If recent patent and trademark filings are any indication, Char-Broil is all-in on electric grills. They released the EDGE electric grill last spring, which performed well when we tested it. Is a two zone setup, or an electric smoker box in store for its future?
Two Zone Heating
Have two zones on a grill is helpful, because not everything cooks at the same temperature. It allows you to cook a meal’s worth of food at the same time. A shortcoming of the EDGE is it has one zone, that’s controlled by a temperature dial. Having more than one zone is also important if Char-Broil wants to eat away at market share controlled by gas grills, which often feature more than one zone.
According to a recent patent filing, Char-Broil is developing two zone capabilities. The way the two zone setup works in the patent is the power from a household outlet is split. Each zone can receive part of 100% maximum power.
Electric Smoker Box
Char-Broil has a previous patent for an electric smoker box, to add smoke flavor to food cooked on a electric grill. It’s an interesting idea and, as we noted in our article on it, may have originally been destined for the EDGE.
The patent for two zone heating builds on that capability. To run the heating element on a smoker box, it would need to run off a separate zone from the one that cooks food.
Additionally, one section of the grill can be designed to be used for a special function, such as providing flavor enhancing smoke from various wood-based materials, which might require a different temperature from a main cooking area.
ELECTRIC GRILL CONTROL SYSTEM Patent