Gas barbecue tested: How the Professional 2200S from Char-Broil performs
13.7.2017
Translation: machine translated
As a product manager in the barbecue sector and a private barbecue fan, I didn't want to miss the opportunity to test a gas barbecue with infrared technology. I selected the Professional 2200S from Char-Broil and share my impressions with you in this article.
In order to be able to give you a complete picture, I have intensively checked and tested the packaging, the construction, the equipment and the functionality of the grill.
Packaging
The Char-Broil gas barbecue was delivered to my home very well packaged. This worked without any problems. Damage during transport seems almost impossible. The barbecue was wrapped in polystyrene and very well stowed in the box. There was also a protective cover around the box.
Assembly/quality
The assembly was straightforward with the instructions provided. The lid and all gas-conducting parts were pre-assembled, which made assembly much easier. The screws were also all labelled. However, the tools for assembly were not included. However, you only need two Phillips screwdrivers and an open-end spanner. These can be found in practically every tool set.
The components make a high-quality impression. Almost the entire grill is made of stainless steel and steel. When assembling, you must ensure that the stainless steel is not scratched. You should also handle the cast iron grill grate with care, as cast iron can break easily.
Equipment
The highlight of the Professional 2200S is clearly the stainless steel emitting plate with the cast iron grate. With conventional gas barbecues, the grill grate is more or less directly above the gas flame. In the Char-Broil, an emitting plate is installed under the grill grate. This absorbs the heat from the gas burner and emits it evenly to the food in the form of infrared radiation.
The grill also has two burners and fold-down side shelves. This is usually sufficient for a small household. For larger parties, however, the grilling surface reaches its limits.
The Char-Broil has somewhat small wheels. Although these are very stable, they are a little cumbersome to roll on rough surfaces. If the barbecue is not moved often or is placed on a smooth surface, this is not a problem.
Grilling
An instruction manual is included with the barbecue. Before grilling, the grill must be "burnt out" on the highest heat for approx. 20 minutes. Then you can start grilling. During our test, we grilled kebabs, sweetcorn, grilled cheese and Chnobli bread. We found that the emitting plate is a very good heat accumulator and much less heat is wasted than with conventional gas barbecues. We only had to turn the gas regulator up to halfway to achieve the required heat. The temperature can be easily read off the integrated thermometer.
Once the barbecue is hot, it is not quite so easy to lower the temperature again. As the emitting plate stores a lot of heat, lowering the temperature always takes some time.
The grilled food had a very nice grill pattern and was ready relatively quickly. Although a lot of fat dripped from the skewers, there was no fat fire. The fat evaporated on the emitting plate and provided the desired grill flavour. The cheese stuck a little to the grill grate, but perhaps we were just a little too impatient with turning it.
Char-Broil advertises particularly succulent food when grilling with the TRU Infrared System. As we did not grill very demanding meat, this is difficult to judge in this test. However, the claim does seem to make sense, as the food is grilled mainly by the infrared heat and less by the hot air, as with a conventional gas grill. This means the meat is less dried out.
Cleaning
With this grill, the topic of cleaning should be a top priority. It is not the right barbecue for the lazy. The stainless steel surfaces are very attractive to look at, but also require care. However, this shouldn't be a problem with a stainless steel cleaner.
Then there's the emitting plate. What falls between the grates of a conventional gas barbecue collects at the bottom of the barbecue. Not so with the Char-Broil. Everything that falls down collects on the emitting plate. The disadvantage is that this must be cleaned regularly with the cleaning tool supplied. The advantage is that most of the dirt is limited to the grill grate and the emitting plate. Both can be removed for cleaning. The emitting plate can even be cleaned in the dishwasher.
Conclusion
The Char-Broil Professional 2200S impresses with its grilling results and the workmanship of the materials used. The low gas consumption is also worth a mention. However, anyone who decides in favour of this barbecue should also clean it regularly.
These articles could also be helpful:
Header image: The integrated thermometer shows you the heat at any time: So almost nothing can go wrong.
Martin Egli
Category Buying Manager
martin.egli@digitecgalaxus.ch1 comment
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