Char-Broil 2-in-1 Hybrid Propane Gas/Charcoal Grill Review

Char-Broil has done it again, literally. They released different versions of this basic design before. 2-in-1 one is the prettiest, although functionally a bit of an ugly duck. Even though early adopters of Hybrid seem pleased, one has to wonder why it keeps disappearing from the catalog.

As a gas grill it’s no powerhouse. You get three 10,000 BTU tube burners with heat tents and coated cast iron grates. The cast iron grates will goose up conductive heat right at the cook surface, but don’t expect searing temps on gas alone. You can do sausage, chicken and anything that cooks in the low to medium range before bringing out the charcoal.

The charcoal tray (above) is a shallow piece of stamped metal with no vents. Like all gas grills, there are no dampers for heat control on the housing either, so the tray is meant for a simple grilling to give burgers and chicken a hint of charcoal flavor – not slow BBQ cooking that requires temperature control over a long duration. You can only fit a single layer of briquettes in the tray. Use of lump charcoal, or fuel with uneven sizes and shapes may be problematic. Remove the grates and heat tents, place the tray with charcoal on top of the burners and crank them up high. Close the lid for 15 minutes and the coal should be lit and ready to provide searing temps until the small fire starts dying out. Air flow is restricted so don’t crowd the cook surface with too much food. Some report propping the lid open slightly helps maintain high temp for a longer period.

Two side shelves with a side burner on the left are included. No tool hooks on the shelves. The unenclosed cart stores the LP tank and there is an opening below the control knobs to store the charcoal tray. Char-Broil’s aim with this design is to create an easy to use bridge to charcoal for gas grillers who are hesitant to get their hands dirty and give up their control knobs. It’s not a bad gas grill and not a good charcoal grill. We strongly recommend folks who want to use both fuels in this price range, spend just a little extra and get separate gas and charcoal grills.