Char-Broil Classic 405 4-Burner Gas Grill Review
A propane grill is often prized for its ease of use and general utility. There are some models that have a lot of bells and whistles, that you might not always use. Yet they seem to jack up the price, sometimes to nose bleeding levels.
Sometimes you just want a propane grill that can grill up a couple of steaks or burgers. The ability to use it for some hybrid grilling or even some improvised barbecue would also be nice. If this sounds like something you are in the market for, and you don’t want to put a big dent in your wallet, then you really need to take a closer look at the Char-Broil 463874717 Classic 405 4-Burner Liquid Propane Grill.
It is essentially a larger version of their 2-burner propane grill, which was really only big enough to be used for direct heat grilling. The 4-burner model provides you with enough room to cook a big meal for a family of four or make your place the place to be for the next big gathering.
It features four in-line propane burners. They run front to back, which allows you to control different heat zones for things that need different times and temperatures to cook. This is especially handy if you want to hybrid grill. With a little ingenuity, you could even use the Char-Broil Classic 405 to replicate a little smoky barbecue.
This gas grill also comes with an integrated piezo ignition system. So, you won’t have to mess around with a lighter or matches. Just keep in mind that this type of igniter does run on a battery, that will need to be replaced once every blue moon or two. It’s best to simply replace the battery each spring to ensure it doesn’t die on you at just the wrong time in the summer.
The Char-Broil Classic 405 also has two small side tables. They are just big enough to hold a basic dinner plate or a small serving platter. They go well with the front face plate of the grill which helps tie the grill legs together for a nice, secure, sturdy base. The back of the unit also has a small space in the back that is designed to hold and conceal a propane tank.
The Char-Broil Classic 405 also has an integrated grease management system. It is designed to catch rendered fat, excess marinade and other drippings for easy disposal afterward.
Construction & Ease of Assembly
For its price point, the Char-Broil Classic 405 uses from quality materials in its construction. The propane burners are stainless steel burners. The grill grates are porcelain coated, and even the lid and firebox have a matching black porcelain protective coating.
On their own, the legs might be a little wobbly for the weight of the firebox and burner components. However, Char-Broil tied the front legs together with the metal front face for superior stability.
Ease of assembly is a little bit of a black mark for the Char-Broil Classic 405. The directions for assembling it sometimes read like they were translated from English to Japanese and back into English again. The parts list is a little longer than you would like, and if you don’t properly secure all the fasteners associated with the firebox and burners, it could be a safety factor later down the road.
When it comes to putting this one together, I would recommend calling your most detail-oriented friend. Offer them a free meal if they help you put it together. Then just take your time putting it together. All told, from the minute you cut the box open to the first time you are firing it up, should take you around two and a half to three hours.
If you have a natural gas hookup on your deck, there is a conversion kit for the Char-Broil Classic 405. It isn’t included in the original price, and it takes another half an hour to install.
Grilling Performance
The Char-Broil Classic 405 is essentially a grownup version of their class two burner gas grill. Other than being bigger, there aren’t a lot of new and interesting features. It’s designed to make food hot in a utilitarian sort of way.
The size of the grill grate and the four independently controlled propane burners allows you to create two different heat zones. You might be tempted to try three or four heat zones, but the burners are simply too close together for something like that.
If you are itching for some smoky barbecue flavors, the Char-Broil Classic 405’s primary grill space is just large enough that you can double it as a hot smoker. Just turn the burners on one side completely off, and fire up the burner on the other side to medium-low. You can then wrap some wood chips in a nest of heavy-duty aluminum foil and place them over the fire. Just make sure to securely drape some aluminum foil over the burners that are underneath the meat. This will protect them from getting gunky with drippings.
Set up in this way you can use the Char-Broil Classic 405 to make ribs or to smoke a spatchcocked chicken. You could try to make a pork shoulder this way, but I think the amount of grease and runoff it produces could overwhelm the grease management system.
Grilling Areas
The primary grill grate for the Char-Broil Classic 405 provides 405 square inches of cooking space. This is more than enough room to grill up a meal for a family of four to six! Anything that gets done early can be placed on the 190 square inch, swing-away warming rack.
Ease to Clean
Like most gas grills the Char-Broil Classic 405 is easier to clean than its charcoal counterparts. The grease management system makes it easy to dispose of excess drippings. The grill grates are covered in a layer of durable, non-stick porcelain. They can be scraped down, or if needed you can remove them for a soak in some soapy water.
Warranty
The Char-Broil Classic 405 comes with a limited warranty of five years on the burners, firebox, and lid. All other parts and components have a 1-year warranty from the date of purchase. This is a little bit better than the warranty you find from competitors in the same class. Especially considering this grill’s friendly price!
Conclusion
Value and utility combine in the Char-Broil Classic 405. It does everything you’d expect for a basic, yet large propane grill. There aren’t really any bells and whistles. Yet for the price, it’s hard to look away from a grill this nice.
