Char-Broil Performance 475 Gas Grill Review
The Char-Broil Performance 475 is a 36,000 BTU 4-burner gas grill with a large primary cooking surface and an additional swing away rack, making it one of the best economic grill choices for large outdoor gatherings. The swing away rack is perfect for sauces and allows you to store food while you finish up the meal. It is a 10,000-BTU side burner with a fold-down lid. Coupled with the two metal side shelves, The 475 Gas Grill provides more than enough storage and prep space for all but the most significant events.
Just as importantly, the design of the main aspects of the grill seem durable and provide good, even cooked food -impressive when you take into account the 475 square inches of surface space on the primary cooking grate.
Dual smokestacks and a fixed side shelf also add to the unique profile and a reduction in ventilation and space issues. The lid, fascia and other exposed parts are constructed of stainless steel to ensure that they can withstand the outdoor elements well into the future – the stainless steel also gives the grill a beautiful, attractive sheen.
As far as overall size, The Char-Broil Performance 475 stands 45” tall on two-wheeled legs, and encompasses an area of 53”x 25” the wheels are over 6” so you shouldn’t have mobility issues on typical backyard terrain.
Construction & Ease of Assembly
Relatively easy to put together. You will need a screwdriver, a wrench, and about 90 minutes. It isn’t fun, but it won’t challenge you if you don’t traditionally have issues with written instructions. Just make sure you budget enough time and don’t go into it pre-frustrated.
This grill cannot be set up for natural gas.
Grilling Performance
The large grate in the primary grilling area does a fantastic job of dispersing the heat and making sure that even large amounts of meat are cooked evenly. It gets going quickly, and the added swing away rack and large grill surface mean you can do off-set grilling without issue. This gives you more options towards meal prep rather than just staggering cooking times.
When it comes to grilling up large amounts of food consistently and evenly, this grill is clearly up to the task. The design, features, and proprietary assets all work towards accomplishing this goal.
Grilling Areas
The primary surface is a grate structure made from porcelain-coated rust-resistant cast iron and should hold about twenty-burgers without too much of an issue. The measurements of the principal surface are 25.6” wide x 18.5” deep – giving you 475 sq. in. of cooking Space. Excellent for producing large amounts of food quickly – and avoiding massive cleanups.
The added detachable swing away rack gives you another 175 sq. in. of space that you can use for warming or just extra surface space. Between the two, you have more grilling space than the majority of competing products, and they are comfortably displayed in front of you. You aren’t feeling cramped while grilling.
The four stainless steel top-ported burners are tough and give you a lot of range when it comes to temperature control. The BTU’s do come in low when you factor in the need to heat up the entire grill evenly -luckily the grill top itself is designed in such a way as to be extra conducive to the heat and the final output is surprisingly even. Don’t let the base numbers fool you.
Special Features
The Char-Broil Performance 475 Gas Grill doesn’t come with a lot of bells and whistles, and the extra features it does come with are geared towards accomplishing its primary purpose. Just the way it should be.
There is an electronic ignition system for faster startups (though this grill is slower to warm up than what you are probably used to). There are also multiple metal side shelves that increase storage and prep space. The removable grease pan is a nice addition but is more or less standard for the industry at this point.
The increased workspace is probably the most highly regarded feature of this grill. The two racks, as well as the swing away side burner, gives you plenty of surface space, an area to warm up sauces and/or toast buns. It accomplishes this without making you feel too cramped or overwhelmed when you are in the pocket.
Ease to Clean
This grill hits the middle of the road when it comes to cleanliness. The cast iron grates do help stop a lot of the food sticking, making cleaning simpler. Outside of the grease pan and grill coating though, the helpful features really end there.
Warranty
The Stainless Burners, Firebox and Lids are guaranteed for up to five years from the date of purchase. All of the other parts are under warranty for one year. This covers manufacturing defects, perforations, and material defects.
Although this is a lower cost grill, the one-year warranty in some areas is still a bit of a downside.
Conclusion
If you want an affordable, highly functional grill that can handle large portions of food at once then the Char-Broil Performance 475 is worth your consideration. You will be able to handle large groups of people and/or prep multiple courses with their additives at the same time. This grill may come up short if you are looking for some very niche uses, but for an overall grill – The Char-Broil Performance 475 is giving you fantastic bang for your buck!
