ACTIVA Erfurt Holzkohlegrill

Funnel grill on a column, no lid

The ACTIVA Erfurt is a freestanding charcoal grill: a fire bowl sits on a column with a base plate, and the chrome-plated grate lies above it. In the Amazon photo, the bowl tapers from a rectangular top edge down towards the column, panels stand up at the sides and back, and a handle sticks out at both ends of the grate. The grill has no lid, and the parts list in the instructions includes none.

ACTIVA lists it in its own shop as the Erfurt funnel grill under article number 11550NEU; at Amazon and in the instructions it is 11550. Of the 15 charcoal grills in the shop, only the Erfurt and the Saalfeld are explicitly described as funnel grills.

We have not had the Erfurt in our hands and have not grilled anything on it. This text sets information side by side: the product page in the shop (retrieved on 20 October 2026), the four-page assembly and operating instructions, the Amazon catalogue and the Amazon photo. According to the PDF metadata, the instructions date from 2018. ACTIVA does not explicitly confirm that they belong to the current model 11550NEU; we infer it from the sticker with the number 11550 on the shop photos and from the design, which matches the cover image of the instructions.

Our price box lists the Erfurt at approx. €75, and our score is 8.0. According to our best-of list, the overall winner among charcoal grills is the Everdure HUB II, which lights the charcoal electrically, needs a power socket at the grilling spot and, at approx. €2,503, is in a completely different price class.

Assembly and technology

The parts list in the instructions has twelve numbered items: two handles, the grill grate, a three-part windshield (left, back, right), the charcoal grate, four wall pieces of the fire bowl, two column halves, the ventilation disc, the ash box and the base plate. The bowl is assembled from its four wall pieces in assembly step 3, so it is not a single moulded piece.

The windshield goes onto the bowl from the outside in step 5, and in step 7 the grill grate is inserted into it. In the shop photos, the grate hangs by side hooks in notches in the windshield panels. This is presumably the height adjustment that ACTIVA describes: the grate can be adjusted in height so that the temperature can be regulated.

The grate is chrome-plated and, according to ACTIVA, has a rim guard that is meant to provide comfortable handling and a secure hold for meat, vegetables and sausages. A separate rim guard component does not appear in the parts list, so it is part of the grate.

Below the grate, the charcoal grate (part 6) sits in the bowl, which Amazon calls a perforated charcoal plate. The ash box (part 11) is pushed into an opening at the bottom of the column and is called a removable ash container at Amazon. The ventilation disc (part 10) sits on the front column half; in the photo it looks like a round disc with slots, with a small black slider next to it. Thermometer, side shelf, wheels, transport handles and cover hood are listed neither in the parts list nor in the Amazon scope of delivery.

The sources contradict each other on size and weight. The ACTIVA shop gives 60 x 40 x 90 cm (W x D x H) and 10.0 kg, the Amazon catalogue 63 x 49 x 93 cm and 9.13 kg. The same 60 x 40 x 90 cm also appear in the shop for the Saalfeld and the Pisa, whereas the weights of the three models differ. We therefore read the dimension as a template value and cannot verify it. If you are planning a fixed spot, work with the larger Amazon dimensions and measure again.

In detail: controlling heat without a lid

Without a lid, the Erfurt offers only direct heat. The embers lie under the grate, the food directly above, and cooking happens by radiation and rising hot air. Indirect cooking with the lid closed, as kettle grills allow, is ruled out.

Three places remain to control the heat. The first is the grate height: the further the grate hangs from the embers, the less heat reaches the food. The second is the ventilation disc in the column. The instructions list it as a component and fit it in step 1, but do not explain how to operate it. For the sister model Pisa, ACTIVA describes the ventilation control in the column as regulating the air supply for a constant ember. It seems likely that the disc on the Erfurt does the same, but this is not verified. With charcoal, less air supply means fewer embers.

The third place is the charcoal itself. According to the instructions, the fuel container holds approx. 2.3 kg.

The windshield stands on the left, back and right, and the front of the grill stays open. That is exactly where the ventilation disc sits, on the front of the column, so on the side without a panel.

ACTIVA attributes even heat distribution to the fire bowl, without measured values and without comparison with other designs. The manufacturer does not claim that a funnel concentrates heat better than a flat charcoal tray. In our assessment, how even it is on the grate depends on how much of the grate area lies over embers. For that you would need the dimensions of the charcoal grate and the grate.

Our assessment: without a lid and without a thermometer, the temperature is a matter of feel. If you want to hit doneness points precisely, you need a probe thermometer, and that is not part of the delivery.

Is the Erfurt made of stainless steel?

That is not certain. The product description in the shop speaks of stainless steel, rust-free and weather-resistant, the bullet point on quality says only steel, and the material field in the technical data is empty.

Amazon is more detailed, but not consistent. The bullet points say stainless steel, rust-free and well protected against weather influences; the title gives no material, and the data sheet lists stainless steel as the colour. The page’s data table (read on 20 October 2026) lists stainless steel as both frame and handle material, but plastic in the material field. The instructions name no material at all, and the handles look black in the photo.

The photo shows silver, highly reflective surfaces on the bowl, column and base plate. That says nothing about the steel grade. Stainless steel covers grades with differing corrosion resistance, and chrome-plated, like the grate, means coated.

Until ACTIVA states a steel grade, we treat “rust-free” as an unverified manufacturer claim.

Assembly and lighting according to the instructions

The instructions have four pages, with the assembly on the last: eight steps with an exploded drawing and six images. First the ventilation disc goes onto the front column half, then the two column halves are joined and fixed to the base plate. After that you put the four wall pieces together into the fire bowl and fix it onto the column. Next come the windshield from the outside on the bowl, the charcoal grate, the grill grate in the windshield and finally the ash box.

The assembly time given there is approx. 35 minutes; a pictogram shows two people, and the text says to work with two people if need be. You are to allow enough time and create a work area of approx. 2 to 3 m². You need a Phillips screwdriver and an adjustable spanner.

ACTIVA says it tries to avoid sharp edges, but expressly warns that the grill has sharp edges, and requires protective gloves during assembly. All screw connections are tightened only after assembly is complete. Some parts are pre-assembled at the factory; the fixings are mostly screwed into the parts and have to be unscrewed before assembly. Packaging and small parts do not belong in children’s hands (risk of suffocation and swallowing), and the packaging must be disposed of immediately after unpacking.

Before first use you have to heat the grill up, the fuel should glow through for at least 30 minutes, and you wash the grill grate beforehand with warm washing-up water. To light it, you pile charcoal or briquettes into a pyramid in the charcoal container, pour a light, even amount of a firelighter to DIN EN 1860-3 for charcoal over it (a German and European standard) and, after approx. 60 seconds, ideally light it with a match. The greased grill grate then goes onto the grill, and you put food on only once the fuel is covered with a layer of ash. Methylated spirits and petrol are forbidden for lighting and relighting; firelighters, dry or liquid, must comply with the standard. Our guide Charcoal or briquettes explains which fuel suits what; the instructions allow both.

Safety, location and cleaning

The safety notes are on page 2 of the instructions. Under a banner with five pictograms it says in highlighted type: “There is a risk of death from carbon monoxide poisoning!” The grill may only be used outdoors. Use is forbidden in enclosed and habitable spaces, namely in buildings, tents, caravans, motorhomes and boats, and likewise on covered areas. Burning charcoal produces carbon monoxide, which can cause poisoning in enclosed spaces.

During use, the grill must stand on a stable, level surface, not near entrances and busy areas. In storms and heavy rain you do not use it. Whether a balcony is an option is not answered by the instructions; for tenancy agreements and house rules, our guide Grilling on a balcony helps.

The unit gets very hot and must not be moved during use. The hot grill must not be left unattended, children and pets must be kept away, and clothing with wide sleeves is out. When grilling, wear barbecue gloves with heat protection class II to DIN EN 407 (a German and European standard) or use suitable grill tongs. On page 3, the instructions require grill or oven gloves at all times, only long grilling accessories such as tongs and turners, and sufficient distance from hot parts, because any contact can cause burns.

As intended, the grill is meant exclusively for food that can be grilled, for private use only and only for the use described in the instructions. Any other use counts as improper and can cause damage to property or personal injury; the manufacturer accepts no liability for resulting damage.

After grilling you wait until the charcoal has burned out and the grill has cooled down completely. The charcoal must never be extinguished with water. Cleaning is done only when cold, otherwise, according to the instructions, there is a risk of deflagrations, uncontrollable heat and burns. You empty the cold ash, and it is best to clean the grill regularly before each use. You remove food residue with a suitable grill brush from the shops; you clean the grill itself generally with warm washing-up water, and paint solvents and thinners are out. For disposal of residues, the instructions demand cleanliness and safety: waste belongs only in containers intended for it, made of metal or non-combustible materials.

Warranty, returns and open details

On the product page in the ACTIVA shop there is only one note on the warranty: two years on all Activa products. This is separate from the 30-day promise in the Amazon text, money back if you are dissatisfied. That is a seller promise and not a manufacturer warranty. In the shop, spare parts and service appear only as a keyword in the footer.

What ACTIVA does not state otherwise, we collect here. On the warranty, the start, scope and procedure are missing, as is any information on whether it applies to a purchase via Amazon; there is no spare parts list. On performance, the grate dimensions and grilling area are missing, as are a recommended number of people, the number of height levels and the distance between grate and embers, the maximum temperature, the heat-up time in normal operation, the burn time of one filling and any cooking time.

On the components, the dimensions and capacity of the charcoal grate and ash box are missing, the material of the individual parts including steel grade, material thickness and type of chrome plating, the maximum load on the grate and information on stability; nowhere does it say either whether the position of the ventilation disc can be read off. On safety, minimum distances to buildings and combustible parts in metres are missing, as are notes on a chimney starter and on fuel types beyond charcoal and briquettes, the amount of firelighter and the cooling time. On the dishwasher, the instructions say nothing. There are no test marks or conformity statements for the grill itself; the instructions name standards only for firelighters and gloves. Origin, country of manufacture and market launch are also missing; the shop page was published on 12 May 2026, a listing date that says nothing about the market launch.

What else comes into question?

Three grills from our catalogue that a buyer in this price class weighs against the Erfurt:

The prices are the guide values from the price boxes on the respective pages, excluding shipping and without a date, and they fluctuate. The score is our editorial assessment from data sheets and manufacturer information and not a measurement result; it does not decide between two grills 0.1 points apart.

In our own data, more speaks for the Pisa: it is cheaper in the price box, has the higher score and a second grate for keeping food warm. We find a verified advantage of the Erfurt only in the three-part windshield according to the parts list; there is nothing on this for the Pisa. In the ACTIVA shop the price gap is smaller, where the Pisa costs €64.99, so €10 less than the Erfurt.

When the Erfurt suits and for whom it does not

The Erfurt suits you if you want an open freestanding grill with a fixed place in the garden or on a terrace without a roof and want to grill directly over the embers. Then you have a windshield and ash box, and according to the instructions, two tools are enough for assembly.

For larger groups, we would ask about the grate size before buying. According to the product page, the shop’s grill advice line is available daily from 9:00 to 18:00.

If you need a lid, for example to hold smoke around the food or to cook indirectly, the Erfurt is the wrong choice; the Smokey Joe Premium comes with one. If you want to keep finished food warm on a second grate, the Pisa suits better, and is cheaper in the price box too. If you are looking for the same funnel design more cheaply, it is the Saalfeld.

On top of the unit price come charcoal or briquettes, firelighter, barbecue gloves or tongs, a probe thermometer and, if need be, a cover. We do not give prices for these, as they depend on brand and quantity. The Erfurt stays where you set it up: wheels and transport handles are not in the parts list, and under a roof you may not use it according to the instructions.

The Erfurt is wrong for anyone who needs predictable temperatures. In our assessment, low and slow cooking and smoking cannot be reliably achieved without a lid, without a thermometer and without any information on burn time. They have better chances with a kettle grill; the best kettle grills list puts together a selection. The Grill Finder offers a first shortlist.