What is behind the name
In Germany Broil King sells this model as the Crown 590 Shadow, item no. 866182. The Crown collection on broilking.de comprises the 420, the 420 Shadow, the 490 Shadow, the 520 Shadow and the 590 Shadow; a Crown 590 without the Shadow suffix is missing there, as is any colour or bundle variant. When this page refers to the Crown 590, we therefore always mean this version. In the manufacturer’s spare parts search, two model numbers are listed for it, 866182 and 866183.
The grill is built by the Onward Manufacturing Company, a Canadian family business that has existed since 1906 and has focused on Broil King since 1985. The manufacturer’s site names Ontario, Indiana and Tennessee as manufacturing locations; the company sources individual components from China and Southeast Asia.
In our gas grill category, the Crown 590 is one of the large freestanding units with an enclosed base cabinet. It has five main burners, a rear burner for the rotisserie and a side cooktop. Our price box lists it at Santos Grills for approx. €967 (on 02.11.2026: €967.00); in Broil King’s manufacturer shop it is listed with an RRP of €1,199.
Combustion chamber, grates, burners
The combustion chamber is made of cast aluminium, which Broil King calls Therma-Cast. The lid above it is black enamelled and has cast aluminium side pieces; the handle is stainless steel. Earlier versions of this page spoke of a stainless steel housing. That was wrong.
On the Crown 590, stainless steel is found elsewhere. The five main burners are dual-tube bar burners made of stainless steel with a combined 13.2 kW. Above them lies the Flav-R-Wave vaporising system, also stainless steel, five pieces according to the parts list.
Grilling takes place on five cast grate segments made of matt enamelled cast iron, which Broil King calls Flav-R-Cast. According to the manufacturer’s graphic, each segment measures 15.4 x 44.3 cm. For the main area the manufacturer gives 80 x 44.3 cm and 3,411 cm²; the enamelled warming rack above measures 83 x 17 cm, and together they come to 4,916 cm². The grates can be tilted. Escaping juices then run off instead of dripping into the flame and causing flare-ups.
The burners are controlled via Linear-Flow gas valves with 180° Sensi-Touch control and ignited via the Sure-Lite electric ignition, which is also fitted to the rotisserie burner. A Deluxe Accu-temp thermometer sits in the lid. Below is a black powder-coated cabinet with two doors, in which the gas cylinder fits, on four lockable casters. The side shelves are also black powder-coated, can be folded down and have accessory hooks.
For weight, the product page states 78.0 kg. For the external dimensions, the same page contradicts itself: a graphic of the Crown 500 series shows 160 cm width, 61 cm depth and 116 cm height, and 108 cm width with the shelves folded down. A second graphic, whose file name refers to the Crown 520 Shadow, shows 144.8 x 61 x 118 cm. For planning the patio we would allow for 160 cm.
What Broil King does not publish for this model: a total output in kW, the gas consumption in grams per hour, the nozzle sizes, sheet metal thicknesses and the material of the inside of the lid, whether the 78.0 kg is net or shipping weight, the largest cylinder that fits in the base cabinet, how the rotisserie motor is supplied with power and which battery the ignition needs, a heat-up time to a given temperature, a number of people for the grate, the factory the Crown 590 comes from, and the year of market launch. All instructions given on this page come from the English manual 20094-50EU (Rev E 02/24), which Broil King assigns to the Crown 590 Shadow on its manuals page. It covers several series; the chapters on the iQue control evidently do not apply to this grill, and it is missing from the tables on output and warranty.
In detail: five zones, a rear burner, and what may run at the same time
If you multiply 80 by 44.3, you get 3,544 cm². Broil King gives 3,411 cm², and that corresponds almost exactly to five segments of 15.4 cm width each. By our calculation, around 77 cm of cast grate therefore lies above the burners, and the rest of the 80 cm is rim.
Each of the five burners has its own knob. For indirect cooking you leave some of them off and place the food over the cold zone while the remaining burners run. With five burners you can divide the zones more finely than with three: for example two burners on, three off, or the outer ones on and the middle off.
The manual describes the temperature that reaches the grate with the lid closed in five levels. On HIGH it is approx. 370 to 400 °C, on Medium/High approx. 320 °C, on Medium approx. 230 °C, on Medium/Low approx. 200 °C and on Low approx. 155 to 175 °C. Broil King adds that the values vary with outside temperature and wind. According to the manual, with the lid closed the grill cooks faster, uses less gas and holds the temperature best. You should preheat for 15 minutes on MEDIUM with the lid closed.
The rear burner has 4.4 kW. A rotisserie set with an electric motor is included, according to the parts list a spit, two four-prong forks and the motor. The old version of this page claimed the opposite. The manual contains a restriction that you should know about before buying: the main burners and rear burner must not run at the same time, and before operating the rear burner the warming rack comes out. The three individual figures added together give 20.3 kW, but they are never applied at the same time. By our calculation, a maximum of 15.9 kW is possible at the same time, namely the main burners plus the 2.7 kW side cooktop.
Do you need the fifth burner?
Only if 65 cm of grate width is regularly too tight for you. At the same grate depth of 44.3 cm, the Crown 590 is 15 cm wider than the Crown 490 Shadow and has one more burner and grate segment. It does not get hotter as a result.
According to Broil King, the Crown 490 Shadow has four main burners with 11.4 kW on 65 cm width. Per centimetre of grate width that is around 0.18 kW, compared with around 0.17 kW for the Crown 590 with 13.2 kW on 80 cm. We consider the difference too small to derive a different grate temperature from it. What you buy with the fifth burner is width: a segment of 15.4 cm on which you can, for example, set up an indirect zone without shrinking the direct one.
On price the relationship is currently reversed. In our price box the Crown 490 Shadow is listed at approx. €996, the Crown 590 at approx. €967. The wider grill is therefore currently not more expensive. These are retailer prices, which can change. We do not have a manufacturer price for the 490, so it is not possible to say whether the gap will stay like this permanently.
Gas connection, cylinder and location
The Crown 590 runs on butane or propane. For Germany the manual gives the appliance category I3P(50), i.e. a pressure regulator with 50 mbar, and it prohibits operation without a regulator. According to the product page, hose and pressure regulator are included; a gas cylinder is not part of the delivery. Broil King describes the hose as 600 mm long. It must be kept away from hot surfaces, expressly including the bottom of the grill, and must not lie twisted. You should check it at every cylinder change, but at least once a year, and not keep using a damaged hose.
Cylinders up to and including 15 kg are permitted, larger ones are not. The cylinder always stands upright, because the valve can be damaged and start to leak if it is lying down. It must stand accessibly so that you can change it and shut it off in an emergency, and before you move the grill you disconnect it. The connection has a left-hand thread: tighten it firmly, but do not overtighten it with the wrench, otherwise the seal suffers. You never remove the regulator while the cylinder valve is open. Changing is done only in a place without flames, and afterwards you check all connections for leaks. After grilling you close the gas at the cylinder.
For storing the cylinder, the manual states clear prohibitions. Never indoors, never in cellars, next to open drains or below ground level, because propane is heavier than air, and never near heat, because the pressure in the cylinder can otherwise rise above the safety limit.
You check for leaks before first use, every time after loosening and reconnecting a gas connection, at least once a year and after any period of standing. For this you mix a soap solution of one part water and one part washing-up liquid. All flames out, grill valves and cylinder valve closed, then slowly open the valve of a full cylinder and brush the solution onto each connection. Where bubbles rise, there is a leak. Then close the valve, tighten the connection, and check again. If the leak remains, you contact your retailer and do not operate the grill. Smoking is prohibited while doing this, as is a burning match or an open flame, and the check is carried out outdoors. What this looks like in practice with common cylinder sizes is explained in our guide gas cylinder for the grill.
If you smell gas, the manual prescribes four steps: first shut off the gas to the appliance, second extinguish open flames, third open the lid, fourth, if the smell persists, call the gas supplier immediately.
You may set up the Crown 590 only outdoors. You keep at least 76 cm clearance to combustible components, it does not belong under an unprotected combustible ceiling or roof, and the surroundings stay free of combustible material, petrol and other flammable vapours and liquids. Combustion and ventilation air must not be obstructed. The appliance is not moved during operation, and accessible parts can become very hot, so small children must stay away. The manual does not mention balconies anywhere.
Cleaning and maintenance according to the manual
Before the first grilling session you wash the grates and Flav-R-Wave with soapy water and run the grill without them for 30 minutes on Medium. Afterwards you oil the grates, put them back in and let the grill burn for a further 30 minutes on Medium/Low.
In everyday use you brush the cast grates before and after each use and oil them thinly. After brushing you should look at them closely to see whether any broken bristles have been left behind. To burn off residue, the grill runs on HIGH with the lid closed, for 10 minutes at most. You check and clean the grease tray and grease cup regularly. Only the supplied Flav-R-Wave is permitted as a vaporiser, no lava rocks and no ceramic briquettes. Aluminium foil must neither cover openings nor cover the whole grate: according to the manual, that blocks the airflow and can lead to overheating or carbon monoxide poisoning.
At least once a year or after more than 30 days of storage, you check the burners and hose and clean the venturi tubes. Spiders, insects and nests can block them and cause a flashback. Signs of this are a smell of gas, a grill that does not get hot, uneven heat or popping noises at the burners. If a flashback occurs, you turn the gas off at the source immediately. Whether the burners are running cleanly is shown by the flame pattern: on HIGH there should be a flame of 2.5 cm at all burner openings. If a burner stays cold or lights poorly, our guide gas grill will not light helps you narrow down the cause.
The air adjustment on the main, rear and side burners is set and sealed at the factory and stays that way. Broil King warns that any modification to the appliance can be dangerous. Adjustments and service belong in the hands of a qualified specialist; you do not repair the regulator, hose, burners and valves yourself. More on cleaning grates and the grease tray can be found in the guide cleaning a gas grill.
Warranty and spare parts
On the product page Broil King shows a warranty graphic for the Crown series: 25 years on the combustion chamber, 10 years on the burners, 2 years on parts and paint, with a reference to the warranty details. Fully worded conditions specifically for the Crown are missing.
The manual describes the warranty in general terms as free repair or free replacement of parts that prove defective under normal domestic use. It applies only to the original purchaser and in the country of purchase. According to the manual, excluded are, among other things, accident, misuse, incorrect installation or maintenance, insects in the burner tubes, severe weather, shipping, assembly and labour costs, and communal use. Anyone who fits third-party parts or a third-party vaporiser automatically loses the warranty.
Broil King sells spare parts through a dedicated page for the Crown 590 Shadow, reachable via the spare parts search with the models 866182 and 866183. The manual requires original spare parts exclusively.
What else is worth considering?
| Model | The difference | Price | Our rating | Choose this one if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broil King Crown 590 Shadow (this one) | 5 burners with 13.2 kW, grate 80 x 44.3 cm, rear burner and rotisserie included | approx. €967 | 9.0 | you often grill for many people and want to use the rotisserie |
| Broil King Crown 490 Shadow | 4 burners with 11.4 kW, grate 65 x 44.3 cm | approx. €996 | 8.9 | your patio is tight and 15 cm less grate width is enough for you |
| Broil King Regal 590 | Stainless steel combustion chamber, 16 kW, grate 80 x 48.8 cm | approx. €1,649 | 9.4 | you want more grate depth and 102 kg of appliance weight is not a problem |
| SANTOS S-518 PRO | Infrared side burner with 4.5 kW, grate 95 x 42.5 cm | approx. €999 | 8.5 | you want to sear steaks at the side burner rather than heat pots |
The prices are guide values from our price box and change with the retailers. The rating is our editorial assessment based on the data comparison, not a measurement result.
When the Crown 590 fits, and when another grill
We would not buy it for a balcony. Around 160 cm width according to one of the two manufacturer graphics, 78.0 kg and 76 cm clearance to everything combustible cannot be accommodated on most balconies, and the manual expressly rules out a combustible roof. If you rent and want to grill on the balcony, you are better off starting with the Grill Finder.
On a patio with space, a lot speaks for the Crown 590 in our comparison. The deciding factors are the rear burner with rotisserie included and the five separately controllable zones. If you mainly want to cook chicken or roasts on the spit, though, you should allow for the main burners staying off then. Grilling sausages alongside at the same time is not possible according to the manual.
If 65 cm of grate width is enough for you, the Crown 490 Shadow comes into question. According to our price box you currently save nothing, quite the opposite.
If you want a stainless steel combustion chamber and need more grate depth, you end up with the Regal 590 with 80 x 48.8 cm and 16 kW. In our price box it is listed at approx. €1,649 (Crown 590: approx. €967) and weighs 102 kg.
The Santos S-518 PRO costs approx. €999 (Crown 590: approx. €967). Instead of the 2.7 kW side cooktop it has an infrared side burner with 4.5 kW and a wider grate of 95 x 42.5 cm; both have a rear burner for the rotisserie. We would take it if you want to sear at the side burner. For pots with side dishes or sauces, the cooktop of the Crown 590 is enough.
The Crown 590 is the wrong choice for anyone who wants to calculate gas consumption precisely before buying: without a consumption figure in grams per hour, the cost per grilling evening cannot be calculated in advance.
