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I have had charbriol grills all my life but this one is the worst one I have owened.I seasoned the grates but they still rust, what happen to the porcline grats.if i can’t get them I will buy someone elses grill.I don’t complain to people but i will buy a better gril. thank you
I’m sorry to hear about the issues you have encountered with this model. Some of our grills do use porcelain cooking grates, but there are none available for the Big Easy. If you are still experiencing issues please give us a call. We value you as a Char-Broil customer and want to best assist you with this. Our phone number is 1-800-241-7548. – Dustin
Just saw this reply… what a joke. The warranty department is not helpful and all they do is give you the run around. Last time I was on hold for over half an hour waiting for a supervisor and was cut off. That’s only the half of it. Even when CharBroil products are under warranty (which mine is) they make it very difficult to get any service. I just gave up. VERY bad quality products and even worse customer service.
I guess the only answer is avoid CharBroil products if you can.
Art, I apologize for the issues you have encountered. To best assist with warranty claims and ensure that the problem is correctly resolved we do want to thoroughly investigate each issue. I have been able to research the case that you had created with us and it looks like a warranty order was placed. This order was completely free of charge and should be received within seven to ten business days. – Dustin
I agree.
I have a Charbroil porcline grill that was used maybe 6 times and rusted very badly! Just avoid CharBroil grills all together. The warranty department is not helpful and all they do is give you the run around. Last time I was on hold for over half an hour waiting for a supervisor and was cut off. That’s only the half of it. Even when their products are under warranty they make it very difficult to get any service. I just gave up. VERY bad quality products and even worse customer service. Avoid CharBroil.
Yes, Char-Broil has obviously dropped the bar considerably. I had 3 that I loved and I wish I had them back. The most recent smaller Charbroil Chinese sourced one I bought blew up and took off facial hair and the other infrared is a stink machine and all the spot welded parts have fallen off. FYI, if you blow your face off customer service offers a 10% coupon to hurt yourself again. I am posting this everywhere I can.
Doug – I’m sorry to hear about the issues encountered with your grill. We value you as a Char-Broil customer and want to provide both an enjoyable and a safe grilling experience. Was a case created with us? We would very much like to investigate this to see what caused it. A case can be created by following this link… http://www.charbroil.com/support/case/create If you would like I could send you an email to obtain additional information and further discuss. – Dustin
I have had the same problem with my grill. They have replacement grades at lowes but my grill is a 5 burner(463248708) and they only have grades for the 3 & 4 burner. And here on the web site they don’t offer a refresh kit for the 5 burner(463248708) I have. So now if I want to keep this grill I would need to buy all 4 grades and all 4 grade holders for it that is over 200 dollars just on grades for that much money I think I will invest in a weber! And I’m not really ready to do that I like cooking on this grill!!
I apologize for the issues you have encountered with your grill. We value you as a Char-Broil customer and would be more than happy to assist you with getting back up and grilling. Please give us a call at your earliest convenience so that we can assist you with this matter. Our phone number is 1-800-241-7548. – Dustin
Purchased a Char-broil Infrared grill #463261709 just over a year ago. After about 4 uses the temperature gauges stopped working. This season I uncovered the grill. After I set it up for use I discovered the locking wheels no longer lock. When I went to lift the lid, the lid handle came off on the right side. After a close look, I could see that the area where the screw attaches to the handle had pulled out of the handle. It had two small tack welds which had broken. Unbelievably poor workmanship. New handle was $25 plus $12 shipping. New temp gauges $10 each plus shipping. Customer service had a generic canned phrase, ” I’m very sorry but there is nothing I can do”. He was more concern with trying to sell me their special grill cleaner with my order. I have also found the shelf on the right side of the grill has one support in the front. Don’t think of using the rear area of the shelf it will sag. Also found heat shields rusting prematurely. Last thing I noticed now is the burners give off about half of the heat the originally did even after putting on a new propane tank. I figure I have about one more season with this one. My next one will definitely not be a Char-broil. I found out who really gets charred!
I apologize for the issues you have encountered. We value you as a Char-Broil customer and want to make sure that you are able to enjoy your grill. If the burners in your grill are producing a low amount of flames please remove them from your grill and then flush them out with either water or air. A paperclip could also be used to clear out anything that could be further obstructing the port holes in each burner. If water was used, please make sure that the burners are fully dry before they are placed back in the grill. Routinely doing this, a minimum of once a month, will help to keep your burners performing properly and also increase their lifetime.
Were we contacted when the issues with the temperature gauges first began? Many of the parts that you listed either have a twelve month or two year warranty. If the parts are still within the warranty duration we would be more than happy to setup a warranty order for you. If this period has passed, please still feel free to setup a case with us so that we can investigate the issues you are experiencing and best assist. Images and/or a proof of purchase may be requested. – Dustin
We have not enjoyed our grill as much as we thought. From day one, from the time we start cooking, there is a huge cloud of smoke. The grill is cleaned each time before we grill. I don’t enjoy the meat because it tastes of smoke.
Can you tell us what is causing all the smoke and how to eliminate it?
What is currently being used to clean the inside of your grill? Normally, excessive amounts of smoke can be caused by debris or obstructions within the burners. Please check to make sure that your burners are producing a blue flame. Has the same propane tank been used or have different ones been tried with this grill?.. I, personally, have experienced a lot of smoke when cooking with abundant amounts of greasy foods or when using a lot of sauce. When grease or sauce drips down and hits the burners in the grill it can cause smoke.
For further troubleshooting, please give us a call and one of our knowledgeable grill service specialists will be more than happy to assist you. Our phone number is 1-800-241-7548. – Dustin
I am interested in buying one of the 2-burner tru-infrared but I can’t seem to get a real answer from customer service. At Home Depot, the model has the trough construction and at Lowe’s, it is the tray grate with the holes. Besides cleaning, what is the thinking behind these two designs? What are the cooking benefits to one or the other? Does the trough reduce the smoke? Does the tray cook more evenly? For me this is a sizeable investment and I need to choose the right one. Also, I have read that infrared is not that great for fish and vegetables because of the high heat. Can you address that also please?
Thanks, Robin
Robin – you are asking good questions. You will find the performance of the Char-Broil TRU-Infrared grills meets the same standards, but the systems and features are different based upon retailers.
I encourage you to check out the Char-Broil LIVE Community Forums and talk to other grill buyers like yourself who have shopped and considered the various models – to get a sense of what might work best for you.
Regardless of which model you choose – you can be assured of juicier grilled meat!
dont waste your money…I have to 2 burner with the tray grate with litle holes….. the char broil instructions arent written clearly, the grill is hard to put together. Ive had nothing but problems from mine. It smokes, doesnt heat evenly, temp isnt accurate,starter button broke off….. very dissapointed in this brand.. Really dont want to hear ” we sorry to hear this, please contact us”….. for the amount of $ i spent this should have been a quality product, not requiring troubleshooting
We value you as a Char-Broil customer and understand your frustration. If you would like, I could send you an email to obtain more information and work towards getting this resolved. – Dustin
I owned a char-broil for 8 years and loved it but it finally needed replacing and I did not hesitate to buy another,now I am “burned” to say the least.My old one had a heavy plastic handle that I could open and close and not get burnt,your new one has a metal handle and I can not touch it with out a hot pad.The lid does not come down and seal good,grease spatters out and drips down to the knobs.Why is it that when a company has a good product they start cutting corners?
I always bragged up my old grill,not sure how to tell friends that my new one is lacking in lots of areas.
I am sorry to hear about this. We value you as a Char-Broil customer and definitely want to make sure that you are able to safely use and enjoy your grill. I will send you an email so that we can investigate this and best assist you. – Dustin
I recently purchased the 4-burner infrared and my question is, I would like to use wood chips but where do I place the wood chips? In between the grate on top of the plate with holes or what? Thank you.
Lee,
You can place the chips in between the grates on top of the plate. Additionally, check out this forum thread about smoking on a gas grill.
http://forums.charbroil.com/index.php?topic=396.msg2966#msg2966
There is some great info on smoking on ANY gas grill. One of the advantages of our infrared grills though is that you can just drop the chips directly through the grates and onto the plate if you don’t want to use a smoker box or pouch. Hope this helps!
-Michael
Is it common for the porcelain grades to rust within 2 years? I have bought 2 of these grills and I think they are both junk. Here it is the 3rd of July and I have nothing to cook on tomorrow. Your quality stinks and you should consider replacing your Quality Manager and change your system. I am sick of buying junk. The one at home is no good and the one I bought for my business is no good. If I knew that they would only last 2 seasons then I would have never bought them. I will be replacing them with Webbers this weekend.
I apologize for the issues you have encountered. We value you as a Char-Broil customer and would definitely like to investigate this. How are the grills normally being cleaned? It looks like a case has been created and an email was sent to further assist this issue. – Dustin
after one year with your grill the so called infra red things are falling apart on both sides. one would think they would be at least welded to last over a year.. after calling lowes (no help whatsoever) we put it out into the street and bought a weber which i should hve done in the first place.. u folks manufacture junk.. I hope these things are made in China..
I’m sorry to hear about this. How was your grill routinely being cleaned? We value you as a Char-Broil customer and pride ourselves in our products. Was a call made to us? We would have been more than happy to investigate this and best assist to get this resolved. – Dustin
Our grill has tray grates with little holes. How do you clean this kind? I use a wire brush, but the excess food that you usually can burn off, just sits there with no where for it to go.
Unhappy
To best clean the cooking grates and housing trays in your grill I would recommend, first, utilizing the burn off technique. This is where your grill is turned to high for about 10 to 15 minutes. This should turn any remaining food particles to ash. I would then recommend using our Infrared Grill Brush (Model # 2538013) and Biodegradable Grill Cleaner (Model # 9985036). This should take care of any food or grease that is obstructing the holes in your cooking grates or housing trays. Please follow this link to a video for more information… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FvxHuGpvuM – Dustin
Hi, we purchassed a Four Burner Grill about 5 to 6 wears ago. We bought a cover, gas converson kit and your cleaning utinsela. All this was over six hundred dollars. First time we bought one this nice or at least we thought. After three years the grill burner covers and bottom under the burners started rusting and now their very bad. The starter button doesn’t work very well. Very dissapointed. Dont think we should have to buy a new grill every there or four years. Is there anything you can do for us. It seems like this a on going problem with your grills. Is your company one that stands behind their products. Thanks in Advance Pat Bates
We very much value you as a Char-Broil customer and sincerely apologize for the issues encountered with this grill. We would be more than happy to investigate this and assist with getting you back up and grilling. You should be receiving an email from me. – Dustin
Hi, I bought a TruBroil grill (it looks like the one in the contest). I’ve read the information on grilling that came with it. I have reread the section on searing numerous times. The first problem is that no matter what I grill (chicken, hamburgers, sausage etc) everything looks as if it came straight from the microwave. There are vurtually no grill marks anywhere no matter how long I leave the meat on any side. It also turns out tough and chewy. I have never had this problem with any other gas grill I have owned. In 45 years of grilling I have never had these problems with any type of grill. This certainly hasn’t been easier or shorter grilling times. Help.
Erland – I’m sorry to hear you are having problems with your grill. Let’s try and figure this out because we want you to have an excellent grilling experience and I would agree that tough, chewy, non grill marked food cooked on a grill is a disappointment. What temperature is your grill when you put your meat onto the cooking grates? I’m wondering if maybe the grill is not getting hot enough.
Looking forward to hearing back from you. Thanks.
-Michael
Hi, Thanks for getting back to me Michael. The thermometers on the grill read anywhere between 450 – 600 degrees when I put the meat on. The temperature remains fairly steady at about 450 during the time I’m grilling. It seems to stay at just about that temperature no matter what I do with the control knobs. It really doesn’t get hotter or colder if I adjust them up or down. I’m using it again today so I’ll let you know what happens.
Thanks again, Erland
I have used my cooker 4 times now,Once for whole chickens yummy! Ribs, tough and two Beef roast yesterday, I cooked till the temp was at 140,,which it said to do till it hit 145 and take out 5-10 degrees before,wrap in foil cover with a towel and leave set 15-20 minutes to tenderize, so tough couldn’t hardly eat it:( What am I doing wrong,, also has a terrible smell to it when I’m cleaning it, so far not impressed with the cooker:(
What kind of cooker are you using? I am guessing a Big easy from the sound of it. I want to address the toughness issue first. Beef roasts can be tricky in the Big Easy since they are meant to be cooked low and slow. The Big Easy cooks at a fairly high temperature so only a cut of beef like a Prime Rib work really well in the Big Easy. Pork shoulders (Boston Butt) on the other hand work really well since they have a high fat content. Quick question, what kind of ribs did you cook? Baby back or country style spare ribs? Baby backs tend to work best in the Big Easy. Just make sure to peel off the silver skin on the back of the ribs. Also, are you cooking with the lid on or off the cooker? Cooking with the lid off will lower the temperature in the cooking chamber a bit and you will find that your meat isn’t so dark on the top. Although the lid is just wire mesh, it reflects a ton of heat back down into the cooker.
On to the smell…The only thing I can think of that would give off a terrible smell in the Big Easy is the grease in the grease tray if it has been sitting for a while and becomes rancid. Chicken grease tends to smell really bad when it is left in the grease tray or if there is a lot of buildup in the bottom of your cooking chamber. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have anymore questions and I would love to hear back from you on the couple of questions I had for you.
Thanks! – Michael
My Char-Broil first stopped coproducing enough heat to cook a meal, then after following instructions from “customer support” then grill stopped working altogether. The only advice I got was to order $100 in new parts (the sop called warranty had run out two weeks earlier”. I’ve already spent one day trying to put the parts in since they have no instructions, and no one at Char-Broil can help.
I should have listened to my son and bought a Weber. His is 20 years old and has never had a single problem.
Think aboutt that: Char-Broil – has to be thrown away after a year
Weber- Problem free after 20 years
Which is the better buy?
Albert- What all troubleshooting has been done with your grill? If you are experiencing low flow, resetting the regulator may be the way to go. This is an easy fix and normally only takes a few minutes to perform. Please follow this link for more information… http://www.charbroil.com/troubleshooting/my-grill-has-low-flames.html. We very much want to get you back up and grilling. Please give us a call at 1-800-241-7548 or send us an email and we will be able to best assist you with getting this issue resolved. – Dustin
Okay, I don’t work for Char-Broil nor are they paying me (although they could if they’d like). My first Char-Broil experience was witht the Big Easy Turkey Frier (which is a misnomer becauser it is also a rib cooker, roast baker, chicken cooker, etc. etc). I like the infrared method of cooking so much from using the Big Easy that when it came time to buy a new grill this past spring (Father’s day), I insisted on trying the Commericial 4 burner Tru-Infrared grill. GAWD!!!! I LOVE, thats L O V E it! Never before have I had such a great grill (the grill it replaced cost about $200 more than the new one did). I’m trying to figure out now how I can get my smoker (not C-B) converted to infrared. I’ll have to buy one I guess.
Thanks Char-Broil! You make me look like a BBQ/Grilling Genious!
Oh, and poo poo on those that say the infrared grill is hard to clean. Not so. Burn it off after use and occasionally take the grates out and wire brush them. I use my grill a MINIMUM of 2 nights a week and have only broke it totally down once in 6 months of what I’d consider heavy useage.
Today it was the opening day for my new American Gurmet Grill. I still had some tenderloin left over from new year’s eve (done in my old grill, now in the garbage), but the family wanted me to do something for lunch away from the office.
So I bought some fish (Salmon and tilapia), some chicken legs, onion, green pepper and charcoal. Followed instruction on the online manual and 1 hour later my family was saying they had never tasted so juicy and tasty fish and chicken.
I plan to keep on reading to enjoy this tropical summer eating in the patio an my wife will enjoy being away from the kitchen.
Saludos from Costa Rica
I bought a Charbroil Infrard Bar-B-Que in May of 2012. I have it on a covered deck on the 15th floor of an apartment bldg in the downtown core of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The front of the bar-b-que, handle and knobs are solid rust. Charbroil refuses to do anything , siting their warranty of no surface rust covered. What a poor quality barbque to rust like this in just 8 months. I will never buy another Charbroil and I will tell all of my friends what poor quality Charbroil maintains. As well, I will tell everybody who will listen what a poor warranty and customer relations dept charbroil represents. Shame on them!!!
Trevor – I am sorry to hear of the issues encountered with your grill. We value you as a Char-Broil customer and want to make sure that you are able to fully use your grill. The pictures provided to us do show surface rust. It appears that something is being blown onto the grill.The local area is known for wind. It may be plant material, emissions from local industry or naturally occurring conditions. Harsh weather elements can greatly impact the grill. Please make sure that the grill is being covered by a grill cover when it is not in use. The pictures submitted show at least one open side. This would allow for weather elements to reach your grill. The 65″ Rip-Stop Grill Cover (Model # 7449197) would be able to best protect your grill. Please follow this link for more information… http://www.charbroil.com/grilling-smoking-accessories/grill-covers/universal-covers/65-rip-stop-grill-cover-7449197.html
Surface rust is not covered under the warranty because it can be prevented by keeping the grill covered and through routine maintenance. A nonabrasive grill cleaner, such as our Biodegradable grill cleaner would be safe to use on all of the parts mentioned and would help to prevent surface rust. Please make sure that your grill is covered by a grill cover when not in use and is being routinely cleaned so that it will be able to provide many seasons of enjoyable grilling. – Dustin
I have owned one Char Broil grill and will never buy another one. Theignitor failed a fter about 6 strikes. The temperatur egauge quit within a year. No big problem there. Then the heat deflectors (made of cheap tihin regular steel burned up – ifI recall that cost about $80 for parts. Now the burner tubes and drossover tubes made of cheap stamped steel have burned out. Another almost $100 for those parts. The grill is used frequently, and I have had it for (according to the sn) 5 years. Maybe these are intended to be used a few years and thrown away, but next time I buy a grill I will look carefully at the construction and the name (to make sure it doesn’t say Char Broil). It looks nice on the outside and the stianless skin is holding up fine, but inside where it counts it is a cheap POS. I believe these are intended to be a continuing source of revenue to CharBroil through spare parts sales. Also, they mark up the shipping charges on parts sales. The s/n label is cheap paper and placed where it is exposed to the weather (these are intended to be used outside, right?) soon it will be illegible and I won’t be able to give them any more money for parts, and I will be glad.
Kim – I’m sorry to hear about the issues with your grill. Depending on the model, if the ignitor is not working properly the battery may need to be replaced. If the model number is available we would be more than happy to look into warranty coverage and see how we can best assist with replacement parts. We very much appreciate your best and want to help with this. If a case has not been created, please create a case by following this link… http://www.charbroil.com/support/case/create. Information on our shipping policy can also be viewed by following this link… http://www.charbroil.com/shipping-policy.html – Dustin
Purchased model 463251713 on April 30th 2013. Called customer service at char-broil with the model number and was told I needed the serial number so that they could tell if what I needed was under warrantee or not. Ok called again with the serial number now I needed to register the grill. Ok registered the grill and now was told I need to confirm the registration with a picture of the serial number and sales receipt. All this for an igniter switch that fell apart. Must really be a cheep company to need so much information for a few dollar part. My first and last char broil product. Oh and a happy customer may tell 10 or so people but an unhappy one will tell many more of there displeasure!
Jerry – We’re very sorry to hear that you had a difficult experience with the registration process. This is something that should have been taken care of very easily for you and we do apologize for all of the confusion with the serial number. A dated sales receipt is required for all registrations and we were following our normal procedure to submit a warranty claim. We certainly appreciate your feedback regarding your experience and will make sure that it gets addressed appropriately. You are a valued Char-Broil customer! – Mandy