Enders UNIQ 3 IK CRUSTER

What Enders has built here

The UNIQ 3 IK CRUSTER, article number 8700, is a gas grill from Enders Colsman AG of Werdohl: a cabinet cart with a base cabinet, two side tables and five burner positions. Three of them are stainless steel main burners under the grate. Added to these are a ceramic burner in the cooking chamber, which Enders calls the CRUSTER, and a side burner in the right-hand side table. For all five together, the data sheet gives a total output of 21.8 kW.

On Amazon the grill costs approx. €603 (Amazon page on 20.10.2026: €602.95), and Enders’ recommended retail price is €699. Under the UNIQ name the manufacturer lists five more gas grills, including the larger UNIQ 4 IK CRUSTER and the UNIQ Pro 3 IK CRUSTER. What else we have compared in gas grills is in the gas grill overview.

What sets this three-burner apart from an ordinary gas grill of its size is the heat from above. According to Enders you can tilt the CRUSTER infinitely, it delivers 800 °C infrared top heat, and the manufacturer names steaks, pizzas and desserts as its uses. A rotisserie spit is not included, by the way; Enders sells the Grillspieß Pro (art. no. 7908) separately.

Burners, grate, hood: what the grill is made of

The three main burners deliver 2 x 3.7 kW and 1 x 4.2 kW. The stronger one is the TURBO ZONE with infrared mesh. In the technical data of the manual it appears as its own line next to the two 3.7 kW burners, so it is one of the three main burners and not an additional fourth zone. The earlier version of this article had presented this differently. You light each burner individually via a battery-free piezo ignition in the control knob, and each control knob has five settings.

Enders states the grilling area as 63 x 45 cm, which is 2,835 cm². The grate is enamelled cast iron with a removable round insert; Enders calls this system SWITCH GRID. How many parts the grate has is contradictory in the documents: the product page says “three-part”, while the manual’s parts list gives the SWITCH GRID grate with a quantity of 4. Above it sits a stainless steel warming rack, and below it three stainless steel flame covers protect the burners.

The cooking hood is double-walled, made of enamelled steel and cast aluminium according to the data sheet, with a thermometer in the front. The combustion chamber is made of stainless steel and cast aluminium, the control panel and side shelves of stainless steel. Grease runs into two stainless steel drawers that you pull out from the front.

A few details you would expect from a grill in this price range are missing from the product page and the manual:

• a heat-up time in minutes, including for the 800 °C at the CRUSTER and TURBO ZONE (the manual only speaks of a short heat-up time)
• the size of the TURBO ZONE and the diameter and position of the round insert
• the area of the warming rack and the height of the cooking chamber
• measuring range and accuracy of the hood thermometer
• the material of the doors and chassis
• an option to convert to natural gas
• country of manufacture and assembly time
• a number of people the grill is intended for

The assembled size is W 145 x D 65.5 x H 120 cm, the working height 90 cm, the weight 58 kg. The cart stands on four casters, two of them with brakes. Behind the two doors of the base cabinet there is room for a gas bottle of up to 11 kg, and according to Enders it may remain there during operation too.

The left side table holds a GN 1/2 container and a bamboo cutting board, which Enders provides as a preparation surface. The parts list calls the container “GN container 1/2 x 100”. Under the Gastronorm standard, a 1/2 container has a footprint of 325 x 265 mm, and the number after it usually stands for the depth in millimetres for such containers. The board has a practical reason: according to the manual, the stainless steel side shelves are not intended for direct contact with food.

Assembly follows a pictorial manual with 29 steps. It does not work without tools, and at one point the manual explicitly asks for a second person. Because individual components can have sharp edges, Enders requires safety gloves when unpacking and advises against opening the packaging with a box cutter.

In detail: CRUSTER, TURBO ZONE and HEAT RANGE

A normal open-flame gas burner mainly heats the air in the cooking chamber, and this hot air cooks the food. An infrared burner, whether with a ceramic plate or metal mesh, instead makes a surface glow that gives off its heat mostly as radiation. Radiation hits the surface of the food directly. The outside therefore browns quickly while the core lags behind more slowly. That is how infrared works in principle; the 800 °C itself is a manufacturer’s figure.

The UNIQ 3 uses this technology in two places. From below works the TURBO ZONE, which the manual describes as a freely adjustable grilling zone with strong, direct heat. From above works the CRUSTER with 6.7 kW. Upright, it acts like a classic back burner according to Enders; tilted, it becomes top heat. This lets you brown a gratin or set a crust from above without turning the food over.

HEAT RANGE is Enders’ name for the rest of the burner system: reworked stainless steel burners, dedicated flame covers and a protected U technology. The manual gives 80 to 300 °C in the cooking chamber and up to 400 °C directly at the grate for this. According to the manufacturer, the new flame covers should produce fewer flare-ups, meaning sudden flames from dripping fat.

These values lead to a procedure known as reverse searing. A thick steak first cooks indirectly at low temperature: an outer burner on, the meat over the switched-off one. Only at the end does it go briefly onto the TURBO ZONE or under the CRUSTER. How to divide the zones on a three-burner is explained in our guide to direct and indirect heat.

Can everything burn at the same time?

No. With the hood closed, the CRUSTER may not run together with the other burners according to the manual. With the hood open it is permitted with the three main burners or with two main burners and the side burner. According to Enders, running all burners and cooking positions at once causes a loss of performance and can be dangerous.

For the side burner the reverse applies: it runs with at most two main burners plus the CRUSTER, or with all main burners but then without the CRUSTER. You may only light the CRUSTER in the upright position. You never light the side burner with the lid closed, and the lid also stays open during operation. The pot on it must have a diameter between 14 and 24 cm.

What this means in practice is not spelled out in the manual, but follows from the rules. A pizza with top heat from the CRUSTER and simultaneous bottom heat from the main burners under a closed hood is not intended under this rule. If you want to preheat the pizza stone, you have to do it in sequence or work with the hood open. For reverse searing from above the rule is no obstacle, because the two phases come one after the other anyway.

Gas: connection, bottle and consumption

In the box is a 50 mbar pressure regulator to DIN EN 16129 (a standard that applies in Germany and the EU), type 694, with integrated hose rupture protection (EFV), plus a hose 0.8 m long. According to the manual you must not use an additional hose rupture protection. The grill is set for propane (G31) and butane (G30), gas category I3B/P for Germany and Austria, and according to the manual is tested and approved to DIN EN 498:2012 and DIN EN 484:2020 (standards that apply in Germany and the EU). The gas bottle is not included. What to consider when buying a bottle is in our guide to the gas bottle for the grill.

When connecting, the order matters. The union nuts have a left-hand thread. You tighten the hose at the pressure regulator with a spanner. You screw the pressure regulator onto the bottle by hand only, without tools, so that the seal stays intact. At the grill you remove the protective cap, tighten the hose end with the spanner and hold against it with a second spanner on the flats.

Then you check for leaks. All sealing points are sprayed with commercially available leak detection spray or brushed with soapy water (1 part soap, 3 parts water), then you open the bottle valve. If bubbles form, the point is leaking: close the valve, retighten, repeat the check. Afterwards clean the connections with water. A leak test with an open flame is “strictly prohibited” according to the manual. You should also check the hose and pressure regulator for cracks and damage before every use.

The manual gives consumption as a nominal value at full output, per burner position: 269 g/h for each 3.7 kW main burner, 306 g/h for the TURBO ZONE, 488 g/h for the CRUSTER and 255 g/h for the side burner. Together this gives a connected load of 1,586 g/h.

This connected load assumes every burner position is fully open, which is exactly the combination Enders warns against. More realistic is our example calculation with the three main burners on the highest setting: 844 g/h, so an 11 kg bottle would be empty after a good 13 hours. The CRUSTER alone would last around 22 hours on the same bottle. When grilling, the burners rarely run at full setting, so actual consumption is lower. Notable: in the manual Enders describes the TURBO ZONE as economical in consumption, although its nominal value is above that of the normal burners. What is probably meant is that it only has to run briefly for searing.

Accessories for the SWITCH GRID and the cover

Inserts that Enders sells separately fit into the round insert of the grate. The manufacturer’s page lists the following prices (RRP): pizza stone €44.95, sear grate €39.95, frying pan €49.95, poultry roaster €39.95, Dutch oven €89.90 and wok €59.90.

For the UNIQ 3, Enders also lists a replacement SWITCH GRID for €89.90, a stainless steel variant for €109.00, a cast iron reversible plate 1/3 for €59.90, and plancha cast plates in M for €99.90 and in L for €114.00 (each RRP according to the manufacturer’s page). The Grillspieß Pro costs €89.90 there. The Premium weather protection cover (art. no. 5727) for €69.90 RRP names the UNIQ 3 in its title among several fitting models; exact dimensions of the cover are not given there.

One restriction applies to any covering of the grate. To avoid overheating, the grilling area must not be completely covered with aluminium foil or similar. The exception is the original Enders cast iron reversible plate, which may be used according to its own manual.

Cleaning, setting up, storing: what the manual requires

Before the first grilling session, you clean the grate and all parts that come into contact with food. After that, the burners should run for 20 minutes without food to remove production residues. Enders points out that a slight smell may occur and the colour of the hood and combustion chamber may change slightly.

You clean before every use and after every use, and only once the grill has cooled down enough. Abrasive, chlorine-containing and flammable cleaning agents are off limits. The manual instead names a damp cloth or hot rinsing with mild washing-up liquid, then rinsing and drying; the grill must be completely dry before the next use. Under the name SIMPLE CLEAN, the individual parts of the combustion chamber and the grease trays can be removed without tools. They are made of stainless steel and dishwasher-safe according to the manual. You never pull out the grease trays during operation, and you dispose of the grease in an environmentally responsible way. How we would keep a gas grill clean in general is in the guide cleaning a gas grill.

On grease fires the manual is clear. Fats and oils can ignite by themselves when heated strongly. You dab off excess fat and marinade before grilling and remove grease deposits regularly, especially in the combustion chamber, on the flame covers and in the grease tray. Burning, hot or smoking fat is never extinguished with water.

When setting up: outdoors only, sheltered from wind, on a nearly level and stable surface, away from moisture and splashing water. You keep at least 1 m distance from flammable and heat-sensitive materials, nothing and no part of a building may be above the grill up to a height of 2 m, and the ventilation openings of the bottle compartment stay clear. If there is something flammable all around, such as a hedge and a wooden fence, the grill occupies an area of 3.45 x 2.655 m by our calculation. Before grilling you apply the parking brakes, and during operation the grill is not moved and not left unattended. The bottle valve is only open while grilling. To switch off, you first close the bottle valve and then turn all knobs to off.

According to Enders, repairs to gas-carrying parts belong in the hands of authorised specialist staff. You should never free up stiff valves or regulators with oil or penetrating oil, because gas and oil can form an explosive mixture. The grill spends the winter frost-free and dry, with the hood closed and covered.

The manufacturer warranty is voluntary, applies to first buyers and supplements the statutory warranty rights. You only get the extended periods if you register the grill on the Enders website within three months of purchase. According to the manual the following then apply: 10 years for the cooking hood and combustion chamber against rusting through or burning through, 5 years for the grease drawer and SIMPLE CLEAN against rusting through and burning through, 5 years for the CRUSTER, 3 years for stainless steel burners, enamelled cast iron grates and the warming rack against rusting through or burning through, 3 years for plastic elements and the side burner, and 2 years for all other parts, such as burner covers, ignition bridge, screws and thermometer.

What else comes into question?

The prices are guide values from our price box and fluctuate in the shops. The rating is our editorial assessment from the data comparison; none of it was measured at the grill.

Who the UNIQ 3 suits and who it does not

The CRUSTER is the reason to buy this grill. If you do not plan to brown or set crusts from above regularly, you are paying for a component you will hardly use. According to our price box the Weber Spirit E-410 costs approx. €548, the UNIQ 3 approx. €603. The Weber has four burners and ranks higher in our comparison. For pure grilling on the grate we would rather reach for it.

It looks different if exactly this top heat matters to you and space is limited. Then the three-burner is narrower than the UNIQ 4 and the UNIQ Pro 3. If you often grill for many people, the UNIQ 4 IK CRUSTER is the obvious choice: it has one more burner and costs approx. €699 according to our price box. For very large groups the Broil King Regal 590 with a rotisserie spit included comes into question, though it costs approx. €1,649.

Budget for the bottle and the cover: Enders requires a frost-free, dry room for storage, with the hood closed and the unit covered. And allow for the space requirement from the safety section, not the assembled size alone: on a small terrace with wooden cladding it quickly gets tight.

The UNIQ 3 is wrong for anyone who wants to use it commercially, for example at a club event or in a snack bar. The manufacturer warranty applies only in Europe and only to products used privately. If you want to let children help at the grill, the manual sets a clear limit: the appliance is not intended for use by children and people with a reduced ability to operate appliances, and because accessible parts can be very hot, children and vulnerable people should be kept away.