What the Big EARL is
The Big EARL is the larger of the two EARL gas grills from Burnhard GmbH of Düsseldorf. Under the hood there are four main burners, a rear burner for the rotisserie spit on the back wall, and an infrared ceramic burner in the side table. The EARL 3-burner has the same principle, only with one main burner fewer and a grate that is 19.5 cm narrower.
Burnhard sells the grill in four variants. The body comes in stainless steel or as a Black Edition, the grates in cast iron or stainless steel (article numbers 945984, 946399, 946623 and 946625). The Big EARL costs approx. €1,499 in the Burnhard shop (on 21 October 2026: €1,499.00). This amount applies to the two variants with cast iron grates; with stainless steel grates the shop charges €100 more. The product photo on this page shows the stainless steel version with six control knobs, which fits four main burners, rear burner and infrared burner.
Among our gas grills it is one of the large carts with a base cabinet, built for direct grilling on the grate, for the rotisserie spit and for short, hot searing at the side table. According to the manufacturer, it must not be used commercially.
Burners, gas and bottle
The four main burners are stainless steel tube burners with 3.75 kW each, 15 kW in total. The stainless steel rear burner has 3.5 kW and is infinitely adjustable, the infrared ceramic burner in the side table 4.5 kW. This gives the 23 kW that Burnhard states as total output, and the same breakdown is in the manual on page 4.
The grill gets its gas from a liquefied gas bottle: butane (G30) or propane (G31), appliance category I3B/P(50), outlet pressure 50 mbar. It must not be operated with natural gas. A fixed-setting pressure regulator complying with DIN EN 16129 and DIN EN 16436-1 (these standards apply in Germany and the EU) with a maximum of 1.5 kg/h hangs on the pre-fitted hose, and the hose line is at most 1.5 m long. As the connection rating, the manual gives 1418 g/h for all burners together and 255 g/h for the rear burner alone.
What that means for one bottle fill can only be narrowed down roughly. 11 kg divided by 1418 g/h gives just under 8 hours. That is our calculation for the case that all burners run at full power, and that is exactly what is not permitted on this grill (more on that in the next section). With throttled controls the bottle lasts longer, but no manufacturer figure says how much longer.
The base cabinet takes bottles of 5 kg (height 420 mm, diameter 200 mm), 8 kg (505 mm, 229 mm) and 11 kg (600 mm, 300 mm). According to the manual, composite plastic bottles are too tall and should not go in the grill. The connection is in the base cabinet on the left below the burners, and you tighten the union nut by hand, without tools, so that the seal stays intact. You may operate the grill with the bottle in the cabinet, but not store it there. The manual requires you to disconnect the cylinder when the grill is not running, put the protective cap back on and keep the bottle outside the base cabinet. Which size suits your grilling rhythm is covered in the guide to the gas bottle for the grill.
On ignition, the sources contradict each other in their wording. The product page speaks of a kickstarter piezo ignition that lights each burner individually, and for the rear burner of an E-starter with battery. The manual describes an automatic ignition with one AA battery, whose compartment is in the base cabinet, and the battery is not part of the delivery. Between the main burners there is a flame crossover: if wind blows out a burner, it relights it according to the manual.
In detail: three heat sources that work one after the other
First let us convert the main burners to area. 79 x 43 cm gives 3,397 cm², with 15 kW on it, so around 4.4 kW per 1,000 cm². The EARL 3-burner, with 11.25 kW on 59.5 x 43 cm, comes to almost the same value. So the Big EARL does not heat more densely, it is wider. On the Broil King Regal 590 there are, according to the manufacturer, 16 kW on 4,032 cm², just under 4.0 kW per 1,000 cm². How much of that reaches the grate depends on the hood, the flame tamers and wind, and a kW figure says nothing about that.
Four identical burners side by side give you room for zones. The usual approach is to leave one or two burners off, place the food over them and cook with the heat of the others with the hood closed. How this works on gas grills is explained in the guide direct and indirect heat.
The rear burner is not part of this zone play. In a warning on page 28, the manual states that it must never be used at the same time as the main burners. Rotisserie is therefore a separate job on the Big EARL: while the spit runs, the four main burners stay off. If you had imagined letting the chicken turn at the back while grilling vegetables at the front, you will have to re-plan.
The infrared burner in the side table works independently of this. Burnhard gives 900 °C for it, it is infinitely adjustable, and its grate can be hung high or low. The side table lid must be open when lighting and during operation, and the manual even recommends removing it. Only unmarinated and unoiled food goes on the ceramic stone: marinades containing acid and salt, and pepper, can damage it over time when they drip down. So for a marinated pork neck steak it is the wrong place, for a dry piece of beef for searing the right one.
That leaves the hood. The thermometer in the lid shows the air temperature underneath, and the manual itself points out that the display can differ from the temperature at the grate. As a grilling range it recommends 250 to 370 °C. On preheating, the figures diverge: the product page promises that the grill is ready within 10 minutes, the manual gives 10 to 15 minutes in one place and approx. 15 minutes with the lid closed in another.
Body, grates and what is in the box
The combustion chamber is stainless steel on all variants, its side panels and those of the lid are die-cast aluminium. The lid is double-walled, aluminium inside, stainless steel outside. On the Black Edition, the base cabinet and the outside of the lid are instead made of cold-rolled steel with a matt powder coating.
Over the burners lie four W-shaped stainless steel flame tamers, called Flavor Bars by Burnhard. According to the manual, they distribute the heat, catch juices, protect the burners from being clogged by food and the food from flare-ups. The supplied smoker box fits on the W.
Above the main grate hangs a stainless steel warming rack of 75.5 x 24.5 cm, and the side burner measures 30.5 x 24.5 cm. The two side tables carry up to 10 kg each and can be folded in. In the base cabinet there are three stainless steel drawers with wide extension, two large and one small. It rolls on four swivel casters, two of them with brakes.
Burnhard counts the following as the scope of delivery: the grill grates, the smoker box, the warming rack, a double-sided cutting board made of FSC-certified acacia wood, a 6 l stainless steel GN food container, a UV-resistant, PVC-coated cover, the gas hose with 50 mbar pressure regulator, the infrared side burner, storage hooks, a magnetic bottle opener and the casters with locking brake. Not pictured, but included, are the Flavor Bars, grease drain tray, grease collection tray, holder and base plate for the gas bottle, tools and operating instructions.
You buy the gas bottle, the AA battery and the rotisserie spit separately; Burnhard lists the spit in its shop as an accessory for EARL and Big EARL for €109. Delivery is by freight forwarder in two packages, shipping costs are €29, and you can return the grill within 30 days. The Burnhard shop also has a set with plancha for €1,499 and a package with side cart and cast iron grates for €1,949.
How much space does the Big EARL need?
More than the dimensions suggest. The grill is 152.5 cm wide and 62 cm deep, and the instructions also require 100 cm clearance to the rear, to the sides and above. If you keep the side clearances on the left and right, by our calculation you need a good 3.5 m of free width.
With the lid closed the grill is 120 cm high, open 151 cm, and the depth then grows to 75 cm. We derive this assignment from which values change when the lid is opened, because the manual labels its figure 152 x 62 x 120 cm as W/H/D, while the product page writes 152.5 x 62 x 120 cm. If you fold down both side tables, it is still 119.5 cm wide.
There are also two figures for the weight: 89.1 kg on the product page, 89.5 kg in the manual. You are supposed to assemble it with two people on a base, with a Phillips or flat-head screwdriver and a spanner or pliers. Because parts can have sharp edges, Burnhard advises wearing safety gloves during assembly.
For the siting we quote the manual, because it concerns gas and open flame. The grill may only be used outdoors, never in a building, a garage or another enclosed area. It stands on a level, stable and fireproof surface, protected from wind, away from moisture, splashing water and electric cables. It keeps at least 3 m distance from all combustible materials and 7.5 m from flammable liquids. Because it radiates heat, you never place it directly against glass fronts, walls or plants. The ventilation openings of the housing must not be covered under any circumstances, and the grill is not moved during operation.
The manual says nothing about a balcony. With 3 m clearance from anything combustible and 100 cm above, in our reading it will hardly work out on a typical balcony, and then there are the tenancy agreement and house rules. What applies there in general is summarised in the guide grilling on a balcony.
Cleaning and care according to the instructions
Before first use, you burn in the main burners for 20 minutes without food, without the rear burner. According to the manual, this removes preservation residues.
After that the rule is: clean the gas grill after every use. Beforehand you disconnect the gas bottle and wait until the grill has cooled down enough. Flammable cleaning agents and oven cleaners are ruled out. You pull out the grease collection tray and dispose of the grease in an environmentally responsible way; it is reachable through an opening under the right side table. Aluminium foil or aluminium trays belong neither on the grease drain tray nor in the tray, because food residues can collect and ignite there.
You wipe stainless steel surfaces and grates with a damp cloth or rinse them hot. According to the manual, the stainless steel grates, the Flavor Bars and the smoker box may go in the dishwasher, the cutting board on no account. A microfibre cloth scratches the stainless steel and is therefore taboo. For the Black Edition, the instructions name a soft cotton cloth, warm water and mild washing-up liquid, likewise without microfibre. If a cleaner has a contact time, you must not exceed it, otherwise the material can discolour.
You burn off coarse residues: food off, highest setting, lid closed, 15 to 30 minutes until no more smoke rises. You may rinse the interior with water, for example with a watering can, but no water may get into the gas nozzles. You remove food residues on the burners with a brush, clear a blocked nozzle with a nozzle needle, and a blocked venturi tube with a needle or pipe cleaner.
The ceramic stone of the infrared burner is the exception. It cannot and need not be cleaned, grease and meat juices burn off on it, and water or cleaning agents must not touch it under any circumstances.
Every 3 to 4 months or after long periods of standing, the manual provides for a thorough clean. In doing so you check the venturi tube at the end of the main burners and clean its insect and spider guard with a brush. The gas system should be inspected at least once a year, and you replace the pressure regulator and hose after 10 years at the latest, even without visible damage. A new hose may be at most 1.5 m long. If a grease fire breaks out, you switch off the burners if possible and close the lid until the fire is out. You never extinguish an oil or grease fire with water. More on gas grill care in general is in the guide cleaning a gas grill.
What the manufacturer does not state
According to the manufacturer page and manual (as of December 2023), these gaps remain open for us: the cooking area in cm² (the 3,397 cm² above is our calculation from 79 x 43 cm), a maximum temperature under the hood, real gas consumption in operation and how the infrared burner is counted into the 1418 g/h, the thickness and grade of the stainless steel, the country of production, the year of market launch, prices and delivery times for replacement burners, and the motor and load capacity of the rotisserie spit. The manual also contradicts itself on the number of main grates: the equipment list says 4 cast iron grill grates, while the parts list shows the grill grate with quantity 1.
These three alternatives are worth a look
| Model | The difference | Price | Our rating | Choose this one if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BURNHARD Big EARL 4-burner (this one) | 4 main burners on 79 x 43 cm, rear and infrared burner, rotisserie spit extra | approx. €1,499 | 8.7 | you often grill for large groups and have 3.5 m of width free |
| BURNHARD EARL 3-burner | 3 main burners on 59.5 x 43 cm, 136.5 cm wide, otherwise the same concept | approx. €1,039.20 | 8.6 | you mostly grill for smaller groups and want to save 16 cm of width |
| Broil King Regal 590 | 5 main burners on 80 x 48.8 cm, rotisserie spit set with electric motor included, side cooking plate instead of infrared | approx. €1,649 | 9.4 | you use the rotisserie spit often and can do without an infrared station |
| Napoleon Prestige 500 | Infrared side and infrared rear burner, 8.5 mm WAVE stainless steel grates from the factory | approx. €1,689 | 9.1 | you want stainless steel grates from the factory and accept the higher price |
The price of the Big EARL comes from the Burnhard shop (21 October 2026), the other prices are guide values from our price box and change. The ratings are editorial assessments from the respective reviews, and they say nothing about durability after several winters.
When the Big EARL suits you and when another grill does
First, the group size. Burnhard states up to 15 people for the Big EARL, up to 10 for the EARL 3-burner. If you mostly grill for six or eight people, in our assessment the three-burner is enough. According to the price box it stands at approx. €1,039.20 (the Big EARL at approx. €1,499) and is 16 cm narrower.
Then the rotisserie spit. If you want to do rotisserie regularly, the Broil King Regal 590 is the more honest sum: according to the price box it stands at approx. €1,649 (the Big EARL at approx. €1,499), but it includes the rotisserie spit set with electric motor, plus five main burners on 80 x 48.8 cm. With the Big EARL, €109 for the spit from the Burnhard shop come on top. The Broil King has no infrared station, its side burner is a cooking plate with 2.7 kW.
If you want both, infrared at the side table and stainless steel grates, you end up at the Napoleon Prestige 500. According to the price box it stands at approx. €1,689 (the Big EARL at approx. €1,499) and has 8.5 mm thick WAVE stainless steel grates from the factory, an infrared rear burner and, for the main burners, the JETFIRE ignition without a battery (rear and side burners light via a battery housing according to the Napoleon parts list). Burnhard lists the Big EARL with stainless steel grates in its shop for €1,599. A rotisserie spit is not included with the Napoleon either.
The sear question is decided by your recipes. If you grill a lot of marinated food, the infrared burner is of little use to you, because marinade has no place on the ceramic stone. For dry, salted steaks only just before serving, on the other hand, it is built exactly for that.
The Big EARL is the wrong choice for three groups. Anyone who wants to grill on a balcony will fail on the clearances in the instructions. Anyone who wants a grill where spit and grate work at the same time does not get that here. And anyone who wants to use the grill commercially, for catering for example, is according to Burnhard outside the intended use. If you are unsure about the size, the grill finder pre-sorts by number of guests and space.
