Camp Chef Tahoe TB90LW Deluxe 3 Burner Grill Review
The Camp Chef Tahoe is one of the camp stoves in their line that is designed to work with other high-quality accessories. The Tahoe is made largely from aluminum, including three cast aluminum propane burners. Each produces up to 30,000 BTUs per hour, for a whopping 90,000 total BTUs.
The Camp Chef Tahoe was specifically designed to be portable. The legs are removable yet lock firmly into place. When fully set up the cooking surface measures in at 30-inches high and provides a very respectable 608 total square inches of cooking space.
Though the grid system is meant more to hold frying pans, and percolators than it is for grilling up hot dogs or hamburger patties. Fortunately, this is part of Camp Chef’s “Modular Cooking System.” If you want to use it as a grill, smoker, and steamer, then you might want to also invest in the Camp Chef Professional Barbecue Grill Box.
Camp Chef BB-90L Professional Barbecue Grill Box
Construction & Ease of Assembly
The Camp Chef Tahoe is built largely out of aluminum which makes it lightweight. Though it does use some steel components, welds, and fasteners in key locations to give it firm structure. The removable legs do lock into place, they aren’t very adjustable, which could be a little bit of a problem if you need to set it up on an area of uneven ground.
With grills like this, the wind can be an issue. A strong breeze can potentially blow out even robust 30,000 BTU propane burners. Camp Chef reduces this problem with a removable three-sided windscreen. Combined with thoughtful positioning, this should keep the burner flames from burning out in all but the strongest maelstrom.
It also comes with a three-foot propane hose and a regulator that’s meant to connect to a 25-pound or larger liquid propane tank. While you can add an adaptor for a DOT 39 1-pound gas cylinder, you likely would burn through it very quickly.
Assembly isn’t overly complicated, though it does weigh in at a little over 47-pounds. So, it’s a good idea to have a second person to help you install the removable legs.
Grilling Performance
It’s also worth noting that the Camp Chef Tahoe TB90LW Deluxe 3 Burner Grill also serves as a compatible base for their Camp Chef Professional Barbecue Grill Box. When placed over top two of the burners it lets you use the grill box for a smoker, steamer or direct heat gas grill.
Camp Chef BB-90L Professional Barbecue Grill Box
Without the grill box, the Camp Chef Tahoe truly is a camp stove. Its 608-square inch cooking surface has more than enough space to handle three frying pans, with just enough wiggle room for a coffee percolator or a camp toaster.
Technically each of the burner elements is rated to produce 30,000 BTUs per hour or 90,000 BTUs total. Just keep in mind that with this type of grill a lot of heat potential is lost to the surrounding air. Still, there’s enough heat there that you could add a wok ring, a cast iron griddle, or other Camp Chef accessories.
The circular shape of the three cast aluminum propane burners also means that there can be some hot and cold spots. Though you can use this to your advantage with careful placement of your pans or other accessories.
Grilling Areas
The primary cooking area measures in at 608 square inches.
Special Features
The removable legs are a nice feature that lets you take what might be considered a large camp stove and use it as a portable camp grill. The fact that the Tahoe also accommodates the accessories in the Camp Chef Modular Cooking System is also a nice bonus.
The three-sided windscreen might seem a little basic, but it really does help prevent blowouts on a windy day.
Ease to Clean
Camp stoves like the Tahoe usually benefit from a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil lining the bottom. This will catch the drippings for easy cleanup. It also reduces the chances of accidentally scraping the pain when you try to pry off burned-on material.
The Camp Chef Tahoe doesn’t come with a cover or lid. It’s worth investing in one just to keep dust and other debris off it while in storage. There are also a few steel parts that could be prone to corrosion if they get rained on. So, plan to have a place to store it away from the elements.
Warranty
Like many of the products in Camp Chef’s line, the Tahoe comes with a 3-year extended warranty against manufacturer defects. This is about on par or perhaps half a step better than you would expect for a camp stove of this size and price.
Conclusion
The Camp Chef Tahoe was designed to be a large, yet portable camp stove that you can take with you when you go to the woods. Yet with a proper cover, you could still let it live on your patio as your daily griller.
To really make the most out of it, you should strongly consider investing in some of the accessories in their modular cooking system. The grill box, in particular, adds to the versatility. You can place it over two of the burners for grilling, smoking and steaming. If you want to make pancakes and bacon for breakfast, you can take the grill box off and simply lay down a cast iron frying pan or griddle.
Just keep in mind that a modest amount of those 90,000 BTUs will escape into the surrounding air without something to capture or absorb them. If there’s a lot of wind and rain in the forecast, you should set up the three-sided windscreen and think about where you want to place the Tahoe.
