starters mean you can get cooking with the push of a button, and there is also an additional fold-away side burner to keep food warm or for sauces.
The charcoal side has an adjustable pan that can be raised to different heights to help control cooking temperature and to make clearing out the ash as easy as possible. The double-insulated base of the Char-Griller improves heat retention and means you need to use less charcoal.
Both sides combine to give you 1,260 square inches of cooking space, including warming racks, and the grill itself is made of sturdy and corrosion-resistant stainless steel.
The non-stick porcelain grates make for easy cleanup, and the Char-Griller has a couple of bells and whistles, like a condiment and utensil rack and grate lifter for when you need to add more charcoal.
Char-Broil also offers a Charcoal/Gas combo with a smoker side box which is also worth checking out if you want that added option.
2. Best Budget – Dual Fuel Combination Charcoal/Gas Grill
The Pros:
- Value for money – This is a great price for a dual-fuel grill with all of these features. If you don’t mind buying from a generic brand you can’t beat this value for money.
The Cons:
- Lengthy assembly – Like most of the grills on this list, the assembly will take a long time and requires you to carefully follow the instructions.
It’s hard to beat the value this grill offers. You get a charcoal side, a gas side with three burners, and a 12,000 BTU propane side burner.
The gas side is slightly larger, you get 295 square inches on the gas grill zone compared with 262 on the charcoal side.
The grill grates are made from cast iron, and on the propane side, you get 3 stainless steel tube burners for a total of 24,000 BTUs.
On the charcoal side, you get a height-adjustable tray and a front access door for adding charcoal.
Installation takes a while but the instruction booklet is detailed and all tools required are included.
3. The Best Highend Option – Coyote Centaur 50-Inch Natural Gas/Charcoal Dual Fuel Grill
The Pros:
- Wood chip cooking
- Durable construction
- Great finish
- High-output gas burners
The Cons:
- Does not come with a cart as a standard
The Coyote Centaur 50-Inch Natural Gas/Charcoal Dual Fuel Grill looks and feels like a high-end product.
The entire grill is made of continuously welded stainless steel with seamless, polished edges, and provides a durable and sturdy cooking surface.
Like most combo grills, the Coyote Centaur has side-by-side gas and charcoal grill boxes with a huge total cooking area of 1200 square inches.
On the gas side, there are two gas burners putting out a total of 40,000 BTUs, and on the charcoal side, an adjustable height charcoal tray, heat control grids, and adjustable airflow dampers allow you to control the cooking heat with precision.
The Coyote Centaur also supports wood chip cooking on the charcoal side.
The only downside to the Coyote Centaur is that the cart is an optional extra. This is great if you are looking to add a grill to existing infrastructure, but if you want a standard carted outdoor grill, you will need to purchase the cart separately.
If you are looking for a built-in dual fuel grill you’ll be pleased to know the Coyote Centaur also has a built-in version. You can also get the Coyote Centaur as a built-in.
4. If you want to smoke as well – Pit Boss Memphis LP Gas & Charcoal Grill
The Pros:
- Versatile – Covers all the basics, propane or charcoal grill. Plus the smoke option if you need it.
The Cons:
- Difficult to put together – This grill is time-consuming due to its large size and complexity (lots of parts)
- Some issues with quality control – Customers complained about bad seals, parts not lining up, and inconsistent temperature. It's difficult to say if this is poor quality control from the manufacturer (Pit Boss) or due to customers assembly errors.
If you are looking for a single, do-it-all grill and smoker, the Memphis from
This grill ticks the box as a gas/charcoal combo, while also upping the stakes with electric smoker capabilities for good measure!
Pit Boss is known for their range of affordable pellet smokers and flat-top grills, but with the Memphis, they offer a 4-in-1 cooking solution.
The total cooking area is an insane 2,167 square inches, made up of:
- Grill cooking area – 1,327 sq in
- Electric smoker – 840 sq in
Thanks to some adjustable vents you can fill either the gas or charcoal chamber with smoke for offset smoking or even cold smoking.
5. Best Compact Combo – Char-Broil Gas2Coal 3-Burner Liquid Propane and Charcoal Hybrid Grill
Most of the combo grills on this list have side-by-side cooking surfaces, one for charcoal, and one for gas.
This setup works really well if you have the space for it, but what if you are short on floor space?
Well, the Char-Broil Gas2Coal 3-Burner Liquid Propane and Charcoal Hybrid Grill is a single cooking surface model that can be converted from gas to charcoal in around 60 seconds.
The gas mode has three 40,000-BTU main burners under 420 square inches of porcelain-coated, cast-iron cooking grates and an additional warming rack built into the hood. There is also a side shelf for your utensils and an extra side burner, which can be used in either mode.
To convert from gas to charcoal, you simply remove the grates, add in the charcoal tray, (which is specifically designed to reduce flare-ups), and then use the gas ignition system to light the coals.
At just 52.5 x 24.6 x 47.5 inches and 115lbs, the Char-Broil Gas2Coal 3-Burner Liquid Propane and Charcoal Hybrid Grill is an excellent choice if you are looking for a compact, but efficient, combo grill.
It might be small, but the Char-Broil Gas2Coal 3-Burner still comes with accessories like temperature gauges, a side burner, and a single-push ignition system.
The Pros:
- Compact and light design
- Easy to convert from gas to charcoal
- Side burner and utility shelf option
- Inbuilt charcoal and gas storage
The Cons:
- Size - Smaller overall cooking surface
6. Best Griddle & Charcoal Combo – Blackstone 1819
Blackstone is famous for their range of griddles (we named the Blackstone 36″ our best flat-top griddle).
This grill gives you the best of both worlds with a gas griddle on one side and a charcoal grill on the other.
Unlike the other combo grills in this guide, there is no lid so I wouldn’t recommend this grill for any kind of roasting or slow cooking.
Where this grill shines though is any kind of hot and fast grilling. Sear your steaks over charcoal for the ultimate flavor, while you cook your mushrooms and onions on the griddle side at the same time.
While Blackstone claims this grill is portable, the legs do not fold so you would need a good-sized vehicle to transport it easily. That said the wheels are good and the griddle top is removable.
The Pros:
- Easy to control the heat – Cooking on the griddle side is great for avoiding flare-ups
- Versatile – Griddles expand your cooking horizons with the ability to make diced vegetables, fried rice, eggs, and more. You can also sear over charcoal for added flavor and then move to the griddle side to finish.
The Cons:
- Gas valve – A little awkward on the front, but would be better around the back
- Non-foldable Legs – This would be a fantastic camping grill, but without folding legs, it’s hard to say this grill is portable
Is a gas-charcoal combo grill the right choice?
After taking a look at some of the best gas and charcoal combo grills on the market, and before you buy one take some time to look at this hybrid combo grills pros and cons guide below to help you make the right decision.
The Pros
Owning a combo hybrid grill comes with certain benefits compared to its downsides.
- Win-Win: the convenience of gas and the wonderful smokey flavor of cooking with charcoal all rolled into one package is what draws most people to combo grills, it brings you the best of both worlds. Depending on your model, you could also use it as a smoker, or cook with wood chips for a real all-in-one BBQ machine.
- Money Saver: when compared to buying two separate grills even though the vast majority of combo grills are more expensive than one single-fuel grill, they aren’t so expensive that they outprice two high-end single-fuel grills. So, if you find yourself constantly wanting to cook with both gas and charcoal, a combo grill could save you money in the long run.
- Space: For limited space convertible grills, like the Char-Broil Gas2Coal 3-Burner Liquid Propane and Charcoal Hybrid Grill, buck the trend of being chunky monsters and are quite compact. If you don’t have a lot of space to work with but are still committed to having a comb grill, then finding a conversion model could help you with the logistics of fitting it into your yard.
- Win-Win: the convenience of gas and the wonderful smokey flavor of cooking with charcoal all rolled into one package is what draws most people to combo grills, it brings you the best of both worlds. Depending on your model, you could also use it as a smoker, or cook with wood chips for a real all-in-one BBQ machine.
- Money Saver: when compared to buying two separate grills even though the vast majority of combo grills are more expensive than one single-fuel grill, they aren’t so expensive that they outprice two high-end single-fuel grills. So, if you find yourself constantly wanting to cook with both gas and charcoal, a combo grill could save you money in the long run.
- Space: For limited space convertible grills, like the Char-Broil Gas2Coal 3-Burner Liquid Propane and Charcoal Hybrid Grill, buck the trend of being chunky monsters and are quite compact. If you don’t have a lot of space to work with but are still committed to having a comb grill, then finding a conversion model could help you with the logistics of fitting it into your yard.
The Cons
While there are many great benefits to being able to cook with both gas and charcoal, combo grills are not without their drawbacks.
- Quality and price: as a rule, combo grills tend to fall into one of two camps, poor quality or very expensive. If you want a combo grill that will stand the test of time, you’re going to need to shell out for it. All of the grills in this review are top quality, but they aren’t exactly cheap.
- Jack of all trades, master of none: as with most combination cooking solutions, most combo grills just won’t be as effective as a grill dedicated to one type of fuel. If you find that you enjoy the convenience and speed of cooking with gas and only occasionally feel the need for that charcoal taste, you might want to instead invest in a high-end gas grill and a budget charcoal kettle grill.
- Smaller cooking space: while most of the grills we’ve reviewed above boast an ample overall cooking space, this is predicated on your always cooking with both types of fuel. If you aren’t planning on using charcoal because you just want to get the grill lit and the food cooked as soon as possible, you’re effectively cutting your cooking space in half.
- The size: because most combo grills use two cooking surfaces side by side, they tend to be larger and bulkier than a standard grill. This extra bulk is fine if you have a few acres out back, but if you’ve got a more modest outside space, a huge combo grill might make it a little cramped.
Summary
Combo grills are tricky. On the surface, they look like the perfect combination of the ease of gas and the extra flavor of charcoal. But as with most things, it’s not quite that simple.
To get the best from a combo grill, you need to make sure you are going to be regularly cooking with both fuels; otherwise, you’ll just end up with a smaller gas or charcoal grill with fewer features.
If you are committed to that combo life, however, you’ll find that your new combination grill will allow you to whip up meals with all the low hassle speed of gas and the deep smokey taste of charcoal. Perfect!
Do you have any tips on getting the best from a gas-charcoal combo grill? Maybe a recipe or two that works best on a 2-zone cooking surface. We’d love it if you’d let us know in the comments below!
Useful equipment & accessories:
1. Grilling Tongs and Turner - OXO Good Grips G Grilling Tools, Tongs and Turner Set
2. Griddle - Blackstone 1542 Flat top Griddle
3. Burger press - Cuisineart Smashed Butger Press, Cast Iron
4. Skewers - HOPELF 14'' Natural Bamboo Skewers
5. Grill brush & scraper - GrillArt Grill Brush and Scraper Bristle Free - Safe BBQ Brush for Grill - 18'' Stainless Grill Grate Cleaner
6. Meat Thermometer - Alpha Grillers Instant Read Meat Thermometer for Grill and cooking
7. Grilling Wood pellets blend - Traeger Grills Signature Blend 100% All-Natural Wood Pellets for Smokers and Pellets Grills, BBQ, Bake, Roast and Grill
8. Charcoal Chimney Starter - KINGSFOOD Heavy Duty Deluxe Charcoal Chimney Starter
9. Grill waterproof cover - Grill Cover, BBQ Grill Cover, Waterproof, Weather Resistant, Rip-Proof, Anti-UV, Fade Resistant, with Adjustable Velcro Strap
