Char-Griller Side Fire Box Charcoal Grill

I really like this new Char Griller 5050 grill. I got mine at Lowes, and then added the smoker attachment from Amazon. The product is well made and assembly was simple, especially if you have a 17 year old grandson to help you put it together. All parts were included and the final fit and finish is first rate. My previous grill was a Propane Brinkmann 4445 with all the bells and whistles that lasted about 10 years. Most of the bells and whistles had broken within the first few years and I refurbished it several times over the years. But parts weren't cheap and even the mild climate of Southern California eventually finished it. The old Brinkmann had been modified to work on Natural Gas, by changing the burner jets to larger holes. The new Char Griller is setup for propane and no advertised conversion kit to allow Natural Gas, so I purchased a Propane tank. On my first few gas side grill meals, I noticed the gas grill get hot FAST. Within a few minutes with all three burners on high it can jump up over 550 degrees and keep going much higher. Even reducing all burners to lowest setting its is pushing 400+ so watch you settings and use just one or two burners if you want to cook at about 300.As I was putting the unit together, I noticed the burner gas jets, seemed to be larger holes than the old Brinkmann Propane jets, and almost the same size at the Natural Gas jets. So I decided to try my Char Griller with its Propane jets, with my hoses and connections that I had used on the old Brinkmann. To my surprise and great pleasure, the Char Griller worked just fine on Natural Gas. The gas grill side will max out at about 550 degree with all burners on high and is much more reasonable to cook at lower temps too. It's plenty hot for everything I need to cook. So my Propane tank is still there if I ever want to burn the paint off the unit. Switching between NG and Propane takes about 1 minute. The side burner also works great on NG and I use it to light my charcoal chimney without using lighter fluid.I do have some suggestions and simple modifications that you may want to consider for your grill. Both gas and charcoal side include a nice chrome warmer grill that is attached to the base and lid so it lowers over the main grill area. A very nice and useful feature. But when you install it, don't add the last nut to the mounting screw. Just leave these 4 nuts off. This allow you to easily remove and clean the warmer grill without fooling around with nuts. The grill is springy enough to simple squeeze it over the mounting bolts. It is still very sturdy and won't fall off. Also when you are smoking, you may want to use the warmer grill instead of the lower grill, to get the meat up higher into the lid area, closer to the thermometer. And smoking does get that warmer grill dirty, so easy removal for cleaning is nice.The best modification that I have is the addition of a working table area to the front of the grill. I purchased a 4 foot by 11 inches by 1 inch stair step board, stained and shellac it, then mounted it to the grill's main front cross beam. I used a simple hook and eye bolt scheme to make it act as a hinge, so the table drops down when the grill cover is in place. It's a great place to put your beer while grilling.Next I salvaged the rotisserie brackets from my old grill, and mounted them to the charcoal side. The motor bracket just fits between the two grill sides. The gas side remains open when the rotisserie is in use. Also it is possible to rotisserie smoke if you want to try that. I cut out the rotisserie slots in the lid then made some movable covers for the slots, that are used when the rotisserie is not in use.When grilling, I often want to grill with the lid partially open so I can see flare ups. A rock, or old beer can would work, but since it's a nice new grill, I made a little wood brace that looks a little nicer. It keeps the lid open about 3 inches and doesn't fall off when you open and close the lid.There are other mods posted by Char Grill customers, but these are my mods made to the 5050. It turned out to be a very nice setup worth doing on a well made foundation provided by the Char Griller company.

I have had this cooker for three years . While I love the cooker itself and the good job it does slow cooking , I am disappointed that I cannot order the drawer that holds the charcoal . Due to frequent use , the lower part of the grill , the low air vent area has burned out , and is falling apart . I can order handles and other simple parts , but I cannot order the drawer . The lower part that pulls out , in order to load charcoal in it . As far as grills go , this grill was expensive , and is still in production . Serious replacement parts should be available .

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It was very good grill but we have to return it because it was too heavy (45 lb) for caring in the car and in the park and back, too heavy to lift and it did not fit our car