Dyna-Glo DGN576SNC-D Dual Zone Premium Charcoal Grill Review
A large charcoal grill that can be improvised as a smoker is a very appealing thing for many outdoor cooking enthusiasts. Dyna-Glo attempts to fill this niche with their DGN576SNC-D Dual Zone Premium Charcoal Grill.
It has a firebox that features a removable divider. This allows you to create two separate fires at different temperatures, or to build a charcoal and wood chip fire on one side while leaving the other side of the firebox empty. It can then be used to smoke just about any cut of meat you would like.
Both fireboxes can be accessed via small doors built into the front of the firebox. This allows you to stoke the fire or to reload additional charcoal and wood chips. Both sides of the firebox can also be cranked up and down to adjust temperatures during a grilling or smoking session. Each side of the dual firebox has sliding side dampers to help adjust the airflow and temperature of each fire.
The stainless steel lid is double walled for improved heat retention. The chimney comes with an adjustable flue, which allows you additional air and temperature control, while also allowing you to trap smoke. It also comes with a built-in thermometer and heavy gauge steel endcaps for improved stability.
The grill grates are made from cast iron that has a high gloss porcelain-enamel to help keep food from sticking, while also maximizing heat retention. Each of the four grates can also be removed if stuck on material needs to be soaked to wash away. The porcelain coating prevents the underlying steel from rusting.
The Dyna-Glo DGN576SNC-D Dual Zone Premium Charcoal Grill also has a large capacity, slide out ash pan to help with cleanup. The base of the frame includes two large resin wheels with two casters, designed to help move the grill easily.
Construction & Ease of Assembly
The materials used for the Dyna-Glo DGN576SNC-D Dual Zone Premium Charcoal Grill are mostly high quality. The lid and face of the grill are stainless steel. The endcaps and side tables are made from thick gauge stainless steel.
One shortcoming is the wheels and lower frame. The locks on the casters are somewhat weak, and this little bit of play can make the grill feel wobbly at times. The undercarriage is exposed and has just a small cage to hold items. It would feel more firm and reflect the quality of the grill if Dyna-Glo had designed it as a cart with doors that open.
The grill also doesn’t seal the best around the lower dampers and lid. This means that air can still get into the grill, even when the dampers are fully closed. In a low heat grilling or smoking application, this leakiness can affect heat control. If this is an issue, you might want to try sliding some heavy duty tinfoil into the sliding dampers to help limit airflow.
Assembly time is a little bit longer than you find with most charcoal grills, simply because it has so many moving parts. With some basic tools and mechanical skills, you should be able to fully assemble the grill in around 2 hours.
Grilling Performance
The Dyna-Glo DGN576SNC-D Dual Zone Premium Charcoal Grill is very versatile. If you want to grill a small meal for you and a friend, you can simply light one side of the dual firebox. The ability to crank the two fireboxes up and down is really nice for searing meats. You can crank the coals to the highest setting to put a nice sear on a Steak, then drop it down to finish the steak to a perfect medium rare.
With the firebox divider in place, you can also improvise the Dyna-Glo DGN576SNC-D Dual Zone Premium Charcoal Grill to act as a smoker. You simply light one firebox and then place the meat on the other side of the grate. The heat and smoke that wafts over it will cook the meat low and slow. Just be sure to line the empty side of the firebox with heavy duty aluminum foil to catch any drippings. If the primary firebox needs to be reloaded with charcoal or wood chips, you can simply open the front door and to carefully work it in to the active fire.
The warming rack is also integrated into the lid in such a way that when closed, it is positioned over the firebox. This also lets you improvise for smoking applications, where you might want to make some riblets or smoke fresh ring sausage.
Grilling Areas
The primary grill space measures at 576 square inches, which allows you to grill food for a large number of people. You can also improvise it as a smoker with enough room for two pork shoulders, a brisket, or three carefully positioned chickens. Just be mindful of the warming rack. It may need to be removed if you will be grilling or smoking something tall.
The warming rack is also very large providing 240 square inches. Combined the two racks provide 816 square inches of cooking space.
Special Features
The large warming rack moves with the lid to keep food positioned over the heat.
The removable divider allows you to have two different fires. The two front doors give you the ability to stoke and reload each coal box independently.
The large capacity ash pan at the bottom slides out easily and allows you to quickly clean up ash and embers.
Ease to Clean
For the most part, the Dyna-Glo DGN576SNC-D Dual Zone Premium Charcoal Grill is relatively easy to clean. The porcelain-enameled grill grates resist stuck-on food and grease. They can easily be removed if they need to be soaked and washed in warm soapy water.
The large ash pan slides out easily to help with cleanup. However, the adjustable fireboxes have a knack for trapping ash and spent coals. The corners of the firebox are hard to reach from overhead, meaning you have to try to access these areas by cranking the coal boxes up to the top and trying to clean the corners through the small front doors.
Warranty
The Dyna-Glo DGN576SNC-D Dual Zone Premium Charcoal Grill has a limited warranty for one year on parts except for the charcoal/wood chip tray, which is warranted to be free of defects for 90 days. The paint is warranted to be free of defects for 90 days.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a large capacity charcoal grill that can also pull double duty as an improvised smoker, the Dyna-Glo DGN576SNC-D Dual Zone Premium Charcoal Grill certainly ticks all the boxes. While its design isn’t perfect, it certainly offers a lot of durability and versatility for its very friendly price point.
