BURNHARD Big FRED Deluxe+ Gasgrill

This page covers the Big FRED Deluxe+, the highest trim level of Burnhard’s 4-burner gas grill. The manufacturer sells it in its own shop for approx. €1,099 (Black Edition with cast iron grate, article number 947147, as of 21 October 2026). You can buy it directly from Burnhard via the link below.

The product photo shows the Big FRED in the Deluxe version. The stainless steel burner chamber and rear burner are common to both levels. Most dimensions and output figures below come from the Deluxe page, because Burnhard publishes them more completely there; where the Deluxe+ differs, we say so. We have described the Deluxe without the plus in a separate review: BURNHARD Big FRED Deluxe.

And the “21.2 kW” in our headline? You will not find that number anywhere at Burnhard. Where it probably comes from, we clarify in the technical section.

Base, Deluxe, Deluxe+: three levels of one grill

Burnhard sells the 4-burner Big FRED of the FRED Series 4 in three trim levels. The Base is the bare grill. The Deluxe adds a rear burner and an infrared ceramic burner in the burner chamber, a side hob, and a chopping board with GN food container in the side table. According to the manufacturer’s page, the Deluxe+ adds five more things: Longlife premium cast burners, an infrared ceramic burner in the side table, the grill cover, a smoker box and a kitchen roll holder.

The Deluxe+ comes as a Black Edition and in stainless steel. The stainless steel grate is available for an €80 surcharge. According to its specification, the Deluxe+ weighs 53.5 kg, and the base cabinet and lid of the Black Edition are listed there as cold-rolled steel with powder coating.

At every level the burner chamber is made of stainless steel, including the grease tray and warming rack, and the side panels of the lid and burner chamber are die-cast aluminium. On the body of the Black Edition, however, Burnhard contradicts itself. A note on the Deluxe page speaks of cold-rolled steel with a matt powder coating, whereas the specification table for variant 947141 says stainless steel for the base cabinet and lid. For the Deluxe+ the specification lists cold-rolled steel with powder coating.

The manufacturer is Burnhard GmbH in Düsseldorf. How the Big FRED ranks on price among the other gas grills in our catalogue is shown on the category page.

Grate, side tables, dimensions

The product photo shows the Big FRED in the Deluxe version, and all we can describe from it is what the Deluxe+ also has: a box-shaped build. On top sits the rounded lid with thermometer and a continuous handle bar, below it a control panel with four large knobs and one smaller one. The left side table carries a wooden surface, the right one has its own knob, which fits the side hob that the Deluxe+ also has. At the bottom is a base cabinet with two doors on four castors.

According to Burnhard the main grate measures 70.0 x 41.5 cm, and the manual divides it into three grill grates. Above it hangs a fold-down warming rack measuring 66.2 x 13.5 cm. Burnhard designs the grill for up to 15 people, without saying how much food per head it assumes.

For the scope of delivery of the Deluxe, the product page lists four stainless steel tube burners, the internal infrared ceramic burner and the infrared ceramic rear burner, the side hob, four W-shaped flame tamers (“W-Shape Flavor Bars”), cast iron or stainless steel grates, the fold-down warming rack, a drip tray and grease tray made of stainless steel, an acacia wood chopping board with GN food container in the side table, the gas hose with 50 mbar pressure regulator, a magnetic bottle opener, two hook rails and four rubberised castors with locking brakes. According to the manual, a Phillips screwdriver and three cleaning needles of 0.7, 0.8 and 0.9 mm are also included.

The lid is double-walled, has a lid thermometer and an oven band, that is, a sealing strip on the rim. Both side tables fold down and each carries up to 20 kg. Pots up to 30 cm in diameter fit on the 3 kW hob.

For the Deluxe, Burnhard gives 141.4 x 58.4 x 119 cm (width, depth, height) with the lid closed. Open, it is 64.5 cm deep and 148.5 cm high, and with the side tables folded down the width shrinks to 98.4 cm. On weight, Burnhard states 44.2 kg for the Deluxe and 53.5 kg for the Deluxe+. Burnhard does not publish the dimensions of the Deluxe+ separately.

In detail: 18.2, 21.2 or 24.95 kW?

Burnhard adds up the output differently depending on the document, and none of the sums comes to 21.2 kW.

The Deluxe product page lists four stainless steel tube burners at 3.75 kW each, the internal infrared ceramic burner also at 3.75 kW, the rear burner at 3.2 kW and the side hob at 3 kW. Together these make the 24.95 kW given there as the total. For the Big FRED with rear burner, the manual counts only the four main burners and the rear burner and arrives at 18.2 kW, stated as nominal heat input (Hs). Our guess about the title figure: 18.2 kW plus the 3 kW hob gives exactly 21.2 kW. This calculation is not confirmed anywhere.

For the Deluxe+, the specification lists four tube or cast burners at 3.75 kW each, one infrared ceramic burner at 3.2 kW, the infrared ceramic burner in the side table at 3.5 kW and the hob at 3 kW. Added up, we arrive at 24.7 kW. A second, internal ceramic burner at 3.75 kW does not appear in this list; whether the Deluxe+ gives it up in favour of the side table burner cannot be read reliably from the documents.

What do the kilowatts mean? They describe how much gas burns per hour, not how hot the grate gets. For the main area, which comes to 2,905 cm² by our multiplication, the four tube burners supply 15 kW, roughly 5.2 kW per 1,000 cm². How much of that reaches the food depends on the lid, the flame tamers and the wind.

You light each tube burner individually with the Kickstarter piezo ignition and, according to Burnhard, regulate it continuously. The tube burners can be replaced and retrofitted; according to the manual the gas nozzles are Ø 0.83 mm (main burners) and Ø 0.79 mm (rear burner). The stainless steel W-shaped flame tamers are meant to distribute the heat evenly. Because the burners run separately, you can leave one side hot and the other off, that is, grill directly and indirectly; how that works is explained in our guide to direct and indirect heat.

For the internal infrared ceramic burner of the Deluxe, Burnhard promises up to 900 °C of direct heat from below, and the grates above it are meant to manage without a long preheating time. According to the manufacturer, delicate food belongs over the normal burners. Technically, such a burner burns the gas in a porous ceramic plate, which glows and gives off its heat mainly as radiation upwards. This is the usual principle for short, fierce searing. The 900 °C remains a manufacturer’s figure.

The rear burner sits in the back wall and is intended for the rotisserie: the skewered food turns in front of the glowing ceramic. According to the product page it should not run at the same time as the main burners and the infrared ceramic burner in the grill chamber; the manual gives the risk of overheating and damage as the reason. Roasting on the spit and grilling on the grate therefore work only one after the other.

The lid thermometer shows the temperature of the cooking chamber; on the grate it is usually hotter, according to the manual. As the grilling range, Burnhard recommends 250 to 370 °C, with approx. 15 minutes of preheating with the lid closed.

What Burnhard leaves open

These points are missing from product pages and manuals, and we make no estimates there:

• where the internal ceramic burner sits under the grate
• the gas consumption in g/h of the internal ceramic burner and of the Deluxe+ side table burner
• what temperature the cooking chamber reaches after preheating and how long it takes to reach a given temperature
• material thicknesses of the lid, burner chamber and grates
• the country of manufacture
• external dimensions of the Deluxe+
• the length of the supplied gas hose; only the upper limit of 1.5 m is documented
• whether the grill is allowed on a balcony; the sources say “outdoors only” and give clearances

One inconsistency as well: the side table manual lists the Big FRED under the numbers 946720 to 946723, the shop under 947140 to 947147.

How long does an 11 kg bottle last?

With all four tube burners at full output, arithmetically around 10 hours. The manual gives a connection rating of 273 g of gas per hour for each main burner, so 1,092 g/h together.

An 8 kg bottle therefore lasts around 7.3 hours, a 5 kg bottle around 4.6 hours. Throttled burners lengthen each of these times. The rear burner alone draws 233 g/h, so an 11 kg bottle lasts it around 47 hours. According to the side table manual, the side hob needs an additional 218 g/h. The table in the manual adds the main and rear burners to 1,325 g/h, although according to the same instructions they are not meant to run together.

The supplied pressure regulator is rated for a maximum of 1.5 kg/h. Four tube burners plus the hob come to 1,310 g/h, which is below that. For the internal ceramic burner the consumption figure is missing. If we assume it draws 273 g/h like a tube burner of the same output, all three together would reach 1,583 g/h and thus exceed the limit. That is our calculation with an assumption. If you want to turn everything up at once, you should ask Burnhard service beforehand.

5, 8 and 11 kg bottles fit in the base cabinet. The manual gives their dimensions as 420 mm height and 230 mm diameter (5 kg), 505 and 300 mm (8 kg) and 600 and 300 mm (11 kg). Plastic composite bottles are not permitted in the base cabinet; Burnhard cites fire risk. If you use one, you route the hose outwards through the back wall.

Hose and pressure regulator come pre-fitted. The hose line is CE-approved and at most 1.5 m long, the pressure regulator is permanently set to 50 mbar operating pressure and approved under DIN EN 16129 and DIN EN 16436-1 (these standards apply in Germany and the EU). The hose must not touch the burner chamber and must not run under the grease tray. After 10 years at the latest you replace the hose and pressure regulator, even without visible damage, with the gas hose with gas pressure regulator, art. no. 947107. A routine inspection of the gas system is due at least once a year; repairs to it are a matter for authorised specialists. Which bottle you buy or rent, you discuss with a specialist dealer according to the manual; more in the guide to the gas bottle for the grill.

Four alternatives from our catalogue

The prices are guide values from our price boxes and change constantly; for the Deluxe it is the Green Edition with cast iron grate. The score is our editorial assessment from the data comparison; we measured nothing on any of the five grills.

Deluxe+, Deluxe or another grill: what suits when

Do you ever want to grill on a spit at all? Most depends on that. According to Burnhard, the rear burner cannot be retrofitted. Anyone who starts with the Big FRED Base therefore stays without it for good, but pays approx. €599, against approx. €1,099 for the Deluxe+ in the Burnhard shop.

Do you need the extras of the Deluxe+? The Big FRED Deluxe has the same rear burner and costs approx. €759 (Green Edition), against approx. €1,099 for the Deluxe+ in the Burnhard shop. According to the Burnhard shop, the cover is available as an option for the Deluxe at €69.90. In our comparison the Deluxe, at 8.2, is even slightly ahead of the Deluxe+ at 7.9.

Where should the infrared heat sit? On the Deluxe the ceramic burner lies in the burner chamber and takes up part of the grate area. On the Deluxe+ a ceramic burner sits in the side table. The Rösle Videro G4-S Vario+ follows the same approach without a rear burner; it costs approx. €849, against approx. €1,099 for the Deluxe+ in the Burnhard shop.

Should the spit be in the box from the start? With the Broil King Regal 590, according to the manufacturer a rotisserie set with motor is part of the scope of delivery; for that you pay approx. €1,649, whereas the Deluxe+ costs approx. €1,099 in the Burnhard shop.

Then there is space. With the tables up, the Deluxe is 141.4 cm wide, and because of the heat radiation the manual requires 100 cm clearance to the side, 100 cm to the rear and 200 cm above. To the sides you therefore need about 3.40 m free, and under this rule an awning or canopy must not hang closer than 2 m above the grill. For the Deluxe+ we lack the external dimensions. For regularly more than 15 guests, the Big FRED is too small by Burnhard’s own design.

Setting up, seasoning, cleaning: what the manual prescribes

On setting up, the manual names five points. The grill stands sheltered from the wind. It stays away from moisture, splashing water and electric cables. It keeps 1.5 m from all combustible materials and 7.5 m from flammable liquids. The ground is level, stable and fireproof. And the gas bottle is protected from strong sunlight. Because the grill radiates heat, it never belongs directly against glass fronts, walls or plants.

Before every use you secure it with the castor locking brakes, and during operation it is not moved. Before every change of position you switch it off, close the bottle valve and unscrew the bottle from the hose; you must also remove it because it can otherwise tip over when rolling.

Before every use you check the hose and pressure regulator for cracks and damage and the burners for dirt, and the grease tray is emptied. For the leak test you brush leak detection spray or soapy water (1 part soap to 3 parts water) onto the seals, open the valve and watch for bubbles. If more rise after tightening, the valve stays shut and a specialist dealer has to step in. After every bottle change you repeat the test.

Before the first grilling, according to the manual, you wipe the lid and burner chamber on the outside with a damp cloth, check that the burners sit correctly on the nozzles and let the main burners burn in for 20 minutes without food. Lighting is always done with the lid open and only via the piezo ignition of the respective burner, never with an open flame. You do not lean over the open grill while doing so. The manual prohibits aluminium foil or foil trays on the drip tray and grease tray.

Cleaning is done after every use, with the gas bottle removed, the grill cooled down and without flammable cleaning agents. Beforehand you burn it off: main burners on HI, infrared ceramic burner on LO, 15 to 30 minutes with the lid closed, until no more smoke rises. You soak the flame tamers and clean them with washing-up liquid; the dishwasher is also permitted; no water may get into the gas nozzles. For the inside of the lid and the burner chamber side panels made of uncoated cast aluminium, usual grill cleaners are only of limited use according to the manual; there you use a suitable cleaner or washing-up liquid. A microfibre cloth has no place on stainless steel surfaces, as it can scratch, and you remove residues of stainless steel cleaner completely.

You do not need to clean the ceramic stone of the rear burner. After grease splashes you let it burn clean for 10 to 15 minutes at full heat, with the main burners off. A thorough clean is due every 3 to 4 months, and after longer breaks you check the venturi tube with its insect and spider guard. More detail follows in the guide cleaning a gas grill.

Who is it suitable for?

The Big FRED is the wrong choice for anyone who grills commercially, from catering to a club stall: Burnhard explicitly does not intend it for commercial use. The manual forbids children to use it, and people with reduced physical, sensory or mental capabilities may operate it only under supervision or after instruction.

If you like to tinker yourself, you should know that beyond replacing the burners the manual provides for no repairs of your own; a professional repair service is responsible for those. The grill is never left unattended during operation, and as soon as hot components exceed the ambient temperature by 50 °C, you wear protective gloves according to the manual.

According to our comparison it is in good hands in a garden with room for the stated clearances, for groups of up to about 15 people and with the firm intention of actually using the rear burner. If you are still unsure about size, the Grill Finder helps.