HOMAVO Holzkohlegrill 2-in-1

A box on four legs, with a lid and two shelves

The product photo shows a black, box-shaped grill body on a frame made of square tubing. The lid is also angular, opens towards the back and has a silver bar handle on top, and the thermometer sits on its front. Two shelves hang on slanted struts to the left and right. In the front of the body there is a drawer with a silver handle, presumably the ash drawer from the parts list. A bottom shelf sits between the legs, and two wheels run along the right-hand side.

Amazon lists the grill as HOMAVO Holzkohlegrill 2-in-1 (charcoal grill), model BBQ1-2026, part number BBQ1. In the instruction manual it is simply called Product Model BBQ1, and in the manufacturer’s shop a trolley charcoal grill. The same product page lists the BBQ2, which according to the shop differs only by a supplied cover, and alongside it two folding grills (BBQ3 and BBQ5). On its own website, HOMAVO presents itself as a brand for furniture and home living, with grills as one part of the range.

The BBQ1 costs approx. €60 (Amazon page on 20.10.2026: €59.99). In the manufacturer’s shop, the same model number was also listed at €59.99 during our research.

In our charcoal grill category, the BBQ1 is one of the smaller grill trolleys with a lid. We did not have it in front of us and did not grill anything on it. Our basis is the bilingual manual (28 pages, as a PDF on homavo.eu), the shop’s product and warranty pages, the Amazon catalogue entry for ASIN B0GY525YT8 and the photo. Wherever something is our own assessment, it is marked as such.

Dimensions, weight and assembly

Assembled, the grill measures 106.5 x 43.7 x 106 cm according to the manual; the shop rounds this to 107 x 44 x 106 cm. So the width and height are both around 106 cm, and the depth just under 44 cm. The width includes the two side shelves. For one side, the Amazon catalogue gives 166 cm when converted, which matches neither the manual nor the shop; we consider the value a data entry error.

The grill body alone measures 48.5 x 34.5 x 12 cm. The manual gives the grilling area as 45 x 32 cm, which is 1,440 cm². Above that sits a warming area of 46 x 10 cm, around 460 cm², so a narrow strip with room for bread rolls or finished sausages. The parts list includes two grill grates, a warming rack and, below, a charcoal grate on which the embers lie.

The manual contradicts itself on the number of air openings. The data table says “Rauchabzug 3” (smoke vent 3), while the parts list has one vent (chimney) plus two adjustable dampers. We read this as three openings in total, one outlet and two adjustable flaps.

The fire chamber is bolted together from four walls: left, right, front, back. The frame consists of two U-shaped legs, two left and two right lower legs, two supports, the bottom shelf and an axle with two wheels. A bottle opener is also on the parts list. The BBQ1 weighs 13 kg net. For assembly, the manual shows 16 assembly steps. According to the Amazon text, a powder coating is meant to protect against rust.

This information is missing from the manual, shop and catalogue:

• Material and wall thickness of the body, lid and frame
• Material of the grates; the manual only mentions a coating that is said to be fragile
• Measuring range of the lid thermometer
• Maximum temperature, heat-up time and burn time
• Number of levels and mechanism of the height-adjustable charcoal tray
• A number of people it serves
• Dimensions and working height as a tabletop grill
• Origin and country of production
• Notes specifically on balcony use

In detail: charcoal tray, dampers and lid thermometer

On a charcoal grill without a gas valve, three variables remain: how much charcoal burns, how far it sits from the grate and how much air it gets. The BBQ1 has a mechanism for each of the last two.

According to the Amazon text, the charcoal tray is height-adjustable. The manual shows a left and a right handle by which the tray is gripped. The principle behind it is simple: the radiant heat of the embers drops off quickly with distance. If the charcoal sits high, close to the grate, a steak gets the strong heat it needs for a crust. If you lower the tray, the heat at the grate falls without you having to remove or rearrange any charcoal. For sausages, vegetables or thicker cuts that need to cook through, that is the more convenient position.

The two dampers control the air. The further they are open, the more oxygen reaches the embers and the hotter they burn. If you close them, that slows combustion, and if all openings are sealed, the charcoal eventually suffocates. Exactly where the two dampers sit is not clearly visible in the photo; a round knob can be seen on the right side of the body.

With the lid closed, the box becomes a small oven. The hot air rises, builds up under the lid and flows around the food from above. If you want to cook indirectly, you push the embers to one half of the tray and put the meat over the empty side. With a grate width of 45 cm, each zone is left with roughly 22.5 x 32 cm, by our calculation around 720 cm². That is enough for a chicken or two or three chops, but probably not for more. Our guide to direct and indirect heat explains how this split works in general.

The lid thermometer measures the air at the top under the lid, not at grate level. Next to a one-sided bed of embers, these two values are often far apart. For a roast, we would therefore also use a probe thermometer.

The bottleneck lies elsewhere. The Amazon text gives the maximum charcoal quantity as approx. 1 kg and expressly asks you not to overfill. The manual gives no figure for this. How long a kilo burns depends on the charcoal and the air supply. Briquettes generally burn more evenly and for longer than lump charcoal, but take longer to glow through. For an evening with several courses, you will have to add more.

Is the BBQ1 any good as a tabletop grill?

That is not documented. Only the Amazon text promises that the grill works either as a stand grill or a compact tabletop grill. The manual describes the build with legs, axle and wheels and no tabletop mode, and the manufacturer’s shop does not mention it either.

The parts list does distinguish U-shaped legs and separate lower legs. Whether the tabletop version is created by leaving off the lower legs, or by lifting the body off the frame entirely, remains open. That also means the height and footprint in this state are missing, as is how much of the 13 kg falls on the body.

More important is one sentence from the manual: the grill must not be placed on wood or other flammable surfaces, and belongs on a solid, fireproof surface that carries its weight. As we read it, that rules out the classic wooden garden table, as well as the picnic table at a campsite. A stone slab, a masonry shelf or a concrete table would be acceptable. If tabletop use is your reason for buying, ask the retailer beforehand how the conversion is meant to work.

Setting up, lighting, cleaning: what the manual prescribes

According to the manual, the BBQ1 is intended for outdoor use only and for domestic use only. A pictogram crosses out car, house and tent, and it must not be operated in enclosed or unventilated spaces. It must stand stable and level, on a solid, fireproof surface.

On clearance, HOMAVO is specific. While grilling, the manual requires at least 3 m from flammable materials and lists them: bushes, shrubs, trees, leaves, grass, wooden decks, fences and buildings. Petrol, other flammable liquids, gases and vapours should be kept away, and the grill should be neither stored nor used there. For a terraced-house garden with a hedge, that is a calculation to make before the grill gets its spot.

For operation: keep a fire extinguisher ready, do not wear loose clothing and keep your hair away from the grill. Children and pets stay away, and when not in use the grill stands out of their reach.

For lighting, the manual lists several prohibitions. Never petrol, paraffin or alcohol, because of the risk of flash fires, fire and explosion. If you use lighter fluid, you keep the lid open until the charcoal has fully ashed over and the fluid has burned off, otherwise dangerous vapours build up. No lighter fluid goes onto warm or hot charcoal, and no instant-light charcoal onto charcoal that is already burning.

Clean as often as you use the grill, but only once the charcoal is completely extinguished and the grates have cooled. The shop adds that the grill should also cool down fully before covering and storing it. For stains on the lid and front panel, the manual recommends a cleaning pad, and the inside is wiped out with a cloth or paper towel. You clean the grates with warm water and pat them dry. According to HOMAVO, their coating is fragile: you should not knock it, strike it or drop it. A wire brush does not appear in the manual; we would not use one on this coating.

What else is worth considering?

The prices are guide values from our price boxes and change; the rating is our editorial assessment of the available data and not a measurement result.

When the BBQ1 fits and when another grill does

Area first. In our assessment, 1,440 cm² of main grate is enough for a household of two or three people if food is put on in batches. If you regularly have six guests, you end up with the SunJas, whose grate according to the catalogue has around 2,695 cm², almost double. The SunJas is listed in our price box at approx. €86, the BBQ1 at approx. €60.

Then the lid. If you want to grill open, sausages, skewers, vegetables, and never cook under the lid, the tepro Pasadena 1030 (approx. €76 in our price box) with a larger grate and, according to the manual, up to 2 kg of charcoal is the more fitting choice. For indirect cooking and reading a temperature under the lid, on the other hand, you need a model like the BBQ1.

The cover is purely a budget question. The BBQ2 comes with it and is listed in our price box at approx. €70, the BBQ1 at approx. €60. If the grill stands outdoors without a roof, in our assessment we would go for the BBQ2; if you have a covered spot or already own a suitable cover, you take the BBQ1. If you are unsure which type suits you in general, you can click through the Grill Finder.

And the location. A wooden balcony, a wooden terrace or a narrow balcony right against the house wall does not go with the manual’s clearance and surface rules. If you can only grill on a balcony, you should read your house rules and tenancy agreement first and rather think about an electric grill.

Who is it for?

For two or three people with a paved spot in the garden who want a lid with a thermometer and are happy to live with one kilo of charcoal per fire. Two shelves and the bottom shelf keep plates, tongs and the charcoal bag within reach.

If the grill stands outdoors all year, according to the Amazon text only the powder coating protects against rust, and its layer thickness is not stated anywhere. A cover is not included with this model. For tenants with a wooden balcony or a balcony without 3 m of air to the facade, the BBQ1 is the wrong choice according to the manufacturer’s own manual, and anyone who has firmly planned on tabletop mode is buying a function that only the Amazon text describes.