Charbroil 463242304 Front Ave From Costco Consumer Grill Review

by Lee
(Ashland, OR)

I have owned this stainless grill for about 7 years. It has been a good grill, not great. As for the pro's, it is solidly built, looks good and has been reliable. As for con's, the heat is uneven and the grill has a tendency to flare up. I have been able to live with the con's by learning the hot spots and keeping a close eye on the grill for flare ups.

Recently I cleaned the grill and saw that one of the cast iron burner had a hole burned all the way through. I started researching new burners, intending on having to purchase them. I happened upon a forum that said the burners might still be covered under warranty.

With serial number and model number in hand, I called Char-Broil. The woman that I spoke to was very courteous and knowledgeable. Without question, she sent me new burners, new ignition kit and new flame tamers. Everything probably would have cost me about $140. All I had to pay for was the shipping. She suggested using a degreaser periodically to keep the flame tamers and burners in good condition and help prevent flare ups.

Recently I agreed to help a friend BBQ chicken at a large party. He had two grills, a large Kenmore grill and what I am guessing was a Weber Genesis. I was always skeptical of whether or not Weber was as good as its reputation, but damned if it wasn't superior to the Kenmore. The evenness of the heat was outstanding. Before I made my call to Char-Broil I thought about taking the plunge on a Weber Genesis E-310.


I have since done a thorough job cleaning out my Front Ave and have replaced all of the above parts. I feel like I have a brand new grill. I noticed that the Weber I was using had flame tamers not only directly above the burners about also in between the burners. I went to the local hardware store and bought a 48" aluminum angle bar. I cut the angle bars to the same length as the flame tamers and placed them in the space between the flame tamers. I am hoping this will create a more even heat.

I must say that there is no question that the Weber is a superior product compared to the Char-Broil. It does cost significantly more though. Char-Broil does seem to offer a nice compromise between cost and quality. I cannot emphasize enough the level of customer service I received from Char-Broil during my recent call. In fact, I was pretty much dead set that my next grill was going to be a Weber, but now, based on my experience with Char-Broil customer service, I will consider them again.