The Importance of Versatility in a Wood-Fired Grill Insert
When you add a wood-fired grill insert to an outdoor kitchen, you’re not just choosing a heat source—you’re choosing how you cook. The most capable grill inserts aren’t defined by a single grate, but by the flexibility to adapt the cooking surface to the food, the fire, and the moment. True versatility comes from a system designed to change with you.
That versatility is engineered into the grill insert itself. Rather than locking the cook into a single surface or technique, a well-designed wood-fired grill insert is built around a grill carriage that accepts multiple cooking surfaces. By allowing different grill plates to be installed, removed, and reconfigured with ease, the grill becomes a flexible platform—capable of adapting to the food, the fire, and the way you want to cook.
Standard V-Channel Argentine Grates
Our standard V-channel Argentine grates are built from stainless steel and set on a subtle pitch toward integrated drip trays. This design directs rendered fat away from the fire, virtually eliminating flare-ups while delivering consistent, full-surface searing.
Pitched stainless V-channel Argentine grates direct rendered fat into drip trays, eliminating flare-ups while cooking over live charcoal.
Reversible V-Channel Grates for Flat Grilling
By rotating the same V-channel grates 180 degrees front to back, the cooking surface transitions from a traditional pitched setup to a flat, level surface. This allows for more even heat contact and greater control when cooking foods that benefit from consistent surface contact, all while retaining the heat management advantages of the V-channel design.
The same V-channel grates rotate 180° to create a flat cooking surface without changing the grill.
Plancha / Griddle Plate Option
By removing a V-channel grate and replacing it with a solid plancha or griddle plate, the grill insert transitions into a flat-top cooking surface powered by live fire. This setup is ideal for vegetables, seafood, eggs, and other delicate foods that benefit from full contact and controlled heat, while still capturing the depth of wood-fired flavor.
Add a single plancha plate—or replace all V-channel grates to convert the entire grill into a wood-fired griddle.
Traditional Round Bar Grates
For those who prefer a familiar grilling surface, the grill carriage can also accept traditional round bar grates similar to those found in high-end gas grills. This option delivers classic grill marks and a conventional cooking feel while still benefiting from the depth and intensity of wood- or charcoal-fired heat.
Traditional round bar grates drop into the same grill carriage for a familiar grilling experience over live fire.
All of these grill plate options are designed to fit seamlessly within the same grill carriage and can be used on any Gaucho Grills insert. As the menu changes, the cooking surface can change with it—allowing the grill to adapt without redesigning the outdoor kitchen around it.
One grill insert. Multiple cooking surfaces—configured at the same time to suit the fire, the food, and the cook.