Nexgrill Daytona 4-Burner vs Char-Broil: How to Pick the Right Cooking Surface
A practical how-to for comparing a Nexgrill Daytona 4-burner griddle or grill with a Char-Broil gas grill, from prerequisites to a first-30-days ownership checklist.
In This Article
Griddle or Grill First
Measure & Match
Budget the Extras
Before You Compare Brands, Pick Your Cooking Surface: Griddle vs Open-Grate Grill
The search “Nexgrill Daytona 4-burner vs Char-Broil” hides a fork in the road. Nexgrill sells a Daytona 36-inch 4-burner propane griddle, and it also sells 4-burner propane grills with open grates. Char-Broil's comparable lineup is overwhelmingly open-grate gas grills. Comparing BTU charts before deciding flat-top versus grate means buying the wrong machine.
Quick disambiguation: if the listing says “griddle,” “flat top,” or shows a solid steel plate, you are looking at the Daytona griddle family. If it shows parallel cooking grates and a lid, you are comparing a Nexgrill gas grill against a Char-Broil gas grill.
Flat-tops excel at smash burgers, breakfast spreads, fried rice, and quesadillas - food that needs full surface contact. Open grates give you direct and two-zone indirect cooking for steaks, chicken, and ribs. Decide that first; the brand question gets much simpler.
Prerequisite Checks: Fuel Type, Footprint, and Local Clearance Rules
Three free checks prevent the most expensive mistakes. Fuel: almost all 4-burner units in this class run on propane, so confirm whether you own a tank. Footprint: a 36-inch griddle with lid and side shelves needs roughly 60 inches of width with clearance on each side - measure the patio, not the box. Local rules: many US HOAs and leases restrict open-flame grilling on balconies, and the NFPA's grilling safety guidance is worth reading before placing any grill near siding, railings, or eaves.
Step 1: Lock the Category and Fuel So You Compare Like with Like
Write one sentence before opening another listing: “I am buying a [griddle / open-grate grill], propane, for [number] people, on a [width] patio.” That eliminates half the catalogue. Only then compare the Daytona 4-burner griddle against a same-category Char-Broil, or a Nexgrill 4-burner gas grill against an open-grate Char-Broil grill.
Step 2: Compare Usable Primary Cooking Area, Not “With Warming Rack” Totals
Manufacturers add the warming rack into headline square inches - ignore that number. What matters is how much food touches heat at once. A griddle's entire plate is primary cooking area; a gas grill's usable area is the grate under the lid, minus edges that never sear. Rough USD context (estimates, street prices vary): Nexgrill 4-burner gas grills around $300-$500, the Daytona 4-burner griddle mid-$300s to $500, and Char-Broil 4-burner gas grills roughly $250-$550.
Step 3: Match Burner Control and Heat Delivery to How You Actually Cook
Four burners matter only if independently controllable. On a griddle you want separate zones so the left side sears while the right holds bacon warm; on an open-grate grill the same applies to two-zone setups. Ask whether each burner has its own knob and whether heat is even across the front-to-back depth - a hot front row and cold rear is a design flaw, not a technique problem.
Step 4: Read the Build Sheet and Cleanup Path (Grease Management, Seasoning, Materials)
Cleanup decides whether you grill on a Tuesday. Griddles need a rear or side grease trough draining into a removable cup, plus a plate you can scrape in two minutes. Open grills need a grease tray that slides out without tools. Cold-rolled steel griddle plates need seasoning and oil protection; stainless lids and bodies resist weather better than painted steel over years of freeze-thaw cycles.
A griddle plate that rusts in month one is almost always an unseasoned plate left wet. Budget ten minutes after every cook to scrape, wipe, and oil.
With category, footprint, cooking area, burner control, and cleanup settled on paper, the remaining differences are about your habits. Compare two products side by side below to see which fits best:
Once You've Weighed Two Options, Here's What Else Matters
A side-by-side comparison settles specs, not the lived details: what a Sunday cook feels like, how fast dinner gets on the table after work, and how much budget disappears into accessories.
Typical extra spend on propane tank, cover, and tools beyond the sticker price (estimate)
Who Should Buy the Nexgrill Daytona 4-Burner Griddle
Buy the griddle if your household cooks breakfast for a crowd, loves smash burgers and chopped-cheese sandwiches, or feeds kids who prefer crispy edges to grill marks. It suits a patio cook who wants one large, forgiving surface and does not need to cook a whole chicken over indirect heat. It is also better for anyone who hates flare-ups, since fat runs off the plate instead of dripping onto burners.
Who Should Buy a Char-Broil 4-Burner Gas Grill
Choose the open-grate grill if your menu leans on steak, wings, bone-in chicken, and low-and-slow runs with a drip pan. Char-Broil's infrared-style burner plates, explained in its TRU-Infrared overview, put a barrier between flame and food to reduce flare-ups, which appeals to cooks who grill fatty cuts often.
First 30 Days of Ownership: A Practical Checklist
| Day | Griddle owner | Open-grate owner |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wash plate, season with thin oil coats, burn off | Leak-test the propane connection, burn off factory oils |
| 7 | Learn your hottest zone with a bread test | Map hot and cool spots with a sheet of toast |
| 30 | Re-oil plate; check trough for pooling grease | Inspect burners for blockage; clean tray fully |
Mistakes That Cost Money in the First Season
- Skipping the cover: rain and pollen degrade paint and grates faster than cooking does.
- Over-scraping a cold griddle plate, which strips seasoning you spent weeks building.
- Buying a grill wider than your patio, then discovering the lid will not open against a wall.
- Assuming a warranty is uniform across a brand - check the model sheet, and see Char-Broil's warranty page for its terms.
Where Parts, Warranty, and Support Come From
Nexgrill has operated since 1993 from a California base, now part of Global Leisure following its Megamaster merger - background worth reading on the Nexgrill About page. Char-Broil is based in Columbus, Georgia. Before buying either, confirm the model number, find the parts diagram, and check whether burners and grates are sold separately - that determines whether year five costs you $40 or $400.
Write the model number on tape inside the cabinet door on day one. Every parts search starts there.
