Char-Broil Performance Series FlavorMax 5-Burner Cabinet vs Char-Broil Commercial Series 4-Burner Gas Grill & Griddle
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Quick take: The Char-Broil Performance Series FlavorMax 5-Burner Cabinet costs $170 less; the Char-Broil Commercial Series 4-Burner Gas Grill & Griddle offers more cooking space (535 vs 490 sq in).
| Spec | Char-Broil Performance Series FlavorMax 5-Burner Cabinet | Char-Broil Commercial Series 4-Burner Gas Grill & Griddle |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$479 | ~$649 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Gas Grill | Gas Grill |
| Cooking Area | 490 sq in | 535 sq in |
| Max Temp | — | — |
| Fuel Type | Propane/Natural Gas | Propane/Natural Gas |
| Build Material | 409 Stainless Steel Burners / Porcelain-Coated Cast Iron Grates | 443 Stainless Steel Burners / Semi-Gloss Coated Cast Iron Grates / Stainless Steel Heat Tents |
| Hopper Capacity | — | — |
| Burners | 5 | 4 |
| WiFi / App | No | No |
| App control | No | No |
| Meat probe | No | No |
| PID controller | No | No |
| Side burner | Yes | No |
| Rotisserie | No | No |
| Searing | No | Yes |
| Dimensions | 53.7 x 24.5 x 45 in | 61.4 x 23.7 x 47.7 in |
| Weight | 91 lbs | 157 lbs |
| Warranty | 1 year | 3 years overall (10 years burners, 3 years grates) |
Pros & cons
Char-Broil Performance Series FlavorMax 5-Burner Cabinet
- ✓490 sq in plus a side burner under $500 is more cooking surface per dollar than any Weber or Napoleon
- ✓Five independently controlled burners make real multi-zone cooking easy
- ✓Side burner frees the grate for food instead of a saucepan
- ✓FlavorMax emitter plates sit between burners and grate, which cuts flare-ups on fatty cuts
- ✓Only 91 lbs despite the size, so one person can reposition it
- ✗1-year overall warranty is far short of Weber's 10–12 years and is the clearest sign of where the cost was saved
- ✗91 lbs across 53.7 in of grill means a light-gauge body that flexes
- ✗36,000 BTU spread over five burners is low heat density — searing is weak
- ✗Porcelain coating on the grates chips if scraped with a metal brush
Char-Broil Commercial Series 4-Burner Gas Grill & Griddle
- ✓Built-in griddle removes the need for a separate flat-top appliance
- ✓443-grade stainless burners with a 10-year warranty, a real upgrade over the 409 stainless in the Performance line
- ✓802.9 sq in total cooking area is more than any Weber under $1,200
- ✓Gas2Coal trays convert it to charcoal for smoke and high-heat searing
- ✓157 lbs of build against 91 lbs for the 5-burner Performance — the extra mass is visible in lid and cart rigidity
- ✗No side burner despite the price, unlike Performance models half the cost
- ✗3-year overall warranty still trails Weber and Napoleon by a decade
- ✗32,000 BTU over 535 sq in is modest; the griddle section is slow to come up to temperature
- ✗61.4 in wide is a Genesis-sized footprint for a mid-price grill