Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)When I purchased the Char-Broil T480 3-Burner 40,000 BTU Gas Grill I did so for several reasons: features, reliability and price. For me the Char-Broil had more of what was important than any other grill I looked at.
Assembly:
On a difficulty rating I'd give this a 7 and I've put together everything from Bikes to Ikea Furniture. Out of the box this didn't scare me, but it did take about 45-60 minutes from start to finish.
Use & Features:
It has an electronic ignition for all of the burners. My only complaint so far is that the button is rubber and dried up very quickly from the heat. Mine detached from the grill, but still works as long as it doesn't get lost.
The warming rack although a great idea, hasn't really been useful to us. Even though it's raised up on the back portion of the grill it takes up too much space and makes getting to what is grilling beneath it very difficult.
The side burner is great for heating up sauces, baked beans, making grilled onions or even frying bacon.
Temperature gauge on outer front is useful. I'm not sure of accuracy, but it has helped me pre-heat the grill when I do things like tri-tip or beer can chicken.
The two wheels on the bottom make it easy for me to maneuver around on our deck and also for storing.
Grilling:
I used to be a firm believer of grilling only with briquettes, but when you want to do it as often as we do it's just not possible. During the summer we use the grill about 2-4 times a week and during the winter we still use it at least once a week. I have become very comfortable with this grill, knowing how long to preheat, how long to cook and what works best. The 3 separate burners allow me to heat only the grates we need. Most often it's one for just a small dinner, but we have had all three going when cooking for a large crowd.
Clean-Up:
After cooking I give the grates and initial scraping with the Mr. Bar-B-Q Wide Grill Brush and then I usually turn the burners I had been using up to HIGH for about 60 seconds. This seems to burn off any excess food and keeps it ready to go for next time. As long as you take care of this grill you should be able to get many years of service and delicious food from it!
Storing: We purchased a cover for it since we do have it out year round (and in rainy Seattle no less). This Weber 7555 Premium Cover, although not meant for our grill, has been our favorite one. The quality of the materials and weight of it have kept ours clean and covered even through some pretty bad storms. We figured it we were investing the money in a grill; we should invest in this too.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Char Broil T480 Three-Burner 40,000 BTU Gas Grill, with Sideburner
The Char Broil T480 is the mid-range option for a 3 burner grill from Char Broil for 2010.The 40,000 BTU burner system is powered by 3 individually controlled stainless steel burners and a flush lidded 10,000 BTU side burner.With a total cooking area of 685 square inches the T480 provides more than enough space for entertaining.The 480 square inches of primary cooking area is comprised of porcelain coated cast iron cooking grates and complimented by 205 square inches porcelain wire swing away.The electronic iginition helps provide for a more reliable start.As far as the aesthetics, the shaped lid, gun metal gray front panel, and firebox, provide for a sharp clean look along with the stainless steel handle.The lid features an inset thermometer as well.For the price and features the T480 provides solid cooking performance and features to make grilling fun and easy.As with all grills, we recommend keeping the firebox clean to help avoid flare up as well as using a grill cover to protect your invesent.
