Char-Broil 463377319 Performance Stainless Steel 4-Burner Gas Grill Review
The convenience of a quality gas grill on your deck, let’s you enjoy grilled food with the press of a button and the turn of a dial. The sleek stainless steel look and features of the Char-Broil 463377319 Performance gas grill offers this in spades.
There are four stainless steel burners inside the primary cooking chamber, each one produces 9,000 BTUs of efficient heat. Each top-fire element has its own dedicated stainless steel heat tent. This helps distribute heat evenly across the grates. The Performance also has a propane side burner hidden inside one of the two stainless steel side tables.
The grates are made from cast iron, for maximum heat retention and attractive grill marks. They are also glazed with a special porcelain material which gives them non-stick properties, while also making the grates easy to clean.
Construction & Ease of Assembly
Char-Broil went the extra mile to use quality stainless steel, cast iron and porcelain-coated components throughout the Performance. This shows in its sleek look, convenience to use and ease of cleaning. Even the large grease pan is easy to remove and coated with non-stick porcelain, which makes it easy to clean, while also prolonging its life.
One knock on it when it comes to design is the face of the cart base. Char-Broil’s engineers chose to put a solid sheet of metal on the face to make it rigid when an enclosed cart with a door would have been nice. The area under the grill box is big enough to hold a 20-pound propane tank. Yet it doesn’t have much in the way of hardware to secure it in place.
As you might imagine the assembly process is a little bit complicated, which is usually the case with propane grills that include a side burner. Unfortunately, with the performance, there are some places where the instructions are a little bit tricky to understand.
Considering that it weighs over 90-pounds, this is the sort of thing where a second pair of eyes and hands will help. With the right tools and some basic mechanical skill two people should be able to put the Char-Broil Performance together in around an hour and a half.
If you have natural gas available, Char-Broil does offer a conversion kit for around $70. This is an additional expense, and you can expect it to add another hour or so to the assembly time. You should never attempt to run natural gas on a propane system or vice versa.
Grilling Performance
The Performance was designed for even heat distribution. The top oriented flame ports and the stainless steel heat tents help to evenly distribute the 36,000 BTU’s of heat across the 425 square inch primary grill grate. The cast iron also helps with heat retention and making attractive sear marks.
9,000 BTUs of heat per element isn’t necessarily on the hot side. A lot of the competitors in the 4-burner category will go as high as 10,000 of 12,000 BTUs. If you love high heat searing for pork chops and steaks, you might feel like the Performance is a little under-gunned. Still, it will do pretty much anything else you want it to do. The trick is to fire up the elements, then close the lid and let the cast iron grates preheat fully.
The 10,000 BTU burner built into the left-hand side table is a nice touch. It allows you to make side dishes like sautéed vegetables or boil a pot of corn without having to run back into the kitchen. It’s particularly nice in the summertime when you want to cook up a full meal, but don’t really want to heat up the kitchen.
Grilling Areas
The primary grill grate measures in at 425 square inches, and there is also a 150 square inch warming rack.
Special Features
While it might not seem all that “Special” the porcelain coating and easy removal of the large drippings pan is something you don’t always see in a grill like this. Most competitors will have a small grease management system that can be tricky to clean, or the drippings pan doesn’t have a protective coating, which makes it prone to rusting and spilling.
Ease to Clean
Char-Broil put a little bit of extra thought into making the Performance easy to clean. The porcelain coating on the cast iron grill grates makes it very easy to scrape down. If there is some stubborn gunk caramelized into a corner or on a rung, you can easily remove the grate to soak it in soapy water, without fear of rusting.
The protective coating on the large drippings pan also makes cleanup a breeze. Most of the time, you simply need to slide it out and carefully pour it off. If there is a little bit of caramelized marinade or grease stuck on the surface, you can gently scrape it away. When you are done, lightly wipe it down with a wet, soapy sponge to catch any grease residue.
Warranty
The Char-Broil Performance 4-burner gas grill comes with a multi-tier limited warranty. The stainless steel burners come with five years of coverage. The Lid and Firebox each have a two-year warranty and all other parts and components carry a 1-year warranty from the date of purchase.
This level of coverage is about even with the competitors in this niche. If you want additional coverage there are some online retailers who offer very affordable three or four-year protection plans.
Conclusion
The Char-Broil Performance marries sleek looks and ease of use with convenient gas grilling. All at a price point that is just about right for what you get. The semi-nonstick porcelain coating on the cast iron grates and drippings tray is a nice touch that makes cleanup easier.
It’s just a shame that the cart base isn’t enclosed, with a door. Some locking hardware for the propane tank would also have been a nice touch.
