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Char Broil Magnum 500 Quantum Infrared Three-Burner Gas Grill, with Sideburner |  | Brand: Char-Broil
Category: Lawn & Patio
Buy New: $419.99
as of 7/29/2010 14:51 EDT details
New (4) from $419.99
Seller: Amazon.com
Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 1187
Color: Black
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 137
Dimensions (in): 22 x 54.9 x 45.6
MPN: 463270909
Model: 463270909
UPC: 047362327093
EAN: 0047362327093
ASIN: B001H1NG1Q
Release Date: January 17, 2010
Shipping: Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| • | Award winning Quantum infrared cooking system that provides seared in flavor, while keeping food moist and juicy. | | • | 500 square inches of primary cooking area and 180 secondary warming rack | | • | Quantum stainless steel cooking grates with grate level temperature gauges and porcelain warming rack | | • | Dual Fuel Natural Gas Convertible | | • | Surefire Electronic Ignition |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
500 sq. in. primary and 180 sq. in. secondary cooking area. Surefire electronic ignition. 31,500 BTU with grate level temperature gauges above all 3 burners, 13,000 BTU flush mount side burner. Dual fuel appliance style, 2 door cart. Stainless steel porcelain coated steel construction tank not included.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 13
 After first couple of uses, I am very impressed! May 26, 2009
B. Christensen (Santa Barbara, CA United States)
60 out of 61 found this review helpful
I have always been a wood fire BBQ kind of guy - I like meat cooked over a *real* flame, and even charcoal has always seemed to me like cheating (though I've been using a charcoal Weber kettle for 20 years). I never even considered a gas grill for myself for these reasons.
For my senior Mom & Dad, however, the task of lighting charcoal, etc was too much hassle, so this past weekend I went out shopping for a gas grill for them. After going back and forth between three different home centers and Costco, I settled on this unit as by far the best "bang for the buck" in terms of build quality, performance characteristics, and ease of use for under $500. I seriously considered going up to the Weber Genesis, but for 50% more, I just couldn't quite justify it. My requirement was good quality for under $500.
After about a one-hour erector set project putting it all together (not difficult, just time consuming), I fired it up and let it burn off for about 20 minutes. I was immediately impressed with how hot the cooking surfaces became (and how quickly). The nifty temp sensors at the grate level registered 700+ degrees!
After burn-off, I tried it out with what I have found to be one of the trickiest things to grill over open flame (gas or wood/charcoal): raw marinated chicken parts. To be done right, the chicken has to be crispy on the outside - not burned, and moist and completely cooked on the inside. With unevenly shaped and sized chicken parts, this can be devilishly tricky.
But with this grill, I found I was able to keep the left most burner at full throttle, and the two right burners at low settings and get creative. This allowed me to beautifully sear the skin using the left side of the grill, then finish cooking on the right side (with the BBQ closed). The results were amazing.
One of my favorite things about this grill turned out to be that it is really easy to add wood chips for smoke flavor. Because there is a perforated metal "screen" (the infrared reflector) under the food, it catches the wood chips and holds them at a perfect smoking temperature where they will smolder but not flare up.
Speaking of flare-ups, this grill did NOT exhibit flare-ups at all. Even with fatty pieces of chicken that had been marinated in an olive oil mixture, there was almost no burning or smoking, even on the "searing" side of the hot grill.
When turned down low, I also found the evenness of the heating surface to be impressively consistent, and the large stainless "grill" surface not only made great marks on the food, but also did not stick as badly as most coated steel or iron grill surfaces do.
On the con side, I can imagine that the perforated screen is going to require some periodic maintenance to keep it clean. The good news is that it comes out in three easy-to-handle sections shaped like little trays, each holding a section of grill. You pull the "tray" up and out, then lift the grill surface out of the tray making both very easy to clean.
One final note - I also prepared a boneless leg of lamb on the grill using a "generic" rotisserie (Grill-Pro brand). it *barely* fit between the closed lid and the grill surface, but again, the infrared cooking system worked beautifully. I warmed it up at full throttle for about 5-10 minutes before mounting the marinated lamb roast, then allowed it to sear beautifully for about 15 minutes. Then I turned the burners all down to their lowest settings, threw on a thumb-sized stick of oak from one of our trees, and dropped the lid.
An hour and a half later, we enjoyed one of the best lamb roasts I have ever had!
Highly recommended, especially if you can get it for the price I paid (which was about $[...] less than Amazon's currently listed price)
Pros:
*Great heat output for searing
*Even distribution of heat for predictable results
*Good low-temp performance
*Easy to use wood chips for flavor
*Good build quality in the hood and firebox
Cons:
*Bottom 1/2 of construction is a bit flimsy, but better than many at this price point
*Requires pre-heating for about 10 minutes for best results
*Periodic clean-up probably required for optimum performance
Very happy with this grill. June 10, 2010
John H. Lester (Sarasota, FL USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I read all the reviews before ordering this grill. It was shipped by trucklines from Pa. and got to SW Florida in two days. I took my time putting it together. There was one self tapping screw that I could not get in because my hands are to big but it was not essential. Instructions were very good and I had already gone on their web site and downloaded a copy of the manual.
Fired up first time. I had gotten a thick steak for a trial and it came out medium rare without a problem. Also did vegtables several times.
I really like the two part grate system and the fact that the individule grates are small enough to fit in my large sink. I also like the fact that you can clean the entire inside of the grill under the grates. With the top opening all the way up it's easy to take everything out and wash it down. My old grill had as large a cook area but heavy cast iron grates that would not fit in anything for cleaning.
For my money this is he best grill I have ever had and I expect to get long life out of it. I also bought the cover that Amazon recommended. It's best feature is the handles at both ends of the top part of the cover.
Best grill I've ever owned!!! June 29, 2010
ops_director (Valrico, FL)
This grill takes a little getting used to because it cooks much quicker than my old Ducane. However, once I got used to it, I get perfectly cooked meats every time. The meat also has restaurant quality grill marks that just make the food look better while still being tender and juicy inside. It's easy to clean and you'll never have a flare-up because the infrared grates double as a flame protector. The surface of the cooking grates have individual thermometers on them that tell you the temperature of that grate. When on high, the temperatures are over 700 degrees F. This is a great grill for the money.
Best Grill I've Ever Had July 4, 2010
R. Langenek (Las Vegas, NV United States)
This is by far the best grill I've ever owned. I've had it about 2 months now. It makes the most flavorful food...absolutely incredible and extremely juicy. I've yet to have a flare-up too. My other grills would flare-up constantly, but not this one. It does require a little more maintenance than other grills and it will never look as good as the day you buy it, but the end product is worth it. I love it and would absolutely recommend it.
A Better Way to Cook April 26, 2009
L. Rosencrantz (USA)
35 out of 36 found this review helpful
The big advantages of this grill are even heating and flavor. Even low fat content hamburgers came out juicy and did not shrink. The manufacturer claims that it uses 30% less fuel and it does cook faster than open flame barbeques, but there is a full power 10-15 minute warm up and then another high heat period after you finish to burn off cooking residue so total gas use may actually be more than claimed.
It does not flare up but the screens underneath the grills need to be cleaned or the heat output will drop off. This grill requires more maintenance each time than an open flame unit but it is worth it. Our previous Brinkman BBQ completely rusted out (burners, supports, firebox) after five years but we didn't take very good care of it
A couple of neat features are that you can rotisserie without a special burner, you can add wood chips without a smoker box and there are separate thermometers at grill height for each burner. This latter feature makes temperature control especially easy and accurate at the cooking surface.
All in all very pleased with this grill. Time will tell just how durable it will be, but the screens should protect the firebox and burners better than an open flame BBQ. Burners are lifetime warranty.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 13
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