LAUDLIFE Gas and Charcoal Grill Combo: The Honest Review That Answers Your Dual-Fuel Questions
You know the dilemma. You love the smoky depth that only charcoal can give your burgers and ribs. But on a Tuesday night after work, the last thing you want is to wait thirty minutes for coals to ash over while your hungry family circles the kitchen like sharks.
So you compromise. You own two grills. One gas, one charcoal. They take up half your patio, rust at different rates, and somehow you’re always missing that one part you need.
There has to be a better way.
The LAUDLIFE gas and charcoal grill combo claims to be that better way. After spending two weeks cooking on this dual-fuel machine – making everything from quick weeknight chicken breasts to slow-smoked weekend brisket – I’m ready to tell you exactly where this propane BBQ grill with side burner shines and where it stumbles.
Let’s get into it.
What Exactly Is the LAUDLIFE Gas and Charcoal Grill Combo?
At its core, this is a gas and charcoal grill combo that gives you three propane burners on one side and a dedicated charcoal chamber on the other. You also get a side burner attached to the right side, which turns this thing into something closer to a full outdoor kitchen than a standard barbecue.
The unit stands on a heavy-duty steel frame with locking casters. The cooking grates are coated with non-stick enamel coating grates that claim to resist rust and make cleanup less of a nightmare. And the whole thing is designed for backyard barbecue grill enthusiasts who refuse to pick sides in the gas-versus-charcoal debate.
Here’s what arrives in the box:
- Main grill body with three stainless steel propane burners
- Separate charcoal grate and ash catcher
- Porcelain-enameled wire cooking grates
- Side burner with its own control knob
- Folding side shelf
- Bottom shelf for storage
- Two locking wheels and two fixed wheels
- Temperature gauge built into the lid
Assembly took me about ninety minutes with a second pair of hands. The instructions are mostly clear, though a couple of steps had me scratching my head – specifically the gas regulator attachment. If you’ve built flat-pack furniture before, you’ll manage fine.
Who Is This Dual-Fuel Grill Actually For?
Before we dig into features and performance, let me save you some time. This grill is not for everyone.
You should seriously consider this grill if:
- You genuinely enjoy both gas and charcoal cooking but lack space for two separate units
- You host gatherings where different guests prefer different cooking methods
- You want a side burner for sauces, sides, or seafood boils
- You’re the kind of cook who likes having options – sear on charcoal, finish on gas, or vice versa
- Your budget falls into the mid-range category for combo grills
You might want to look elsewhere if:
- You’re a purist who believes charcoal is the only real way to grill
- You mostly cook for one or two people (this grill is substantial)
- You need professional-grade smoke control for competition barbecue
- Your patio is extremely small – this unit needs real estate
That honest framing matters. This propane BBQ grill with side burner is a versatile tool, not a miracle machine. It solves the space and convenience problem beautifully. But if you only ever cook with one fuel type, save your money and buy a dedicated single-fuel grill.
Breaking Down the Key Features
Let me walk you through what actually matters on this gas and charcoal grill combo – not the marketing fluff, but the features that affect how your food tastes and how much you enjoy cooking on it.
The Propane Side: Three Burners of Convenience
The gas section gives you three stainless steel burners that output around 30,000 BTUs total. That’s respectable for a grill in this price range. Each burner has its own control knob with clear markings for low, medium, and high.
What I appreciated most was the even heat distribution. On cheaper gas grills, you get hot spots that burn one side of your burger while leaving the other raw. The LAUDLIFE does better than average here. Not perfect – the far left burner runs slightly cooler than the others – but consistently good.
The push-button ignition worked every time during my testing. That sounds like a low bar, but anyone who’s owned a gas grill with a finicky igniter knows this is genuinely worth celebrating.
You can fire up just one burner for indirect cooking or light all three when you’re feeding a crowd. The gas side alone gives you about 400 square inches of cooking space – enough for twelve burgers or two whole chickens.
The Charcoal Side: Real Smoke, Real Flavor
This is where the grill earns its keep. The charcoal chamber is separate from the gas section, which means you can use both simultaneously without cross-contamination of flavors.
The charcoal grate sits low enough to hold a standard chimney starter’s worth of coals. You get an adjustable charcoal tray that lets you raise or lower the coals toward the cooking surface. Lower position for low-and-slow smoking. Higher position for serious searing.
I smoked a rack of ribs using the charcoal side with applewood chunks, and the results were genuinely impressive for a combo unit. The lid held temperature reasonably well – though you’ll want to watch your gauge since this isn’t a thick-gauge ceramic kamado. It’s a backyard barbecue grill that does charcoal duty competently, not professionally.
The ash catcher underneath makes cleanup tolerable. Pull the tray, dump the ash, slide it back in. Simple.
The Side Burner: More Useful Than Expected
I’ll admit – I thought the side burner was a gimmick when I first saw this propane BBQ grill with side burner. How many people actually use those things?
Turns out, I used it constantly.
You can simmer baked beans while burgers cook. You can boil corn on the cob without running inside to your kitchen stove. You can melt butter for lobster tails or keep barbecue sauce warm for dipping. One night I stir-fried vegetables in a cast iron pan right on the side burner while steaks rested on the main grate.
The burner puts out about 12,000 BTUs, which is enough to bring a pot of water to a boil in about eight minutes. Not lightning fast, but perfectly adequate for outdoor cooking needs.
The Grates: Non-Stick Enamel Coating Matters
Those non-stick enamel coating grates are worth talking about separately. Most grills in this price category use bare cast iron or cheap stainless wire grates. Cast iron rusts if you blink at it wrong. Stainless wire lets too much food fall through.
The enamel coating sits in the middle. It resists rust far better than cast iron. Food releases more easily than from stainless steel. And cleaning takes about thirty seconds with a grill brush – nothing sticks aggressively.
After two weeks of daily use, including messy marinades and sugary barbecue sauces, the grates still look nearly new. No flaking. No rust spots. I’m impressed.
What Cooking on This Grill Actually Feels Like
Let me paint you a picture of a real cooking session on this gas and charcoal grill combo.
It’s Saturday afternoon. You have six people coming over at six. You want to serve smoked chicken wings as an appetizer, tri-tip as the main, and grilled vegetables on the side.
Here’s your game plan.
At three o’clock, you light charcoal in a chimney starter and pour it into the charcoal chamber. You add a couple of chunks of hickory wood. The wings go on the charcoal side, away from direct heat. You close the lid and let them smoke for about an hour.
At four o’clock, you turn on the propane side. All three burners, medium heat. The gas section heats up in about five minutes. You throw on bell peppers, zucchini, and onions tossed in olive oil and salt. They cook in fifteen minutes. You move them to a tray and cover with foil.
At five o’clock, you crank the gas burners to high and throw on that tri-tip. Four minutes per side for a good crust, then you move it to the upper rack to rest. While it rests, you use the side burner to quickly heat up a pan of baked beans.
At six o’clock, everything finishes at the same time. The wings are smoky. The tri-tip has that gas-grilled crust but stayed tender. The vegetables are perfect. Your guests think you’re a wizard.
That’s the promise of a dual-fuel setup. Not that either side is the best in the world at its job, but that you have options. Flexibility. The ability to cook different foods different ways without owning three separate pieces of equipment.
Temperature Control and Heat Management
Let’s get technical for a moment because temperature control determines whether you’ll love or hate this backyard barbecue grill.
Propane side: The knobs give you real control between low and high. Low is around 250°F – good for indirect cooking or keeping food warm. Medium is about 350°F – your everyday grilling temperature. High reaches 500°F+ for searing. The lid thermometer is reasonably accurate, though I’d recommend buying a separate probe thermometer for serious smoking.
Charcoal side: This requires more hands-on management. You control heat by adjusting the charcoal tray height and the bottom vents. Fully open vents with coals near the top = screaming hot searing. Vents half closed with coals lowered = 225-275°F smoking range. You’ll need practice to dial it in, just like any charcoal cooker.
The biggest limitation: The charcoal side isn’t heavily insulated. On cold, windy days, you’ll burn through more charcoal to maintain temperature. A kamado-style ceramic cooker does better here. But for three-season grilling in moderate climates, the LAUDLIFE performs admirably.
Assembly Experience and Build Quality
I want to be straight with you about build quality because combo grills at this price point often cut corners.
The good: The steel body feels substantial. The lid closes with a satisfying thunk. The wheels roll smoothly over patio cracks. The enamel coating on the grates is legitimately high-quality – better than grills I’ve used that cost twice as much.
The less good: Some hardware feels budget. The side shelf is thin plastic that flexes if you lean on it. The temperature gauge isn’t premium – fine for reference but don’t trust it for exact temps. And the gas regulator hose could be longer if your propane tank lives far from the grill.
Assembly is straightforward but tedious. Plan for ninety minutes. You’ll need a Phillips screwdriver and an adjustable wrench. Having a second person helps when attaching the side burner and the main body to the cart.
One assembly tip: Loosely thread all bolts before tightening any of them. You’ll save yourself a lot of frustration when holes don’t quite line up.
Cleaning and Maintenance (The Reality)
Ask any long-time grill owner what they hate most, and “cleaning the grates” ranks right up there with “rusted-out burners.”
The non-stick enamel coating grates on the LAUDLIFE genuinely make a difference. After cooking, I let the grill cool slightly, hit the grates with a stiff brush, and most debris falls right off. Sticky marinades require a bit more elbow grease, but nothing like the scraping required on bare cast iron.
Here’s my cleaning routine after each cook:
- Turn all burners to high for five minutes to burn off residue
- Turn off gas, let cool for ten minutes
- Brush grates with a grill brush
- Wipe side burner and shelves with a damp cloth
- Empty the charcoal ash tray
Once a month, you’ll want to:
- Remove and wash the grates with soapy water
- Check the propane burners for clogs or rust
- Clean the temperature gauge probe
- Inspect the gas hose for cracks
The charcoal side produces more ash than the gas side, obviously. But the removable tray makes dumping ash painless. Don’t let ash pile up – it absorbs moisture and accelerates rust.
Pros and Cons at a Glance
Pros:
- True dual-fuel cooking – gas and charcoal in one footprint
- Non-stick enamel coating grates make cleanup genuinely easier
- Side burner adds real utility, not just marketing hype
- Even heat distribution on propane side outperforms many competitors
- Charcoal tray adjusts for direct or indirect cooking
- Locking casters keep the grill stable on uneven ground
- Push-button ignition worked every time during testing
- Fits a standard 20-pound propane tank on the bottom shelf
Cons:
- Assembly takes time and patience
- Side shelf feels flimsy compared to the main body
- Not heavily insulated – loses heat faster than premium grills
- Temperature gauge is merely adequate, not precise
- Takes up significant patio space
- Charcoal side requires practice to maintain low temperatures
- No built-in thermometer for the charcoal chamber specifically
Questions and Answers (From Someone Who Actually Used It)
Q: Can you use gas and charcoal at the exact same time?
A: Yes, absolutely. That’s the whole point. I regularly ran the propane side at medium while maintaining a charcoal fire on the other side. Just be aware that both sides share the same cart, so the whole unit gets warm. Use oven mitts when touching anything near the charcoal chamber.
Q: How many people can this grill feed?
A: Comfortably feeds 6-8 people. You could push it to 10-12 if you’re strategic about cooking in batches. The gas side alone holds about twelve burger patties. Add the charcoal side for vegetables or sausages, and you’ve got a serious party setup.
Q: Is the side burner powerful enough for a seafood boil?
A: For a small one, yes. A 2-gallon pot of water comes to a boil in about eight minutes. But if you’re doing a massive crawfish boil for twenty people, you’ll want a dedicated propane burner. Think “sides and sauces” rather than “main event” for the side burner.
Q: How long does charcoal last in this thing?
A: Depends on your vent settings and weather. With vents fully open at high heat, expect 45-60 minutes before needing more coals. With vents partially closed for low-and-slow smoking (around 250°F), I got about 2.5 hours from a full chimney of charcoal.
Q: Will the enamel grates chip over time?
A: They can if you abuse them. Don’t use metal scraping tools on them. Don’t drop them on concrete. Don’t clean them with steel wool. Use a brass or nylon brush and mild soap, and they should last for years. I saw no chipping after two weeks of daily use and aggressive brushing.
Q: Can you convert this grill to natural gas?
A: The manufacturer does not include natural gas conversion parts. In theory, you could buy a conversion kit, but this voids your warranty and I can’t recommend it. Stick with propane unless you’re comfortable with modification risks.
Q: How weather-resistant is this backyard barbecue grill?
A: Moderately. The enamel coating protects against rust better than bare metal. But I strongly recommend buying a grill cover (sold separately) if your grill lives outdoors year-round. The side burner in particular is vulnerable to water pooling in the burner cup.
Where This Grill Excels (Specific Use Cases)
Let me give you three scenarios where this gas and charcoal grill combo becomes genuinely valuable.
Scenario one: The weeknight warrior. You get home at 6 p.m. hungry. Firing up charcoal feels exhausting. You turn on the propane side, and you’re cooking in five minutes. Burgers, chicken thighs, pork chops – done and on the table by 6:30. The non-stick enamel coating grates mean cleanup takes ninety seconds. You eat well without losing your evening.
Scenario two: The weekend pitmaster. Saturday morning, you light charcoal at 8 a.m. You toss on a pork shoulder, close the vents to stabilize at 250°F, and let it smoke for six hours. Around noon, you use the gas side to grill sausages and peppers for lunch. The side burner keeps barbecue sauce warm for dipping. By dinner, the pork shoulder is pull-apart tender, and you haven’t touched your indoor stove all day.
Scenario three: The host with diverse guests. Your vegetarian cousin wants grilled portobellos. Your dad wants a charcoal-seared steak. Your kids want hot dogs. Everyone wins. Portobellos on the gas side at medium heat. Steak on the charcoal side for that smoky crust. Hot dogs wherever there’s space. No compromise, no second grill, no drama.
Value Proposition: Is It Worth Your Money?
Let’s talk dollars and sense.
A decent gas grill costs 200−400. A decent charcoal grill costs 100−200. A standalone side burner attachment for an existing gas grill runs another 100−150. You’re looking at 400−750 for separate equipment that eats up patio space and requires separate maintenance.
The LAUDLIFE gas and charcoal grill combo comes in below that range for most retailers. You get all three cooking methods in one unit that takes up about the same space as a standard gas grill. The non-stick enamel coating grates would cost you extra as an upgrade on many competitors.
Is it a bargain? Yes, at typical retail pricing, it delivers solid value. Is it the cheapest option? No. You can buy a bare-bones charcoal kettle for forty bucks and a basic gas grill for a hundred fifty. But you’ll hate cooking on both, and your patio will look like a grill graveyard.
The LAUDLIFE sits in the sweet spot of “good enough to enjoy using” and “affordable enough to buy without guilt.” For the average backyard cook who wants flexibility without complexity, this is a smart purchase.
Final Verdict
After two weeks of cooking everything from quick hot dogs to slow-smoked ribs, here’s my honest take.
The LAUDLIFE gas and charcoal grill combo delivers on its core promise. You get real propane convenience and real charcoal flavor in one backyard barbecue grill. The side burner adds genuine utility. The non-stick enamel coating grates make a meaningful difference in cleanup. And for the price, the build quality exceeds expectations.
It’s not perfect. The side shelf feels cheap. Temperature control on the charcoal side takes practice. Serious pitmasters will want heavier insulation and better seals.
But for 95% of home grillers – people who want great food without turning barbecue into a second job – this propane BBQ grill with side burner hits the mark. You’ll use it more often than a pure charcoal grill. You’ll get better flavor than a pure gas grill. And you’ll wonder why you ever put up with owning two separate units.
If you’re tired of choosing between convenience and flavor, and you want a single outdoor cooking station that does almost everything well, buy the LAUDLIFE.
Ready to Stop Compromising on Your Backdoor BBQ?
You’ve read the honest review. You know the pros and the cons. You understand exactly what this gas and charcoal grill combo can and cannot do.
Now it’s time to make your patio the place where everyone wants to eat.
Click the button below to check the current price and availability on Amazon. Your perfect weeknight gas grilling and your ideal weekend charcoal smoking are waiting – all in one smart, space-saving package.
[Click Here to Get the LAUDLIFE Gas and Charcoal Grill Combo on Amazon]
