Char-Griller Side Fire Box/Table-Top Charcoal Grill Review

Need a charcoal grill? One that delivers excellent service and sells at a comparatively low price? Consider Char-Griller’s Side Fire Box Table-Top Charcoal Grill. It’s worth it.

Although charcoal grills tend to have basic designs that might suggest a needlessness for research in choosing the right one, there are certain features about charcoal grills that can please or disappoint the user. The Char-Griller Side Fire Box Table-Top Charcoal Grill is your ideal charcoal grill for your table or outdoor cooking. It offers certain features and benefits, which we will describe in this review to help you make an informed buying decision.

Why Choose the Char-Griller Side Fire Box Table-Top Charcoal Grill?

It is one of the cheapest charcoal grills on the market, and it’s very efficient in serving its purpose. It has a simple design that lacks most of the luxury features present in higher-end but vastly more expensive models. But if your main goal is to have something to grill in, then it should cook your food in pretty much the same way other charcoal grills do—only maybe less convenient for managing your preps and cooking utensils.

Who Should Buy the Char-Griller Side Fire Box Table-Top Charcoal Grill?

• People Who Prefer Charcoal Grills: Charcoal grills produce the best flavor— especially if you want a smoked flavor. It’s the only type of grill that uses natural fire with smoke to cook. A significant reason some people prefer charcoal grills is that, besides achieving the best flavor, it’s less costly in terms of fuel, maintenance, and fire hazards.
• People on a Budget: Grills can cost upwards of $1000, but still perform the primary function of grilling that a $100 grill also does well. The Char-Griller Side Fire Box Table-Top Charcoal Grill costs below $100. You can enjoy the best flavor while spending less than a hundred dollars on getting a perfectly-working grill. This design is a more affordable option for people who can’t afford to buy the higher-end grills.
• People Looking for a Portable Charcoal Grill: Although it doesn’t have wheels, the Char-Griller Side Fire Box Table-Top Charcoal Grill is easy to carry. There are two handles by the sides, and the grill weighs less than 50 pounds. If portability is an essential requirement for you, this charcoal grill is among the best options.
• Those Looking to Grill on Their Tables: A high wheeled charcoal grill may not be suitable for use on a table. But the Char-Griller Side Fire Box Table-Top Charcoal Grill is a design suitable for table use.

Possible Drawbacks of the Char-Griller Side Fire Box Table-Top Charcoal Grill?

• No Wheels: While this is not a big problem, it can be challenging for people who have less strength to carry. Forty-two pounds isn’t much weight, but certainly not to everyone. Wheels enable you to exert less effort in moving the grill as you won’t be supporting the entire weight. And no wheels imply that you’ll support the entire weight unless you use a wheeled rack or table.
• No Convenience Features: Some charcoal grills by the same manufacturer have several features that make grilling less tasking. Some of those features are: side-shelves to enable you to organize everything in one place, bottom racks to let you store food and other things you’ll need while grilling. The ability to organize everything around you is essential, especially if you are fond of forgetting or mislaying things.

Brand Overview

The Char-Griller company specializes in producing a wide range of outdoor cooking gear and accessories. Currently headquartered in Atlanta, a “Georgia Brother and Sister” are the founders and owners of the company.

Being one of the industry leaders in the outdoor cooking gear sector, Char-Griller produces an assortment of designs and appliances for barbeques. It invested considerable efforts in securing a reputation for quality and affordability.

Driving the company’s innovative and increasingly qualitative collections is the desire to make outdoor cooking affordable for all by offering top-quality gear at comparatively low prices. Char-Griller also produces equipment like kettles, dual fuel grillers, kamado grills, etc. Visit the company’s official page to read more about their products.

Company Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: 912-638-4724
Email: service@chargriller.com

First Impression: What Does It Look Like?

The Char-Griller Side Fire Box Table-Top Charcoal Grill is a basic design that makes it convenient for table-top or side grilling or smoking. It does not possess elegant features like side-shelves, bottom rack, wheels, etc., but it does offer some convenience such as temperature control, easy ash cleaning, versatile cooking, and portability.

You could cook a wide variety of foods at varying temperatures and even add watered-wood to achieve a smoky flavor. Despite weighing 42 pounds, you can easily carry it by the handle even when hot. Another dominant impression of this charcoal grill is that it’s very cheap—costing less than $100. The lid has a wooden handle and attaches to the grill by solid hinges. It has a wide generous cooking area of about 250 square inches.

Key Features

• Top-Quality Material: The Char-Griller Side Fire Box Table-Top Charcoal Grill is made from heavy-duty steel. That means it can absorb significant impacts without having a dent. The steel material also makes it withstand and insulate intense heat for over long periods. Materials used in constructing most grills include cast aluminum, sheet metal, cast iron, or stainless steel. For durability and performance, grills made of stainless steel are better. If you are going to be exposing the grill to elements that cause rust or corrosion, you could settle for a stainless steel grill both in body and frame.
• Wide Cooking Area: It’s a portable charcoal grill with a full cooking area. Irrespective of how elegant the construction of a grill is, if it offers less grilling space than it should, then it isn’t the best. The Char-Griller Side Fire Box Table-Top Charcoal Grill wouldn’t take up much space on your table even though it boasts massive square inches of cooking area.
• Equal Heat Distribution: The bowl’s design aids insulation and equal heat and smoke circulation in the grill to each part of the grate. Even heat distribution is an essential feature of any grill as it ensures that the batch of food you’re cooking all get done at the same time. If any part of the cooking space gets more heat than the others, the food you place in that area is likely to overcook or even burn before the others cook.
• Portable: Portability is paramount in any grill, even if it is made of ceramic or heavy metal. There should be some mechanism to make moving the grill easy to move around. That’s because grills are for outdoor use only. A particular charcoal grill can release toxic gases like carbon-monoxide that cause a range of health problems. The Char-Griller Side Fire Box Table-Top Charcoal Grill does not have wheels, but the 42-pound weight shouldn’t be too difficult to carry for most people.
• Temperature control: A grill that allows for temperature control is undoubtedly better than one that doesn’t. Not all foods cook best at high temperatures and vice versa. Regulating the temperature helps get the best flavor out of your food. The Char-Griller Side Fire Box Table-Top Charcoal Grill has air vents that you can adjust to increase or reduce the temperature.

Preference-Based Features

• Very Affordable: It might surprise you that this grill, despite employing high-quality material and design, costs less than a hundred dollars. Price is a unique quality of the Char-Griller Side Fire Box Table-Top Charcoal Grill, though not a technical one per se. The cost of any equipment is significant to the overall satisfaction derived from it.
• Easy to Clean: The grill is coated in a rust-resistant substance and has a smooth powder finish that makes it shine and easy to clean. Considering this is a charcoal grill, you’ll need to clean it from time to time. Your ability to clean it quickly and without leaving any stubborn stain is a plus for long-term use.
• Sturdy Construction: Not only is the Char-Griller Side Fire Box Table-Top Charcoal Grill made of the best steel formulation, but it’s also constructed to withstand the most extreme abuse of use. It is of little importance for a grill to be of high-quality steel but with the parts loosely put together.

Construction: 4.3/5

From the features of the Char-Griller Side Fire Box Table-Top Charcoal Grill, it is clear that the grill is built to last and be efficient. The horizontal bowl coated with powder, the solid frames, firm handles, and leak-proof construction assures quality and lengthy lifespan.

Performance: 4.3/5

The Char-Griller Side Fire Box Table-Top Charcoal Grill is a basic grill that executes its job well. You don’t have the fancy side-shelves, wheels, thermometer, etc., but then, at such a low price, you surely don’t expect to have all these features. As long as preparing a tasty meal is concerned, this grill works just fine.

Cleaning and Maintenance: 4.3/5

Cleaning and maintenance are straightforward, though it can get dirty when cleaning the entire interior, this is done once in a while. You could easily remove, empty, and replace the ash can quickly. The body and interior have a smooth, shiny surface that makes cleaning easy and quick as well.

Warranty and Shipping

• Warranty: Char-Griller protects the buyer by offering products covered by warranty for defects or parts that need fixing or replacement within a specified period. Periods range from 1 to 5 years, depending on the part of the product. Read the details from the user manual.
• Shipping: Whether or not this product ships for free depends on the seller and the platform you are buying from. Amazon offers free shipping from its global warehouses on a wide range of products, especially for prime members.

Similar Char-Grill Charcoal Grills to Consider

1. Char-Griller Patio Pro Charcoal Grill
The Char-Griller Patio Pro Charcoal Grill is a more compact design suitable for small families. It has enough space to take 12 burgers and weighs considerably less than the Char-Grill Side Fire Box Table-Top Charcoal Grill. The Char-Griller Patio Pro Charcoal Grill shares certain similarities with the Char-Grill Side Fire Box Table-Top Charcoal Grill. But it has wheels, side-shelves, and a bottom rack for organizing your preps. If a wheeled compact charcoal grill is what you are looking for, consider the Char-Griller Patio Pro Charcoal Grill.
2. Pro Deluxe LX Charcoal Grill
The Pro Deluxe LX Charcoal Grill shares similarities with the Char-Griller Side Fire Box Table-Top Charcoal Grill. Both are made from the same material, have the same bowl shape, and are products of Char-Griller. But they have differences too. The Pro Deluxe LX Charcoal Grill has extra features like side-shelves, cooking space, and bottom storage rack. The Pro Deluxe LX Charcoal Grill has enough cooking space to take about 50 hamburgers.

Overall Summary

The bottom line with our Char-Griller Side Fire Box Table-Top Charcoal Grill is that the grill should serve anyone preferring a charcoal grill. It doesn’t cost you much, it’s easy to transport, it can be used on your table, and it has air vents to give you some control over temperature. The cooking space is also very generous for a less than $100 charcoal grill. The weight is acceptable for portability, and the stands are sturdy enough to support the grill, even on a full load of charcoal. The ash can is significant and will take some time before you need to empty it.