Broil King is well known for their wide array of premium gas grills. Their best-in-class engineering, features, and manufacturing in the US and Canada have created a loyal following.
They get lots of flavor with their gas grill too because of the Flav-R-Wave cooking system. It’s what they call the metal underneath the cooking grates that makes it so drippings smoke and steam back up on your food.
That’s what creates the grilled flavor that everyone is after, and it mimics how flavor is created from charcoal. Some people still enjoy the charcoal cooking experience and the smoke you can get.
To service that crowd too, Broil King has released the Crown charcoal grill. It has a traditional kettle shape but, true to the brand, it has some premium features.
Features and Specs
- Retail price of $329 USD (check price)
- About 22 inches in diameter
- 362 square inches of cooking space
- Removable ash pot system for easy cleaning
- Built-in thermometer on the lid to monitor temps
- Probe hole on the side
- Height adjustable feet
- Nice set of wheels for easy moving
Premium Features
What’s nice about the Crown charcoal grill is they took the design of a basic kettle and thought through ways to improve it. It has the same functionality as other kettles, but they do it better.
It starts with the materials they use for the grill. Inside a grill is a pretty caustic environment with food waste and ash.
To deal with it they gave the kettle a stainless steel cooking grate, and a stainless steel lower vent. The top vent they went with aluminum, which makes sense for cost and weight because it’s an external part. They did make the vent better though.
Rather than the usual top vent that spins and you have to hit it with your tongs to open it and preserve your skin, they added a lever on the side of it. Your fingers will thank you for that.
They designed the charcoal basket so that it has sections. This lets you segment off your charcoal or wood that you’re burning for better heat control.
The fit and finish is also taken to the next level. The legs are steel and the joints are cast aluminum, which you won’t find on other kettles.
It might be an odd thing to say, but I love cast aluminum. It’s light, it’s strong, it looks cool. What’s neat about Broil King is their manufacturing is vertically integrated, so they can do cast aluminum in-house.
Accessories
People may not know this but Broil King makes a ton of accessories and their eye for engineering extends to their accessories. That’s definitely true with the Crown kettle.
For the kettle, they made a Culinary Ring that sit’s on top of the bottom section of the kettle. It extends the cooking area and enables you to add more cooking functionality. Much like the quality materials they used for the rest of the grill, the Culinary Ring is made from stainless steel.
With the ring in place, you can add a rotisserie, access an add-on pizza stone through a door on the side, and just have more space to cook. At $129.99 USD, it’s an addition you’ll want to make.
If you’re not ready to step up to the Culinary Ring, they also made smaller upgrades available. The cooking grate has a removable center section to swap in a griddle or a pizza stone.