YOU ARE HERE >> AmazingRibs » Ratings & Reviews » Coyote CCX2-LP “Grill in a Box” Review
THIS MODEL IS DISCONTINUED AND HAS BEEN REPLACED BY A NEW VERSION: C1C28LP-FS. The manufacturer claims the new model, “has a new improved firebox design that allows for a more even heat distribution. Also, the valves have been replaced and modified.”
The Coyote CCX2-LP “Grill in a Box” is a premium priced, 28” compact, two-burner gas grill with a large 475 square inch primary cook surface and fold down side shelves. At first glance it appears to possess the attributes one expects from equipment in the premium market: top grade 304 stainless steel construction, 20,000 BTU each cast stainless steel burners covered by impressive looking stainless “Heat Control Grids” (heat tents that diffuse heat and sizzle drippings), and heavy stainless steel rod grates. It has a double-walled hood with seamless welds, interior lights and a warming rack.
However, as we began working with the CCX2, rough edges surfaced that one wouldn’t expect on a $1200 2-burner. Cockeyed doors, fold down side shelves that had trouble folding down without falling off, phantom screws and mounting pins rolling around in the bottom of the cart, and a slide out grease tray that had to be yanked out due to rough construction.
Although disappointing, particularly for a grill in this price range, these flaws might have been forgiven if performance shined as brightly as Coyote’s stainless hood. Unfortunately this grill has a remarkably uneven heat pattern, making for a frustrating cooking experience, and forcing one to constantly flip flop foods from the hot zones directly above the burners to various less-hot zones everywhere else. Temperature drop off on either side of each burner is shocking. Moreover the left burner was consistently a bit hotter than the right. One picture is worth a thousand words. Here is the bread test we did when seasoning and calibrating which provides a glaring illustration of the problem.
Temperatures were all over the place. Those listed above in red were taken at the center between the front and back. If we simplify the pattern one can see the grill surface has five basic heat sectors from left to right: lower, hotter, lower, hotter, lower.
It looks bad and cooks bad. We grilled a couple dozen chicken wings and had to play a game of chicken checkers, constantly moving pieces around to prevent burning and undercooking. Steaks needed to be crowded directly over the burners to sear due to the dramatic temperature drop off on the left, middle and right sections of the grates.
Why is this? Is the firebox too large for the two 20,000 BTU cast stainless steel burners? 475 square inches of primary grill surface is big for a two-burner, but not unheard of, and those burners don’t appear to be weak. Cranked all the way they hit around 800°, (more precisely from left to right the temps were 500°, 800°, 680°, 770°, 420°).
Coyote’s manual states their grills are designed for uneven heat, although in a much different way than we experienced. The manual explains in detail how the back is deliberately made to be hotter than the front, apparently to always provide some sort of 2-zone set-up. We couldn’t discern this hot back/warm front pattern, but easily saw the hot spots above each burner. Could the combination of this unusual 2-zone design coupled with a relatively large grill surface be the culprit?
For the record, we were able to successfully smoke a BBQ pork butt over a water pan with a 2-zone set-up, but that can easily be accomplished on just about any gasser with more than one burner.
There was a lot of play in the valve stems of each burner. This coupled with the short range of ¼ turn on the control knobs from low to high made dialing up temps difficult, as we were forced to toggle the knobs gently from left to right trying to get a vague feeling for the center of the loose valve stem.
Grill in a Box came almost fully assembled and although the packaging seemed good, even as we removed the shrink wrap small surface abrasions and discolorations were noticed. In retrospect, a harbinger of what was to come. We appreciate Coyote providing this grill for our review, but cannot recommend it. The rough construction might be tolerated, but the poor performance would be unacceptable even in a lower price range.
Coyote claims all our negative comments above have been corrected within the few months that past from the time we received our test model until this review was complete. We certainly hope so. They further claim the unit they sent was a prototype. We find it hard to believe any manufacturer would send the most popular BBQ website in the world a prototype to review, particularly when the CCX2 was displayed on Coyote’s website with the rest of their current product line well before they shipped one to us.
Limited lifetime warranty on the stainless steel housing and burners, 5 years on the grates, 2 years on the Heat Control Grids and plastic/electric components and 1 year on the ignition system and valves. Optional rotisserie and smoker kits are available. Comes in LP and NG models.
Manufacturer:
Coyote Outdoor makes outdoor kitchen equipment. Their product line includes gas grills, storage drawers and cabinets, and some supplemental items like sinks, refrigerators and griddles.
Published On: 10/14/2014 Last Modified: 2/24/2021
All of the products below have been tested and are highly recommended. Click here to read more about our review process.
Many merchants pay us a small referral fee when you click our “buy now” links. This has zero impact on the price you pay but helps support the site.
When you make rubs at home we recommend you add salt first then the herbs and spices because salt penetrates deep and the other stuff remains on the surface. So thick cuts need more salt. We put salt in these bottled rubs because all commercial rubs have salt and consumers expect it. You can still use these as a dry brine, just sprinkle the rub on well in advance to give the salt time to penetrate. For very thick cuts of meat, we recommend adding a bit more salt. Salt appears first in the ingredients list because the law says the order is by weight, not volume, and salt is a heavy rock.
Sprinkle on one tablespoon per pound of meat two hours or more before cooking if you can. Called “dry brining,” the salt gets wet, ionizes, becomes a brine, and slowly penetrates deep, enhancing flavor and juiciness while building a nice crusty “bark” on the surface. Sprinkle some on at the table too!
Are they hot? No! You can always add hot pepper flakes or Chipotle powder (my fave) in advance or at the table. But we left them mild so you can serve them to kids and Aunt Matilda
From TBoneJack, the unofficial Poet Laureate of The Pitmaster Club:
AmazingRibs is where you go,
To get the best advice,
You’ll find out how, to smoke a cow,
And it will turn out nice.
Smokers, gadgets, recipes,
Charcoal, gas, or wood?
The how, the why, and what to try,
When things arn’t going good.
Selection, prep, and cook techniques,
Marinades and such,
Rubs and brines and temps and times,
And how to use the Crutch.
Brisket secrets are revealed,
For moist and tender meat,
The point, the flat, the rendered fat,
The proper mix of heat.
I found out how to smoke spare ribs,
Great bark and taste and worth,
I want some more, I’ll have them for,
My last meal on this Earth.
Memphis Dust did suit them well,
I served them without sauce,
Not 3-2-1, not overdone,
No precious flavor loss.
Jambo, Lang, or Meadow Creek,
It’s hard to make the call,
Almost a crime, so little time,
I’d like to try them all.
I’m not ashamed, I’m not alone,
‘Cause many have this lot,
But I’ll admit, here in the Pit,
My wife said Not! Not! Not!
Weber, Brinkman, PBC,
No need for budget breach,
They cook great food, just ask me dude,
‘Cause I have one of each.
Obsessed I am, I know it’s true,
They call it MCS,
I saw the doc, he was in shock,
He too is in this mess.
Myron Mixon, Johnny Trigg,
Cool Smoke’s Tuffy Stone,
Harry Soo, Chris Lilly too,
And Moe who cooks alone.
They’re all good, I like them fine,
I’m sure they cook good Q,
They’ve earned the right, I see the light,
I’ll give them their fair due,
But I have learned, thru many cooks,
This web site is da bomb,
For what to do, browse over to,
AmazingRibs dot com.
Tired of seeing popup ads?
No need to throw a fit,
Don’t you know, just spend some dough,
And join us in the Pit.
And if you travel, don’t despair,
No further should you look,
The answer’s clear, put down your beer,
And order Meathead’s book.
High quality websites are expensive to run. If you help us, we’ll pay you back bigtime with an ad-free experience and a lot of freebies!
Millions come to AmazingRibs.com every month for high quality tested recipes, tips on technique, science, mythbusting, product reviews, and inspiration. But it is expensive to run a website with more than 2,000 pages and we don’t have a big corporate partner to subsidize us.
Our most important source of sustenance is people who join our Pitmaster Club. But please don’t think of it as a donation. Members get MANY great benefits. We block all third-party ads, we give members free ebooks, magazines, interviews, webinars, more recipes, a monthly sweepstakes with prizes worth up to $2,000, discounts on products, and best of all a community of like-minded cooks free of flame wars. Click below to see all the benefits, take a free 30 day trial, and help keep this site alive.
Post comments and questions below
1) Please try the search box at the top of every page before you ask for help.
2) Try to post your question to the appropriate page.
3) Tell us everything we need to know to help such as the type of cooker and thermometer. Dial thermometers are often off by as much as 50°F so if you are not using a good digital thermometer we probably can’t help you with time and temp questions. Please read this article about thermometers.
4) If you are a member of the Pitmaster Club, your comments login is probably different.
5) Posts with links in them may not appear immediately.
Moderators