Char-Griller’s Texas Trio, model 3070, is named for the three ways it cooks. One barrel burns propane. The other burns coals. A smoker firebox hangs off the end.
Count the fire and it reads generous. 52,800 BTU in total, a published 700°F ceiling, 1,330 square inches of space.
Then read the primary figure. Primary grate on the Trio: 730 square inches. The Double Play, one tier down at $569.00, publishes 875.
So the third system is neither free nor extra grate. What it actually is turns out to be the whole question.
40,800 BTUGas side, across three stainless burners
74.9 in wideAssembled width of the cart
145 sq in lessDerived: primary grate against the Double Play
2 lbsPublished maximum charcoal capacity
First Impressions of the Char-Griller Texas Trio
It arrives as parts and ends up the size of furniture. Assembled, the width is 74.9 inches and the depth 29.9. That is over six feet of fence line, and the brand says so plainly.
At 204.4 pounds, nobody shifts this alone. Two wheels sit under one end, which helps on flat paving. Anywhere else, work out the route before the carton opens.
Black steel throughout, twin lids, a gauge set into each. Nothing here is styled. At one end the firebox rides lower, lidded separately. It reads as equipment, which suits the job.
40,800 BTU behaves the way that number suggests. Cast iron carries that heat straight into the meat. Steak lands, hisses, and lifts off with dark bars.
Then the firebox changes what the afternoon is for. The coals burn off to the side, never beneath the meat. Smoke travels the length of the charcoal barrel before leaving. Pork picks up a ring that no burner can fake.
Key Features of the Char-Griller Texas Trio
Three chambers share one frame, and each wants something different from you. One barrel is plumbed for propane. The next takes coals under the same sort of grate. The firebox at the end is why anyone picks this model over its siblings.
- Side Fire Box, in the carton: Char-Griller includes the offset chamber rather than selling it beside the grill. Bought loose as part 82424 it is $99.99. That inclusion is the Trio’s one genuine structural difference.
- Three stainless steel burners: One number covers all three stainless burners, 40,800 BTU. Char-Griller never divides it between them. Three knobs still let one end run hot while another idles.
- Cast-iron cooking grates: Both barrels sit under cast iron. Thick bars keep their heat through a full load of cold meat. Chipping is the failure mode, so go easy with the scraper.
- Side Burner: One side burner adds 12,000 BTU off the end of the cart. A pot of anything goes there rather than onto the bars. Published output reaches 52,800 BTU with it running.
- Push-button igniter: Electronic ignition lights the gas side from one button. The Pulse Ignition Kit is a listed service part at $12.99. Knowing the replacement exists takes the sting out of a dead click.
- Two gauges, one per chamber: Each lid carries its own gauge. Running gas hot and charcoal slow means two readings matter at once. Char-Griller publishes a 700°F ceiling and nothing finer.
- Multiple vents and dampers: Airflow is your throttle on two of the three systems. The circle damper appears as a $12.99 service part. Learn the dampers early and the barrel stops surprising you.
- EasyDump ash pan: Ash drops through to a pan you pull out. No shovel, no kneeling in soot.
- Large under shelf: A full-width shelf runs below the cart. On a grill this wide, that is real storage rather than a token rail.
- Shared service parts: The removable catch pan is $24.99 and fits the 5050, 5650 and 5072 as well. Char-Griller runs common parts across its dual-fuel line. Ten years out, that matters more than any feature.
Start with what Char-Griller stands behind. Three stainless burners carry 40,800 BTU between them. The side burner adds 12,000, bringing the published total to 52,800. The stated ceiling is 700°F.
Every one of those numbers also belongs to the Double Play at $569.00. Same total, same three burners, same side burner, same ceiling. That comparison is the one to hold on to. The Trio’s extra money buys a chamber, not a hotter flame.
Area is where the sheet gets slippery. Of 1,330 total square inches, Char-Griller counts 730 as primary. Subtract one from the other and 600 square inches are something other than primary grate. Racks, the firebox, and whatever the barrel counts above its coals.
That 730 is never split between the three chambers either. Without the split, no honest heat density can be worked out for any of them. Count 730 square inches when you plan a crowd.
Build, handling and durability
What justifies the money here is mass. 204.4 pounds is a serious amount of grill at this money. Cast iron fills both barrels. No gauge is published for the body, so heavy stays a word.
Char-Griller does publish the whole footprint, which not every grill in this range manages. Width 74.9 inches, depth 29.9, height 50. Several of its stablemates publish nothing at all. Walk those numbers out to the gate first.
Every chamber adds seams, and rain finds seams. The firebox sits lowest and collects ash and damp together. On a combination cooker, that low joint is usually what ages first. A wet winter gets three chambers to work on, not one.
Running costs, upkeep and value
Set the Trio beside the Double Play and the sum does itself. Char-Griller lists the Trio at $699.99 and the Double Play at $569.00. The gap is $130.99. The firebox alone, part 82424, is $99.99.
So bundling saves roughly thirty dollars against buying the chamber later. That reads well until the grate figures join in. You are paying $130.99 more for 145 fewer primary square inches. How often the firebox gets lit decides whether that is sensible.
Retail moves, so check the day you buy. On 2026-09-17 the Amazon listing sat around $665.00 and was orderable. Char-Griller’s own page held $699.99 that same day. Price both grills in one session before choosing between them.
Three chambers means cleaning happens in three places. The barrel’s ash lands in the EasyDump pan and leaves with it. The firebox produces ash of its own, somewhere else entirely. A catch pan slides out for the grease, and costs $24.99 to replace.
Parts supply is worth one note. Several 3070 items read sold out on Char-Griller’s own store when we looked. The ignition kit was among them. One day’s reading is not a verdict, but check stock early.
Possible Char-Griller Texas Trio Complaints
- The name promises three systems and the specification caps two: The maximum charcoal capacity on the Trio’s spec sheet is 2 lbs. The firebox-free Double Play publishes the same 2 lbs. Two pounds is a modest basket of coals, and a long smoke wants feeding. Treat the firebox as an offset you tend, not a chamber you fill.
- The primary grate shrinks as the price climbs: The Trio publishes 730 primary square inches, the cheaper Double Play 875. The Trio wins on total area and loses where food actually sears. You feel it when a dozen burgers and the chicken want the same bars. If sear volume beats smoke for you, buy the wider grate, not the wider cart.
