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's on sale right now at $2,000 (usually $2,199 in Black Gloss or $2,200 in Black Matte), which is roughly $600 more than the Revolution 4-Burner with Side Burner while the sale lasts, closer to $800 at its usual price. The question is whether that gets you a genuinely better grill, or just a novelty.
In This Guide
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 on sale right now at $2,000 in either finish, down from its usual $2,199 in Black Gloss or $2,200 in Black Matte. The Revolution 4-Burner with Side Burner is $1,399. At the current sale price that's roughly a $600 gap, closer to $800 once the sale ends, and it 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 at the current sale price (closer to $800 at full price), 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.
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Verified against our live catalog as of 29 August 2026.
How much more does the Dual Fuel cost than the Revolution 4-Burner?
The Dual Fuel is on sale right now at $2,000 in either finish, down from its usual $2,199 (Black Gloss) or $2,200 (Black Matte). The Revolution 4-Burner with Side Burner is $1,399, a gap of roughly $600 at the sale price, or $800 at full price, that buys the entire charcoal kettle and the gas-assist ignition system.
Is the Dual Fuel's gas side bigger than the standalone 4-Burner?
No. The Dual Fuel's gas side has 3,036 cm² of cooking surface across three burners producing 35.7 MJ, slightly smaller than the 4-Burner's 3,097 cm² and one burner fewer. If you never use the charcoal side, the standalone 4-Burner gives you a larger, more powerful gas grill for less money.
What is gas-assist charcoal ignition and how much faster is it?
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 with a chimney starter down to roughly 10 to 15 minutes, with no lighter fluid or chimney needed.
Can I use the gas and charcoal sides at the same time?
Yes. Both sides are fully independent, so you can cook on gas only, charcoal only, or run both simultaneously, effectively doubling your total cooking surface for large gatherings.
Who should skip the Dual Fuel and buy a straight gas model instead?
Anyone with no real interest in cooking with charcoal. The Dual Fuel is roughly $600 spent on capability you won't use at the current sale price (closer to $800 at full price), and charcoal adds its own maintenance step, ash removal and separate cleaning, that gas alone doesn't require. The 4-Burner's larger gas side is the better buy in that case.