Last Updated on July 9, 2023
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Over the last several years, Aldi has sold many grills and smokers under the Range Master brand. Range Master is not a company; it’s a private label that Aldi uses. Aldi sources grills from different grill manufacturers, rebranding them as Range Master. We’ve seen propane grills of different sizes, charcoal grills, and electric smokers. If you’re looking to have an outdoor party, Aldi usually sells the goods, at least at some point.
Aldi doesn’t sell all their grills at once. Instead, throughout the spring, the grocer usually rolls out a grill every few weeks or so. I can’t promise that will happen every year, since Aldi is known to change things, but in the past that’s been the pattern. Most years, Aldi usually has at least a few grills of one kind or another sitting on their shelves between May and June, and sometimes later. Aldi sometimes also sells grills in time for tailgate season in the fall.
This open thread is devoted to one of those grills, which, at the time of this post, Aldi sold in early May. We write open threads about products we have not yet tried for ourselves, and our goal is that this will be a place where people can share about their experiences with the product.
What We Know:
The Range Master Heavy-Duty 24″ Deluxe Charcoal Grill (Product Code: 700681)is an Aldi Find, which means it’s only in stores for a short time. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. At the time of this post, the grill costs $94.99. This is less than most other grills of this size we’ve seen online.
The grill comes with a 2-year warranty, serviced by the email address customerservice1@dongfangjm.com. I have no idea who this company is, other than the fact that it is registered out of Beijing, China and has serviced some other products, including the Gardenline Outdoor Fire Column. I’m not sure who makes the grill, and while I’ve looked around online, I can’t find anything that looks like a direct match.
The grill measures 45.28 inches long, 26.38 inches wide, and 42.13 inches tall. The grill has a 372 square inch heavy-duty cast iron grate cooking surface and a 237 square inch porcelain-coated warming rack. The grill has an adjustable height charcoal tray with crank to customize cooking temperature, and a front access charcoal door to load and adjust charcoal. In addition, there is a slide-out pan for easy cleanup.
The grill also comes with some storage space, including a folding side shelf that comes with utensil hooks and a bottom shelf for extra storage. The two-wheel cart design allows for moving the grill around. The grill also comes with a built-in temperature gauge and a bottle opener.
What We Don’t Know:
One serious consideration with grills is how long they last. We’ve learned, the hard way, that not all grills are created equal, and some of them — even some with name brands — can rust out in a few years. (Our own best experiences with a grill have come through Weber, but your mileage may vary.) For that reason, we don’t know how long this Aldi grill is built to last.
Have you used this grill? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Walmart has one that looks identical that sells for $97.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Expert-Grill-Heavy-Duty-24-Inch-Charcoal-Grill-Black/746021606
I’m trying to assemble and don’t understand how to get the charcoal pan into the firebox and lock it with cotter pin
Same. Instructions make no sense and no matter how I try, it doesn’t fit quite right.
Incredibly difficult to assemble with small diagrams and hard to figure instructions. Add very hard-to-reach spaces and some tiny hardware and you’re ready for a stiff one! Took two of us a few hours, then another couple to fix something we did wrong the first time. Not worth the price considering the aggravation and muscle pains this caused. Haven’t used it yet- too tired! Will update if necessary.
Yes I have the same grill & have built it also it was easy for me and my daughter to built and enjoyed cooking with it worked as will as my weber
I am from kerala, India. How can order this items in online and how much I spend for item extra charges to India.
Aldi doesn’t ship its products online.
Just finished putting one together about an hour ago. Took me about an hour to assemble. Hardest part was figuring out how the charcoal pan locked into place. Haven’t used it yet but will soon. The grill I replaced it with was an older model Aldi grill that lasted over 4 year’s. Hoping for the same out of this one
How did you lock it in?
Kinda hard to explain. Wish I could upload a picture. The pegs that take the cotter pins go in the bottom slots and the larger pegs go on the top slots. Hopefully helps some
I just pick one up from Aldi tried it cook with it I think it’s pretty good nice and sturdy I had to take out the warming rack for my ribs but that’s only because of like to cook them in the pan other than that it’s great
Were can I find a cover
You can find it @ Walmart in the grilling accessories department made by *Expert Grill* which makes the same exact grill for aldi’s $14.98 just bought it a few minutes ago it’s a heavy duty cover…Take care
I just finished assembling mine, and I agree that the charcoal pan is a bit tricky. For me, it was a matter of playing around with the two places where it connects to see which needed to be locked in first (top first). The Cotter pin worked easily by slipping the straight part of the pin onto the small hole on end of the bottom right moving arm to once things are in place. I do have a very tiny but deep hole in the tip of my index finger though, haha! My only complaint other than the less than amazing assembly instructions is that a small nut was missing from one of the arms on the charcoal pan. It was not an assembly piece but rather a nut that should have been in place already. It must have gotten lost somewhere between manufacture and packaging. It seems to work ok without it but time will tell.
I purchased this about 1 month ago. Set up was a little difficult. I don’t think that the warming rack came with all the necessary tools for it would not go into place or it was faulty (I viewed a similar version and noticed parts on that one not included with this version). I contacted customer service and after all my picture uploads, they assured me a replacement would be on its way in about a week. I have been calling and emailing them a month later regarding the status of that replacement. NO. RESPONSE. WHATSOEVER. Other than that. You get what you paid for. Cooks well (used twice now)
Plastic on top of legs and smoke vent handle made of plastic also all melted while cooking out
I had issues with the warming rack also and found out I had it installed upside down. Once I switched it mi problems at all. Haven’t had any issues with anything melting either and I’ve used it a dozen times