Masterbuilt MB20041220 Gravity Series 1050 Digital Charcoal Grill + Smoker, 202.9 lbs, Black review and price compare 2025
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Product overview
Brand | Masterbuilt |
Model Name | Gravity Series 1050 |
Power Source | Charcoal |
Color | Black |
Item Weight | 202.9 Pounds |
Item Dimensions LxWxH | 33.07 x 61.02 x 52.17 inches |
Fuel Type | Charcoal |
product features
- by entering your model number.
- Reaches 225°F in 10 minutes or 700°F in 15 minutes
- Control temperature and cook time with the digital control panel or with smart device control using WiFi or Bluetooth
- DigitalFan for precise temperature control
- GravityFed hopper holds 10 lbs. of lump charcoal or 16 lbs. of briquettes for up to 8 hours of use
- Convenient fold out cord storage in back of side shelf to prevent loss or damage to the power supply
- Folding stainless steel shelf and stainless steel side shelf for extra preparation space
From the manufacturer
| | |
GRAVITYFED CHARCOAL HOPPER Redefine charcoal cooking with the GravityFed Hopper that holds up to 8 hours of fuel using lump or briquette charcoal. No need to remove charcoal after each use! | DIGITALFAN CONTROL With the push of a button, the digitally controlled fan moves air flow from the hopper to the cooking chamber and maintains desired cooking temperature. | SMOKE + SEAR VERSATILITY Reach 700°F in 15 minutes to grill + sear or 225°F in 10 minutes for low + slow smoking. Includes reversible cast-iron grates to smoke + sear. |
| | |
WIFI BLUETOOTH CAPABILITY Set it and go with your smart device. Learn to master the art of smoking, grilling and more with the Masterbuilt App. | FOLDAWAY RACKS + FOLDING SHELF The FoldAway warming + smoking racks provide extra cooking space, while the stainless steel front shelf provides extra preparation space. | GRAVITY SERIES ROTISSERIE & COVER Enhance your experience with accessories. |
product description
Style:Gravity Series 1050 XL
With the Gravity Series 1050 Digital Charcoal Grill + Smoker by Masterbuilt, you can smoke, grill, sear, bake, roast and so much more. Set the temperature on the digital control panel or your smart device and the DigitalFan maintains the desired cooking temperature. The GravityFed charcoal hopper holds up to 8 hours of charcoal and gravity ensures you have constant fuel to the fire. The reversible smoke + sear cast-iron grates and FoldAway warming + smoking racks add up to a total of 1050 square inches of cooking space. Master the art of charcoal grilling and smoking with Masterbuilt.
product details
important information
Important information
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Questions about Masterbuilt MB20041220 Gravity Series 1050 Digital Charcoal Grill + Smoker, 202.9 lbs, Black
Q:
Can you mix wood in with the charcoal?
Answer: Thank you for your interest in the grill and smoker Shelly. Yes, you can mix wood with the charcoal. We recommend for an On-Demand smoke, add 1-2 chunks (no larger than your fist) directly to the Ash bin, this will last approximately 2-3 hours. For a Controlled smoke we recommend, add four (4) pounds of charcoal and this one (1) wood chunk, creating layers of charcoal and wood chunks. We hope this information helps. If you have any additional questions, please contact us directly at 1.800.489.1581.
Answer: I run wood chunks in both the hopper and ash pan. I layer charcoal and chunks in the hopper and then throw in some wood chunks in the ash pan every few hours or so. Gives really good amounts of smoke, not overpowering at all.
Q:
What are the dimensions of the packaging?
Answer: Thank you for your interest in this grill. The box dimensions for this unit are 37.3 W X 21.7 L X 21.6 H. If you have any additional questions, please contact our Customer Support Team at www.masterbuilt.com.
Answer: Which model? Which size?
Q:
Can you shut the grill off with it full of charcoal?
Answer: Good Morning,
Q:
What are dimensions of the cooking area, Length and Width?
Answer: The cooking area dimensions for the two cast iron grates is 14" X 22". If you need any additional assistance, please contact our Customer Support Team at www.masterbuilt.com.
Answer: The main grate is 22.5"x14.5" and the upper grates are 22.5"x5.5" each. You can fit two of the small grates on each of the upper shelves - I bought two extra upper grates to give myself two additional shelves at roughly 22.5”x11”.
Q:
What's the minimum temperature for this gravity series masterbuilt smoke.? And/ or does it have a cold smoke accessory attachment?
Answer: Hello Patricia, 150° is the lowest temp setting for this grill and smoker. Currently we have not produced a cold smoke accessory attachment for this unit.
Q:
Is it made in the USA?
Answer: Thank you for your question. Our products are manufactured in China.
Q:
How big a brisket will fit on the cooker?
Answer: It will hold large brisket 20 plus pounds
Answer: Hello Rex Andrews, thank you for your interest in this grill plus smoker product. The cooking space of each main grate in this grill is 320 sq.in. We hope this information helps. If you need any additional information, please feel free to reach out to our Customer Support Team at www.masterbuilt.com.
Q:
Does it have a drip tray to collect meat juices as cooking? Also, is there somewhere to put a water pan when smoking?
Answer: Thank you for your interest in this grill. Yes, there is a grease tray that will collect liquids. There is not a designed area in the unit for a water pan. Along with the pictures of this unit in the description there are two videos as well that should help with the grill space and components. If you have any additional questions, please contact our Customer Support Team at www.masterbuilt.com.
Answer: The drip tray is on the bottom of grill that slides out is same size as grill as far as water pan would have to put next to food on great or put on great above grill great note there are some real good videos on YouTube hope this helped
Q:
Where do you get a closed lid sensor? Mine melted first burn can't find online parts
Answer: Wow. Definitely haven’t had that happen on mine (with 24+ cooks now). But, ping Masterbuilt customer service. They’ll take care of you. If you can’t reach them on their phone (lots of places shut down due to Covid 19), I’ve heard they respond quickly on Facebook messenger.
Q:
Can this smoker be used in the rain?
Answer: Thank you Eric for asking. We wouldn't recommend using this grill in the rain due to the electric controller on the unit. If you have any additional questions, please contact our Customer Support Team at www.masterbuilt.com.
Answer: I wouldn’t.
Q:
How much charcoal does this thing consume for something simple like burgers? Seems awesome for smoking and steaks - what about burgers?
Answer: Depending on the temperature you are using will depend how much charcoal will be used. It will also depend what kind of charcoal is in use. For a quick cook of burgers, it shouldn't use much. A full hopper can last for up to 15hr with lump or 11hr with briquettes, at 225F. This number will decrease as temperatures rise but, not aggressively. And, coal can be left in the hopper between uses, just keep the hopper lid and door closed, push the slides back in and it will cut off the oxygen.
Q:
How do you return this item?
Answer: You will have to contact the seller so that they can make preparations
Q:
Main grate size on 560 vs 1050?
Answer: The Gravity Series 560 cooking and sear grate is 14.5" x 22" while the Gravity Series 1050 is 28" x 18"
Q:
Cuando tendrán en existencia?
Q:
Can this grill be used in light rain? Are there any rain gaskets around the top of the electrical panel?
Answer: There are a lot of safety features to make this a useable outdoor product. It is not suggested to use any electrical appliance in any rain. If there is a place the unit can be used and covered during rain, that would be ideal.
Q:
Temp readout showing 0000timer when increasing temp from 250 to 400 is tis normal
Answer: The controller will scroll through your time and temperature throughout the heating and cook cycle, this is a normal operation of the unit.
Q:
How wide is the unit? The description says 24.6“ but I want to confirm with someone who has the unit. Is that the width from the widest point?
Answer: From the widest points, the width is 54.13", depth is 24.65", and height is 51.96"
Answer: Dimensions
Answer: Not correct. The width is 54” the depth is 24.6”
Answer: What is the width with the bottom door of the stack opened? I have a spot for my grill that measures 67.5” wide.
Q:
Do you have a cook book for masterbuilt gravity series 560?
Answer: It's a digitally controlled smoking oven heated by burning wood and charcoal. Cook anything you want in it with any recipe, it's not unique.
Answer: No I do not have a cook book but if u need some recipes I am more than happy to help
Answer: Hello Vincent, thank you for your interest in this grill. We do have a cookbook designed for this grill yet, but we do have recipes for it. Please visit us at www.masterbuilt.com.
Q:
Do the fan / electronics run on 220v? or is it just 110?
Answer: Power source ia 110
Answer: This is manufactured for the 110v.
Answer: 110v
Q:
Would this work in the United Kingdom? Can it handle 220v without a converter?
Answer: There are units designed specifically for the United Kingdom 220v. These units will need to be purchased in the UK.
Q:
Does it flair-up
Answer: If grease builds up onr the cook is quite fatty. The unit should be cleaned after each use to avoid grease flair ups.
Answer: It flares up when cooking over 350 degrees if there's grease build up in the manifold or if the meat is very fatty. Inserting the 2 metal slides quickly chokes out most flare ups. To avoid flare ups, it's best to clean the manifold regularly.
Answer: three prong
Q:
How many meat probes com with 560
Answer: The unit comes with 1 meat probe.
Answer: Only one probe. This is an awesome piece of equipment.
Answer: I got only one with it. You’ll have to purchase them separately.
Answer: 1
Answer: It comes with one.
Answer: Just 1 but you can buy more.
Q:
i this set it and forget it? I set the temp for say 250, walk away and never have to adjust? It will keep 250 constant?
Answer: As long as you have enough fuel (charcoal/wood) yes it will keep the same temp within a range of the target
Answer: You still have to feed it add charcoal or wood chunks but for the most part it maintains temp for a couple hours
Answer: The unit can be monitored by your phone for temperature control. Variances can occur due to amount of food and outside temperature. Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance.
Answer: For 8-10 hours yes. You have to check your hopper level occasionally. Otherwise it’s the taste of charcoal with the ease of a pellet.
Answer: As long as there is charcoal in the bin it should. As with any barbecue cooking it will be +/- 10%. Very easy to use.
Answer: You need to read and follow the instructions that comes with your package. At this time you will familiarize yourself with the grills operation,if not your results my not turn out to be they should be
Answer: Yes, as long as you still have coal in the hopper.
Answer: Yes
Q:
14 cooks old - the walls of the firebox is disintegrated to the extent that the insulation in the walls is visible - is this covered by the warranty?
Answer: According to Masterbuilt, those walls are sacrificial and are just there to hold the fire bricks in place during shipping, so the answer would be no.
Answer: The metal plates in the lower portion of the hopper hold the firebrick in place and protect it during shipping. These burn out and drop into the ash pan. They are not necessary for the grill to function and we’re not offering a replacement part, since they are meant to be temporary
Q:
How do you clean the ash out? Does it fall thru to the ground? Can this be used on a wood deck?
Answer: No grill should be used on a flammable surface. The ash falls to the bottom of the hopper, in a enclosed chamber into an ash bucket.
Answer: The ash goes into a pan that you dump after you are done and it cools. Yes it can be used on a wood deck, everything is contained. To be safe you could use fire brick under it or a fire proof mat. We love ours.
Answer: There is a ash catcher with a latched door at the bottom of the charcoal stack.
Answer: Get a grill mat. For sure. I dont really think there will be a problem but Id be leary about leaving it alone for any period of time without a grill mat under grill and maybe even one in front of grill for you to stand on.
Q:
Where can I purchase additional meat temperature probes?
Answer: There aren’t generic probes yet, so the only option is to purchase the Masterbuilt probes. I bought mine from their website.
Answer: I have never trusted the "onboard" meat thermometers on grills/smokers. They are never very accurate. Buy yourself a good set of bluetooth/wifi thermometers. I have the Tappecue Touch. It's Wifi and I can check grill and meat temps from anywhere on my phone. A bit pricey but well worth it.
Q:
Bought getting error codes V001 and R0 11 won’t work ?
Answer: I had to hook mine up to the internet and update it. Works better with apple products
Q:
How do I contact the seller for replacement parts that were damaged in delivery?
Answer: I registered it on their webpage and then used the support link.
Q:
Where can you buy an additional meat probe?
Answer: MASTERBUILT .COM
Q:
Is this delivered by semi truck?
Answer: Due to weight this unit, it will be delivered through a freight carrier.
Answer: Mine was delivered by semi, unloaded with a pallet Jack and wheeled up onto my deck… I took it from there.
Answer: Yes it was. They took it off the truck and put it in my garage. They were great. BTW it is a great smoker. It is the best gift I’ve given to hubby. ????????
Q:
does it come with Alexa?
Answer: It does not come with alexa
Answer: WOW....does it come with alexa?....just wow. You don't even deserve to have a grill
Answer: No, it features wifi and bluetooth connection with an app, so you can control grill temps and check meat temps and alarms from anywhere.
Answer: No, this feature is not available with the Gravity series Grill.
Q:
Is it Insulated
Answer: This grill is not insulated. For additional questions. please visit us at www.masterbuilt.com.
Answer: No but double walled in hopper
Q:
Does this smoker put out a lot of smoke or is it contained with in grill
Answer: As with any charcoal grill/smoker you’re gunna have smoke come out of the grill and that’s a good thing. If smoke can’t escape it sits over the meat and becomes bitter. That’s why this grill has about a 10-12” vent that runs along the back to help keep the smoke fresh. It smokes more on initial startup but once you’re up to temperature you get that nice thin clean blue smoke.
Answer: It does put out a lot of smoke. I typically add a couple chunks of moist wood to increase the amount of smoke. I love mine! I have two smokers, this one is very easy to clean( I can put most of the pieces in the dishwasher), it has WiFi (I done use it often) and was really easy to assemble ( I put mine together—only needed my husband to assist in moving it). Hope this helps. Oh, I would look at Home Depot - the one in our area had this on sale for $350.
Answer: It smokes. That’s probably why they call it a smoker. :)
Answer: This unit gives a good deal of smoke within the confines of the cabinet.
Answer: It put out a lot up smoke both outside and inside evenly
Answer: Both but does give a good smoke ring add wood chunks to ash bin just made baby backs yesterday and came out best yet
Q:
Why does it say it reaches temp of 700 when that burns the meat?
Answer:
Answer:
Answer: high temp grilling is for searing such as with steaks.
Answer: This is for searing feature. Please visit our website for more details.
Q:
How many racks come wth it.
Answer: Has a main grate and a middle rack and a top rack. So 3 tiers. Thats on my 1050. The video will show you.
Answer: The grill comes with 2 smoking and sear grates and warming racks.
Answer: Well there are two bottom racks, then there is an upper one, plus a rotissary mount.
Answer: 2 racks along with the 2 grates.
Answer: Main grilling area and two warming racks.
Answer: One shelf.
Q:
I have been having a difficult time trying to get in touch with customer service, any help?
Answer: To get responses I had to make sure I registered the product first via their website. After that I was able to submit an online form for my issue. It did take 3-10 days for them to respond but I did get a response. I have not tried their Facebook group. Hope this helps.
Answer: It's a knock on them during COVID. The only way to reach them is by email. Keep trying - it took a while but they got back to me
Answer: There is a Facebook group for the gravity series. Lots of folks there may help
Answer: I’ve emailed them and they responded. Contact them on their brand FB page also. Many have had luck with that.
Q:
Does you have to use an outlet for the digital temp or is it battery?
Answer: I know that masterbuilt answered that it needs to be plugged into an outlet to this question, but some of us in the MB560 group are using this with just your standard battery pack that you’d use to charge your phone. If you buy a DC 5v to DC 9v or 12v Adjustable Step Up Voltage Converter, you can plug it into the grill and then the usb side to the battery pack, you can essentially use this on the go! A 20,000 mah battery pack should give you over 20 hours of cooking time.
Answer: Thank you for your interest in this grill. Yes, this product needs to be plugged into an outlet.
Q:
So just bought the 1050 and received the code ERR 1, it says temperature switch not fully comnected but everything seems to be not changing
Answer: Check your connection on the underside. Even unplug and replug it. You should join the Facebook group ‘Masterbuilt Gravity Series Fans’. Lots of help in there.
Q:
What happens if you use fast acting charcoal to season the grill?
Answer: Are you asking what will happen if you fill the hopper? If so, they will all light up and potentially damage the hopper. One or two in the bottom to light regular charcoal would be fine, but a hopper full of easy light charcoal could be disastrous.
Answer: Are you talking about match light charcoal? If so, you could have a problem. Since it burns from the bottom the entire hopper would probably ignite all at once. It is designed to ignite only the bottom layer and then ignite more as the layers burn away. It does this very well but with match light it would all burn at once causing extreme heat and possibly damage the grill.
Answer: Temperatures can be unstable and accelerants are not recommended in use with Gravity.
Q:
Just bought it, is it normal to have smoke coming from the top of the charcoal box?
Answer: Smoke will come from different areas but, ensure all your lids are closed and latched, and your air intake slides are completely removed, to avoid the "chimney" effect.
Answer: Yes. Mine does as well. I don’t think it was designed to be completely sealed, just pretty close.
Answer: Yes
Q:
Saw the assembly video - seems like very many steps to assemble - how long does it take?
Answer: Probably less than three hours with the help
Answer: Took me about 45 minutes. Most of it is put together, just attaching the larger pieces together. It’s pretty easy in my opinion.
Answer: About 1.5 hours but the grill is awesome best smoker I have ever owned
Answer: At least an hour and half.
Answer: Took me two hours.
Answer: Alone 2.5 hrs
Q:
Does the grill come with a cover and temperature probe? Also, can you get a rotisserie for this grill?
Answer: Thank you for your interest in this product. This grill does not come with a cover but comes with 1 meat probe. Our rotisserie will be available late spring.
Answer: The grill does not come with a cover. but you can order one on the Masterbuilt web page. Yes it does with a probe. but I have not been able to connect with it.
Answer: No cover, 1 meat probe, it seems ready to accept a rotisserie but it isn't currently available.
Q:
What size of wood chunks can be used for this grill?
Answer: Standard wood chunks can be used.
Answer: Any that fit into the charcoal drop area, I soak 2 - 4 inch chunks and then add them to the ash box as needed, the dropping charcoal starts these smoldering and is very effective at producing smoke. In my opinion, the larger the better. But I would say anything less than 8 inches you would be fine.
Q:
How durable is the fire box /What gauge steel ,any stainless steel in this grill ?
Answer: This unit is very heavy duty. Double insulated back wall and single walled on the other three. There is brushed stainless steel within the interior of the grill.
Answer: The firebox is a dual walled vertical chamber. Don't know the actual metal thickness but it should be ok for the life of the grill. The metal at the bottom of the firebox where the burn is hottest is thicker metal. A metal slide thst you put the starter material in appears to be SS.
Answer: Have not used it yet so don't know
Answer: IT IS MADE TO LAST IF YOU TAKE CARE OF IT
Q:
Can i use a water pan ?
Answer: Thank you for your interest in the grill. Yes, you can put a water pan in this grill. If you have any additional questions, please contact our Customer Support Team at 1.800.489.1581.
Answer: I believe you could next to food on great or on upper great
Q:
Why don’t you ship to Hawaii?
Answer: Probably not worth it for Amazon...
Q:
We just got the 560 today and its throwing error code 001 something to do with the temperature probe. We tried calling Masterbilt and they are closed
Answer: Have you connected it to WiFi? You might need to download the latest firmware and need a WiFi connection to do that
Q:
When is the rotisserie accessorie coming out ?
Answer: It is available
Answer: I DONT KNOW I WOOD LIKE TO KNOW
Q:
is this the 2020 model or 2021
Answer: this model has no changes year to eyar so far. the only difference you can search for is the size. 580 (580Sqin) the 1050 (1050Sqin) and now a new one 800 (800Sqin).
Answer: We would need the serial number to identify the manufacturing year.
Q:
The charcoal grate holes look pretty wide. Do that fall through before burning?
Answer:
Answer:
Answer: Smaller pieces of burnt charcoal do fall thru the grate holes. Your choices are: 1. discard the ash and small charcoal pieces before firing up the grill the next time or 2. separate the ash from the small charcoal pieces then dump the small pieces back onto the top of the unburned charcoal.
Answer: I’ve modified mine slightly to hold charcoal better. Lump’s little pieces fall through a lot. If you use the char logs from royal oak or B&B it’s no problem.
Answer: You want lit coals to drop through and help ignite wood in the ash pan. Some people have modified the grates to a smaller hole. Works for some, others have ash build up and trouble lighting and/or getting to higher temps. I’ve left mine as is and it works fantastic. Zero complaints.
Answer: No, the ash will fall through after burning.
Answer: It burns probably 3/4 of the charcoal piece before it’s small enough to fall through.
Answer: Haven't cooked a lot on mine yet but this doesn't seem to be a problem. My main issue is that the you will waste a lot of charcoal if you fill up the hopper and are only cooking burgers etc. I thought there was some kind of "slide" that would separate the unburned charcoal but doesn't appear to be so.
Answer: Yes. Most users have modified it by placing another grate over it with narrower gaps.
Answer: A couple of pieces may get through but there is no reason to panic everything will still run normal.
Answer: No, this grill is the best grill I ever owned
Product reviews of Masterbuilt MB20041220 Gravity Series 1050 Digital Charcoal Grill + Smoker, 202.9 lbs, Black
TC : Build quality needs a LOT of work
Waiting on MasterBuilt to get back to me but my unit arrived with a damaged shelf; specifically the compartment in the back of the side shelf is bent and sticks. It's the little spring-loaded pull out drawer for your probes, etc. The body of the cooker is also misaligned...the hood has overhang on the left side with the underhand on the right side. I've tried aligning and tightening the bolts on both sides of the hood to see if I could compensate...didn't work.
However, I knew what I was getting when I bought a product from MasterBuilt...their build quality has always been less than stellar. Yet, this product checked a lot of boxes for me so I decided to give them a shot. (Usually would've been a hard pass but a Wifi/BT temp controlled gravity-fed charcoal cooker was very intriguing.)
Will update when I get my new side shelf...I've emailed MasterBuilt's customer service...we'll see...
Patrick G. : Amazing
I've been cooking with a Weber religiously for about 2 years now. The weber master touch kettle style is what introduced me to charcoal grilling. I cooked on it nearly every weekend for the 2 years I had it, rain or shine or snow it didn't matter. The flavor charcoal provides is incomparable. Looking back, fanning the flames with cardboard...buying a manual blower and wrecking it soon after and then upgrading to a DeWalt leaf blower. My neighbors would often wonder why I was using a leaf blower when it was snowing and cold outside. Little did they know...charcoal isn't an easy method of grilling. Smoking on that little Weber was an adventure everytime. While the weber boasted the ability to smoke and provide indirect heat as well as direct heat it just wasn't truly up to par with someone like me who was grilling every week despite the weather. I ended up warping that little weber because of the heavy usage. I sure did get my mileage out of it.
But this review isn't about the weber, it's about this wonderful, amazing piece of technology that allows you to cheat! I had often heard that pellet grilling was like charcoal grilling but cheating. This charcoal grill is like grilling with charcoal but cheating with charcoal. It's so easy it's disgusting. I went a long time, many grills doing all this effort while this grill does everything EFFORTLESSLY. Key phrase is EFFORTLESSLY. Fire and forget isn't a more applicable term! I admit the assembly process is grueling. I admit I hate starting the flame in this grill compared to my weber but that is and was a SMALL price to pay. I just smoked a 16 lb brisket to absolute perfection over 22 hours. I did none of the work. The grill did everything.
I was a little hesitant to allow the grill to work over the course of one night but when I woke up the next morning the thing still had fire and still had, albeit, a small amount of charcoal left...to think this charcoal grill went 8 hours without maintenance...it truly is disgusting for those of you charcoal purists who have worked painstakingly to maintain your heat, your supply and the placement of your flames. This grill is just profound. It's so hard to describe how amazing it truly is unless you've slaved, smoking with something like a weber.
Smoking is such a fine art that requires such specific detail to temperature and truly only works well when done indirectly. This grill is such a marvel of engineering it not only burns indirectly but the manifold allows for SEARING. My god. It's unbelievable.
If you're on the fence with the price tag but are a charcoal purist like me who is just tired of not getting that perfect smoke...this is a no brainer. If it lasts only a year, if it only lasts 6 months....I'd buy it again. I love this thing!
Edit: been a year now and have grilled more on this in the first few months than I did in 2 years with my Weber in terms of hourly usage easy. The longest I ever used this grill was 26 HOURS. That was a good brisket.
I've smoked a turkey for Thanksgiving and made 6 briskets on this thing. I've cooked pork butt and pulled it. I've made brisket and pulled that! I've made newyorks, t-bones, tomahawks, salmon, whole tilapia...this grill is beyond words.
However! I've had some failures. It's sad but nothing lasts forever. My fan had failed but this is after 100's of hours if not 1,000. Also my proximity switch for the lid melted so I shorted the wires together and kept grilling.
Still the best charcoal griller out there!
Jeffrey : NO RAGRETS!
The easiest way to cook with charcoal! Assembly wasn’t bad just kind of weird how the instructions are written, I cooked for 8 hours on one hopper and still had 1/4 hopper left over (cooking between 225&250) definitely worth it! Mine was kind of banged up on delivery though my only complaint for sure it looked like someone hit it with a forklift, Amazon took the return and brought me a new one but the second one was also damaged on the inside the drip tray slides were bent and the drip tray itself was dented but other than that best grill I’ve ever used. Loved my Treager but it can’t sear or reach temps anywhere near as fast or maintain like charcoal can I still use my Treager for smoking but this grill does it all and more and the app is an awesome bonus temps vary between 5-10 degrees give or take
c. Hayden : Easy to use
The best part of this smoker is the set and forget temperature controls. I bought a third party thermometer for the grill lid and the temp on that always matches the temperature on the Masterbuilt control panel. For my baby back ribs, the temp sat at 225 degrees for 7 hours and never moved. I never had to refill the charcoal and had about 10-15 percent of fuel left after the fire was snuffed out. The meat probe I used for the chicken also matched my instant read thermometer and I have no doubts about its accuracy. I'm only 4 cooks in (ribs, beef ribs, chicken, burgers) and I have no regrets.
Vernie : The temp control works very well!
First, I ordered this grill from Walmart, it arrived on a pallet with a dent and scrape from the fork of a fork lift through the box. SENT it back. Decided to order from the big A, this grill is pretty much sold at full retail everywhere. Amazon had it listed via seller for $25 off. This grill is heavy (200+ lbs), and the freight truck delivered intact. Boxed looked good. Thought, great. So I unpacked it and found three small dents, one on the bottom, two on the top, (thot) I can live with these. Probably from stacking on top/each other in some slow boat from the China.
The grill can be temper mental to start, but once you find the right sequence to ignite the charcoals, this grill is money! Temp holds around your target, bounces up and down, as fan switches on/off to keep the heat moving through the grill box. Smoked brisket flat, hamburger patties, Salmon, and steaks within a week. Awesome.
A few things I disliked about my Weber Smokey Mountain bullet, hitting your target temp, temp control, and stacking briquettes for a serpentine fuse. Adding more briquettes was inconvenient too. This grill is a home run. The blue tooth remote has worked perfectly. No complaints. For the money Masterbuilt could have thrown in all four temp probes, ONLY 1 came with, and the temperature was 4.5-5 degree off my instant read thermometer.
Directions say 45 min assembly, Ha ha ha, some comedian wrote the assembly directions. Get a COLD beverage, relax and take your time, gonna be a bit longer if by yourself.
A second thought, I use my Weber Summit 470 Gas grill to sear, it has no problem getting to 650+. I did not want to "crank" up the 1050 to 600 degrees, once those briquettes get hot, cooling down will still burn them up.
Jeffrey : NO RAGRETS!
The easiest way to cook with charcoal! Assembly wasn’t bad just kind of weird how the instructions are written, I cooked for 8 hours on one hopper and still had 1/4 hopper left over (cooking between 225&250) definitely worth it! Mine was kind of banged up on delivery though my only complaint for sure it looked like someone hit it with a forklift, Amazon took the return and brought me a new one but the second one was also damaged on the inside the drip tray slides were bent and the drip tray itself was dented but other than that best grill I’ve ever used. Loved my Treager but it can’t sear or reach temps anywhere near as fast or maintain like charcoal can I still use my Treager for smoking but this grill does it all and more and the app is an awesome bonus temps vary between 5-10 degrees give or take
phil : AWFUL CUSTOMER SERVICE AND PRODUCT
I have used my Masterbuilt Smoker 3 times and in the middle of using it to make a meal for guests it just quit working. There is NO support for a breakdown. They will only support through a website that wants photocopies of reciepts and other information submitted before they will even review an issue. THEY STATE THAT THEY WILL NOT CALL AND WILL NOT TAKE A CALL ON THERE CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE. Is that some sort of oxymoron? The worst.
Eli Sherman : All banged up
Just started putting it together not looking good
Northwestern Bag Co. : It was just ok
The 560 model is small. Would be tight to fit two racks of ribs. The taste of food wasn't any different than cooking on a propane grill. The biggest con for me was the fuel usage. This thing uses a lot of charcoal. I just couldn't justify using half a bag of charcoal every weekend for grilling my meal prep meat. About 10lbs of chicken and a couple steaks uses half a bag of charcoal.
Didn't use to smoke on but it would be difficult to keep wood burning in the hopper. You would have to try to mix wood and charcoal to load the hopper. It would tale a lot of trial and error to get the mix right.
Robert W. : Buyer beware poor quality and customer service @ Masterbuilt
I am an electrical/electronics engineer and a DIYer so was not concerned about the 1:45 estimated assembly time.
The grill arrived from Amazon and the box did not appear to have more damage than a normal shipment. The box did not have any large holes or sides crushed and the box had 2 straps which I had to cut. During unboxing I noticed that the bracket on the top hopper lid which is used to clamp the lid shut was not present. Only holes where the bracket should be and could see the bracket was ripped off (rivets pulled out). After unboxing the first assembly step is remove the drip pan which was difficult and then put the grill on its back. Next is add the ash hopper at the bottom and this is when I noticed the frame was bent (which I believe made it hard to remove the drip pan). I believe I read in another review where they also had a bent frame. The frame was bent on the back right side bottom where the leg bolts on. I stopped and took photos and followed the instructions to contact Masterbuilt Customer Service. This is when i found out that you must first register the product and then submit a claim to which they then say they have up to 5 business days to respond. There is no phone number and you never talk to anyone. It was Friday and Monday afternoon I received a email that a hopper lid was being shipped. I sent a email on Monday asking about the bent frame and did not receive a response until Friday (4 days later). There was an email exchange to identify the part but photos/description where already provided. The next Friday (5 business days later) I received a email that a body kit was shipped. Meanwhile I had purchased the grill to roast the thanksgiving turkey. I found the hopper lid bracket in the box so used small screws and attached the bracket and I used some wood/hammer to straighten the frame. I was able to assemble the grill; however, it took about 3-4 hours due to the issues. I did receive the top hopper lid and body kit from Masterbuilt; however, the body kit requires a complete disassembly of the grill including the hoppers which come preinstalled. I used the grill to cook the thanksgiving turkey and the turkey was the best ever but that did not make up for all of the issues with a NEW product and the poor customer service. It took 2-3 weeks to get the replacement parts. It seems I was expected to wait for 2-3 weeks before I was to assemble a NEW grill and use it. I should have sent it back to Amazon as defective and purchased from a different manufacture. This is a issue with manufacturing, packaging and customer service. I have 3 Masterbuilt electric smokers and a electric deep fryer and WAS a Masterbuilt believer until I purchased this Gravity Feed Grill.
Jeffrey : NO RAGRETS!
The easiest way to cook with charcoal! Assembly wasn’t bad just kind of weird how the instructions are written, I cooked for 8 hours on one hopper and still had 1/4 hopper left over (cooking between 225&250) definitely worth it! Mine was kind of banged up on delivery though my only complaint for sure it looked like someone hit it with a forklift, Amazon took the return and brought me a new one but the second one was also damaged on the inside the drip tray slides were bent and the drip tray itself was dented but other than that best grill I’ve ever used. Loved my Treager but it can’t sear or reach temps anywhere near as fast or maintain like charcoal can I still use my Treager for smoking but this grill does it all and more and the app is an awesome bonus temps vary between 5-10 degrees give or take
Shelli H : Do not waste you money...worked twice and now dead
Do not buy this grill. We used it twice since January and it stopped working. We contacted Masterbuilt we followed the instructions and nothing. The fan does not turn on essentially rendering the grill completely useless. For hundreds of dollars and to have received it Dec 29,2020 and it has been unusuable since March 1st is appalling. This should be removed from Amazon and my money refunded
Kindle Customer : Great grill/smoker. App not ready for prime time.
Initial impression after assembly and first use. Assembly wasn't too bad, but it does take time. I did it solo. Another set of hands would have been helpful, but it can be done without.
This things fires up quickly and the temperature control is outstanding. So fun to turn the dial and watch it respond immediately.
As other have noted, the app is hot trash so far. If wifi/Bluetooth is an absolute necessity for you....this may not be the smoker for you. I will say that I thought going in that this was the case for me....but I may be willing to overlook it in the end given how good the performance of the actual grill/smoker seems to be. Hopefully future updates help.
Jeffrey Watterworth : Review of Shipping Only
Very disappointed in the damage that this had after shipping. Didn’t notice it until I started to put the legs on and one wouldn’t fit because of how bad the grill was bent. I had to straighten it out as best as I could to get the final screw in place. Masterbuilt cut corners in packaging for shipment and Amazon must have used guys that dropped the grill off the truck.
Amazon Customer : Versatile Grill/Smoker
I've had the Masterbuilt Gravity Series 1050 for about 2 months now and I love it. It takes the best of the pellet grills and the offset charcoal/wood smokers and combines them into one grill. This thing can be set as low as 150 (struggles below 200 though) and high enough to sear a steak (600-700 degrees). Lighting is easy as long as you make sure you've knocked out all of the ash and soot from the previous cook. A full hopper lasts me anywhere from 5ish to 10ish hours depending on the charcoal I use and the temperature I'm cooking at.
My only complaint is how difficult it was to assemble. It does suggest assembling with a partner which probably would've helped, but it took me a few hours on my own to assemble. There's many different pieces and almost no extra screws so make sure you don't lose any.
Overall I'd recommend this to anyone looking to up their outdoor cooking game. It's great for beginner or advanced low and slow cookers. If electricity is easy to hook up at your house it's also a great primary grill.
McKenzie : Brand new doesn’t work
After a few hours of assembly we were excited to try the new smoker. Was going through the first cook process to cook off the chemicals and grease from manufacturing. Followed step by step and the smoker will not get to temp. The reason for this is the fan is not working at all. Tried all the troubleshooting and googling for the past 3 hours or so and am defeated. They delivered us a faulty product. For the price you would really expect it to work :/
G. P. Wolf : Couldn't be more happy with delivery and product
Couldn't be more happy with delivery and product Couldn't be more happy with delivery and product Couldn't be more happy with delivery and product Couldn't be more happy with delivery and product Couldn't be more happy with delivery and product
AB123 : Leaks grease. A bear to put together
I really wanted to love this grill. I mean charcoal heat that smokes and sears, what is not to love? I was excited like a kid on Christmas when it came. I read the reviews about the challenges with switches. I looked at the design and thought..."that's a lot of things to break" especially with a 1-year warranty, but I went for it anyways.
It was a bear to build. Took me more than 2 hours. It wasn't so much that it was hard as it had some weird things like the handle if you dropped the bolt it got lost in the cover and you had to fish it out somehow.
Ok, but the build is temporary and we move on. Then I cooked with it the first time. I smokes a St. Louis rack of ribs for 7 hours. It leaked grease everywhere. No, not just some random rivet all over my patio, it also ran down all of the legs and around the wheels. Then there was the controller which just randomly would shut off for no reason and wouldn't warn you through the app (that's why my 5-6 hour cook turned to 7 hours). Ribs tasted great but I have a stain on my patio now.
I expected to have to work through problems on this grill, but with the way it is built I think just about every other cook is going to bring a challenge. I'm really bummed because I can't find anything else on the market that will take its place. This isn't going to work though and with the problems I am facing now I do not want to deal with durability problems that I know will come in the future based on the build quality.
Sarah E. : Disappointed
I just got this for Christmas, so we’ve had it for about 5 months and the fan already isn’t working anymore. Also feel like don’t get true charcoal flavor
Super disappointed, hope I can get it fixed but probably wouldn’t buy it again
DK : Follow instructions closely
This product stands by its name. It’s built to do everything that experts have said it could.
Be mindful and follow the instructions,do so and you will create your own positive view of what this awesome grill can do.
Amazon Jon Lucas : Average. Has flaws but does put out smoke.
Grill looks very nice and does heat up fast. The door sensor on the lid failed after 2 cooks so I had to remove the sensor. Also the welds on the hopper and on the bottom side of the drip tray are poor and leaked rib grease all over my newly stained deck. Not impressed on that. Im on cook #4 next and hoping things look up from here. Grill does not perform well in cold temps. Big difference from bottom shelf to middle shelf. The bottom will burn where the middle and upper shelf seem to be be 30 degrees cooler than the grill temp actually says.
B. Kim : Never received from AMAZON scheduled Delivery
I did not receive this item from amazon because it took over 2 weeks of the run around for a scheduled (specified time and date a week out from order date) before I had to cancel my order because no one could tell me when or where my order actually was. Ordered and picked up same day from Walmart.
Now down to the smoker
If your are looking for something as simple electric smoker and want the taste and flavor for a charcoal smoker this is the Smoker for you. I suggest getting your own Blutooth thermometer probe, i use it to monitor my meat temps and cooking temps since my smoker is too far from my router to use the app for the smoker.
Pros
It smokes about 12 hours with my setup without needing a refill.
Electric Fan control and built in meat and inside thermometer
Great cast iron racks for searing
Cons
Wifi range is quite short,
no blutooth,
wifi antenna is under the metal shelf plate (loss of signal range)
Random error codes during cooking
Caleb : Pretty unimpressed so far
I'm constantly having to unplug it and plug it back in to "reset" the fan controller, otherwise it just doesn't heat up. Constantly making cooks that should take 10 minutes instead take 45. Have had it less than two months.
Amazon Customer : Used twice and broke. Cant easily get ahold of masterbuilt.
I was really excited to get this unit. I did a great deal of research and overall it seemed to be positive. The second time I tried to use this it threw out error codes and the fan would not turn on. I go online and find out you cannot contact master built for help until you register the product. So I'm in the middle of a cook with everything prepped and I can't get any answers? No phone number to call in for tech support, nothing without registering. Second, even tho I bought my unit brand new not everyone gets their grills new. Some people might have for example inherited a unit or bought it used and they won't register you unless you upload a receipt of purchase so don't buy one of these used because you won't be able to get any information or tech support. That basically, tells me Masterbuilt is more interested in getting information to add you to marketing lists then they are about actually just providing help for anyone who owns one of their grills regardless of how they came about owning it. I don't want to spend close to 800 dollars on something that breaks the second time you cook with it. Very disappointed. I returned it and am looking into other options.
Gregory Gallina : This smoker is the tits!
This is a phenomenal
Machine. It does everything it says it will. It definitely uses way more charcoal than you’d think, but who cares. The only thing someone might struggle with is getting it lit. There are two cheats for this...get a fire starter, cut it in half and feed in through bottom. Or, get amsome instant light charcoal, about 20 briquettes and place in the hopper first, light these and allow them to burn off (it will burn hot for a few minutes). Additionally, it’s stunningly magnificent. It will definitely be a talk
Piece during your next backyard bbq.
yost28 : Better bbq than a Traeger
This smoker has been honestly amazing. Easy as a pellet but real charcoal bbq flavor. My house is the best bbq place hands down. The only downside is everyone will ask if you have a Traeger. Explaining that it’s a Masterbuilt and it’s better than a Traeger to a bbq layman is not an easy task. I’m still working on this. Luckily most people don’t really care and are just happy to eat your bbq.
The hopper itself is very versatile and will accept just about any wood and charcoal. I’ve prefer kingsford with webber wood chunks.
CS : Do not purchase
Wires melted after 4th use, have been trying to get issues corrected for 6 months. DO NOT Purchase!!!
c. Hayden : Easy to use
The best part of this smoker is the set and forget temperature controls. I bought a third party thermometer for the grill lid and the temp on that always matches the temperature on the Masterbuilt control panel. For my baby back ribs, the temp sat at 225 degrees for 7 hours and never moved. I never had to refill the charcoal and had about 10-15 percent of fuel left after the fire was snuffed out. The meat probe I used for the chicken also matched my instant read thermometer and I have no doubts about its accuracy. I'm only 4 cooks in (ribs, beef ribs, chicken, burgers) and I have no regrets.
skhan : Great design, really bad quality material and quality control
I really love be the design of this grill and how it uses charcoal. However it has the softest lightest metal body in a grill I have ever seen. The box was received with a large portion bent. However, the metal is so soft and maleable that I was able to place the whole grill on a stair' step and fix it using my weight. Also the interior walls and the fire box (manifold) started rusting within a week even though I did the seasoning correctly. I am Texas and living on a third floor. I don't think this will last long...
Temperature control is great btw. However, due to the super thin body it looses a lot of energy and ends up costing you a lot of coal.. also the grate on which the charcoal falls is extremely wide. So it wastes a humongous amount of charcoal. I had to mod it using a wire hanger.
I really wish this was made by Weber. I would have loved it. Instead Weber made that terribly designed smokefire....
DK : Follow instructions closely
This product stands by its name. It’s built to do everything that experts have said it could.
Be mindful and follow the instructions,do so and you will create your own positive view of what this awesome grill can do.
Doug V : Nice looking easy to assemble hope it’s worth it
Hey there. Just received this and put it together and had it running in less than two hours. Once again Amazon sent another damage product. It seems like all the big stuff gets sent out damaged. Oh well. I called Amazon and asked for an easy $25 credit. They happily complied and issued me a gift card.
Whomever said mastercraft’s customer service sucks is wrong. I registered my product. Filled out the in warranty replacement part form and the nice lady sent me the parts that were damaged.
I’ve done three preburns to remove all the oils from shipping and added my own oil to season the metal.
Seems like it works well. I do not like the way you need to light the charcoal. They really screws the pooch on this feature. But once it’s lit it runs like a champ. It seems the temp setting stays within 8 degrees of the set point
Cooking some tri-tip and pork butt this weekend. I’ll update this if this bbq is a piece of junk
And the app seems to work fine for me!! ???
steve michaud : Poorly made unit
After six months of using the master built 560 and burned a hole through the lining inside the coal chute exposing fiberglass matting I then bought an LSS mods stainless steel sleeve after one use at 375° it also warped and once again exposed the fiberglass. Also creosote buildup mixed with tremendous moisture inside the chute created A strange looking crystalline form as you can see in my hand in the photo this is not something I want cooking with my food! If you are a serious griller stay away from this unit it is a very poor design And uses very cheap materials if you’re going to spend 500 bucks go with a Weber You’ll be much happier
Molo : WARNING: ADHESIVE HAZARD DO NOT BUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So several things wrong here but I will start with the worst. When I am putting things together I noticed a big poster within the inside portion of the lid. This advertisement poster is glued on to the inside hood with not one or two little dabs, it's two very long strips of glue. I tried my best to remove them but the instructions say to burn it off for 1 hour on 250 and 30m on 400. I did so, and when I got next to it after a while I inhaled some of the nastiest stuff that burned my lungs and made me so light-headed. WHO PUTS GLUE ON THE INSIDE OF A BBQ?!!?!?!? Anyway, now those glue strips are burned/Stained into the hood and will not go away. I even tried to burn it off for several extra hours at 700! and that smell and glue still won't go away- I don't want all my cooks to be glue flavored!!!! Check out the pictures you will see both of those strips of glue burned there forever haunting me - it still hurts to breathe yall. Anyway, a few other things like bent up henges and the hopper lid won't close right. and I understand some of the parts are oiled but RUST?! jeez what kind of oil/grease is this. ( I may be wrong here but maybe they use RUST colored grease idk???). Majorly disappointed on this one- was soo looking forward to so many cookouts :(
Kindle Customer : Great grill/smoker. App not ready for prime time.
Initial impression after assembly and first use. Assembly wasn't too bad, but it does take time. I did it solo. Another set of hands would have been helpful, but it can be done without.
This things fires up quickly and the temperature control is outstanding. So fun to turn the dial and watch it respond immediately.
As other have noted, the app is hot trash so far. If wifi/Bluetooth is an absolute necessity for you....this may not be the smoker for you. I will say that I thought going in that this was the case for me....but I may be willing to overlook it in the end given how good the performance of the actual grill/smoker seems to be. Hopefully future updates help.
steve michaud : Poorly made unit
After six months of using the master built 560 and burned a hole through the lining inside the coal chute exposing fiberglass matting I then bought an LSS mods stainless steel sleeve after one use at 375° it also warped and once again exposed the fiberglass. Also creosote buildup mixed with tremendous moisture inside the chute created A strange looking crystalline form as you can see in my hand in the photo this is not something I want cooking with my food! If you are a serious griller stay away from this unit it is a very poor design And uses very cheap materials if you’re going to spend 500 bucks go with a Weber You’ll be much happier
Stephen J. MacBride : Poor Customer Support
Instructions are poor and grill arrived with a large dent in the front. They don't have a call center any more "due to Covid." Since you can't get Covid over the phone that made no sense to me, but I went on their website as directed. Turns out you can't make a claim until you go through a lengthy registration process. You need to provide them with a picture of their invoice and picture of the serial number and then wait for them to confirm everything. Of course they already have all of this information, but they are probably hoping that you will decide it is not worth the trouble. You have to provide them the same information again on the support site. We'll see what happens, but this is not promising.
Folks, if you are going to stand by your product, then stand by your product.
DLB : Disgraceful
Is this a practical joke? Right out of the box, the hopper latch was busted/rusted off, which means nothing else much matters. Several of the parts were covered in some type of muck - feels like a combination of grease and rust. Other parts had water in them. Manufacturer should be embarrassed for shipping out an absolute piece of junk like this. Masterbuilt's phone service is suspended due to COVID, and the website has a tech issue that prevents me from even submitting a claim (it demands an answer from a drop-down menu, but the menu doesn't actually have any content). Now I've got like 30 pieces of this thing scattered all over my patio and have to figure out how to return when there is literally no way to contact the manufacturer. This is a giant disaster.
Ruaidhri Jackson : Cheap manufacturing, avoid
Was very excited to order this and seeing the mainly positive reviews. I have ordered this twice now and have had to return it twice. Opened box (damaged in both deliveries) and found that a number of the stainless steel parts like the heat manifold assembly were covered in grease (maybe from the manufacture process). Worst still was that these prices also had rust around their bolts. Thought first time was just a bad batch, but got a second delivery and problem was still their. Wasn’t as bad as the first time but still a disgrace to be shipped. I would avoid this product, $500 is too much for how poorly built this grills comments are.
Dave : Grill works as advertised - the app does not.
From start to finish the grill took about 1.5 hours to put together. Not a terrible process, however, the piece of metal that is meant to hold the baffle for the air intake broke off at the slightest touch, one of the guards around the firebox had to be hammered in, and the hinges for the door to the ash bin had to be pried away from the door to get them to slide in the hinges. Not the worst experience in putting a grill together, but for the price it should have gone more smoothly.
After it was put together, it seems to work as promised. Fired her up and set her to 250 and was there in minutes. Set her to 350 and she got there in about 3 minutes from 250. Set her to 700 and she was there in about 5 minutes. I'm fairly impressed with the performance, but there should be a sear setting that disables the hood sensor. For the life of me I can't understand how that was over-looked.
Now on to the app. Bluetooth connectivity worked fine, no problems there, but WiFi? No good. I, again, cannot understand how in This Year of Our Lord, 2020, they decided that ONLY 2.4GHz WiFi would be supported. Because of this, I cannot get the grill to connect to the network to update, so I'm done messing with it. I'm just going to buy the Fireboard cable and use that to control the grill. At least that way I know I can go run errands and reliably keep tabs on my cooks.
It's for that reason that I'm giving this product 3 stars. Will I recommend it? Sure, but I will also tell them that they're also going to need to buy a Fireboard and the Fireboard control cable, meaning that their investment in this product will not be $800, but closer to $1000. Also, the 1 year warranty is pretty weak as well, especially for a product this expensive.
I'm going to edit my review after having done an overnight cook.
First, this cooker is *insanely* inefficient. Charcoal only burns about halfway through before it drops in to the ash pan. The bottom grate needs to be re-engineered and replaced by Masterbuilt.
Second, after an overnight cook of 2 pork butts and 2 briskets, I decided to crank it up to 350 since the bark was set just to finish the cook. This started a grease fire. Thankfully I was able to rescue the meat, but that wasn't fun to deal with.
Third, cleaning it was pretty quick and easy, so that was nice.
All in all, I think this is a great idea whose execution was mediocre.
Amazon Jon Lucas : Average. Has flaws but does put out smoke.
Grill looks very nice and does heat up fast. The door sensor on the lid failed after 2 cooks so I had to remove the sensor. Also the welds on the hopper and on the bottom side of the drip tray are poor and leaked rib grease all over my newly stained deck. Not impressed on that. Im on cook #4 next and hoping things look up from here. Grill does not perform well in cold temps. Big difference from bottom shelf to middle shelf. The bottom will burn where the middle and upper shelf seem to be be 30 degrees cooler than the grill temp actually says.
Amazon Customer : Used twice and broke. Cant easily get ahold of masterbuilt.
I was really excited to get this unit. I did a great deal of research and overall it seemed to be positive. The second time I tried to use this it threw out error codes and the fan would not turn on. I go online and find out you cannot contact master built for help until you register the product. So I'm in the middle of a cook with everything prepped and I can't get any answers? No phone number to call in for tech support, nothing without registering. Second, even tho I bought my unit brand new not everyone gets their grills new. Some people might have for example inherited a unit or bought it used and they won't register you unless you upload a receipt of purchase so don't buy one of these used because you won't be able to get any information or tech support. That basically, tells me Masterbuilt is more interested in getting information to add you to marketing lists then they are about actually just providing help for anyone who owns one of their grills regardless of how they came about owning it. I don't want to spend close to 800 dollars on something that breaks the second time you cook with it. Very disappointed. I returned it and am looking into other options.
Kindle Customer : Great grill/smoker. App not ready for prime time.
Initial impression after assembly and first use. Assembly wasn't too bad, but it does take time. I did it solo. Another set of hands would have been helpful, but it can be done without.
This things fires up quickly and the temperature control is outstanding. So fun to turn the dial and watch it respond immediately.
As other have noted, the app is hot trash so far. If wifi/Bluetooth is an absolute necessity for you....this may not be the smoker for you. I will say that I thought going in that this was the case for me....but I may be willing to overlook it in the end given how good the performance of the actual grill/smoker seems to be. Hopefully future updates help.
SeeYouLtr79 : Disappointed- Storage and Delivery were a mess but it seems to be working fine
Update 2:
I am Very disappointed. Paint is bubbling and just wiping off, grease leaks from two places, there are plenty of bent pieces, rusted manifold-like piece inside, temperature isn’t steady and it’s just generally not a great experience using this. I feel like we got a dud. My husband is going to call the company but at this point, you can’t return a put together grill that’s been used. We’ve used a charcoal Weber drum grill for 17 years and made that into our fire pit. We took a few weeks to decide on which grill to upgrade to. Now I think we’ll just cook over our fire pit. Also I might add, we keep it in the garage after it cools, we save the charcoal nuggets that drop through and are unused and we’ve grilled many dishes. After fiddling w the temp and keeping a good eye on it, it will grill really good food. Over all it’s just a pain especially because of the bubbling paint and leaky grease.
Update: It’s put together and we did the first burn. Wow was that a lot of smoke. The pieces do come greased but I guess ours may have discolored maybe due to storage timing or heat. It’s well constructed and all the pieces were there. It took a good hour to build. We bought and solid powered plug/battery bc we don’t have a plug near where the grill is kept. It’s such a small amount of electricity needed that it works fine. We will grill soon... the first burn took a while so we didnt get to grill last night.
Older post/ We will be calling customer service at MasterBuilt tomorrow. The box had holes, gashes and there is a dark, oily substance all over the plastic wrapped pieces. I get some grease may be needed but this was dark brown and no video of other customers putting it together had grease that was brown and so much of it. We will putting it together this evening, seasoning w the first burn and I’ll repost / update later this week.
Richard M. : Absolute Steal @ $500
Love my Masterbuilt Gravity 560. All the flavor of my Weber Smokey Mountain, but the simplicity of a pellet grill. Goes from 150°-700° so you can smoke/grill/sear with it. Heats quick. Super even temp across the grates. Rock solid on holding temps. App is awesome (although I have an iPhone - I’ve heard it’s less than stellar on Android). Masterbuilt has excellent customer service if you need it. And the price. Honestly, it’s a game changer at $750+, let alone $500.
Northwestern Bag Co. : It was just ok
The 560 model is small. Would be tight to fit two racks of ribs. The taste of food wasn't any different than cooking on a propane grill. The biggest con for me was the fuel usage. This thing uses a lot of charcoal. I just couldn't justify using half a bag of charcoal every weekend for grilling my meal prep meat. About 10lbs of chicken and a couple steaks uses half a bag of charcoal.
Didn't use to smoke on but it would be difficult to keep wood burning in the hopper. You would have to try to mix wood and charcoal to load the hopper. It would tale a lot of trial and error to get the mix right.
C. Wolfley : Charcoal and wood flavor with Pellet control
I won’t pretend that it’s perfect. There are some quirks to it. But, it’s one of the best smokers I’ve used in the ~12-13 years I’ve been smoking.
There are a few things to do like put foil over the top of the hopper so the paint on the lid doesn’t peel.. rotate the fan 90 degrees so your fan wires don’t melt at high heat, and maybe mod the hopper grate at the bottom. Those are all fairly simple.
There’s after market mods you can do. I’ve done some of them for longevity sake, because I love it and want it to last.
Overall, I absolutely love it so far.
Kelly : Support is nonexistent even when you receive an entirely destroyed item
Now I have nothing but a pile of scrap metal and electronics and other materials. I will have to pay to have this mess removed from my home and disposed of. It has all just been a huge runaround from both MASTERJUNK and Amazon.
I will detail this rediculous experience later. Photos of damaged goods attached. Tried to send to "customer service" but the automated reply says they can't be bothered to monitor their inbox.
Kevin G. McCoy : Easy to assemble, exceeds expectations.
Assembly hints: Make sure you read every step in the assembly manual carefully. If the manual says to leave screws lose then don't tighten them. This will help square things up after all the other parts have been installed..
Before flipping the grill onto its wheels, rattle EVERYTHING to find screws you haven't tightened yet.
Yes. There are a bazillion parts, but the drawings in the manual are actually very precise (I do CAD). Really look at the drawings and compare them to the parts and you will do fine.
Pro-tip:
Unscrew the 4 temperature-probe nuts and remove the big black knob on the controller before before peeling the protective plastic film from the controller front panel. Screw them back on after peeling. Put the knob back on too.
Kevin G. McCoy : Easy to assemble, exceeds expectations.
Assembly hints: Make sure you read every step in the assembly manual carefully. If the manual says to leave screws lose then don't tighten them. This will help square things up after all the other parts have been installed..
Before flipping the grill onto its wheels, rattle EVERYTHING to find screws you haven't tightened yet.
Yes. There are a bazillion parts, but the drawings in the manual are actually very precise (I do CAD). Really look at the drawings and compare them to the parts and you will do fine.
Pro-tip:
Unscrew the 4 temperature-probe nuts and remove the big black knob on the controller before before peeling the protective plastic film from the controller front panel. Screw them back on after peeling. Put the knob back on too.
Dang Lucky Nerd : Rusted Parts and Unable to Contact Customer Support
I was so excited to get this new smoker but when I opened it and started taking everything out of the box, I saw that the heat manifold assembly piece was covered in some kind of oil. I looked at the assembly videos on their website to see if maybe it is meant to be this way. Nothing looks like it has oil on it. So, I cleaned off the oils but it was full of rust (see the picture). So, I need a new part. The phone number in the book for customer support has a message that basically says they don't do customer support over the phone and directs to the website. Got to the website and it says you can't do anything until you register the product. I tried to register and and error comes up that says I need to log into Oracle Netsuite before I can complete it. Oracle network is not for customers as far as I can tell but there is not a way to sign up an Oracle Netsuite account. Shame on you Masterbuilt!
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