By Tony Carrick | Published May 9, 2023 8:32 AM
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When buying a new grill, backyard barbecue enthusiasts often find themselves forced to choose between the convenience of gas and the smokey flavor of charcoal. Hybrid grills don’t require such a compromise. Instead, these versatile grills allow you to cook with both charcoal and gas, often at the same time. These types of combination barbecues aren’t the only type of hybrid grills on the market. There are also grills that combine the convenience of a gas grill with a pellet smoker or a flat top grill. This guide will dive into what to look for in one of these backyard cooking appliances while reviewing some of the best hybrid grills on the market.
We researched more than 20 hybrid grills when making our selections for this product guide. While most are combination gas and charcoal grills, in an effort to meet other preferences, we also included combination gas grills and pellet smokers as well as combination gas and flat top grills.
These combo grills are all about adding different ways to cook food. Keeping that in mind, we leaned toward models that offer even more ways to cook by including such additional features as smoker boxes and side burners. Hybrid grills have the potential to create twice the mess, so we chose models that counter that with designs to make cleaning easier, including removable trays for emptying charcoal ash and grease-catch systems. Finally, we also considered build quality by leaning toward grills that use heavier-gauge steel construction offered by reputable brands.
The hybrid grills ahead include those that can function as gas and charcoal grills as well as other hybrid models that include pellet smokers and flat top grills. All of these models give the home chef multiple ways to cook different types of foods.
Char-Griller’s take on the hybrid grill consists of a barrel-style gas grill that sits side by side with an identical barrel-style charcoal grill. Combined, they offer a vast 876 square inches of primary cooking surface (the main cooking area not including side burners or warming racks), with an additional 384 square inches of warming racks. The gas grill side is surprisingly versatile and powerful thanks to three burners that put out a whopping 40,800 British thermal units (BTUs). A side burner adds another 12,000 BTUs of heat. A clamshell lid and vent on the charcoal grill side along with an adjustable-height charcoal grate give you several options for controlling temperature when cooking with charcoal.
Both cook boxes on this charcoal-gas grill combo funnel to a single grease-catching system, and there’s a removable ashtray for fast post-grilling cleanup. In addition to the gas and charcoal grilling functions, there’s also a side burner for extra cooking space and a place to add a smoker box. Two wheels on one side of the base allow the grill to be rolled into and out of position.
Get the Char-Griller Double Play hybrid grill at The Home Depot.
This hybrid grill is three backyard cooking appliances in one. At its center are side-by-side barrel-style charcoal and gas grills. Flanking the charcoal grill is an offset smoker box that allows the grill’s charcoal chamber to be used as a smoker. Combined, this charcoal-and-gas-grill combo and smoker has 750 square inches of primary cooking surface.
In addition to its cooking versatility, there are also plenty of extras to support the chef, including temperature gauges on the lids of the charcoal and gas grills, cool-touch handles, a handy side burner, and a bottom shelf for storage. There’s also a damper on the charcoal lid to help control temperature while smoking. At more than 6 feet wide, this hybrid grill has a sizable footprint, making it suitable for homes with a large deck or patio.
Get the Oklahoma Joe’s hybrid grill at Lowe’s, The Home Depot, Tractor Supply Co., or Wayfair.
The Char-Broil Gas2Coal hybrid is essentially two grills for the price of one. It consists of a gas grill with a charcoal tray and comes equipped with three burners that put out a total of 40,000 BTUs, more than enough power to heat its 420 square inches of cooking surface. It also includes a 12,000-BTU side burner.
Unlike other hybrid grills that have two cook boxes, the Gas2Coal cannot be used to cook with charcoal and gas at the same time. The Gas2Coal’s smaller cook box does make it more compact than other hybrid grills though. This propane-charcoal grill measures just 52.5 inches wide, making it a great hybrid grill option for smaller spaces. Plus, when loaded with charcoal, the gas burners can be used to light the charcoal, eliminating the need for starter fluid. The Gas2Coal comes equipped with two large side tables, one of which includes a gas burner for cooking side dishes. A large charcoal tray sits below the burners for easy cleanup.
Get the Char-Broil hybrid grill at Wayfair.
While most hybrid grills offer you the ability to cook with charcoal and gas, this model focuses on those who like to smoke meat by combining a large four-burner gas grill with a pellet smoker. The grill boasts 742 square inches of cooking surface for either grilling or smoking but doesn’t take up much space at just 25.3 inches long by 59 inches wide. Flanking the grill is a large 20-pound-capacity pellet hopper that has a dropout for easy removal of leftover pellets.
The pellet smoker comes equipped with a digital controller with a bright LCD screen and three meat temperature probes. Since this smoker has Wi-Fi connectivity, you can also control it via the Lifetime smartphone app. While this combination grill and pellet smoker doesn’t allow for simultaneous cooking as other hybrid grills do, cooks can use the gas burners to assist with temperature control when smoking in cold weather. Other notable features include a side table for prepping food, a storage box built into the side shelf, and additional storage under the cook box.
Get the Lifetime hybrid grill at Amazon or The Home Depot.
Simultaneously sear a steak while smoking a rack of ribs with this Pit Boss combination gas grill and pellet smoker. As with other hybrid grills, the Pit Boss consists of two-barrel-shaped cook boxes that sit side by side. Its 1,262 square inches of main cooking surface are split evenly between the grill and smoker.
There are also plenty of extra features to make using both grills at the same time an easier process, including two meat probes and Wi-Fi connectivity on the pellet grill side that make maintaining and monitoring temperature easier. The gas grill side has four burners for grilling multiple foods at the same time and the Pit Boss’s own Flame Broiler Lever for searing at temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. There’s also a side burner for additional cooking space. Stainless steel construction and cast-iron cooking grates make this Pit Boss one of the more durable hybrid grills on the market.
Get the Pit Boss hybrid grill at Lowe’s.
Grill with gas while you’re smoking or barbecuing with charcoal with the Char-Griller Texas Trio. This grill features side-by-side gas and charcoal barrel grills with a combined 779 square inches of cooking surface split evenly between the two. The gas grill is supported by three burners that put out a combined 40,800 BTUs, ample power for evenly heating the gas side’s cooking surface and reaching the high temperatures required for searing. While this grill offers many options for cooking, it also occupies a lot of space at more than 6 feet wide.
A smoker box allows the charcoal side to double as an offset smoker, and there’s also a 12,000-BTU side burner to boot. There are dual-temperature gauges, three smoke stacks for controlling airflow, and an electronic igniter for easy start-ups.
Get the Char-Griller Texas Trio hybrid grill at The Home Depot or Tractor Supply Co.
With its ability to function as both a gas grill or flat top, the Blackstone Tailgater is ideal for camping trips. Unlike other hybrid models that function both as propane and charcoal grills, this model offers more versatility with the type of foods you can cook with it. Use the flat top side to make eggs, pancakes, and bacon in the morning, then switch to the grill side for chicken breasts, burgers, and steak in the evening.
The gas grill side is supported by a 15,000-BTU burner while the flat top side is equipped with a 20,000-BTU burner. Both grill surfaces are also removable, allowing either side to be used as a standard gas burner for pots and pans. When not in use, the grill’s legs retract and fold up, making it easy to store or transport. Moving it does require two people as it weighs a hefty 75 pounds.
Get the Blackstone hybrid grill at Acme Tools.
Royal Gourmet’s product line of grills includes both flat tops and traditional gas models, so it only makes sense that the company also offers a model that combines both into a single grill. Its 606 square inches of cooking surface are divided over the two surfaces. A pair of 12,000-BTU burners support each side, allowing the chef to create multiple cooking zones while also providing more than enough power for searching. The gas grill side does lack a lid, which limits its versatility.
Two large side tables provide plenty of prep space for food going on and off each side. There are also hooks for grill tools and a handy bottle opener. The grill legs fold up, and it sits on four large casters, making it easy to transport for tailgating.
Get the Royal Gourmet hybrid grill at Amazon or The Home Depot.
While choosing a dual BBQ grill with the right cooking functions is crucial, so too is finding one with ample cooking space and a durable build. Ahead, find out more about these and other characteristics of hybrid grills.
Hybrid grills are essentially two grills in one, so it only makes sense that they offer vast cooking surfaces and occupy a larger chunk of real estate on a deck or patio. Expect a hybrid grill to have around 600 to 800 square inches of primary cooking space between the two separate cooking areas, which is enough to handle cooking duties for a good-size backyard barbecue.
While that added cooking space is a great benefit of a hybrid grill, plan on setting aside a nice chunk of space for it as most of these dual-purpose grills measure 5 to 6 feet long, which is about a foot longer than the average gas grill.
Hybrid grills vary in the number of cooking chambers they have. Some hybrid grills have separate cooking chambers, including a gas grill side and charcoal grill side, or in some cases a griddle side or pellet smoker side. This design allows you to grill in multiple ways simultaneously.
There are also dual-fuel grills that have a single cooking chamber that can support gas or charcoal, but not at the same time. While multiple cooking chambers add more functionality and versatility, they’re also significantly larger than those with a single cook box.
Hybrid grills also vary in the number of burners they have. Smaller portable models may only have a single burner for each cooking surface. Larger hybrid grills have two to four burners. Multiple burners allow grill masters to create more cooking zones, which is crucial when cooking different types of food simultaneously.
The largest factor that determines how long any grill will last is its build quality. Grills made with heavier-gauge steel and more stainless steel or baked-on enamel-coated parts than painted steel parts will last longer than those made with thinner sheet metal and painted steel. That’s because thinner metal will warp more easily under the intense heat created by high-BTU gas burners and the high heat produced by charcoal.
Grills with painted surfaces versus baked enamel or stainless steel are more likely to peel, exposing the steel beneath to rust. Build quality also affects how stable the grill is. Grills with welds are typically more stable than those held together with nuts and bolts.
As with charcoal grills and gas grills, hybrids require assembly. Since many hybrid grills are larger than standard grills and include multiple cook boxes to handle their dual cooking functions, they can take 3 hours or more to assemble. While most DIYers can handle assembling a hybrid grill on their own, assembly is typically more complicated than that of a standard single-fuel grill. If you don’t feel comfortable assembling the grill on your own, look for a retailer that can assemble the grill for an additional fee, or consider purchasing a preassembled model.
Overall, maintaining a hybrid grill is more time-consuming since it offers more than one grilling function. However, many hybrid grills have features that make them easier to clean and maintain, such as a single grease catch that collects drippings from both sides and a removable tray that collects ash for the charcoal side.
As with standard grills, hybrid gas grills also come with additional features designed to make using them easier. Many have side tables for prepping food that’s coming on and off the grill. Some hybrid grills also offer storage cabinets as well as shelves and hooks for grill tools. Side burners for preparing sauces and side dishes and temperature gauges on the grill lids are also common features on this type of grill. Some hybrid grills include smoker boxers that attach to the charcoal side of the grill, allowing the charcoal box to double as an offset smoker.
The most obvious advantage of a hybrid grill is that it combines two or more different kinds of grills into one unit, eliminating the need to buy multiple grills or settle for one type of grilling. While hybrid grills are more expensive than standard single-fuel grills, they are a more affordable option than buying multiple grills.
And, while many hybrid grills are larger than traditional gas or charcoal grills, they take up less space than two separate grills. Since hybrid grills have two tops side-by-side, a single person can manage both grill surfaces at once.
Below, learn about which types of hybrid grills allow you to cook simultaneously and why you might want to look for a preassembled option.
That depends on the type of hybrid grill. Hybrid grills that have two separate cook boxes for gas grill and charcoal grill duties can operate simultaneously. And, since the grill surfaces are side by side, a single person can cook on both surfaces at once. However, if the hybrid grill uses the same cook box for both, then the chef can only use one fuel for cooking at a time.
A hybrid uses both charcoal and gas fuels. In some cases, the grill will have a separate cook box for each, which means it essentially acts as two grills. The chef can cook using charcoal on one side and gas on the other side simultaneously. Hybrid grills that use a single cook box have gas burners with a tray that sits above them that can hold charcoal, thus allowing you to use the grill to cook with either fuel (but not both at the same time).
Hybrid grills have about the same lifespan as other gas and charcoal grills. Grills made from higher-quality materials such as heavier-gauge metal and stainless steel will last longer than those made with cheaper materials. You can extend the life of your hybrid grill by cleaning it regularly and covering it when not in use with a waterproof grill cover.
You’ll have to assemble a hybrid grill on your own as it won’t arrive at your door preassembled. However, many retailers offer an assembly service for an additional fee if you don’t want to take the 3 to 4 hours it requires to assemble it yourself. Some home improvement stores also sell preassembled grills; however, you’ll need a vehicle large enough to transport it home if you purchase one.
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