The ACTIVA Angular Guss is a charcoal grill with a lid on a trolley frame with two wheels. The manufacturer lists it as the ACTIVA Grillwagen Angular under item number 11245Guss, and our price box lists it at approx. €135. The Amazon listing carries the same number (EAN 4260636342325, shown on Amazon as a GTIN with a leading zero), so it is the same product. We have filed the grill under charcoal grills.
We have not handled it and have not grilled anything on it. This text sets four sources side by side: the product page on activa-grills.de, the Amazon listing, the product photo, and the assembly and operating instructions for item no. 11245 (16 pages), which are linked in the Amazon listing as the user manual. A caveat applies to these instructions: their number is 11245 without the suffix Guss, and according to the PDF file’s metadata they date from 20 February 2017. Whether they belong exactly to the Guss variant is not documented. Where we cite them, they therefore stand for the Angular in general. What the sources leave open is gathered in a section of its own, and we mark our own calculations and assessments.
On the product page, ACTIVA describes itself as a German company since 2001, and the About us page says family business. The legal notice of the manufacturer’s shop names DACETO Trading GmbH in Selb, and the manufacturer also sells the grill itself there. On Amazon, according to the listing, the sale runs through the marketplace seller ACTIVA Shop, and Amazon does not ship it.
Does the Angular Guss come with a cover?
That is not certain. Only Amazon names a cover, in the title and in a bullet point. The manufacturer’s page, the parts list in the instructions and Amazon’s own component list list none. If you need one, ask the seller before ordering.
The Amazon title says “inkl. Gusseisenrost & wetterfester Abdeckhaube” (incl. cast iron grate and weatherproof cover), and a bullet point adds that the supplied, tailor-made cover keeps rain, dirt and weather off the grill. In the detail table of the same listing, however, the included components are charcoal grill, grill grate and thermometer. In the manufacturer’s shop, the cover appears neither on the grill’s product page nor among the accessories (as of 20 October 2026).
Our assessment: the contradiction cannot be resolved from the outside. It is possible that the marketplace seller includes a cover that the manufacturer does not stock at all. It is equally possible that the title promises more than is in the box. We therefore do not count the cover as part of the delivery and do not include it in the price. If one is included, you check its fit on the assembled grill, because the catalogue dimensions do not help (see the section on weight and dimensions).
Design and equipment according to the photo and parts list
The product photo shows a dark, box-shaped body with a domed lid on a trolley frame. On the lid sit a silver knob at the top and, on the right side, a round disc with slots. At the front, the charcoal compartment door has a handle in the middle, the crank is to the right of it, and another handle follows below. On the right, a side shelf made of slats sticks out, on the left a handle sits on the leg, a shelf lies between the legs, and two wheels make the grill mobile.
The parts list in the instructions counts the parts individually: lid with lid handle, a thermometer, a warming rack, two grill grates, the charcoal container with crank, right and left side walls, front and rear grill body, the charcoal compartment door with latch and handle, an ash box with handle, four vents, two wheels with axle and hubcaps, the transport handle, the lower shelf, a side shelf, a bottle opener and the front and rear legs, plus two hinges each for the lid and the grill body.
The manufacturer’s photos add three details that the product text passes over: a round insert in the dark grate, a warming rack under the lid that folds up, and four hooks on the underside of the side shelf.
Cast iron, chrome, steel: what the sources say about the material
The manufacturer speaks of a cast iron grill grate and links this with even heat distribution and an intense grilled flavour. It leaves open which grate is meant, main, insert or warming rack. The Amazon listing also writes cast iron in the title and in one bullet point, but another bullet point of the same listing names chrome-plated grill grates. A chrome-plated warming rack alongside a cast iron grate is conceivable; it is not documented.
For the grill as a whole, the manufacturer’s page writes only “high-quality steel”, without grade and without assignment to individual parts. Amazon lists stainless steel as the material, handle material and frame material. We do not adopt stainless steel: only Amazon claims it, and in the photo only the handles, two strips and a knob on the lid are silver, while the body is dark. According to the manufacturer, the fire bowl is powder-coated, and there are also enamelled components. Amazon names the charcoal tray as enamelled.
In detail: crank, charcoal pan and cast iron grate
A charcoal grill has two levers for heat: the distance between embers and food, and the air that reaches the charcoal. For the distance, the Angular Guss has a component of its own, the crank at the front.
According to the manufacturer, the heat is regulated via the height-adjustable charcoal pan, so that different dishes can be cooked at the same time. Why the height adjustment works is physics: radiant heat decreases with distance, so embers cranked up bring more heat to the food and lowered embers bring less. How many steps the crank has is stated nowhere, and the word stepless appears only on the manufacturer’s page for the Angular Smart. Our assessment on cooking at the same time: the crank lifts the whole pan, not one half. Two zones do not arise from this by themselves; they arise only when the charcoal lies on one side. The technique is explained in the guide Using direct and indirect heat properly. The warming rack under the lid is further from the embers than the main grate, which follows from its position.
According to the manufacturer’s photo, the charcoal pan has evenly spaced holes in the base, which usually let air reach the charcoal from below. According to the instructions, the fuel container holds approx. 2.0 kg.
The parts list names four vents; the instructions do not describe what they are for. On a charcoal grill, air control is the obvious purpose (our inference). As a general rule: more air makes the charcoal burn hotter, and if all openings are closed, it suffocates.
Cast iron is in the name, and the manufacturer names only the benefit. From materials science: a cast iron grate stores heat because of its mass and releases it evenly, takes longer to reach temperature and rusts without care. For care, the grill grate guide covers the details.
On the manufacturer’s photos, the integrated thermometer has an oval dial with a scale from 100 to 800 °F and an inner Celsius scale from 38 to 430 °C. Like any device thermometer, it measures the air at its location; at the grate or in the meat it can look different, and only a probe thermometer shows the core temperature.
Assembly, weight and dimensions
According to the instructions, the grill is assembled in approx. 35 minutes. Next to the time, a symbol shows two people, and the instructions advise working in pairs if necessary. Beforehand, a work area of approx. 2 to 3 m² should be free, and you check that all parts are there. The 18 assembly steps on pages 6 to 15 consist only of drawings. The manufacturer’s page lists detailed assembly instructions in German as part of the delivery.
The fixing material comprises 20 parts from A to T, including M6 x 12 screws (27 pieces), M6 x 70 (2 pieces) and an M6 wing nut. Some parts are pre-assembled at the factory, and the fixing material is then mostly screwed into them and must be unscrewed before assembly. Tightening is done only after assembly is complete. If something is missing despite factory inspection, you should contact customer service. The manufacturer reserves the right to make small technical changes, especially to the fixing material.
On weight, the sources differ: 25 kg in the manufacturer’s shop, 29 kg on Amazon. Dimensions are less clear. The shop gives 60 x 40 x 90 cm (W x D x H); the same value appears for the lighter Angular Smart and is therefore probably a template value. Amazon gives 115 x 67 x 107 cm, labelled as 115 D x 67 W x 107 H, so the label leaves open whether 115 cm is width or depth. No source says what the figures include. A grilling area cannot be derived from them in any case: in the photo, the side shelf on the right and the transport handle on the left stick out beyond the body.
Safety and care according to the instructions
What follows is an excerpt from the instructions in our words, without any watering down of substance. They require that they be read carefully before use, and in case of doubt they take precedence over our excerpt.
As intended, the grill serves exclusively for preparing food suitable for grilling, in compliance with all requirements of the instructions, and for private use only. Any other use counts as not intended and can lead to damage to property or personal injury, and the manufacturer accepts no liability for it.
On location: the grill must not be operated in enclosed spaces or on covered areas. Burning charcoal produces carbon monoxide, which is dangerous and can cause poisoning in enclosed spaces. The ground must be stable and level, and the grill does not belong near entrances and busy areas. The instructions specify no minimum distances to buildings or flammable parts. In storms and heavy rain, the grill must not be put into operation.
On operation: the grill gets very hot and must not be moved during operation. The hot grill is never left unattended, and children and pets are to be kept away. When grilling, you wear grill gloves or use suitable grill tongs; elsewhere the instructions require always wearing grill or oven gloves and using only suitable long accessories (tongs, turner), plus sufficient distance from hot parts, because any contact can lead to burns. Clothing with wide sleeves is out. Children should not play with packaging film, as there is a risk of suffocation.
On lighting and relighting, methylated spirits and petrol are forbidden; only standard firelighters conforming to DIN EN 1860-3 (which applies in the EU), dry or liquid, are allowed. The steps in the instructions are in the FAQ below.
Extinguishing and cleaning: never use water to extinguish charcoal. Cleaning is done only when the grill has cooled down completely, otherwise there is a risk of deflagrations, uncontrollable heat and burns. After grilling, you wait until the charcoal has burnt out and the grill has cooled down completely, then you empty the cold ash. It is best to clean regularly before each use: you remove residues from the food with a suitable grill brush from the shops, and the grill itself in principle with warm soapy water. Paint strippers and thinners are forbidden for cleaning.
What the manufacturer does not state
These details are missing in the manufacturer’s shop, the instructions and the Amazon listing:
- Grate dimensions, grilling area in square centimetres and a recommended number of people
- reliable overall dimensions, footprint and working height
- Diameter of the insert, thickness of the grates and any coating
- Number of height steps of the crank, adjustment travel and distance between grate and embers
- Maximum temperature, heat-up time, time until ready to grill (apart from the glowing through before first use), type and accuracy of the thermometer
- Fuel consumption per grilling session, burn time of one fill and a standard for the charcoal itself
- Material of housing, lid, legs, shelves and wheels, the material thickness and which parts are enamelled
- Dimensions and load capacity of the side shelf and the lower shelf, whether the side shelf folds, dimensions of the charcoal pan and volume of the ash box
- Position and operation of the four vents
- Care notes on dishwasher, wire brush and oiling the grate
- Suitability for balconies
- Start, scope and exclusions of the warranty, a spare parts catalogue with order numbers
- Country of manufacture and market launch of the Angular Guss
- Test marks and standards that the grill meets
- Dimensions, material and fit of the cover, if one is included
What else comes into question?
| Model | The difference | Price | Our rating | Choose this one if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACTIVA Angular Guss (this one) | Charcoal pan by crank, cast iron grill grate according to the manufacturer, grate dimensions unknown | approx. €135 | 8.1 | you want a crank and cast iron grate and clarify grate size and cover with the seller beforehand |
| ACTIVA Angular Smart | 15 kg instead of 25 kg according to the manufacturer’s shop | approx. €95 | 7.7 | you want a lighter device and want to spend less |
| Tepro Toronto Click | Grate approx. 56 x 41.5 cm according to the tepro instructions | approx. €139 | 8.2 | you want to know the grate area in centimetres before buying |
| ACTIVA Angulatus I | Lifting function instead of crank, grate-in-grate system according to the Amazon listing | approx. €155 | 8.1 | you prefer to adjust the charcoal pan by lever |
The prices are guide values from our price boxes, and the rating is an editorial assessment and not a measurement result. The table is not suitable for comparing dimensions, because the figures in the rows come from different sources.
When the Angular Guss fits and when another one does
Area first, because you do not know it for the Angular Guss. If you grill for several people and want to know the grate area in centimetres before buying, the Tepro Toronto Click has a manufacturer figure. In our price boxes, the Tepro is €4 above the Angular Guss and has the higher rating (8.2 versus 8.1). With the Angular Guss, you are left with asking the manufacturer.
In our price boxes, the Angular Smart costs approx. €95, the Guss approx. €135. Both manufacturer pages name cast iron grates, and according to the shop the Smart is clearly lighter. If you are torn between the two and move the device often, you should seriously consider the Smart; its Amazon title also mentions no cover, so the question does not arise there.
The Angulatus I is €20 above the Angular Guss and, according to the Amazon listing, has a lifting function instead of the crank. In the manufacturer’s shop we went through 33 products, and the Angulatus I was not among them. Our assessment: the Angulatus I is not in the manufacturer’s shop, and nothing is documented about accessories or spare parts from the manufacturer for it. For the Guss, the shop also lists no spare parts catalogue; here asking is the only help.
Charcoal needs lead time: stack the pyramid, firelighter, wait until a layer of ash covers the charcoal. If you want to grill spontaneously after work, compare with gas; the guide Gas or charcoal grill works it through.
On top of the purchase price come fuel, a firelighter conforming to the standard from the safety section, grill gloves, tongs, turner and grill brush according to the instructions, and possibly a cover. Which fuel is more worthwhile is covered by Charcoal or briquettes.
The Angular Guss is the wrong choice for tenants whose house rules forbid charcoal (the guide Grilling on a balcony summarises the legal position), and for anyone who firmly plans on a cover without having asked the seller. If you do not yet know whether charcoal suits your space, try the Grill Finder; the best charcoal grills list collects further models.
