The smaller area for indirect grilling is only a very narrow ring around the outside. For direct grilling, the surface has a diameter of maybe 25 cm. However, I don't know why you would still want to grill directly with this part. At 380°C, you have what others manage on one side all around.

This is supposed to be the advantage of the special Outdoorchef system, which can be switched from direct to indirect. This is also explicitly described in the operating instructions.
But if the surface only has a diameter of approx. 25 cm, that is definitely too small for me.



It doesn't look like a cast iron grate in the pictures and I don't see anything in the description.

I can only agree with that. If you have the cast iron grill, you'll never grill anything other than indirectly.