In the world of cooking, few things are as universally loved as food cooked on a grill. But when you step into a professional kitchen, you’ll often hear chefs refer to their grill as a charbroiler. This leads to a common question: are they the same thing?

The simple answer is yes, a charbroiler is a type of grill.

However, the difference between the “grill” on your back patio and the “charbroiler” in a restaurant kitchen is significant. It’s the difference between a consumer product and a piece of heavy-duty, professional-grade equipment designed for performance and profit.

Think of it like this: all charbroilers are grills, but not all grills are built to be charbroilers. Let’s break down what sets them apart.

“Grill”: The General Term

“Grill” is a broad term that covers any cooking device with a grated surface that cooks food over a heat source. This category includes:

• Backyard charcoal or propane BBQs
• Electric indoor grills
• Portable camping grills

These are designed for intermittent, recreational use. While great for a weekend cookout, they aren’t built to withstand the demands of a busy restaurant.

“Charbroiler”: The Professional’s Grill

A charbroiler is the commercial kitchen’s answer to the grill. It’s engineered specifically for high-volume, high-performance cooking in a professional environment. The key differences come down to three factors:

1. Construction and Durability

A residential grill might use thinner metals and lighter-weight components. A charbroiler is a tank. It’s built with heavy-gauge stainless steel, featuring heavy-duty cast iron or steel grates that can withstand constant use and abuse, day in and day out.

2. Power and Heat Intensity

A charbroiler’s heating capacity, measured in BTUs (British Thermal Units), is vastly higher than a standard grill. This isn’t just about getting hotter; it’s about heat retention and recovery. A chef can place dozens of cold steaks on a charbroiler during a dinner rush, and it will maintain its searing-hot temperature. A typical backyard grill would lose its heat and end up steaming the food instead of searing it.

3. Advanced Heating Technology

Charbroilers use specialized methods to deliver intense, even heat. The most common types are:

• Radiant: Metal plates or “radiants” sit above the burners to distribute heat evenly and vaporize drippings for a smoky flavor.
• Lava Rock: A bed of porous lava rocks is heated from below, providing an intense, dry, and smoky heat source that closely mimics charcoal.
• Infrared: These powerful broilers use ceramic plates to generate intense infrared energy, allowing for incredibly fast cooking and searing.

The Verdict: It’s a Matter of Professional Performance

So, what’s the real difference between a grill and a charbroiler? Performance and purpose.

• A grill is a general term for a cooking device with grates.
• A charbroiler is a specific, heavy-duty class of grill built for the power, durability, and consistency required by a commercial kitchen.

When a chef needs to produce perfectly seared steaks, burgers, and vegetables for hundreds of customers a night, they don’t just need a grill—they need a charbroiler. It delivers the consistent, high-quality results that are essential for business success.

Looking for the power and precision of a professional grill? Explore our full line of commercial charbroilers, engineered to bring unbeatable performance to your kitchen.