What Enders sells under number 2104
The Explorer II is a small gas grill with two burners, article number 2104. The legs are plug-in. With the short ones it stands on a table, with the long ones on the floor.
The product photo shows the freestanding version: a blue, box-shaped hood with rounded edges, a round thermometer at the top centre, and a handle at the front with a small tab underneath. Under the hood are two control knobs with the ignition button between them, and below that four long black legs. It has no side tables, and there is no shelf between the legs either.
On Amazon it is at approx. €122 (Amazon page on 21.10.2026: €121.60), while Enders itself states a recommended retail price of €179.00. The manufacturer is Enders Colsman AG, based in Werdohl, which by its own account has existed since 1883 and develops its grills there; where the Explorer II is produced, Enders does not say. How it compares with the other devices in its class is shown in our overview of gas grills.
We found no manual of its own for the Explorer II, either on the product page or under Service and Downloads. Wherever the manual is mentioned here, we mean the one for the Explorer II Pro (#2108). According to Enders, it has the same two burners, the same grilling area and also the choice between bottle and cartridge. From here on we call it the Pro manual for short.
Burners, grate, hood and frame
Two stainless steel burners at 2.2 kW each, 4.4 kW in total, each with its own control knob. Enders writes of two independently adjustable burners, ignited by piezo. According to the Pro manual, the series burns propane (G31) or butane (G30). The Pro manual lists the Explorer II Pro for Germany and Austria with gas category I3B/P, 50 mbar connection pressure and a nozzle of 0.65 mm diameter, and states it is inspected and approved according to DIN EN 498:2012 and DIN EN 484:2020 (DIN standards, which apply in Germany; the EN parts apply in the EU). These are the values of the Pro; we found no corresponding statement for the Explorer II itself.
Enders gives the grilling area as 49 x 32 cm, so 1,568 cm². On it lies a two-part stainless steel grate with integrated flame covers. This is how we read the statement: the plates that on many gas grills lie over the burners as a separate part and deflect dripping fat away from the flame are worked into the grate here. Under the grate there are removable stainless steel pot grates. Fat runs into a removable collecting tray.
On materials, the manufacturer’s page contradicts itself. The data table lists a cooking hood made of powder-coated steel and a housing made of cast aluminium. The promotional text on the same page speaks of a steel cooking hood and combustion chamber, and the Amazon title names a steel grill tub. For the hood, table and promotional text agree. For the housing, we go with the table because it is the technical statement, but this is not certain.
Assembled, the Explorer II measures W 60 x D 48 x H 78 cm as a freestanding grill and W 60 x D 42 x H 36 cm as a tabletop grill. The working height is 67 cm freestanding and 27 cm on the table. Enders states a weight of 9 kg. The colour is listed as blue on Amazon.
What Enders does not state
Several values you would expect for a gas grill are missing from all the documents we had: the maximum temperature under the hood, the scale and accuracy of the thermometer, the material of the grease collecting tray, the country of production and the year of market launch. Nor does anything say how many people the area is intended for. Gas consumption is given only in the Pro manual, and the warranty period for this exact model only on the packaging, which we have not seen. The word balcony does not appear in the setup rules at all.
In detail: what two separate burners offer
The second control knob is the real reason for two burners on such a small area. If you switch one side off, you grill indirectly. According to the Pro manual, the food then lies over the switched-off burner, the other one runs, and the lid stays closed. On this side hardly any radiation arrives from below; cooking is done with the hot air circulating under the hood. For a thick chicken leg, this is the more sensible zone, because the skin does not char before anything happens inside. On the burning side there is room for sausages, which may lie directly over the flame.
By calculation, 4.4 kW is spread over 1,568 cm², which is a good 2.8 W per square centimetre. On its own the figure says little. In comparison it becomes useful: according to tepro, the tepro Chicago has 6.0 kW over approx. 47 x 35 cm, which is about 3.6 W per square centimetre. More power per area does not automatically mean a higher temperature, because hood, grate and wind also play a part. It does mean more reserve if the temperature drops on a cool evening after the food goes on.
For preheating, the Pro manual gives approx. 10 to 15 minutes at full power, depending on external influences. Which temperature is reached afterwards is shown to you only by the thermometer in the hood.
The three cooking functions Enders advertises, grilling, cooking and baking, depend on two components. The pot grates are there for cooking: if you remove one grate half, a pot stands directly over the burner. That is at least how we understand the description on the product page. For pizza, the Pro manual provides a pizza stone, which you preheat for approx. 10 to 15 minutes at approx. 180 to 200 °C. Our assessment: pizza works with it, but it does not turn the Explorer II into a pizza oven.
Gas bottle or screw-on cartridge: what do you need?
Everything is included for the gas bottle, but not for the cartridge. Enders packs an 80 cm hose and a pressure regulator for bottle operation in the box. If you want to grill with a screw-on cartridge, according to the Pro manual you need a different regulator and a holder, which is available as an accessory.
The included regulator works at 50 mbar, at least that is how the spare parts shop lists it for #2104. For the bottle, the Pro manual names a pressure regulator according to DIN EN 16129, type 694, and a gas hose according to DIN EN 16436-2. Bottles of 5, 8 or 11 kg standing next to the grill are approved. Bottle and cartridge are not included. Which bottle size suits which purpose is explained in our guide to the gas bottle for the grill.
For the cartridge, the Pro manual requires a pressure regulator according to DIN EN 16129, type 794, and a cartridge of approx. 450 g according to DIN EN 417:2012 with a 7/16 inch screw thread. Enders refers here to its own gas cartridge with item no. 6322. On the manufacturer’s site, the 450 g screw-on cartridge costs €7.99 and the cartridge holder set for the Urban II and Explorer II series €34.95. Whether the type 794 regulator is part of this set, we could not clarify.
How long a cartridge lasts, we derived from the Pro manual. For the two 2.2 kW burners, it states a consumption of approx. 321 g per hour. At full power on both sides, 450 g therefore last around 84 minutes, preheating included. By the same calculation, a 5 kg bottle lasts a good 15 hours and an 11 kg bottle a good 34. With the cartridge price from the manufacturer’s site, one hour at full load costs around €5.70. If you grill with one burner or on a low flame, the gas lasts longer; by how much cannot be calculated, because only the full-load value is available.
These three alternatives are worth a look
| Model | The difference | Price | Our rating | Choose this one if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enders Explorer II (this one) | 2 x 2.2 kW, steel hood, tabletop and freestanding legs | approx. €122 | 8.0 | you want two zones and use the grill sometimes on a table, sometimes on legs |
| Enders Explorer II Pro | Cast aluminium hood, shelf plate, 10 kg | approx. €158 | 8.1 | the grill often stands outdoors or travels in the boot of the car |
| tepro Chicago 2-Brenner | 2 x approx. 3.0 kW, stainless steel lid, tabletop grill only | approx. €121 | 8.0 | it always stands on a table at your place anyway |
| Broil King Regal 590 | Grill trolley, 16 kW main burners, 4,032 cm² | approx. €1,649 | 9.4 | you have a fixed spot in the garden and grill for large groups |
The prices are guide values from our price box and change. The rating is our editorial assessment based on the manufacturer’s data; we did not measure anything on any of these grills.
When the Explorer II fits and when another one does
The Explorer II Pro costs approx. €158 according to the price box, the Explorer II approx. €122. According to Enders, burners and grilling area are the same; the difference is in the hood: powder-coated cast aluminium on the Pro instead of steel. There is also a shelf plate, and the Pro weighs 10 kg and is 81 cm high when assembled. The recommended retail prices according to Enders are €199 against €179. Aluminium does not form iron rust. With the steel hood, the protection depends on the powder coating, which easily picks up a dent when loading and unloading. If you take the grill along in the boot or leave it standing in the open, we would pay the extra for the Pro. If you put it away dry in the shed after every use, you will get by with the Explorer II.
The tepro Chicago costs approx. €121 according to the price box, the Explorer II approx. €122, and the Chicago has the higher power per area from the detail section. According to tepro, it weighs approx. 8.5 kg, has a stainless steel lid and is approx. 36 cm high, a pure tabletop grill. If you have a garden table anyway, you are missing nothing. At a pitch without a table, on the other hand, everything speaks for the long legs of the Explorer II.
Neither of the two is meant for large groups. The Broil King Regal 590, our overall winner among the gas grills, has five main burners with a combined 16 kW according to Broil King, and a main grilling area a good two and a half times as large. It costs approx. €1,649 and weighs 102 kg, so nothing about it can be taken along. Our assessment of the Explorer II: for an evening for two or a small family the area is enough, for a garden party it is not.
On a balcony, two distances from the Pro manual decide whether it fits at all. It must be at least 0.5 m from combustible materials, and above the highest point of the opened hood, up to 1 m in height, there must be no object and no part of a building. An awning or the balcony above can easily fall within that metre. Whether gas is allowed on your balcony is governed by your tenancy agreement and house rules; what matters is summarised in our guide to grilling on a balcony.
For camping, the 9 kg and the legs, which you pull off for the journey, count. The 67 cm working height is well below a kitchen worktop, so if you are tall, you stand bent over it.
Connection, operation and cleaning according to the manual
The union nuts have a left-hand thread. On the bottle, you tighten the pressure regulator by hand only, without tools, so that the seal is not damaged. You place the bottle next to the appliance. Then you check for leaks: spray all sealing points with standard leak detection spray or brush them with soapy water, 1 part soap to 3 parts water. Where bubbles form, the connection is leaking; then retighten the nuts and repeat the check. If everything is tight, you clean the connections with water. According to the Pro manual, a leak test with an open flame is strictly forbidden.
On gas, it also says: the gas grill may only be operated with a pressure regulator, and the included one is set at the factory for liquefied gas. When buying or renting the bottle, you get advice from a specialist dealer. When you connect or replace the bottle, there must be no ignition sources and no open fire nearby. There is no smoking when handling the gas system, and the bottle does not stand near open fire. The hose must not be kinked or chafe and must be accessible along its entire length.
The intended use is narrowly defined. The gas grill may only be used outdoors, and it is not intended for use by children and persons with a limited ability to operate devices. Accessible parts can get very hot: warn bystanders, keep children away, and wear protective gloves when handling hot components.
It is set up sheltered from the wind, on a level and stable surface, away from moisture and splashing water, with the ventilation openings free and the distances from the balcony paragraph. It is never left unattended during operation. You check the hose and regulator for cracks and damage before every use. If the pressure regulator, hose or bottle are defective or leaking, you do not put the grill into operation. The bottle valve is open only while the grill is running, and in the event of a gas leak or a malfunction you close it immediately. You never cover the grilling area completely with aluminium foil or the like, to avoid overheating. You protect the bottle and cartridge from strong sun: the bottle must not exceed 40 °C, the cartridge 50 °C.
Fats and oils can ignite spontaneously when heated strongly. You therefore dab excess fat and marinade off the food before grilling, and you remove fat deposits regularly, especially on the inside of the combustion chamber and in the grease collecting tray. You never extinguish burning, hot or smoking fat or oil with water.
The grill is cleaned after every use, without abrasive or chlorine-containing cleaning agents. You remove food residues from the burners with a soft brush, not a wire brush. You never free stiff valves and control knobs with oil or penetrating oil, because gas and oil together can be explosive. Repairs and maintenance on gas-carrying parts are reserved for authorised specialist personnel.
Accessories and spare parts
On the product page, Enders lists matching accessories with prices from the manufacturer’s site: the premium weather cover for the Urban II and Explorer II series for €19.99, plus a pizza stone, cast iron grate and cast iron plate for €34.95 each. Added to that is the cartridge holder set from the gas section. For us, the cast iron grate is the most interesting item on the list, because cast iron stores more heat than a stainless steel grate and releases it to the food when it is put on.
For the Explorer II itself, Enders has a dedicated spare parts page with 15 parts. In the spare parts shop, for example, the stainless steel grilling grate set of two halves costs €17.90, the leg set €24.90, the black thermometer €9.90 and the grease collecting tray €6.90. For a grill in this price class, this decides whether repairing is worthwhile: a new grate set costs in the shop around a seventh of what the whole grill costs according to our price box.
