A Pedestal Grill, Rectangular and Without a Lid
The ACTIVA Pisa is a charcoal grill on a pedestal: a round foot at the bottom, a stand tube above it, and at the top a rectangular charcoal pan with a chrome-plated grate of 54 × 34 cm. The Amazon photo shows this, and the Amazon text fits, describing a rectangular pedestal grill. ACTIVA itself writes of a classic pedestal grill design and in one place calls the grill a funnel grill. A lid is neither visible in the photo nor listed in the box contents, and no description mentions a thermometer. The Pisa is therefore a grill for direct grilling over open embers.
Under the name pedestal grill, ACTIVA lists three models: Pisa, Bavaria and Augsburg. The charcoal grill category in the manufacturer’s shop comprises 15 products. At Amazon, the Pisa stood at €59.89 on 14 October 2026; in our price box it stands at approx. €60.
We have not handled it and have not grilled anything on it. This text sets side by side what the sources say: the ACTIVA product page (retrieved on 14 October 2026), the Amazon catalogue entry and the catalogue photo.
Assembly and Technology
ACTIVA lists four components: the chrome-plated grate, the vent control in the pedestal, the removable ash box and a warming rack. Amazon lists exactly these four in the box contents and calls the control a ventilation disc. In the photo, it sits as a round disc in the lower third of the pedestal, below the pan.
The grate is removable. According to ACTIVA, the warming rack is meant to keep finished food warm.
On weight, the sources contradict each other. ACTIVA gives 7.0 kg, the Amazon catalogue 11.02 pounds, which converts to around 5.0 kg. Which value is right has not been established. The dimensions are similar: the Pisa page gives 60 × 40 × 90 cm (W × D × H), but the same figure appears word for word for the Augsburg, Bavaria, Hebefix, Saalfeld, Erfurt and Ibiza, whose weights according to the manufacturer lie between 5.0 and 10.0 kg. This suggests the shop takes the value from a template; that is not documented either. These dimensions are therefore not suitable for planning a spot for the grill.
These details are missing from the manufacturer’s page and the Amazon catalogue, and we do not fill them in with estimates:
- Number of height settings and distance between grate and embers
- Capacity of the charcoal pan
- Dimensions and capacity of the ash box
- Position, dimensions and material of the warming rack
- Material thickness
- Colour (the manufacturer’s field for it is empty)
- Maximum temperature, heat-up time and the time until the charcoal is fully glowing
- Feet, wheels and handles
- Assembly time and tools required
- Country of manufacture and market launch (the product page carries the date 12 May 2026, but no launch year is given)
- Test marks and standards, such as EN 1860 (an EU standard)
In Detail: How to Control the Heat Without a Lid
An open charcoal grill has three controls: the amount of charcoal, the distance of the grate from the embers and the air supply.
Distance works fastest. The radiant heat of embers falls off sharply with distance, so raising the grate cools the food without changing anything about the charcoal. That the Pisa has a height-adjustable grate for this is stated in the Amazon catalogue; the manufacturer’s page leaves the point out.
On the Pisa, air comes in through the control in the pedestal. ACTIVA gives its purpose as regulating the air supply and keeping a constant ember. As a general rule: more air means hotter embers and faster burn-down, less air dampens both, and the charcoal smoulders for longer. How the air gets from the disc to the pan in the Pisa is not described by ACTIVA. Without a lid, the charcoal bed also always gets oxygen from above. We therefore consider it likely that the control dampens the embers but does not choke them. This is a deduction from the design, not a manufacturer statement.
On 54 cm of grate length, the charcoal can be piled to one side, leaving a cooler zone over the other half. Whether the pan holds a one-sided charcoal bed cannot be said without its dimensions. How zones work in principle is explained in the guide Direct and indirect heat. Of the indirect heat described there, however, only the cooler area beside the embers remains with the Pisa, because without a lid there is no cooking chamber in which the heat circulates.
When fat drips into the embers, flames flare up. A lid to smother them is missing, so the only help is distance: raise the grate or move the food to the side without charcoal.
Is a 54 × 34 cm Grate Enough for the Whole Family?
For four people, probably yes: our guide Buying a grill gives a rule of thumb of at least 1500 to 2000 cm² of grilling area for that, and the Pisa comes to 1836 cm² by calculation. The manufacturer gives no number of people anywhere; Amazon only writes “for the whole family”.
The 1836 cm² is our calculation from the grate dimensions, without rim and struts. ACTIVA did not state square centimetres. For comparison: the round grate of the Augsburg (Ø 39 cm) comes to around 1195 cm² by calculation, and that of the Barbecook (Ø 43 cm) to 1452 cm², as its manufacturer states. Whether the whole area can be used depends on the embers underneath: a grate is only properly hot over the charcoal, and how much fits in the pan is open.
ACTIVA writes that different dishes can be prepared on the grate at the same time. The warming rack is added as a second shelf for finished food.
Steel or Stainless Steel: The Sources Contradict Each Other
The Amazon title says stainless steel. ACTIVA writes on the product page that the grill is made of steel for outdoor use, with no grade and no statement of which parts are meant, and the material field in the technical data table is empty. The same sentence appears for all ACTIVA charcoal grills, including those whose description mentions stainless steel. So it separates nothing.
The difference matters outdoors. Stainless steel is rust-resistant throughout. A chrome plating, as ACTIVA states for the grate, is a coating, and where it is damaged the metal underneath is exposed. In the photo, pedestal, foot and pan look bare and shiny, with no visible paint. A photo does not reveal which metal is behind it.
Our assessment: until ACTIVA clears this up, we would treat the Pisa like a steel grill, meaning clean it after it has cooled down and store it dry. You will find the contact for your enquiry in the section on setting up.
What Else Is Worth Considering?
Three grills from our catalogue as a comparison to the Pisa: two from the same manufacturer, one from a higher price class.
| Model | The difference | Price | Our rating | Choose this one if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACTIVA Pisa pedestal grill (this one) | Rectangular grate 54 × 34 cm | approx. €60 | 8.2 | you want a lot of grate area for little money |
| ACTIVA Hebefix | Lever for grate height, described by the manufacturer as a round grill | approx. €60 | 8.1 | you want to change the grate height with one hand while grilling |
| ACTIVA Augsburg | Round grate Ø 39 cm in three heights | approx. €30 | 7.5 | you mostly grill for two and want to spend as little as possible |
| Barbecook pedestal grill round 96 cm | Grate Ø 43 cm, lighting without lighter (QuickStart), extinguishing with water in the foot | approx. €129 | 8.3 | you want to start without a firelighter and can keep a distance from buildings |
The Hebefix costs exactly the same as the Pisa in our price box. It differs in the mechanism: ACTIVA describes a lever with which the grate height can be adjusted in one movement. No grate size is given on the Hebefix manufacturer’s page, which is why it is missing from the area calculation further down.
The ACTIVA Augsburg, at approx. €30, is €30 below the Pisa and, like it, has a vent control on the pedestal. Its round grate is smaller. The Barbecook costs approx. €129, so €69 more than the Pisa; in return, according to Barbecook, it lights without a firelighter and is extinguished with water in the foot.
Converted to grate area, the Pisa costs around 3.5 cents per square centimetre, the Augsburg around 3.3 cents, the Barbecook around 8.9 cents. For an extra €20 over the ACTIVA Augsburg, you therefore get a good half more grate with the Pisa.
The prices are guide values from our price box, and the rating is our editorial assessment based on the available data. Nobody measured it. You can check the current price with the retailer.
Setting Up, Lighting, Cleaning
There is no operating manual to download for the Pisa. The ACTIVA site has no download or support area, and a Pisa manual could not be found through search either. According to the manufacturer’s page, an assembly manual in German comes with the grill; we do not know what it says. Manuals for other ACTIVA models are available from retailers, but they do not belong to the Pisa, and we take nothing from them.
That leaves the following undocumented for the Pisa: minimum distances to buildings and flammable parts, the restriction to outdoor use, suitability for a balcony, permitted charcoal, lighters, extinguishing the embers, disposal of the ash and the maximum grate load. If you want certainty before buying, ask the manufacturer: kontakt@activa-grills.de; according to the manufacturer’s page, the team gives advice daily from 9 am to 6 pm.
As a general rule for every charcoal grill: outdoors only, never in a garage, tent or caravan, because burning produces carbon monoxide, which you cannot smell. The distance to walls and anything flammable depends on the manual of the particular grill. For the Barbecook pedestal grill from our catalogue, the manual requires at least 3 m from buildings. What distance ACTIVA intends for the Pisa, we do not know.
On a balcony, distance questions and house rules come together. Whether charcoal is allowed there is decided first by your tenancy agreement and house rules; how this fits together legally is explained in the guide Grilling on a balcony. As long as no distances are available for the Pisa, we would not set it up there.
For cleaning, ACTIVA names two features: the removable grate and the removable ash box. Amazon adds that cleaning is done after the grill has cooled down. Whether the grate may go in the dishwasher and whether a wire brush is allowed on the chrome plating is not stated anywhere. Until that is clarified, mild washing-up water and a soft sponge are the more cautious choice.
Accessories, Running Costs, Warranty
According to Amazon, nothing more than the four components above comes with the grill. Charcoal and lighters are extra, as is a chimney starter if you want one. ACTIVA does not offer a cover for the Pisa.
Running costs arise from charcoal or briquettes and lighters. We have not drawn up a calculation per grilling evening: charcoal consumption and pan size are missing, and charcoal prices vary from type to type. What distinguishes charcoal from briquettes is covered in the guide Charcoal or briquettes.
The product page names a two-year manufacturer’s warranty for all ACTIVA products; the start, scope and procedure are not stated there. Claims under statutory warranty rights against the seller remain unaffected. The manufacturer’s page also advertises 30 days’ return without giving reasons. That is a commitment of the ACTIVA shop and does not automatically apply to a purchase at Amazon.
The manufacturer’s page calls ACTIVA a German company since 2001, and the About us page a family business. The shop’s legal notice lists DACETO Trading GmbH in Selb as operator; whether it is also the manufacturer is not clear from it.
If you compare offers from different retailers, check the article number 11600. It matches at the manufacturer and Amazon; as EAN, the manufacturer’s shop lists 4260056080289.
When the Pisa Fits and When It Does Not
The Pisa fits if you grill directly over open embers and want as much grate as possible per euro. If you mostly grill for two, in our assessment the smaller Augsburg is enough, and you save the money. If it is regularly four or more people, the area speaks for the Pisa.
Charcoal needs lead time: the charcoal has to glow through before the grate is hot enough, and how long that takes with the Pisa, ACTIVA has not stated. If you want a quick meal during the week, gas or electric is usually the better choice. If you stay with charcoal and want to start without a lighter, the Barbecook is the alternative. What can go wrong when firing up is explained in the guide Charcoal will not light properly.
For roasting with the lid closed or for smoking, the Pisa lacks a lid. For that you need a different type of grill, and the Grill finder sorts by grill type. An overview of the models in this category is at Charcoal grills.
If you want to move the grill often, the photo shows no wheels and there is no reliable weight. The Pisa is also wrong for anyone who wants to rely on stainless steel and on documented safety information before buying. Both are open for this model. If you order it anyway, first read the enclosed assembly manual for distances and fuel before the first charcoal burns.
