Coyote Centaur Hybrid Grill Review: 50 Inches of Gas, Charcoal and Wood in One Grill
If you are reading a Coyote Centaur hybrid grill review, you have probably hit the same question we hear every week: gas for convenience or charcoal for flavor? The Centaur is Coyote's answer to not choosing. Here is how it is built, how each side cooks, what changed on the current model, and whether it is worth the money, from a dealer that sells and installs it.
Dealer review · C3HY50 · 3rd generation
A-
Our rating
The best-made gas charcoal combo grill under $7,000, and the only one most outdoor kitchen islands have room for.
Build qualityA
Gas performanceA-
Charcoal & woodA
VersatilityA+
Ease of useB+
ValueB+
50" · 1,200 sq in · 2 iBurners, 30,000 BTU · 304 stainless · $4,899 built-in / $6,298 cart · lifetime warranty on body and burners
The Short Version
- Gas and charcoal in one 50-inch footprint: two 600-square-inch grills under two hoods
- 18-gauge 304 stainless steel, continuously welded box, cast stainless iBurners
- Hand-crank charcoal tray, pull-out fuel drawer, dampers on the hood and drawer
- The only dual fuel grill that fits a standard outdoor kitchen island cutout
- Lifetime warranty on the frame and burners; the 2026 C3 adds new knobs and a wind guard
Every outdoor kitchen we design hits the same fork: a gas grill for Tuesday, or a charcoal grill for Saturday. The Coyote Centaur is the answer most of our customers land on, because it is both, side by side, in the space of one grill. This is our review of the current C3HY50 after years of selling, installing, and cooking on it.
Who Coyote Outdoor Living Is, and Where the Centaur Sits
Coyote Outdoor Living is a Dallas company that builds 304 stainless grills for outdoor kitchens, backed by a lifetime warranty on the body and burners. Coyote grills, sometimes listed as Coyote BBQ grills or grills Coyote makes for the built-in gas market, run from a value gas grill to a luxury one, then into live fire. The Centaur is the pivot between the two.
Reviewed here
Centaur
The hybrid. Gas on one side, charcoal and wood on the other. One SKU, built-in or cart.
Centaur →
Charcoal Series
Built-in charcoal with the same crank tray and drawer as the Centaur's live-fire side.
Charcoal →
Flat Top Series
Griddles and the gas-plus-griddle combo, the Centaur's cousin for breakfast and smash burgers.
Flat Top →Coyote also builds a pellet grill and the Asado smoker, so among BBQ grills for the backyard, Coyote grills cover every fuel an outdoor kitchen can burn. What the Centaur does that none of the others do is put two of those fuels in one cutout.
What's New in the 3rd Generation Coyote Centaur (C3HY50 vs the 2023 Model)
The grill on your pallet today is the third-generation C3HY50; the C1 from 2023 is what most online reviews still show. Same box, same burners, same mechanism; four things changed.
Newly designed knobs and bezel
Brushed stainless with a slimmer bezel and a cleaner face, matched by a new hood handle and end caps. The grill now looks like the rest of Coyote's current line, and the knobs turn with a firmer, more precise feel.
Integrated windguard
A stainless guard along the back of both grates. It steadies the burner flames on the gas side and keeps a gust from flaring the ember bed on the charcoal side, so temperatures hold on a breezy evening.
Adjustable fuel tray
Carried over from the first generation because it works. A hand crank raises the charcoal tray toward the grate to sear and lowers it to roast, and the tray pulls out as a drawer to reload mid-cook.
Adjustable dampers for airflow
Dampers on the hood and on the drawer face, plus new heat control grids over the gas burners. Open them for high heat, close them to a crack to hold a low fire for ribs, and the gas half cooks more evenly than the C1 did.
If you are comparing a used C1 to a new C3, the cooking is the same grill; the C3 is the better-looking, better-behaved one in wind.
Quality: Build, Steel and the Charcoal Mechanism
The Centaur is built like the rest of Coyote's built-in grills: 18-gauge 304 stainless steel, a continuously welded grill box, and a double-walled canopy on each hood. That last part matters more on a hybrid than on a gas grill, because the charcoal side runs hot and holds heat for hours; the double wall keeps the exterior touchable and the heat inside. The grates are solid stainless, the burners are cast 304 stainless, and the flame tamers are stainless plate rather than porcelain-coated steel. We have Centaurs on Long Island patios that have been through six winters, and the ones that get covered look new.
The charcoal mechanism is the part that separates a real hybrid from a gas grill with a charcoal tray dropped in. The fuel tray rides on a hand crank that raises it toward the grate to sear and lowers it to roast, with a range of several inches. The tray pulls out from the front as a drawer, so you reload charcoal mid-cook without lifting the grate, and the dampers on the drawer face and the hood let you choke the fire down or open it up. The crank turns smoothly with a full load of lump; the drawer glides on rails, not friction. It is the same mechanism as Coyote's standalone charcoal grill, which is why it works.
Performance: The Gas Grill Side
The gas grill side is a two-burner, 600-square-inch Coyote gas grill with the brand's cast stainless iBurners at 15,000 BTUs each, 30,000 total, single-spark ignition on each burner, and a full-width warming rack. In practice it preheats to 500°F in about ten minutes with the hood down, sears a steak properly, and holds a steady 350°F for chicken with one burner on low. The heat control grids on the C3 even out the hot spot that the C1 had toward the back of the firebox.
The honest limit is two burners on the built-in gas side. You get two zones, hot and warm, not the three a four-burner gas grill gives you, and a 600-square-inch half is a 30-inch gas grill, not a 36. For a weeknight dinner for four to six that is plenty. For a party of twenty you light the other side. Which is the point of the grill.
Performance: The Charcoal and Wood Side
This is the side that sells the grill. Pull the drawer, fill the tray, which Coyote calls the fuel bowl on its charcoal grills, with lump charcoal and a few oak or hickory chunks, light it, and in twenty minutes you have a real wood-and-charcoal fire under a 600-square-inch grate. Crank the tray up to sear steaks over the coals; crank it down, close the dampers to a crack, and the Centaur holds 275°F for ribs for three hours on one load. Reload through the drawer without opening the hood. The wind guard keeps a gust from flaring the coals.
What it is not is a smoker. The hood is a grill hood, not a smoke chamber, and the dampers are for managing a fire rather than holding 225°F for twelve hours. It does a better job of low-and-slow than any kettle, and a worse one than a kamado or a pellet grill beside it. Cooking on both sides at once is the party trick: burgers and dogs on gas for the kids, tri-tip over oak on charcoal for the adults, one cook, one spot to stand.
Features: Dampers, Lights, Storage and the Cart
Interior halogen lights under both hoods for cooking after dark. Analog thermometer in each hood. Dampers on the hood and the drawer. The built-in drops into a cutout of 47¾ by 20½ by 12½ inches, which is the single most important number on this page: it is a standard island cutout, so the Centaur replaces a 50-inch gas grill in an existing outdoor kitchen without rebuilding the island.
The freestanding C3HY50CT cart adds storage most carts skip: double doors with a slide-out propane tank tray, two soft-close center drawers, a shelf on the opposite side, and folding side shelves. It is 78 inches wide with the shelves out and 364 pounds, so it is a backyard fixture in a modern outdoor kitchen, not a grill you roll to the curb.
Coyote Centaur Specs and Dimensions
Built-in C3HY50Freestanding C3HY50CT
Width × depth × height
Built-in50 × 25½ × 25½ in
Freestanding78⅝ × 25½ × 52½ in
Cutout
Built-in47¾ W × 20½ D × 12½ H
Freestanding—
Weight
Built-in197 lb
Freestanding364 lb
Fuel
Natural gas or propane, plus lump charcoal and wood chunks
Burners
2 cast 304 stainless iBurners, 15,000 BTU each (30,000 total)
Grilling area
600 sq in gas + 600 sq in charcoal; 1,200 sq in total; 36 burgers
Steel
18-gauge 304 stainless, welded box, double-wall hoods
Charcoal
Hand-crank adjustable tray, pull-out drawer, hood and drawer dampers
Lights
Interior halogen, both hoods
Cart
Built-in—
FreestandingDouble doors, propane slide-out, two soft-close drawers, folding side shelves
Warranty
Lifetime frame and burners; 5 years grates; 2 years flame tamers and electrics; 1 year ignition and valves
Price
Built-in$4,899
Freestanding$6,298
Centaur vs Other Gas Charcoal Combo Grills
Four grills do gas and charcoal in one unit. Same five rows on every card so you can read across.
Reviewed here
Coyote Centaur 50
Fuel
Gas + charcoal + wood chunks
Size
50 in · 1,200 sq in · standard cutout
BuildA
18-ga 304 stainless, welded
PriceA-
$4,899 built-in · $6,298 cart
Best for
Shop Centaur Grills →
Most outdoor kitchens: one cutout, both fuels
Fire Magic Aurora A830i
Fuel
Gas + charcoal, rotisserie on the gas side
Size
46 in · about 1,000 sq in
BuildA+
Heavy 304, Fire Magic fit and finish
PriceB
About $9,500 built-in
Best for
Shop Fire Magic A830i Grills→
The Fire Magic kitchen that wants charcoal too
American Made Grills Muscle 54
Fuel
Gas + charcoal + wood, under one hood
Size
54 in · about 1,200 sq in
BuildA+
304 stainless, built in the USA
PriceB-
About $12,000 built-in
Best for
Shop AMG Muscle Grills→
Wood splits and a true live-fire sear in a gas grill
Kalamazoo Hybrid Fire Grill
Fuel
Gas + charcoal + wood in one drawer
Size
36 to 54 in
BuildA+
Hand-built in Michigan, the benchmark
PriceC
$20,000 and up
Best for
Shop Gas & Charcoal Combos →
Budget is not the question
The Centaur is the only one of the four at a mid-range price and the only one with two separate hoods, which is why it is our best seller in gas charcoal combo grills. The Muscle is the pick if you want to burn real wood splits; the Kalamazoo is the pick if the price does not matter. For the five types of wood fire cooking, read Wood Fire Grills Explained.
Is the Coyote Centaur Worth It?
By how you cook. In our survey of 1,000 homeowners, 24% now want a hybrid gas-and-charcoal grill, nearly matching natural gas. This is the grill they are describing.
One grill for the whole outdoor kitchen
Yes. Gas on Tuesday, charcoal on Saturday, one cutout.
Replacing a 50-inch gas grill in an existing island
Yes, built-in. It fits the standard cutout.
Feeding a crowd with two cooks' worth of food
Yes. Both sides at once, 1,200 square inches.
Wood splits and a brasero
No. Look at Tagwood or the AMG Muscle.
Twelve-hour brisket
Not alone. Put a pellet grill or kamado beside it.
A gas grill you never think about
Then buy a gas grill. The charcoal side wants attention.
When a customer calls torn between gas and charcoal, we ask what they cooked last weekend and what they will cook Tuesday. If the answers are different, the Centaur ends the argument. It is not the cheapest gas grill or the purest charcoal grill; it is the only grill that is both and fits where a grill goes.
Centaur built-in → Centaur freestanding → All Coyote hybrid grills →
Coyote Centaur FAQ
Can you use both sides of the Centaur at the same time?
Yes. The gas and charcoal grills are separate fireboxes under separate hoods. Most owners run both at a party: burgers on gas, steaks or tri-tip over charcoal.
Can the Coyote Centaur burn wood?
Wood chunks on top of lump charcoal, yes, and that is how most owners cook. It is not built for whole splits; the tray is sized for charcoal. For a brasero and split logs, see our Tagwood review.
Does the Centaur need a vent hood?
Outdoors in the open, no. Under a roof or pergola, yes, sized to a 50-inch grill and vented outside; the charcoal side produces smoke for the length of the cook.
Built-in or freestanding?
Built-in if you have or are planning an island: the cutout is standard and the grill becomes the centerpiece. Freestanding if you want it this weekend; the cart's storage is better than most. In our survey, 31% of cart-grill owners wish they had built in.
What is the warranty on the Coyote Centaur?
Lifetime on the stainless frame and burners for the original owner, five years on cooking grids, two years on flame tamers and electrical components, one year on ignition and valves.
Shop the Coyote Centaur
Built-in or on the cart, natural gas or propane. Free shipping, free outdoor kitchen design, and the owner answers the phone.
Shop Coyote hybrid grills → All gas charcoal combos → or call 888-678-3530
Matthew Jackson
At the heart of our business is Matthew Jackson, the founder and owner of BBQ Kitchen Pros. With an impressive 20 years in design, construction, and implementation of outdoor kitchen spaces, Matthew brings a wealth of knowledge, skill, and a deep-seated passion to the table. It's not just about selling products; it's about crafting a lifestyle. Outdoor cooking isn't just our business; it's our way of life, ingrained in every recommendation we make and every product we offer.