My husband and I recently tried out the Char-Broil K6B 6 Burner 65,000 BTU gas grill with side burner for a period of three weeks. We did this so that I could provide a detailed review to anyone considering purchasing this model. We made a point to use this unit often during the review period, so that we would get a good idea of how it performs with regular usage. Here is my review.
First, this Char-Broil 6 burner gas grill costs about $385, including the shipping costs. That may seem to put this gas grill in the high-end category, but it is important to also consider the size of this unit. It has a 650 square inch primary cooking area, not including the additional space on the included warming rack. The Weber Genesis, which will set you back about $950, is considered to be a very large grill with its 507 square inch primary cooking area. Taking that into consideration, Char-Broil is providing a huge cooking area for under $400.
I ordered my new Char-Broil gas grill online and had it delivered straight to my door, avoiding the hassle of figuring out how to get it home. This grill is big and heavy and wouldn’t easily fit into my car. This unit weighs about 150 pounds, which leads me to believe it is constructed of decent heavy-duty materials. That is not as heavy as the $1,000 models which tend to weigh close to 200 pounds, but at this lower price point, I would not expect this grill to weigh that much.
My husband and I began the assembly process. There were many parts and the assembly was easy enough, but it did take about an hour with both of us working together. The instructions state that assembly should take an hour; I would just say that is only possible if you have someone helping you.
Once assembled, I was surprised by just how big this unit is! I was expecting it to be large, but it is something to behold in person. This is the type of gas grill that inspires you to throw a party. So that is just what we did. The following weekend, we hosted an outdoor party for about 50 people. The Char-Broil worked like a champ. There was no problem with continuously running it for hours and you can fit a lot of food on this grill at once. We never had to tell anyone to wait when they requested a burger or ear of corn be put on the grill, even though part of the grill had slower-cooking items like baked potatoes on it for much of the party. And this grill impressed more than just my husband and me. We had many guests not only complement this Char-Broil, but also ask about how they could get one for themselves. This is an impressive looking unit. It has a very modern look, with shiny stainless steel and black metal. The lid is nicely curved. The knobs are sturdy and solid. The cooking grates are made of heavy-duty cast iron that is coated in porcelain. And of course, everyone is always impressed by the sheer mass of a grill this size.
My husband and I cook outside on a regular basis during the warm months. We tend to think of our gas grill as our outside oven. This unit does work well in that capacity, but there are two things that make it a less than ideal outdoor oven. First, it takes a long time to warm up, since the cook box is huge. Second, keeping a sustained temperature throughout the cook box for a long time to bake something consumes quite a bit of propane. I know that many people use their gas grills for more traditional grilled items, like steaks or burgers, so this will not be an issue for most grillers. It is, however, something to keep in mind if you enjoy doing all of your summer baking outside.
This unit has a side burner. It works well, and the flame is not prone to blowing out in the wind, like some side burners on cheap grills do.
This Char-Broil gas grill has a searing station, which basically means it has one super-heated burner in addition to the six regular burners. This allows you to get a good sear on things like steaks before finishing them off in a cooler section of the cooking area. My husband and I both found this option to work well. The huge size of this unit let us sear larger items too. One day my husband seared an entire bone-in leg of lamb that he finished cooking over one of the regular burners. It was the best leg of lamb we have ever had. The outer layer was crispy and beautifully browned, while the inside remained moist and perfectly rare.
Overall, my husband and I both feel this Char-Broil gas grill is a great value and incredibly well-priced for its size. However, not everyone needs a huge gas grill and buying one that is too large will lead to using more propane than is needed. You can only turn on one burner to minimize fuel use, but the ambient heat tends to get lost in such a large cook box. This is not the best grill for someone who normally only cooks for two people, but it is a great option for those who entertain often. Visit Gas Grill Reviews for information on gas grills of all sizes. Find the perfect fit for your grilling lifestyle today!