7 Best Gas Charcoal Combo Grills for 2024

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As a barbecue fanatic, it’s my duty to tell you that your best option is to buy a charcoal grill and a gas grill.

But maybe you have limited space to work with, or you’ve been given the “one grill only” ultimatum.

Gas & charcoal combo grills offer the speed and convenience of gas with the option to switch to the rich smoky flavor of charcoal.

We’ve reviewed the best gas charcoal combo grills on the market, and put together some tips at the end to help you get the most out of your new combo grill.

The best gas and charcoal combination grills reviewed

1. Best Overall – Oklahoma Joe’s Charcoal/LP Gas/Smoker Combo

If you are looking for a single multi-fuel grill to take care of nearly all your cooking needs, then the Oklahoma Joe’s Charcoal/LP Gas/Smoker Combo could well be what you need.

This beast combines a 3-burner gas grill, a traditional charcoal grill, and an offset smoker so you can cook it all without needing a BBQ joint’s worth of kit cluttering up your backyard.

The charcoal and gas cooking surfaces are mounted side by side, making it very easy to put together a two-zone cooking set up.

The gas side has three 12,000 BTU burners for a total of 36,000 BTUs of heat and has an additional side burner.

The charcoal side also doubles as a smoker because of the offset firebox. You can load the charcoal into the offset chamber and use the multiple dampers across the smoking chamber and firebox to channel the heat and smoke across the food without exposing it to any direct heat. Or, simply load charcoal into the main chamber for traditional grilling.

The Charcoal/LP Gas/Smoker Combo is built of heavy gauge steel, but it’s not stainless, so best to invest in a cover if you plan on leaving it outside.

Both cooking chambers and the firebox come with lid-mounted temperature gauges, cool-touch steel handles, and have a total of six cooking grates with 1,060 square inches of cooking surface. More than enough for a large cookout.

What we like:

  • The grill allows you to cook with gas, charcoal, and acts as a smoker
  • The grill comes with offset firebox and side burner
  • Lid mounted temperature gauges 
  • Cool-touch handles

What we don’t like:

  • The wheels look cool, but are wobbly and make the grill difficult to move. And at 31.5 x 74 x 50.6 inches and 205lbs, this is a large and heavy piece grill to move.

2. Runner Up – Char-Griller 5050 Duo Gas-and-Charcoal Grill

The Char-Griller 5050 Duo Gas-and-Charcoal Grill solves the problems of having to choose between gas and charcoal by simply putting two cooking surfaces next to each other.

The gas surface has three stainless steel burners with a total output of 40,800 BTUs, which can quickly bring the temperature up to 500°F – more than hot enough to get a good sear on a steak. 

The electric starters mean you can get cooking with the push of a button, and there is also an additional fold-away side burner to keep food warm or for sauces. 

The charcoal side has an adjustable pan that can be raised to different heights to help control cooking temperature and to make clearing out the ash as easy as possible. The double-insulated base of the Char-Griller improves heat retention and means you need to use less charcoal.

Both sides combine to give you 1,260 square inches of cooking space, including warming racks, and the grill itself is made of sturdy and corrosion-resistant stainless steel.

The non-stick porcelain grates make for easy cleanup, and the Char-Griller has a couple of bells and whistles, like a condiment and utensil rack and grate lifter for when you need to add more charcoal.

What we like:

  • Lots of cooking space across the two grills
  • The grill comes with electric gas starters
  • Additional side burner
  • High BTU output burners

What we don’t like:

  • The grill comes in a fair amount of pieces and owners have reported that assembly instructions are not particularly clear

Char-Broil also offers a Charcoal/Gas combo with a smoker side box which is also worth checking out if you want that added option.

3. Best Budget – Dual Fuel Combination Charcoal/Gas Grill

It’s hard to beat the value this grill offers. You get a charcoal side, a gas side with three burners and a 12,000 BTU propane side burner.

The gas side is slightly larger, you get 295 square inches on the gas grill zone compared with 262 on the charcoal side.

The grill grates are made from cast iron, and on the propane side you get 3 stainless steel tube burners for a total 24,000 BTUs.

On the charcoal side you get a height-adjustable tray and a front access door for adding charcoal.

Installation takes awhile but the instruction booklet is detailed and all tools required are included.

What we like:

  • Value for money – This is a great price for a dual fuel grill with all of these features. If you don’t mind buying from a generic brand you can’t beat this value for money.

What we don’t like:

  • Lenghty assembly – Like most of the grills on this list, the assembly will take a long time and requires you to carefully follow the instructions.

4. The Best Highend Option – Coyote Centaur 50-Inch Natural Gas/Charcoal Dual Fuel Grill

The Coyote Centaur 50-Inch Natural Gas/Charcoal Dual Fuel Grill looks and feels like a high-end product.

The entire grill is made of continuously welded stainless steel with seamless, polished edges, and provides a durable and sturdy cooking surface.

Like most combo grills, the Coyote Centaur has side by side gas and charcoal grill boxes with a huge total cooking area of 1200 square inches.

On the gas side, there are two gas burners putting out a total of 40,000 BTUs, and on the charcoal side, an adjustable height charcoal tray, heat control grids, and adjustable airflow dampers allow you to control the cooking heat with precision.

The Coyote Centaur also supports wood chip cooking on the charcoal side.

The only downside to the Coyote Centaur is that the cart is an optional extra. This is great if you are looking to add a grill to existing infrastructure, but if you want a standard carted outdoor grill, you will need to purchase the cart separately. 

If you are looking for a built-in dual fuel grill you’ll be pleased to know the Coyote Centaur also has a built-in version.You can also get the Coyote Centaur as a built-in .

What we like:

  • Wood chip cooking
  • Durable construction
  • Great finish
  • High output gas burners

What we don’t like:

  • Does not come with a cart as standard

5. If you want to smoke as well – Pit Boss Memphis LP Gas & Charcoal Grill

If you are looking for a single, do-it-all grill and smoker, the Memphis from Pit Boss will cover all your bases.

This grill ticks the box as a gas/charcoal combo, while also upping the stakes with electric smoker capabilities for good measure!

Pit Boss is more known for their range of affordable pellet smokers and flat top grill, but with the Memphis they offer a 4-in-1 cooking solution.

Total cooking area is an insane 2,167 square inches, made up of:

  • Grill cooking area – 1,327 sq in
  • Electric smoker – 840 sq in

Thanks to some adjustable vents you can fill either the gas or charcoal chamber with smoke for offset smoking or even cold smoking.

What we like:

  • Covers all your bases – Great to be able to grill with propane or charcoal. Even if you don’t expect to use the smoker it’s nice to have on hand if you ever need it.

What we don’t like:

  • Difficult to put together – This is a large, complex grill with a lot of parts so be prepared to spend some time putting it together
  • Some issues with quality control – Hard to tell if this is due to assembly errors or poor quality control from Pit Boss but plenty of customers have complained about parts not lining up, bad seals and inconsistent temperature.

It’s hard to say if the quality control issues only affected a few people, and if they were due to manufacturer fault or simply people putting the grill together wrong.

Make sure you watch an assembly video before you try and put this grill together, and give yourself plenty of time.

6. Best Compact Combo – Char-Broil Gas2Coal 3-Burner Liquid Propane and Charcoal Hybrid Grill

Most of the combo grills on this list have side by side cooking surfaces, one for charcoal, one for gas.

This setup works really well if you have the space for it, but what if you are short on floor space?

Well, the Char-Broil Gas2Coal 3-Burner Liquid Propane and Charcoal Hybrid Grill is a single cooking surface model that can be converted from gas to charcoal in around 60 seconds.

The gas mode has three 40,000-BTU main burners under 420 square inches of porcelain-coated, cast-iron cooking grates and an additional warming rack built into the hood. There is also a side shelf for your utensils and an extra side burner, which can be used in either mode.

To convert from gas to charcoal, you simply remove the grates, add in the charcoal tray, (which is specifically designed to reduce flare-ups) and then use the gas ignition system to light the coals.

At just 52.5 x 24.6 x 47.5 inches and 115lbs, the Char-Broil Gas2Coal 3-Burner Liquid Propane and Charcoal Hybrid Grill is an excellent choice if you are looking for a compact, but efficient, combo grill.  

It might be small, but the Char-Broil Gas2Coal 3-Burner  still comes with accessories like temperature gauges, a side burner, and a single push ignition system.

What we like:

  • Compact and light design
  • Easy to convert from gas to charcoal
  • Side burner and utility shelf 
  • Inbuilt charcoal and gas storage

What we don’t like:

  • Smaller overall cooking surface

7. Best Griddle & Charcoal Combo – Blackstone 1819

Blackstone are famous for their range of griddles (we named the Blackstone 36″ our best flat top griddle).

This grill gives you the best of both worlds with a gas griddle on one side and a charcoal grill on the other.

Unlike the other combo grills in this guide there is no lid so I wouldn’t recommend this grill for any kind of roasting or slow cooking.

Where this grill shines though is any kind of hot and fast grilling. Sear your steaks over charcoal for the ultimate flavor, while you cook your mushrooms and onions on the griddle side at the same time.

While Blackstone claim this grill is portable, the legs do not fold so you would need a good sized vehicle to transport it easily. That said the wheels are good and the griddle top is removable.

What we like:

  • Easy to control heat – Cooking on the griddle side is great for avoiding flare ups
  • Versatile – Griddles expand your cooking horizons with the ability to make fried rice, eggs, diced vegetables and more. You can also sear over charcoal for added flavor and then move to the griddle side to finish.

What we don’t like:

  • Gas valve – A little awkward on the front, would be better around he back
  • Legs don’t fold – This would be a fantastic camping grill, but without folding legs it’s hard to say this grill is portable

Should you get a gas-charcoal combo grill?

Now you’ve seen some of the best gas and charcoal combo grills on the market, but before you rush to buy one it’s worth taking a few minuites to understand if a combo grill is right for you. 

To help you make the right decision, here is a quick guide to the pros and cons of combo grills.

The Cons

While there are many great benefits to being able to cook with both gas and charcoal, combo grills are not without their drawbacks.

  • Quality and price: as a rule, combo grills tend to fall into one of two camps, poor quality or very expensive. If you want a combo grill that will stand the test of time, you’re going to need to shell out for it. All of the grills in this review are top quality, but they aren’t exactly cheap.
  • Jack of all trades, master of none: as with most combination cooking solutions, most combo grills just won’t be as effective as a grill dedicated to one type of fuel. If you find that you enjoy the convenience and speed of cooking with gas and only occasionally feel the need for that charcoal taste, you might want to instead invest in a high-end gas grill and a budget charcoal kettle grill.  
  • Smaller cooking space: while most of the grills we’ve reviewed above boast an ample overall cooking space, this is predicated on your always cooking with both types of fuel. If you aren’t planning on using charcoal because you just want to get the grill lit and the food cooked as soon as possible, you’re effectively cutting your cooking space in half.
  • The size: because most combo grills use two cooking surfaces side by side, they tend to be larger and bulkier than a standard grill. This extra bulk is fine if you have a few acres out back, but if you’ve got a more modest outside space, a huge combo grill might make it a little cramped.

The Pros

Despite certain drawbacks, there are some obvious benefits to owning a combo grill.

  • Best of both worlds: the convenience of gas and the wonderful smokey flavor of cooking with charcoal all rolled into one package is what draws most people to combo grills. Depending on your model, you could also use it as a smoker, or cook with wood chips for a real all-in-one BBQ machine.
  • Save money compared to buying two stand-alone grills: while the vast majority of combo grills are more expensive than one single-fuel grill, they aren’t so expensive that they outprice two high-end single fuel grills. So, if you find yourself constantly wanting to cook with both gas and charcoal, a combo grill could save you money in the long run.
  • Good if space is limited: convertible grills, like the Char-Broil Gas2Coal 3-Burner Liquid Propane and Charcoal Hybrid Grill, buck the trend of being chunky monsters and are quite compact. If you don’t have a lot of space to work with, but are still committed to having a comb grill, then finding a conversion model could help you with the logistics of fitting it into your yard.
Charcoal vs Gas .. can you taste the difference?

What to look for when buying a gas-charcoal hybrid?

If you’ve decided that a gas-charcoal hybrid is precisely the grill for you, here are a couple of buying tips to make sure you find the grill that lives up to your expectations.

The build quality 

Combo grills have a lot of moving parts, and the more complicated they get, the more there is to go wrong. Because of this, you’ll want to find a grill with the excellent build quality, so keep an eye out for all stainless steel construction and porcelain covered grill plates.

The warranty

Good manufacturers back their build quality up with a good warranty. 

You’ll want to look for a grill whose warranty covers it for at least five years and extends to all the working parts, like the gas burners and the ignition system, as these are often the first things to break.

The accessories 

Quality of life accessories like a piezo ignition system for the gas burners, a separate side burner, fold-out side tables, and room for you to store extra food and cooking utensils is what separates a good grill from a great one. 

Look for a grill with the proper bells and whistles, and don’t underestimate how much more comfortable they can make your life in the long run.

Wrapping it all up

Combo grills are tricky. On the surface, they look like the perfect combination of the ease of gas and the extra flavor of charcoal. But as with most things, it’s not quite that simple.

To get the best from a combo grill, you need to make sure you are going to be regularly cooking with both fuels; otherwise, you’ll just end up with a smaller gas or charcoal grill with fewer features.

If you are committed to that combo life, however, you’ll find that your new combination grill will allow you to whip up meals with all the low hassle speed of gas and the deep smokey taste of charcoal. Perfect!

Do you have any tips on getting the best from a gas-charcoal combo grill? Maybe a recipe or two that works best on a 2-zone cooking surface. We’d love it if you’d let us know in the comments below!

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