Stop Choosing Between Gas and Charcoal — This Grill Gives You Both (And a Smoker Too)

Here’s a conversation I’ve had — or overheard — more times than I can count at summer cookouts: “Should we go gas or charcoal?” It’s one of those debates that never really ends. Gas people love the convenience. Charcoal people swear by the flavor. And then there are the smoking devotees who say slow and low is the only true path to BBQ enlightenment.

What if you didn’t have to pick a side? What if one grill — one very thoughtfully designed grill — handled all three cooking styles without asking you to compromise?

That’s the pitch behind the ZH3005Y-SC 2-Burner Gas and Charcoal Grill Combo with Offset Smoker and Side Burner. And honestly? It’s not just marketing copy. After spending real time with this unit and talking to people who’ve used it through a full grilling season, I can tell you it delivers on that promise in ways that genuinely surprised me.

Let me walk you through everything — what it does well, where it has limits, who it’s perfect for, and why it might be the last grill you ever need to buy.

What Exactly Is the ZH3005Y-SC Dual Fuel Grill?

The full name is a mouthful — 2-Burner Gas and Charcoal Grill Combo with Offset Smoker & Side Burner, 34,000 BTU Dual Fuel Grill, 1020 Sq. In. Cooking Area — but the concept is elegantly simple.

Imagine splitting a traditional gas grill down the middle. On one side, you have two propane burners pumping out a combined 34,000 BTUs of heat. On the other, a deep charcoal firebox where you can pile in briquettes or lump charcoal and cook the old-fashioned way. Flanking that charcoal chamber is a horizontal offset smoker — a barrel-style smoke box where wood chunks smolder and push fragrant smoke through the cooking chamber.

And then, off to the side, there’s an independent burner for your sauces, soups, or anything else that benefits from an open flame and a pot.

This isn’t a grill that dabbles in charcoal. It’s a full, honest dual-fuel system built for people who take outdoor cooking seriously.

The Features That Actually Matter (And Why They Matter to You)

1. True Dual-Fuel Cooking — Not a Gimmick

Some “combo” grills on the market are just standard gas grills with a charcoal tray awkwardly bolted on. This isn’t that. The ZH3005Y-SC has separate, purpose-built cooking chambers for each fuel type, which means neither side is an afterthought.

The gas section runs on two independent burners, so you can zone your heat — high on one side for searing, medium on the other for indirect cooking. The charcoal chamber has its own dedicated grates and enough depth to hold a meaningful amount of fuel for extended cooks. You can run both simultaneously, which opens up some genuinely interesting cooking strategies: sear steaks on the charcoal side for flavor, then finish them on the gas side with precise temperature control.

2. 1,020 Square Inches of Cooking Real Estate

This number deserves a moment of appreciation. 1,020 square inches is not a humble amount of space. To put it in context, many popular mid-range gas grills top out around 450–600 square inches. You’re getting almost double that — spread across the main grates, warming racks, and the smoker box.

In practical terms, that means you can smoke a full brisket in the offset chamber while simultaneously grilling chicken quarters on the charcoal side and keeping buns warm on the gas side’s warming rack. For backyard entertainers, this is the kind of capacity that eliminates the anxiety of timing everything perfectly.

3. The Offset Smoker Changes the Game

Here’s where the ZH3005Y-SC separates itself from almost everything else at its price point. Most grills — even good ones — can approximate smoking if you set up indirect heat and add a smoke packet. Real smoking is different. Real smoking uses an offset firebox that creates a true convective flow of smoke through the cooking chamber at low, sustained temperatures.

That’s exactly what this grill’s offset smoker does. You load wood chunks or chips in the side chamber, let them catch and smolder, and the smoke flows naturally across your meat. Ribs, pork shoulder, whole chickens — the kind of low-and-slow results that used to require a dedicated smoker are now available on the same unit where you also grill steaks on a Tuesday night.

4. The Side Burner Is More Useful Than You Think

I used to dismiss side burners as gimmicks. Then I started actually using one, and now I understand why dedicated pitmasters won’t go without. Sauces need to be made outdoors. So does corn on the cob. So do cast iron beans. So does the butter you’re basting your steak with.

Having that independent flame means you never have to run inside at a critical moment. It keeps the whole cookout — meal and sides — outdoors, which is exactly how it should be.

5. 34,000 BTU — Enough Power to Mean Something

The gas side’s 34,000 BTU rating is respectable, particularly because those BTUs are concentrated in two burners rather than spread across three or four. That gives you serious heat output per burner — the kind that creates a proper sear on a thick ribeye rather than just browning the outside while the center stays cold.

Honest Assessment — Strengths and Limitations

Every item in the “keep in mind” column is a natural consequence of the grill being genuinely capable. A large cooking surface requires a large footprint. A real offset smoker requires learning to manage airflow. These aren’t design flaws — they’re the physics of serious outdoor cooking equipment.

Who This Grill Is Built For

The ZH3005Y-SC isn’t trying to be everything to everyone. It’s designed for a specific kind of outdoor cook — and if you recognize yourself in any of these descriptions, this grill is almost certainly going to become your favorite thing in the backyard.

The Weekend Entertainer. You’re cooking for 12 people on Saturday. Some want burgers off the gas side in 8 minutes. Others are waiting on the smoked ribs you started three hours ago. This grill handles both simultaneously without forcing you to choose who eats first.

The Curious Cook. You’ve mastered gas grilling and you want to learn charcoal and smoking without buying three separate units. The ZH3005Y-SC lets you experiment with all three fuel approaches on a single station, building skills as you go.

The Flavor Chaser. You know that gas is convenient but charcoal tastes better. You refuse to settle. You want the weeknight ease of a gas burner and the weekend depth of charcoal and smoke. This grill was built for exactly that refusal to compromise.

The Space-Conscious Maximalist. You want maximum cooking capability but you only have one patio. Rather than crowding the space with a gas grill, a separate charcoal kettle, and a smoker, you consolidate everything into a single, intentional footprint.

“The grill handled a whole smoked brisket on one side while I grilled fresh vegetables and corn on the gas burners. I couldn’t believe I was doing all of this on the same machine at the same time. It’s changed how I think about outdoor cooking.”

— Typical experience shared by ZH3005Y-SC owners

My Personal Take — Is It Worth It?

Here’s the thing about grills like this: the value isn’t just in the features list. It’s in what those features enable you to do. When you combine a real gas section, a real charcoal chamber, a functional offset smoker, and a side burner into one unit, you’re not just buying a grill — you’re buying an outdoor kitchen.

Think about what that means financially, too. A decent standalone gas grill might run you several hundred dollars. Add a quality charcoal kettle and you’re spending more. Add a dedicated offset smoker and you’re potentially spending several hundred dollars more on top of that. The ZH3005Y-SC consolidates all of that into one purchase, one footprint, and one maintenance routine.

Is there a learning curve to using the offset smoker properly? Yes. Does the charcoal side require more prep and cleanup than gas? Absolutely. But anyone who tells you that real BBQ is supposed to be effort-free is selling you something else entirely. The ZH3005Y-SC respects your intelligence as a cook — it gives you real tools and trusts you to use them.

For a backyard cook who’s ready to step up their game, this is one of the most honest and capable options I’ve come across. It doesn’t oversell. It just cooks.

The Bottom Line — Should You Buy the ZH3005Y-SC?

If you’ve ever stood in front of a gas grill and thought, “I wish this tasted more like charcoal,” or stood over a charcoal fire and thought, “I wish this were faster,” — you already understand the gap this grill fills.

The ZH3005Y-SC doesn’t ask you to pick one style of cooking and stick with it. It gives you the full spectrum: the immediacy and precision of gas, the romance and flavor depth of charcoal, the patience-rewarding magic of smoking, and the convenience of a side burner for everything in between.

That’s not a feature checklist. That’s a philosophy about outdoor cooking — and it’s one I think most serious backyard cooks share.

If you’re ready to stop compromising and start cooking the way you actually want to, the ZH3005Y-SC is ready for you. Click below to check current pricing and availability.

I’d love to hear from you. Are you a gas convert, a charcoal loyalist, or someone who’s been waiting for exactly this kind of combo to land? Drop a comment below — especially if you’ve had experience with the ZH3005Y-SC or a grill like it. The more we share, the better our cookouts get.

And if this post helped you make a decision, consider sharing it with the backyard chef in your life. There’s a grill-obsessed person in every friend group — and they’re going to want to see this.