An electric tabletop grill with a lid that the manufacturer no longer lists
The Rommelsbacher BBQ 4000 is an electric grill for outdoors with a single heating zone, a hinged lid and a two-piece cast iron grate. Rommelsbacher itself calls it a tabletop grill and lists it in the product group “Stand- & Tischgrills” (freestanding and tabletop grills). In our database it runs as a freestanding grill because that is what the category is called there; in the text we follow the manufacturer.
On the manufacturer’s site the model is now shown as “no longer in the range”. The data sheet and instructions (version R2404) are still available, and almost all the details below come from exactly those. The reference value of our price box is approx. €183 at Amazon (page price on 20.10.2026: €182.79). Whether you can still get it new there or elsewhere, you can only see from the offer itself.
The key data according to the manufacturer: 230 V, 2200 W, continuously adjustable up to 300 °C, grill surface 1,500 cm². That rules out charcoal, gas and pellets: it is electricity or nothing.
Design and technology
The housing and lid are made of solid sheet steel with a heat-resistant paint finish, with four feet underneath. The product photo shows an oval body, a lid with a bar handle, one handle each on the left and right outside, and short legs that lift the body only slightly above the tabletop. The temperature controller is detachable; Rommelsbacher gives its cable a length of 1.75 m.
On the dimensions, the manufacturer’s sources contradict each other. The data sheet gives 77 x 43 x 37 cm (width, depth, height), the instructions approx. 77 x 38 x 44 cm in the order width, height, depth. The width matches; for the other two values, height and depth appear to be swapped. In the photo the side handles sit far out on the body, so the 77 cm very likely includes them. The actual grate width therefore cannot be read from the housing dimensions, and we do not calculate it from them. The data sheet gives the weight as 10.50 kg, the instructions as approx. 10 kg.
The heating element is made of stainless steel, and a temperature limiter serves as overheating protection. The lid has a heat-insulating aluminium heat shield and an externally mounted temperature display. The grate is in two pieces, made of cast iron, matt enamelled, ribbed and usable on both sides. It has no non-stick coating. Under the grate sits the removable grease tray, with a grease drain on the underside of the appliance.
The scope of delivery according to the instructions: tabletop grill, two-piece grill grate, grease tray, lid handle, 2 mica plates, 2 side handles, 4 appliance legs with mounting bracket, 4 silicone feet, 12 small screws and 4 larger screws with 4 sleeves. You assemble the legs, side handles and lid handle yourself, with a Phillips screwdriver.
In detail: cast iron, one thermostat and one zone
Cast iron has a high heat capacity. A grate made of this material takes longer to get hot, but it also releases the heat more evenly and for longer when cold food is placed on it. That is material physics, not a measurement on this appliance. The enamel protects the iron from rust but does not replace care: Rommelsbacher still requires regular oiling and seasoning (more on that below).
The 2200 W output applies, according to the manufacturer, to constant temperatures up to 300 °C. A thermostat cycles the heating element: it heats, switches off and switches on again. With the lid open this heat is lost quickly; with the lid closed it stays in the cooking chamber. The manufacturer writes that the grill can be used with or without the lid, and expressly calls the variant with the lid indirect grilling.
That “indirect” here means something different from on a gas grill has to be said. The gas grill has several burners, of which one can stay off, so there is a hot side and a cool side. The BBQ 4000 has one control zone for the entire surface. Even with the lid closed there is no cool corner for you to move to. If you want to sear and keep food warm at the edge at the same time, you need an appliance with separate heating zones, such as the eCRAVE 2 further below.
The range up to 300 °C is continuously adjustable, meaning a rotary dial without detent steps. Rommelsbacher expressly advertises that low temperatures can also be set.
May the BBQ 4000 go on the balcony?
The manufacturer writes that the appliance is suitable for outdoor use; you will learn nothing there about house rules. So ask your landlord or owners’ association how electricity and smoke on the balcony are regulated.
For the installation location, the instructions require a heat-resistant, stable and level work surface, no painted surface and no tablecloth. At least 0.5 m must remain free on all sides around the grill and 1 m above, so that air can circulate unhindered. Heat sources such as a cooker or gas flame should not be nearby, it is prohibited in an explosive environment, and it is not suitable for building in. It should also stand out of reach of children.
For a narrow balcony that means: the grill is 77 cm wide, so you need roughly 1.8 m of free width at that spot, plus 1 m above. A balcony with a canopy only 1 m above the grill is therefore ruled out. Without a trolley you also need a table that can carry an appliance of approx. 10 kg along with its heat.
According to the instructions, you should not store the appliance outdoors or in damp rooms. So it lives in the cellar or somewhere dry and comes out for grilling.
What the manufacturer does not state
For this model, several details that you would expect for an electric grill are missing:
- Cooking times. The instructions only say that times are guidelines and give no individual values.
- Power consumption. A consumption figure or a standby figure is missing. The rated input is stated in the instructions as 1850 to 2200 W at 220 to 240 V and 50 to 60 Hz.
- Dimensions of the grate. Rommelsbacher gives the 1,500 cm², but the length and width of the two grate halves are stated nowhere.
- Origin, country of production and year of market launch.
- Whether the BAH 100 cover also fits the BBQ 4000. More on this in the section on follow-up costs.
- The Amazon catalogue gives a weight that is only about half of the manufacturer’s figure. We do not use it.
There is also no dishwasher approval; see the FAQ below.
What else comes into question?
| Model | The difference | Price | Our rating | Choose this one if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rommelsbacher BBQ 4000 (this one) | 1,500 cm² enamelled cast iron, one control zone, tabletop appliance | approx. €183 | 8.1 | you want an enamelled cast iron grate and accept hand care |
| Severin PG 8597 | Surface 45 x 30 cm, smooth and ribbed, no cast iron grate | approx. €129 | 8.3 | you don’t want to care for a cast iron grate and want to spend less |
| Enders eCRAVE 2 | Two heating zones (2 x 1.3 kW), cast iron grate 51 x 33.5 cm, enamelled | approx. €249 | 8.4 | you want separate zones and can budget around €66 more |
| Landmann EG-II-590 | 3,200 W, surface 59 x 40.5 cm | approx. €550 | 9.4 | you grill regularly for many people and your budget is much higher |
The prices are reference values from our price boxes, each as of September 2026. The ratings are our editorial assessment based on a data comparison; there is no measurement result behind them. They say nothing about the durability of the grate.
The Severin model is around €54 cheaper and has the higher rating, but no cast iron grate. The Landmann costs €367 more than the Rommelsbacher; whether that extra cost is worth it depends on the number of people.
When this grill, when another?
For one to two people, 1,500 cm² is enough in our assessment. The surface is a single zone: everything cooks at the same temperature. That suits sausages, chops, vegetables and poultry with the same cooking time. As soon as you need hot and gentle heat at the same time, take a model with two zones, that is the Enders eCRAVE 2.
If you mostly stand at the grill when guests come and want plenty of work surface beside it, you can hardly avoid the BGW 100 grill trolley. According to the manufacturer it costs €119.99. Together with the grill (approx. €183 in our price box) that comes to approx. €303. Rommelsbacher lists the BBQ 4100/S set, that is grill plus trolley, for €199.99 and gives 17.10 kg and 116 x 56 x 98 cm for it. If you add up grill and trolley separately, you end up above the set (approx. €303 versus €199.99). Important: the grill price comes from our price box at Amazon, the other two prices from the manufacturer, so the calculation is an approximation. Check on the day of purchase what the grill, trolley and set actually cost.
Rommelsbacher lists the BAH 100 cover (€69.99) for the BBQ 4100/S set. Whether it also fits the BBQ 4000 on its own, the page does not say. So don’t factor the cover in blindly. A pizza stone is also not included; more on that in the FAQ and in the guide to pizza on the grill.
On mobility: without the trolley the grill weighs approx. 10 to 10.5 kg and has two side handles. When moving it, note that the instructions warn that the housing, grill surface, food and accessories stay hot even after switching off. So wait until everything has cooled down.
And on the electricity side: you need a socket with the right fuse protection within reach; the details are in the FAQ. Running it costs at most 2.2 kWh per hour at full load; we do not base a price per kWh on it here.
Our overview of electric grills gives suitable context. If you don’t yet know whether an electric grill suits you at all, the grill finder helps.
Cleaning, care and safety
Before the first grilling, the instructions require heating the appliance with the grate inserted for 30 minutes at the highest setting. This burns in the protective coating of the heating element, and briefly it may smoke and smell slightly.
To clean, you take the grate out. You loosen coarse dirt with a stainless steel or brass brush, then use a soft washing-up brush with washing-up liquid and dry the grate carefully. You must not use scouring agents, oven spray or steam cleaners. The grate is stored dry. Regularly it should be greased with high-temperature frying oil and seasoned for approx. 30 minutes. How seasoning works in detail is in our guide to seasoning and cleaning; more on cast iron versus stainless steel in the grill grate guide.
The appliance is intended for household and similar uses and for grilling food with short to medium cooking times. It is not intended for commercial use.
The instructions also contain these warnings. Charcoal or similar fuels must not be used in this appliance. Overheated fats and oils can ignite, so prepare them only under supervision; never extinguish ignited fats with water, but pull the mains plug immediately. You must never pour cold water onto the hot grate, flammable liquids are forbidden, and the appliance is not suitable for flambéing. The grill must not be left unattended, must not serve as a space heater and must not be operated with wet hands; after each use you pull the mains plug. Never operate the appliance without the grease tray inserted. Use is intended from age 8 with supervision or instruction; children under 8 must be kept away from the appliance and cable.
Who is it suitable for?
For these groups the BBQ 4000 is the wrong choice. If you want to grill in a flat without an outdoor socket and without room for 0.5 m clearance all round, you cannot set it up as the instructions require. If you are looking for smoke flavours from charcoal or pellets, you may not put any in here, and if you grill for paying guests, you breach the intended use, because Rommelsbacher excludes commercial use.
It suits households of one to two people who want a cast iron grate and are willing to clean it by hand and season it occasionally. That the model is no longer in the range cannot be argued away: if you want to be sure of spare parts for years, you are better off with an appliance that the manufacturer still actively lists.
