Camp Chef Apex Long Term Review

When Camp Chef announced the Apex hybrid pellet grill as “a griller’s fantasy,” needless to say, we here at Angry BBQ were extremely excited. Multiple companies, Camp Chef included, had attempted to address the drawbacks of a pellet grill’s inability to truly grill in different ways. Camp Chef itself had models where you could reveal the firepot or even use its traditional Sidekick gas attachment. However, with the Apex, Camp Chef went in a different direction by putting gas burners directly into the cooking chamber so you can cook barbecue and grill in a single chamber. Camp Chef aimed to combine the simplicity and practicality of a time-tested propane grill with the convenience and barbecue allure of the ever-popular wood pellet grill.

So naturally, when Camp Chef graciously sent me the 24’ Apex grill with the gas kit, I was through the roof. Now that I’ve had time to put it through its paces, let’s talk about it.

Camp Chef Overview

Camp Chef got its start in 1990 as an outdoor cooking equipment manufacturer. The company still manufactures portable cooking equipment but has in recent years graduated to pellet grills and even outdoor griddles like the Flat Top 600 I also reviewed. Camp Chef is also known for private labelling their grills for various large retailers.

Assembling The Camp Chef Apex

There’s nothing quite like a truck backing up your driveway and using a powered lift gate to drop off a pallet loaded with your new grill. You know two things immediately: One, you’re getting one heck of a grill, and two, if it’s not fully assembled, you better carve a bit of time out of your day for assembly.

Due to when the Apex pallet arrived and some scheduling issues, my 11-year-old son and I split the assembly up over two days. We put together the pellet grill in about an hour and a half, then we attacked the gas kit that came in a separate box the next day. My wife did also help us out a bit throughout the assembly process.

The pellet hopper and the main chamber came preassembled which has been standard practice in my experience. I’m still thankful for it, though. No need for wiring work! However, in order to properly assemble the pellet grill, you need to lift the chamber slightly up and then lay it flat on its back. This allows you access to the bottom of the grill where the legs mount. 

The legs were our biggest struggle in assembling the pellet grill. It took some elbow grease and some careful studying of the instructions. However, once we were able to get the legs properly attached, they were and continue to be extremely sturdy which is important with a pellet grill that also has plenty of gas-related components attached to it. 

Once we finished the assembly of the pellet grill portion of the Apex, it was fairly easy to roll it up onto our deck where it currently sits. Despite its size and weight, it rolls smoothly on the four locking casters which makes my life much easier if I need to move it around.

Unfortunately, we ran into some problems with the Apex gas kit. The main unit that features the ignition and control knobs had received some damage during transit. When we began assembly, it was later in the afternoon. However, Customer Service was still quite helpful and after emailing them pictures of the bent damage, they quickly sent another full gas kit out. Within six days of initially reaching out to Camp Chef, I had an order number with shipping information for my new gas kit. Within 10 days of discovering the issue, I had the full Apex pellet grill with gas kit assembled and running.

That main control unit replaces a blank metal front to the pellet grill. It mounts onto a series of clips on the front of the grill before screws are added along the side to complete the mounting. On the original kit, that lip that goes into the clip was bent pretty severely inwards so it would not clip in at all.

On the second kit, that lip was still slightly bent but we were able to make adjustments fairly easily and get it to slide into place. Other than that issue, assembling the main unit was fairly easy. Side note, when you go to install the ignitors, you do need to knock out some metal pieces. Do it carefully, but it is still fun getting to knock out some metal. 

When it came to installing the Sidekick attachment, that required some effort. It’s not a light piece of equipment, so having multiple extra sets of hands is a lifesaver. Also, if you have bigger hands, some of the screw locations are a bit tough to reach. Having someone with smaller hands assisting might save you some banged-up knuckles. It was a nice touch that Camp Chef sent a set of screws for attaching the Sidekick to replace the painted screws that came with the pellet grill itself.

Once the Sidekick was properly installed and we stepped back to take in the entirety of the tank that is the Apex hybrid gas and pellet grill, it’s easy to see the design and craftsmanship that went into putting this together. It’s heavy and sturdy and appears to be built to last.

Camp Chef Apex 24’ Gas Kit Model

Camp Chef offers four different versions of the Apex pellet grill. It comes in two sizes, 24″ and 36″. Then once you’ve picked your size, you have two options. You can purchase just the pellet grill or you can purchase it with the optional gas kit included. If you purchase the pellet grill first, you can always change your mind and purchase the propane option later, but it will be more expensive (or at least at the time of writing) than purchasing it together. While the biggest selling point of the Apex is arguably the gas kit, Camp Chef made sure that the pellet grill portion of the Apex can stand on its own. 

We here at Angry BBQ almost always recommend that if you can, you should get the largest version of a pellet grill. If you’re someone who loves to cook for a crowd of people, the 36″ model packs a total of 1,236 square inches of cooking space spread across two racks. However, the 24″ model still boasts a total of 811 square inches of cooking area with the upper rack in. I was able to put four good-sized pork butts on just the lower rack and they fit comfortably without having to pack them in tightly. Briskets in the 24″ will be a bit more challenging.

Camp Chef Apex 24″ Gas Model Specification Table

Cooking Space	811 square inches total; 429 square inches on the main rack, 382 square inches on upper rack
Grill Grates	Porcelain-coated stainless steel
Weight	295 lbs
Temperature Range	Pellet side: 180°-400°F
Hopper Capacity	22 pounds
Pellet Level Sensor	Yes
Hopper Cleanout	Yes
Wi-Fi Connectivity	Yes
Bluetooth Connectivity	Yes
Included Meat Probes	Four
PID Temperature Controller	Yes
Gas Burners	Four in the main cooking chamber plus one for the Sidekick
BTUs Per Hour	Main burners: 9,000 per hr; Sidekick burner: 28,000 per hr
Warranty	Three-year limited warranty

This pellet grill is packed full of features. It’s the first grill I’ve encountered that has built-in chamber burners running on propane in the same cooking chamber where you smoke using pellets. It also boasts an improved smoke circulation system plus even more cleaning features including a slide-out grease tray. So how does it perform?

Camp Chef Apex Smoking Performance

It should not be a surprise that the Apex is a great smoker. Camp Chef has made plenty of great pellet grills (you can check out Michael Haas’ review of the SG24 here) and the Woodwind models are some of the best on the market. The WiFi 24″ model took home our top pick on our list of the best pellet grills under $1000. Yet the company was not willing to just put gas functionality into a preexisting model. There’s a reason why you can purchase an Apex pellet grill-only model. That’s because Camp Chef wanted to make the Apex a great pellet grill as well. So what sets it apart from previous models?

Full Gas Grill Functionality in a Well Designed Pellet Smoker

The entire cooking chamber has been designed to improve the smoking capabilities of the Apex. Unlike previous Camp Chef models (and the majority of other pellet grills on the market,) the Apex does not have a traditional smokestack modeled after an offset smoker. Instead, there are a series of vents for the down-and-out ventilation system on the back of the Apex. This helps draw the smoke throughout the entire chamber before it exits the cooking chamber. The downward exit helps improve circulation throughout to ensure everything is smoked properly. When you fire up the Apex, you’ll notice that the smoke largely comes up the sides of the cooking chamber due to the removable grease tray. Combined with the rear ventilation system, you’ve got a quality convection effect for using the Apex to cook barbecue.

To help keep that heat and smoke from leaking out except through the vents, Camp Chef redesigned the lid and cooking chamber as well. The entire cooking chamber is double-walled for extra insulation. The lid actually sits inside the cooking chamber’s top edge to help seal in the smoke and heat. Then, for the final upgrade to the Apex’s smoke and heat retention, the lid has gaskets running along the front and rear edges. 

Will smoke still leak in different spots of the grill? Of course. However, I’ve mostly seen smoke escaping during the startup process. Once the grill gets up to temperature, I’ve only noticed smoke coming out the rear vents. 

Smoke Settings and WIFI Control

I do appreciate the Smoke Number setting for getting some extra wood flavor on my food. It’s only usable between 160° and 350°F, but I only really want to use it when I’m smoking something. Boosting this number can cause more temperature fluctuations in the cooking chamber, but it wasn’t anything crazy that affected the cooking process.

I do appreciate that the Apex has a WiFi controller that is also Bluetooth capable so I can manage the grill’s settings through the Camp Chef app. Camp Chef also included four meat probes with the Apex (plus a handy storage compartment) so you can keep an eye on internal temperatures from wherever you are. I never had any connection issues whether I was outside near the grill or inside with multiple walls in the way. 

Camp Chef Apex Hopper Size – 30 lbs. ?

Now to one of the common questions that I’ve seen online and even been asked after I published my quick-take review when the Apex was announced. What size pellet hopper does the Apex have on it? The sales page on Camp Chef’s website advertises that the Apex has a 30-pound hopper. However, people who have seen an Apex in person were not so certain about that.

I cannot speak to the 36-inch model since I’ve had no hands-on experience with it, so it’s entirely possible that it has a larger hopper. However, my 24-inch model can only hold a little more than a full 20-pound bag of wood pellets at a time. This matches what the Apex’s manual says which is that it has a 22-pound hopper. I did reach out to Camp Chef’s customer support but I have not heard back as of writing.

That being said, I’ve had no issues with the hopper running out. I smoked four large pork butts at the same time with a full hopper and was able to run the entire cook at 225°F without having to refill the hopper. If you’re concerned, the Apex does have a low-level pellet sensor that will display a warning on the controller and in the app on your phone.

Camp Chef Apex Grilling Performance

The Apex is a phenomenal pellet grill, but what sets it apart is the fact that it has gas burners in the main cooking chamber. It’s not one of those grills that have two cooking chambers to split up the pellet grill and the gas grill. So how does it perform as a gas grill?

The first thing to note is that each of the Apex’s four gas burners put out roughly 9,000 BTUs per hour each at a total of 36,000 BTU’s. When compared against some of the grills on our list of the Best Gas Grills Under $1000, it competes on heat output.

I grilled burgers, hot dogs, and steaks in the main cooking chamber and was satisfied with the results. The convenience of having one grill that smokes and grills (plus some added functionality with the Sidekick that I’ll get to later) is a huge plus. I can do just about anything I want to do without having to switch between grills, and I was able to do it with a simple twist of a knob.

If you’re a big fan of grilling steaks, you can do that in the main part of the grill. However, in my personal opinion, you’re going to get better results using one of the other features of this grill.

Camp Chef Apex Sidekick Performance

And that is where the Apex Sidekick comes into play.

The Sidekick attachment is a game-changer. I was blown away when I ignited it for the first time. It sounded like someone lit a jet engine. You can simmer sauces, boil water, and prepare sides on the aptly-named Sidekick. What really elevates it is that Camp Chef includes a 14-inch griddle that sits on top of the Sidekick unit. Whether you’re reverse-searing thicker steaks or just searing thinner steaks, this is the way to go. The crust you get and the color are phenomenal, better than what you can achieve on the main burners. 

Plus you can cook just about any meal on the griddle. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner, it further increases the versatility of the Apex. While the cooking space might not allow you to do a full meal all at once like on the Flat Top 600, it’s perfect for cooking up sides or a main dish. If you’ve got burgers going in the main cooking chamber, you can fry up some bacon on the Sidekick to top those burgers. No need to go back and forth between multiple grills anymore.

The Sidekick isn’t limited to the griddle either. You can remove it and cook on the included grate. You can simmer sauces, boil water for corn, or cook baked beans right there at the side of your grill. The Sidekick elevates the Apex even further by making it possible to prepare essentially an entire meal on one grill. No need to heat up the kitchen or make things messier inside when preparing side dishes. 

Overall Fit And Finish

Once I assembled the Apex, there were two things that stood out to me visually. One, the combination of the stainless steel cooking chamber and the black legs is really nice. Secondly, the Apex is built like a tank. It weighs nearly 300 pounds with the gas kit installed and the legs are thick and sturdy, never giving the impression that the grill will collapse under its weight. The four locking casters allow you to roll the Apex smoothly when you want to adjust its position while the locks ensure it’s not going to budge mid-smoking session. 

It’s also the little details that make the Apex stand out. The hopper lid is magnetized which is a nice touch for making sure it stays secured. The full-color display has a hard cover that you can put up to protect it during storage. There is a storage shelf underneath the grill between the legs where you can store tools and supplies. It’s where I keep the warming rack when not in use. Heck, the probe storage compartment makes life so much easier, and it’s right under the controller so you don’t have to hunt for the probes when it’s time to probe for internal temperature monitoring. Also, if you’re a late-night griller or like smoking briskets overnight, Camp Chef included lighting inside the cooking chamber that you can turn on with a simple button push by the digital controller.

Overall, the Apex looks and feels like a quality piece of outdoor cooking equipment. Plus, it wouldn’t be a Camp Chef grill if it didn’t have a can opener, this time on the side of the pellet hopper.

Camp Chef Apex 24’ With Gas Kit Features

Camp Chef packed the Apex with a lot of features which is appropriate considering the price tag. However, there are some features that I want to highlight to show off what the Apex is truly about. 

Slide-Out Grease Tray

While it may seem weird to lead with grease cleanup as one of the Apex’s major features, there’s a good reason. Most pellet grills require you to remove at least the grill grates when you want to remove the grease tray for cleaning. Making sure the grease tray is clean is even more important on the Apex due to the internal propane burners. Unfortunately, that same functionality would make removing the grease tray in the normal way a painstaking and time-consuming task.

So Camp Chef instead opted for a simple slide-out system. The tray is accessible from the front of the grill and is behind a door held by two rotating clips. The door has the same gasket as the lid which helps prevent smoke and heat from leaking out. This makes removing the grease tray incredibly easy. You rotate the two clips out of the way, the door drops open, and you can remove the grease tray to remove any food debris and grease. This makes keeping the tray clean an easy task so you don’t have to worry about grease fires when switching from smoking brisket to gas for grilling burgers and hot dogs. 

This may be a simple feature, but the improvement in terms of both ease of access and just making cleaning easier makes it one of the most important improvements to the Apex’s design.

Ash-Cleanout System

To go with the grease tray, Camp Chef continues to build pellet grills with the company’s easy ash cleanout system. It’s simply a pull-out knob that drops the contents of the firepot into a cup on the bottom of the grill. Then you can dump the used ashes, reattach the cup, seal everything up, and get ready for the next time you’ll fire up your pellet grill. 

Just like the grease tray makes cleaning easier, so does this system. You don’t have to disassemble the grill every time you do a long brisket cooking session to get your smoker in working order again. You should routinely vacuum out the inside of your grill, but the ash cleanout system means you have to do it less often than on other grills.

Gas Burners On A Pellet Grill

Okay, here’s the feature that caught everyone’s eye when Camp Chef revealed the Apex. The 24-inch model that Camp Chef sent me for review has four burners in the main cooking chamber plus the Sidekick on the side. As I said in the grilling performance section, I feel like if you’re trying to achieve the highest-quality steak sear, you might not find quite the performance you’re looking for. They are only capable of around 9,000 BTUs per hour each. However, the Sidekick and the included griddle will give you a beautiful sear with its 28,000 BTUs per hour capacity.

What the main gas section is perfect for is grilling your normal, everyday meals. If you want to grill hot dogs or burgers for a summer cookout, the Apex will deliver great results. You can smoke brisket or chicken ahead of time for the adults and then clean the grill to prepare for grilling hot dogs and burgers for the kids. The versatility of the Apex is absolutely unmatched in my experience.

Camp Chef Connect App

The ability to monitor the status of your grill and how your food is progressing is a big part of smoking on a pellet grill. Camp Chef makes it easy through the Camp Chef Connect App. The digital controller on the Apex is both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capable so you can connect your phone directly to the grill whether you’re going to be sitting nearby, inside the house, or doing a day-long smoke that you set up before going to work.

What makes the app shine is not only how you monitor the grill itself and make any needed adjustments, but you can monitor the internal temperature of whatever you’re cooking as well. The four included meat probes make monitoring up to four cuts of meat easy without needing any additional equipment. 

The app itself is easy and simple to use. You can see the grill temperature and all four probes on one screen so you don’t have to worry about flipping through different pages to see all the information you want at one time.

Apex Optional Accessories

The main part of the Apex doesn’t really need anything more. It’s a fully functional smoker  and gas grill in one. It comes with probes for monitoring your big smoking session. Camp Chef does have some accessories for the grill, though. If one of your biggest complaints about  pellet grills is that the majority never seem to have enough prep space, check out the available folding front shelf. You’ll have plenty of work space rather than using just the hopper lid or even the Sidekick. 

If you’re a fan of jerky but sick of paying grocery store prices, you could always try making it at home. Camp Chef has jerky racks specifically made for the Apex that you can purchase to help you with that. 

The Sidekick has more accessories available as well. Do you love making homemade pizza? Then you should check out the pizza oven optional add-on for the Sidekick. It comes with a ceramic pizza stone and can preheat to 600°F in around 15 minutes to replicate wood-fired oven pizza.

Ownership Experience

So far, I’ve loved cooking on the Camp Chef Apex. I’ve reverse-seared steaks, cooked on the Sidekick, smoked pork butts, grilled burgers and hot dogs, and even cooked some desserts on it. Assembly was a bit time-consuming and we had some small issues with damaged parts, but Camp Chef was quick to take care of it. 

Getting used to cooking barbecue and grilling on the same grill took some time. I’ll fully admit that early on I didn’t get it completely cleaned up after cooking up some pulled pork before I switched to gas for grilling. However, that’s to be expected! You don’t clean any grill properly and you’re bound to get some extra fire. 

The Sidekick does get extremely hot so it does take some getting used to in terms of controlling the temperature level. It’s a fantastic addition to the grill and I’m glad it’s there to make cooking an entire meal easy.

Do I Recommend?

In terms of a hybrid grill, the Camp Chef Apex is fantastic. I love that I can grill, cook barbecue, and use a griddle on the same piece of equipment. If the price tag is not a major concern (and it’s cheaper than some pellet grills out there,) it’s a phenomenal grill that can replace two grills without sacrificing any quality. It’s a fantastic smoker and between the  Sidekick and the burners in the main unit, it can grill anything you want.

What I Like…

• Large cooking space that can accommodate at least four pork butts at once on the main rack
• The digital controller is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled so I can monitor the grill from anywhere
• The Sidekick and included griddle is fantastic for searing steaks or cooking sides
• Easiest pellet grill to clean and perform regular maintenance on I’ve ever experienced
• Full functionality of a gas grill, pellet smoker, in one, with the most versatile sidekick accessory system.

What Makes Me Angry…

• Honestly, the price tag is premium, but this is truly a premium grill. 
• The gas burners could have a bit more output in the main cooking area, however the sidekick alleviates this.

Final Verdict

The Camp Chef Apex is a premium hybrid pellet and gas grill. Other companies have married pellet grills and gas grills before by having the smoking section and the gas grilling section separate. Heck, even Camp Chef has made the Sidekick an optional accessory on other pellet grills. This marks the first time I’ve seen a company put gas functionality in the same cooking chamber as the pellet grill though. That means you don’t have to sacrifice cooking space whether you’re cooking briskets low and slow or grilling burgers for the summer party. 

Now, the price tag might cause some people to shy away. I completely get it. However, if you’re still considering the Apex after looking at the price tag, it’s the best marriage of gas and pellet grill functionality out there. Between the three different cooking modes, you’ll be able to cook just about anything on this grill and be happy with the results. The Camp Chef Apex grill allows you to do so much in a single grill with multiple fuel sources, it will improve your patio experience. You won’t need multiple grills to do the same amount of cooking that you can with the Apex. So now you can be the pitmaster and the grill master of your backyard with only one grill.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Can the Apex Gas Kit work with Natural Gas?

Answer: The natural gas conversion kit is coming soon. Camp Chef has planned to offer this.

Question: Can the Gas Kit Be Added On Later?

Answer: Yes. You can purchase the non-gas version Apex and at a later date purchase the gas kit and install it. Camp Chef has a lot of support videos and instructions to install it.