The ACTIVA Angular Smart is a charcoal grill with a lid on a mobile trolley frame. In the manufacturer’s shop at activa-grills.de it is called Grillwagen Angular Smart and carries item number 11247V1 (EAN 4260636342875); the Amazon listing gives model number 11247. It costs approx. €95 (Amazon page on 20.10.2026: €94.89). It is filed under charcoal grills.
We have not handled the grill and have not grilled anything on it. Our basis is the manufacturer’s product page, the Amazon listing including its photo, and the 20-page assembly and operating instructions for item no. 11247, which are attached to the Amazon listing as a PDF. According to its metadata, the file dates from 28.03.2019. Whether it matches the current shop version 11247V1 sentence for sentence, we cannot verify, because the shop has no download area.
Does the Angular Smart have a cast-iron grate?
According to the manufacturer, yes. The product page speaks of “solid cast-iron grates”, and the Amazon title of a cast-iron grill grate.
An earlier version of this text claimed chromed grates, grate temperatures of 250 to 270 °C and an assembly time of 30 to 40 minutes. None of that was documented, and the grate and the assembly time even contradict the documents. We have therefore rewritten the text from scratch.
The situation is still not entirely clear. The parts list in the instructions counts two grill grates, one warming rack and one charcoal grate, and gives no material for any of them. And on the Amazon product photo, next to the grill lie two silver grates made of thin, parallel rods with a crossbar in the middle. They do not look like solid cast iron, more like wire grates. Whether the photo shows an older version or whether image and text simply do not match cannot be settled from the outside.
Our assessment: we follow the manufacturer’s statement, because the product page and the Amazon title agree. If the material matters to you, ask the seller beforehand for a photo of the grate as it lies in the box.
Why the question matters is a matter of materials science. Cast iron has mass: a cast-iron grate takes longer to get hot, then stores the heat and passes it on evenly to the food. A thin chromed grate heats up quickly and cools down just as quickly, but needs less care against rust. The differences between grate types are explained in more detail in the grill grate guide.
Construction based on the photo and parts list
The photo shows a dark grey, box-shaped body with a domed lid. The round thermometer sits at the top in the middle of the lid, with a long silver handle at the front. On the right side of the lid and on the right wall of the firebox, a round, slotted disc is visible on each. The front of the firebox is formed by a door with a coiled handle, below it a cross handle, and to the right of that a Z-shaped lever, probably the crank judging by its position. On the left the frame stands on two legs, on the right on two wheels, and between the legs there is a shelf made of cross struts.
The parts list in the instructions confirms the picture and adds a few things. The lid includes a thermometer, lid handle, two hinge parts and four vent discs. The firebox consists of a back panel, a front panel and the door with handle and latch, with an ash box with its own handle below. For the embers there is a charcoal grate with mount and crank, above which come the two grill grates and the warming rack. The frame consists of the left and right foot assemblies, a base plate, an axle with two wheels and two side shelves with supports. A bottle opener is also included.
According to the manufacturer, the side shelves fold on both sides and have integrated utensil hooks. On the material, the product page says: powder-coated fire bowl, enamelled components, otherwise “high-quality steel”, while the Material field below it stays empty. Amazon specifies the enamelled part as a charcoal plate and enters stainless steel for material, handle and frame. We do not adopt this stainless steel statement. It appears only on Amazon, and in the photo only the handles and strips are silver, while the body has a dark coating. According to the instructions, the device is mostly made of steel; it is disposed of according to local regulations, separated into steel and iron, aluminium, non-ferrous metal and plastics.
In detail: crank, air and one kilo of charcoal
With charcoal you have two controls: the distance of the embers from the food and the air that reaches the charcoal. On the Angular Smart, distance is the main tool: according to the manufacturer, the charcoal pan can be continuously adjusted in height by crank, so the temperature can be controlled “flexibly and precisely”.
Behind this is simple physics. Radiant heat decreases with distance from the source. If you crank the embers up, more heat reaches the grate; if you lower them, less, and you do so without rearranging the charcoal with tongs. How far the pan travels and how close it gets to the grate is unknown. That also leaves open how large the difference is between fully up and fully down.
Our assessment: the crank lifts the whole pan. Two zones side by side, a hot one for searing and a cooler one for finishing, only arise when you push the charcoal to one side. How to work with that is described in the guide using direct and indirect heat correctly. The warming rack sits higher and therefore further from the embers; it is the place for side dishes that should only stay warm (our deduction from its position).
When it comes to air, things get thin. The parts list counts four vent discs, two of which the photo shows, one on the lid and one on the firebox. What exactly they are for and how the firebox door is meant to be used while grilling is not stated in any of the sources. In general, with charcoal: more air supply makes the embers burn hotter, closed openings smother them.
The amount of charcoal sets the frame. According to the instructions, the fuel container holds approx. 1.0 kg, charcoal or briquettes. That is a fill quantity, not a burn time. For long cooking times you will have to add more, and how often depends on the type of charcoal, the weather and the air supply. What distinguishes the two fuels is covered in charcoal or briquettes.
The lid thermometer measures the air under the lid at its installation point. Directly above the embers, it is hotter at the grate, and it says nothing about the core temperature in the meat; for that you need a probe thermometer.
Grilling area, dimensions and weight
The grilling area is given in the technical data of the instructions: 430 x 320 mm, which calculates to around 1,376 cm². For comparison from our category: the Tepro Toronto Click has a grate of approx. 56 x 41.5 cm, which is around 2,324 cm². The SunJas grill trolley has approx. 70 x 38.5 cm, just under 2,700 cm² and thus almost double.
ACTIVA does not say anywhere how many people the area is enough for. Our assessment: 43 x 32 cm is an area for small gatherings. If you regularly grill for many guests, you work in several batches.
For overall dimensions and weight, the sources contradict each other. The instructions give 965 x 570 x 980 mm without saying which number belongs to which axis. Amazon writes 95 x 55 x 96 cm and labels it as width, depth and height, which fits the instructions. In the manufacturer’s shop it says 60 x 40 x 90 cm, the same value as for the considerably heavier Angular Guss; presumably it was copied from a template. In the photo both side shelves extend well beyond the body, so the roughly 96 cm of width includes them. For the space it needs, plan on just under one metre of width and a good half metre of depth.
Every source weighed differently: 15.5 kg according to the instructions, 15.0 kg in the manufacturer’s shop, 17.75 kg on Amazon. If you carry the grill up stairs, it is better to assume the higher value. On level ground you push it on its two wheels, which according to the parts list sit on a shared axle.
Assembly: around one hour according to the instructions
The instructions estimate approx. 60 minutes. As tools you need a Phillips screwdriver and an adjustable spanner. Beforehand, you clear approx. 2 to 3 m² of work area, check the parts for completeness and, if necessary, get a second person to help. You are to handle the individual parts carefully to avoid injuries.
The fastening material is extensive, including 44 screws M6 x 12, 8 screws M6 x 35, 4 screws M4 x 12, 8 flange screws, 2 hinge pins, 2 clips and one wing nut M6. Some of it is already screwed into the components and has to be unscrewed before assembly. Everything is only tightened once the grill is completely standing, so the parts can be aligned until the end (our reading of this instruction). According to the manufacturer, detailed German assembly instructions are included in the delivery.
Safety, cleaning and care according to the instructions
Here the instructions’ notes are given in our words, complete in substance. In case of doubt, the instructions themselves apply.
As intended, the grill may be used exclusively for food that can be grilled, in compliance with all requirements of the instructions, and only for private use. Any other use counts as improper and can lead to damage to property or personal injury; the manufacturer is not liable for damage resulting from it.
On where to set it up: the grill is not used in enclosed spaces or on covered areas. Burning charcoal produces carbon monoxide, a dangerous gas that can cause poisoning in enclosed spaces. In operation the grill stands on stable, level ground and not near entrances and busy areas. In storms and heavy rain you do not operate it. The instructions give no minimum distances in centimetres to walls or flammable materials.
On operation: the device gets very hot and must not be moved during operation. You do not leave the hot grill unattended, and you keep children and pets away. When grilling you wear grill gloves or use suitable grill tongs; elsewhere the instructions require you to always wear grill or oven gloves, to use only suitable long grilling accessories (tongs, turner) and to keep sufficient distance from hot parts, as any contact can cause burns. Clothing with wide sleeves stays in the wardrobe when grilling. Children must not play with packaging film, as there is a risk of suffocation.
Fire and ash: for lighting or relighting, methylated spirit and petrol are forbidden; only firelighters complying with DIN EN 1860-3 (the standard that applies in Germany and the EU), dry or liquid, are permitted. You never use water to extinguish the charcoal. Waste generally belongs only in containers intended for it, made of metal or other non-flammable materials.
Clean only once the charcoal has burnt out and the grill has cooled down completely, otherwise the instructions warn of deflagrations, uncontrollable heat and burns. Then you empty the cold ash. It is best to clean the grill regularly before each use: you remove food deposits with a suitable commercial grill brush, and you clean the grill itself generally with warm soapy water. Paint strippers and thinners are prohibited for cleaning. Between uses you protect the device from moisture and bad weather.
What the manufacturer does not state
The following details are missing from the manufacturer’s shop, the instructions and the Amazon listing:
- Maximum temperature at the grate and heat-up time until the grill is ready
- Number of crank positions, travel and distance between embers and grate
- Dimensions, thickness and coating of the individual grates, plus their material according to the parts list
- Type, measuring range and accuracy of the thermometer
- Burn time of one fill and charcoal consumption per grilling session, a standard for the charcoal itself
- Material and material thickness of the housing, lid, legs and wheels, a stainless steel grade
- Working height, dimensions and load capacity of the side shelves and the base plate
- Dimensions of the charcoal pan and volume of the ash box
- A statement on balcony suitability
- Care of the cast-iron grate beyond soapy water and grill brush
- A matching cover as an accessory
- Spare parts availability, order numbers and spare parts prices
- Test marks or standards that the grill itself meets
- Country of manufacture according to the manufacturer and year of market launch
What else comes into question?
| Model | The difference | Price | Our rating | Pick this one if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACTIVA Angular Smart (this one) | continuous crank, grilling area 43 x 32 cm according to the instructions | approx. €95 | 7.7 | you grill for small gatherings and want to raise and lower the embers by crank |
| ACTIVA Angular Guss | same design idea with crank, cover only according to the Amazon title | approx. €135 | 8.1 | you hope for a cover in the box and ask the seller beforehand |
| Tepro Toronto Click | grate approx. 56 x 41.5 cm plus warming rack, also with crank | approx. €139 | 8.2 | you regularly grill for more people |
| SunJas Grillwagen Holzkohle | grilling area approx. 70 x 38.5 cm, no crank in the data sheet | approx. €86 | 7.6 | with a similar budget, grate area matters more to you than height adjustment |
The prices are guide values from our price boxes and change; the rating is our editorial assessment and not a measurement result. The grate dimensions of the other models come from their documents; none of us has measured them.
When the Angular Smart fits and when another model does
Area first. At 43 x 32 cm, the Angular Smart has the smallest area among the models in the table for which grate dimensions are available; for the Angular Guss the manufacturer gives none. The Tepro Toronto Click costs approx. €139 in our price boxes, the Angular Smart approx. €95. The Tepro has around 70 percent more grate area and the higher rating (8.2 against 7.7). If you grill for guests more often, you get more grill for your money there.
The SunJas grill trolley costs approx. €90, the Angular Smart approx. €95, and it has almost double the area. Its data sheet does not list a crank, though. So the question is what gives you more: more room on the grate or embers that can be raised and lowered without rearranging. For families who mostly put sausages and vegetables on for four, we would choose the crank; for large gatherings, the area.
The Angular Guss is at approx. €135 in our price boxes. On the grate, both manufacturer pages say cast iron, and both have a crank; only the Smart page describes it as continuous. Our assessment: what mainly speaks for the Guss is the cover from its Amazon title, and the manufacturer does not confirm that.
On where to put it: just under one metre of width with the shelves unfolded, and according to the instructions only outdoors, not under a roof. A balcony with a roof above it is therefore ruled out. Whether an open balcony is an option is decided by your tenancy agreement and house rules; the legal situation is summarised in grilling on a balcony.
On budget: on top of the purchase price come charcoal or briquettes, a firelighter complying with the standard from the safety section, grill gloves, tongs and turner, a grill brush and possibly a cover. And charcoal needs lead time until the embers carry a layer of ash. If you want to grill spontaneously after work, you should read the guide gas or charcoal grill before committing.
The Angular Smart is the wrong choice for anyone who regularly grills for eight or more people, for tenants with a covered balcony, and for anyone who wants to rely on a cast-iron grate without first having the version confirmed by the seller. If you are still unsure which type of grill suits you at all, start with the grill finder.
