WHO doesn’t love a barbecue in summer, but when it comes to choosing the best barbecue grill where do you start?
Charcoal gives that traditional BBQ taste, but lighting the coals when it’s windy can be a bit of a nightmare, whereas with gas you don’t have that weather problem, but you also don’t get the chargrilled flavour.
So how about a mixture of the two?
A hybrid barbecue offers the best of both worlds – the ease of gas with the authenticity of charcoal – and you can now have it at an affordable price.
I tested the Char-Broil Gas2Coal 2.0 to find out what it could do, whether it was worth the extra cost and most importantly, how well it cooks.
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Char-Broil Gas2Coal 2.0, £314 £479
Pros:
- Super efficient and cooks like a dream
- Easy to start, even on windy days
- Looks impressive and stylish
Cons:
- Takes a while to assemble
- Will need a chimney starter if not using gas
Rating: 4/5
Char-Broil Gas2Coal 2.0 review: quick summary
American brand Char-Broil was one of the first companies to make charcoal barbecue grills for the home cook.
It’s got a strong reputation for making mid-range barbecues that have premium features, but without the hefty price tag that often comes with high-end grills.
The Char-Broil Gas2Coal is a design the brand first unveiled in 2016, with the barbecue equipped for both gas and charcoal cooking.
The idea is that you use gas to start the coals, or just use gas on its own - thanks to the built-in gas ignition, it means you never have to fiddle with matches or lighters again.
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Char-Broil Gas2Coal 2.0 review: full review
Char-Broil released Gas2Coal 2.0 in 2021 with a couple of design updates.
Staying put are their stainless steel burners, the porcelain-enamelled cast-iron grates, the patented stainless steel charcoal tray and the SureFire electronic ignition system.
As part of the design update, the company introduced a gas bottle gauge and a storage space where a gas bottle of up to 6kg can be secured into place even when you move the barbecue.
There’s also easier access to the gauge so you can see exactly how much gas is left.
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And to make switching between gas and charcoal even easier, a grate lifter is supplied.
- Char-Broil Gas2Coal 2.0, £314
£479from Amazon - buy here
Features
I tested the two-burner grill, which is the smallest in the Char-Broil Gas2Coal 2.0 range. It measures 116.8cm (H) x 114cm (W) x 62.9cm (L), with a cooking area of 47.8cm x 44.5cm.
If you’re used to basic charcoal grills, this one is a little bit more involved.
The assembly can take a couple of hours depending on how quick you are, although the instructions are very clear and you only need a screwdriver. Plus, you only have to do this once.
The two-burner barbecue features two sturdy shelves, one on either side of the cooking surface, where you can rest any food and tools - on bigger models, one of the shelves is replaced with a standalone gas burner.
- Char-Broil Gas2Coal 2.0, £314
£479from Amazon - buy here
The main cooking area is a decent size, with enough room to cook for around six to 10 people at the same time, depending on what you’re grilling.
Just above it is a warming shelf where you can rest any cooked food and you can lower the lid to cover everything, even when the warming shelf is loaded.
When it comes to fuel, you can use it as a gas-only barbecue; a propane regulator and hose are included in the set-up, but the grill will work with butane, propane or a mix of the two.
To use it as a charcoal grill, you simply line up your briquettes on the charcoal tray and then turn the gas on high for 15 minutes with the lid down to get the coals burning.
After that, you can switch off the gas and let the coals do their work. You'll find full instructions in the user manual.
Cooking
I found the Char-Broil Gas2Coal 2.0 super easy to use and I was really impressed by the results.
By having the lid down, the grill reached much higher temperatures very quickly - there’s a temperature gauge in the lid to tell you exactly how hot it is inside. This means food cooks quickly and stays juicy, with absolutely no burnt bits.
The lighting process also meant that even on windy days you could get your barbecue going. The lid will act as a wind blocker when you’re cooking and the wheels make it easy to manoeuvre into position.
I particularly liked the porcelain-enamelled grill plates, which produced restaurant-style grill marks that looked impressive.
The warming shelf and the shelves on either side of the grill were useful and made the whole operation much slicker.
There were a couple of downsides though.
If you don’t want to use the gas component, or you’ve simply run out of gas, you’ll need a chimney starter to get your barbecue going. The layout of the charcoal tray means you can only have one layer of coals and you can’t build a mound or use any firelighters.
And if you’re cooking for a large group, you can’t just add more coals - you’d effectively have to start again or switch to gas.
- Char-Broil Gas2Coal 2.0, £314
£479from Amazon - buy here
Cleaning
Absolutely no one enjoys cleaning a barbecue the day after and, because of its setup, the Char-Broil Gas2Coal 2.0 does have more components to clean than your basic charcoal barbecue.
That said, it’s no more than other barbecues of the same size.
I left the removable bits to soak overnight, which meant there was minimal scrubbing involved the following morning.
You do need to wipe down the lid and the interiors as well though, and if you’ve used the warming tray, check for any run-off down the back.
I recommend having a good spray on cleaner that can help shift some of the grease if you’ve had a particularly heavy grilling session.
Char-Broil Gas2Coal 2.0 Review: final verdict
Having always cooked on basic charcoal grills that cost a fraction of the price, I wasn't sure this one could deliver results worthy of the extra expense. However, the Char-Broil Gas2Coal 2.0 surpassed my expectations.
It combines the best features of gas and charcoal barbecues - easy to start and great flavour - into one machine and you can use either fuel, depending on what you fancy.
The porcelain-enamelled, cast-iron grill also produces superb results without burning your food.
I think it’s a great option if you’re looking for a premium quality product without the hefty price tag.
- Char-Broil Gas2Coal 2.0, £314
£479from Amazon - buy here
Where to buy Char-Broil grills
The Char-Broil Gas2Coal 2.0 is available from many retailers. I found it at Amazon but you can also buy the barbecue at:
- Appliances Direct
- B&Q
- John Lewis
- Keen Gardener
- Leekes
You can also check on the Char-Broil website for stockists near you.
Is there an alternative to the Char-Broil gas2coal 2.0?
If you’re after a larger version of the Gas2Coal then Char-Broil offers several alternatives. The next size up is the 330 model, which has three main burners and a side burner, which is great for steaming or sauteing vegetables. Larger still is the 440 version, which has four main burners and two charcoal trays, or the Special Edition 4, which also boasts a ceramic sear burner and an extra griddle.
Hybrid grills are available from other barbecue manufacturers, such as Outback and Grillstream – both of these brands sell a selection of barbecues that are fuelled by gas and charcoal, in a range of different sizes and designs. So whether you're catering for two or 20, you should find something to suit.
- Char-Broil Gas2Coal 2.0, £314
£479from Amazon - buy here