Coleman Revolution Dual Fuel vs Revolution Gas: Is Dual Fuel Worth It?

Every buyer who looks closely at the Coleman range eventually asks about the Dual Fuel. It is the most unusual BBQ Coleman makes: a full-size gas grill and a full-size charcoal kettle in one unit, sitting side by side, both usable at once. It also costs $2,199, which is roughly $800 more than the Revolution 4-Burner with Side Burner. The question is whether that gets you $800 worth of grill, or just a novelty.

What the Dual Fuel Actually Is

The Dual Fuel is not a gas grill with a charcoal tray bolted on as an afterthought. It is a full gas grill and a full 57 cm diameter charcoal kettle, positioned side by side under one hood system, each with its own independent cooking surface. You can cook on the gas side only, the charcoal side only, or both at the same time. Combined the two sides produce 46.2 MJ of heat output.

The Gas Side

The gas side delivers 3,036 cm² of cooking surface with the same Flare-Free Technology as the rest of the Revolution range, three 304 stainless steel burners producing 35.7 MJ, and the same one-third hotplate, two-thirds grill grate split used elsewhere in the range. On its own it is slightly smaller than the 4-Burner's 3,097 cm² main surface and runs on three burners instead of four, so you lose a small amount of zone control and total heat output if you only ever plan to cook on gas.

The Charcoal Side and Gas-Assist Ignition

The charcoal side is a proper 57 cm kettle with adjustable vent and exhaust dampers for temperature control, and 2,568 cm² of cooking surface, big enough to run as a genuine second grill rather than a token extra. The feature that actually makes it practical day to day is the gas-assist ignition: a dedicated 10.5 MJ gas burner sits under the charcoal bed and lights it directly, cutting lighting time from the usual 20 to 30 minutes down to roughly 10 to 15 minutes. No lighter fluid, no chimney starter, no standing around waiting for coals to grey over. That is the detail that turns charcoal from something you plan a cook around into something you can decide to use on a Tuesday night.

The charcoal side also uses hinged grill grates, which lift up so you can add fuel or check the coals mid-cook without lifting the whole grate off the kettle. It is a small detail but a genuinely practical one on a grill that gets refuelled mid-session more often than a standard gas-only Revolution.

The Price Difference

The Dual Fuel is $2,199 in either finish. The Revolution 4-Burner with Side Burner is $1,399. That $800 gap buys you the entire charcoal kettle, the gas-assist ignition system, and the flexibility to run gas and charcoal simultaneously. It does not buy you a bigger or more powerful gas side on its own; taken in isolation, the gas side of the Dual Fuel is smaller than the 4-Burner.

Who the Dual Fuel Is Actually For

The Dual Fuel earns its price for buyers who genuinely want charcoal flavour some of the time without giving up gas convenience the rest of the time. In practice that means running the gas side for weeknight cooking and quick meals, and lighting the charcoal side on weekends or when smoke flavour actually matters, without owning two separate BBQs or two separate footprints in the yard. It also suits anyone who entertains often and wants maximum total cooking surface: running both sides at once during a large gathering effectively doubles your capacity compared to any single Revolution model.

Who Should Just Buy the Gas Model

If you have no real interest in cooking with charcoal, ever, the Dual Fuel is $600 spent on capability you will not use, and you are better off with the 4-Burner's larger, four-burner gas side. Charcoal also adds a genuine maintenance step gas alone does not: ash removal, coal storage, and cleaning the kettle side separately from the gas side. Be honest about whether that is something you will actually do on a Tuesday night, or whether it will end up being the side of the grill that never gets used.

See Both in Our Wetherill Park Showroom

Related buying guides