Char-Griller 2121 Super Pro Charcoal Grill and Smoker

Char-Griller 2121 Super Pro Charcoal Grill and Smoker | Not so hard to assemble after all

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Char-Griller 2121 ...

	Char-Griller 2121 Super Pro Charcoal Grill and Smoker Char-Griller Char-Griller, 2005 average customer review:based on 15 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Exactly What I Wanted in a Grill

As I write this reveiw, I've owned this grill for nearly two years, and I am very satisfied.

I love the cast iron grates. Get them nice and hot, and they'll leave really cool grill marks on your steak -- carmalized grill marks that really enhance the flavor of the meat. Too many grills out there have porcelin coated grates, or (shudder) whimpy chrome wires. Neither are a substitute for cast iron.

You will have to work a little to keep the rust off. I generally grill so hot that any "seasoning" burns off, but a little elbow grease, and a brass brush will knock any surface rust right off.

I also do a lot of cooking with indirect heat with this grill. It's big enough that I can build a fire on one side, and have enough room to feed 4-6 people off the "cool" side of the grill. I thought about getting the optional smoking firebox to further remove the hot coals from the food, but I'm doing pretty well without it.

By the way... I would never disrespect this grill by using charcoal brickets, or any petroleum product in it. I use a mix of chunk charcoal, hardwood scraps, and hardwood chips, depending on my desired heat to smoke ratio.

As for maintenance issues, I live in the rainy Pacific Northwest, and the grill is out all winter. It doesn't often get covered because by the time it cools down enough to cover, it's already been rained on, and I don't want to create a humid tent around it. I've had no problems with flaking paint, and there's no rust on the body.

I do have some rust on the fire grate, and the metal rods under the place where I often place my coal-lighting chiminey have warpped a little from the direct heat.

If you're serious about charcoal grilling, and want to dabble in some hot smoking, this is the grill for you. And look at the price compared to a gas grill! (BTW... I hardly consider a gas grill a grill. They're more like outdoor ranges. If I wanted to cook over a gas flame, I've already got a better range in my kitchen. I don't need one on my patio. I want a real grill, like this one, on my patio.) And I fully expect this grill to last far more than a decade. It's solid, heavy guage. This is no big-box loss leader. This is a real grill.

If I could give it six stars, I would. Not once have I had a single regret about buying this grill.

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Not so hard to assemble after all

It may be that the company has reworked the instructions, but we didn't find this item too hard to assemble. It takes two people because of the size and weight of the pieces. As with all directions, it really pays off to read them all the way through before starting. However, the instructions could be improved if they included a complete parts list (there is a list, only of the small parts - bolts, nuts, washers, pins). Our biggest issue: the hubs that are supposed to keep the wheels on the axle could use improvement - they just fall off. Not an issue if you don't plan to roll the unit around much, especially when it's hot.

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Different Than A Webber

We have had our Char-Grill for about three weeks, and I'm slowly learning to cook on it. I have had a Webber for years, and the Char-Grill is very different. It does slow cooking extremely well, in fact I had to add almost 30% to the time I usually cook ribs, but they were perfect. Conversly it doesn't do high-heat grilling as well, seemingly not focussing the heat on the cooking surface as intensely. I suspect that I just need to learn the new system. So far I like it a lot, and I think that after the learning curve it will be a wonderful addition to my patio.

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repBoston

Several people have commented about their difficulties in assembling this grill so I thought that I might weigh in with some thoughts.

And there is good news at the end (not so good for Amazon, but you will see)

First,it isn't that hard and only needs one person (the instructions suggest two)

They make a point of it but do make SURE that the legs are properly matched up. One leg has two holes in the bottom, one of these sets is for the lower shelf and the other set (the larger) is for the wheel "axle"

Figure "C" is wrong--the "long legs" are the two with the vertical braces.

Do not put the hub cap on each wheel, do the first as they suggest, then slide the axle into the large holes mentioned earlier, slide on the second wheel then put the SECOND cotter pin (at the other end) in place after you have slid the second wheel on, otherwise if you try to do this the way they suggest, you will have a space problem with the second pin. Once the cotter pin is in place, then go ahead and put on the cap.

They speak of Figure F, there is no Figure F

RE the front shelf, mine came already assembled with the carriage bolts in place. You will have to loosen them each for each of the front ones to put the (supplied) brackets in place. (And while I am at it, the braces and these brackets have very faint lettering on then indicating how they should be positioned.

The positioning of the hood is a bit tricky and you do have to open the hood to get the pins in, but it can be done. And I would open the cotter pins a bit before trying to slip them on.

Something that they do not make very clear. The "pivot bolts" are just that, the warming rack is NOT secured to the hood, rather the bolts and nuts go through, are tightened, and then the warm rack is hung on the long part of the bolts and swings freely.

And finally the easiest of all, the grates, they sit on the interior lips of the broiler, perpendicular to the grill body. Figures K and L are not very informative

And now for the good news, we bought ours at Lowe's for $119 with no shipping charge (vs. AMZN at $129 plus about $40 in shipping. ) And, when I asked at Lowe's "How much for assembly?" They do it for free, just either tell them ahead of time or go shopping.

I give them "four" stars because of the fuzzy instructions.

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Nearly grilling perfection

This is an extremely well designed, rock solid grill. Other reviews knock the assembly manual, and I agree. The manual could be be upgraded, but assembly of the grill was pretty easy to do, even with the occasional confused head scratching.

But, let's talk about the grill's performance instead. On the plus side:
1. Cast iron grates will last for generations, and really retain the heat.
2. Add the side fire box, and you can smoke enough food for a small army.
3. You can adjust the heat using the damper on the chimney and the side damper, really assists with smoking and cooking.
4. There is a custom fit cover that has space for the chimney, and for the side fire box.
5. This is a nice heavy walled grill. The thick steel really retains the heat, and cooks real nice.

The drawbacks are:
1. Cast iron grills require a good seasoning, which is not really tough, but it is a bit of a pain to get it right.
2. Adjusting the charcoal height (and subsequently, the cooking temp) requires grabbing handles inside the cooking chamber (and at the cooking temp.) (Yes, I have burned myself.)
3. You will have to smoke one or two times before you get used to setting the dampers. I ruined my first attempt through poor heat control, but the rest of my smoking attempts worked wonderfully. Do your best to get a good smoking, but do not expect it to be perfect.
4. The custom fit cover is a bit on the thin side, and it will tear easily if you get it caught on something.

I would recommend this grill highly over any other grill in this price range. It competes favorably with grills that cost three times as much.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3

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