Char-Broil 19202101 Deluxe Black Digital Electric Smoker, Large, 725 Square Inch & Digital Electric Smoker Stand, 30" review and price compare 2025
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Product overview
| Brand | Char-Broil |
| Power Source | Corded Electric |
| Fuel Type | Electric |
product features
- by entering your model number.
- Product 1: Insulated, double-wall construction
- Product 1: Advanced control panel with easy-read, blue LED display
- Product 1: Removable food thermometer
- Product 1: Glass door allows you to monitor the smoke without opening the door
- Product 2: For use with Char-Broil 30-inch Digital Electric Smokers
- Product 2: Raises smoker 16-inches for easier access and less bending over
- Product 2: Steel construction for strength and durability
- Product 2: Compatible with Char-Broil models 14202002, 14202004 and 15202043
This fits your .
From the manufacturer
Since 1948 Char-Broil has been America’s favorite grill brand. Yet somehow, it feels like Char-Broil is still only getting started. Perhaps it’s because we know that making our products better also makes your cookouts better. And as long as that’s true, it’s all the motivation we need to continue innovating and improving what we make.
Char-Broil 30" Deluxe Black Digital Electric Smoker, 725 Square Inch
The Char-Broil Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker is the ideal appliance for the outdoor smoking, grilling and cooking enthusiast. With 725-square inches of internal cooking space spread across 4 adjustable smoking racks, this digital electric smoker provides the capacity to cook a wide variety of meats- whether cooking for a small or large group. With the large capacity smoke box, you’ll get 4 to 7 hours of smoke before needing to refill. Just sit back and wait for your delicious meal to be ready.
- 725 square inch capacity across 4 easily adjustable or removable racks.
- Insulated, double-wall construction and glass door for a view inside
- Removable integrated food thermometer to set desired internal temperature
- Large, stainless steel locking latch for smoke-tight seal.
- Remote control not included with the the Deluxe Black Model
Key Features
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Take the guess work out of smokingThe Digital Electric Smoker from Char-Broil allows the user to take the guess work out of smoking using its washable and removable integrated meat probe. Simply insert the probe into the meat and the smoker will alert you when the meat has been cooked to a pre-determined internal meat temperature. The result - your meat is cooked perfect, each and every time. And when your food is done cooking, this Char-Broil smoker’s warming feature will keep your food warm inside the smoker until it is removed and ready to be served. | Lock in the heat and smokeThe Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker from Char-Broil features premium insulated double wall construction to lock in heat and smoke. This hassle-free construction makes the smoker up to 10 times more efficient with wood chips compared to the leading electric smoker. This means that you can fill the 4-cup capacity wood chip box once and produce up to 7 hours of smoking, versus up to 10 times with the leading electric smoker to yield the same amount of smoke. | Monitor and adjust cooking heat with the advanced control panelThe Deluxe Digital Electric Vertical Smoker features a full-size glass window, and a side-locking latch for a smoke tight seal which ensures the flavor and smoke stays inside, and indirectly cooks your meal to a juicy, smoky and tender perfection. With the removable temperature gauge, you can easily monitor the cooking heat, and make simple adjustment with the advanced control panel with easy-to-read blue LED display. Also features an easy to refill porcelain-coated, slide-in water pan and remote control for increased accessibility. |
Key Features
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Warming FeatureOnce the internal temperature of your food reaches the temperature set, your food is kept warm until it is removed from the smoker and ready to be served. | Large Capacity Smoke Box4-cup wood chip capacity delivers up to 7 hours of smoking, without the need to open the door and refill. Inside the smoker, 4 adjustable and removable shelves provide sufficient space for a wide variety of foods. | Digital Controls and removable food thermometerLED display makes it easy to set the desired temperature. Food temperature probe can be removed for easy cleaning, and stores inside the unit when not in use. | High Capacity Grease Tray8.5 cup capacity makes for hassle-free grease removal and cleanup. Built in wheels at the back of the unit make it easy to move around. |
Optional Accessories
Designed to fit the Char-Broil 30" Digital Electric Smoker, this cover is constructed of heavy-duty polyester and features a weather resistant finish. Char-Broil Model: 8627377.
Optional Accessories
The Char-Broil Digital Electric Smoker Stand raises the smoker 16-inches for easier access and less bending over. Steel construction for strength and durability. Includes a shelf for to store wood chips and other accessories. Char-Broil model: 6986339.
Optional Accessories
Char-Broil Comfort Molded Silicone Gloves are ideal for handling food in and around your smoker. Features heat resistant durable silicone construction and non-slip grip. Char-Broil Model: 6345923
Optional Accessories
Char-Broil 4-piece Comfort Grip Tool Set is easy to use and clean, so you can smoke and grill like a pro. Includes Spatula, Tongs, Fork, and Basting Brush. Char-Broil Model: 4867710
30" Digital Electric Smoker Cover
30" Digital Electric Smoker Stand
Comfort Molded Silicone Gloves
Comfort Grip 4pc Tool Set
product description
Style:Deluxe Black Digital Electric Smoker | Pattern Name:Smoker + Smoker Stand, 30"
Char-Broil 19202101 Deluxe Black Digital Electric Smoker, Large, 725 Square Inch
An exclusive, The Char-Broil digital electric black smoker deluxe is the perfect smoker for those who want to enjoy delicious smoked foods, but don't have the time to tend to a live Fire for hours on end. With it's user-friendly & intuitive digital display & integrated temperature probe, you simply program the unit to smoke your food to a desired internal Temperature, & then once there, the unit will keep your food warm until it is removed & ready to be served. Offers a whopping 725 sq. In. Of cooking space over four different cooking grates- more than enough space to cook for a party of 8 or more! Insulated double wall construction makes the Char-Broil electric smoker 10 times more efficient with the wood chips - meaning you can fill the box Once compared to 10 times with the leading electric smoker & still get the same amount of smoke. Features a large latched door with Glass window so that you can monitor progress without opening the door, as well as air dampers & an Advanced control panel with easy-read, blue LED display. The integrated temperature probe can be removed & cleaned when not in use, & a high-capacity grease tray located under the smoker easily slides out for grease removal & cleanup. & with the Char-Broil large capacity smoke box, you’ll get 4 to 7 hours of smoke before needing to refill, which means more time spent with friends, family & guests. Measures 18 1" W x 16 5" D x 32 5" H & weighs 50 2lbs.
Char-Broil Digital Electric Smoker Stand, 30"
For use with Char-Broil 30-inch Digital Electric Smokers. Raises smoker 16-inches for easier access and less bending over. Steel construction for strength and durability. Compatible with Char-Broil models 14202002, 14202004 and 15202043.
product details
important information
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Questions about Char-Broil 19202101 Deluxe Black Digital Electric Smoker, Large, 725 Square Inch & Digital Electric Smoker Stand, 30"
Q:
Will it fit a large 20 lb turkey?
Answer: I am a professional smoker, restaurant owner. 20 yrs smoking meat, 15 yrs of restaurant. I have safe food handling certification. Taking that much time, and smoking a turkey that big are both dangerous. Slow n low are not safe with turkeys or chickens. I smoke about 100 Turkey's every year, bulk at thanksgiving. I use no bigger than 15 lb birds, and have them done in 4 hours. Salmonila should be a concern
Answer: Yes. I fit a 24 lb turkey in with no room to spare. It came out great! (18 hours later)
Answer: No, it does not have enough depth . You would not be able to close the door . Chicken yes, maybe even a 10 lb. turkey
Answer: Make sure you brine the bird first. Not only will that work as a preservative it will enhance flavor and color.
Answer: I believe the largest you can safely do is 18lbs. Otherwise you have too much time in the danger zone where salmonella can replicate and create a toxin. Even if you eventually get it up to the internal temperature to kill the salmonella, it will have already created enough toxin to make you sick. You might be able to do it if you cure it with sodium nitrite, but that is something I haven’t tried.
Answer: Yes it will
Answer: Yes , I'm pretty sure
Q:
How difficult is it to clean?
Answer: Not difficult. The racks, drip pan and chip box come out and can be cleaned in your sink or dishwasher. The inside of the smoker is gradually "cured" by the smoke and will take on a dark coating. You can clean this like you would an oven, but you really don't need to. I do recommend that you clean the smoke coating from the glass window each time so you can see the meat cooking. This can be cleaned with soap and water, or with a non abrasive cleaner. Be sure to get all of the cleaner off the smoker so you don't have any issues with the cleaner adding unwanted flavors to the next cooking.
Answer: Not too bad if you use grill mats and cut them to fit your racks. They also keep all the juices in the meat and make clean up easier.
Answer: real easy to clean...
Answer: It takes a little time to clean. I just soak the drip tray and water tray in hot soapy water and wipes right off, as for the inside hot soapy water and a little elbow grease does the trick.
Answer: The grill grates aren't bad. Just let them soak in warm water for a short period of time and they are pretty easy to scrub.
Answer: To me it was very easy. Wash the racks, the grease pan, empty the wood chips pan and wipe down. ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE to get the smoke residue out. Turn on to dry out and that's it. We do love it.
Answer: Everything comes right out and into the dishwasher: All of the shelves, the drip plate and the water pan.
Q:
Can you use it on a wooden deck safely?
Answer: I just received one of these as a gift for Christmas. I live in Iowa so the weather has been extremely cold, but there is no heat coming out of this smoker anywhere. However, putting these on a wooden deck is always a gamble.
Answer: Please DO NOT use on wooden deck. The heat from my smoker was too hot and caught my whole house on fire. The fire inspector said always use on high heat material like concrete, and no wood or grass.
Answer: Mine fits safely well on a 2x2x2 metal umbrella table. It’s a perfect height to get food in & out of the smoker.
Answer: I have found that it does not put out enough heat that would be harmful to your deck. As for the house that burned down I am guessing it was the wiring issue that everyone has. It causes the wires on the element to burn up. This is definitely a fire hazard. Mine burned the wires off 4 times before I replaced the unit.
Answer: I am wondering same thing... good question
Q:
How well does it do in colder temps, like Virginia in the winter?
Answer: Virginia? I smoked in a N.Y. winter. It did ok, took a bit longer, may just have to add a bit more water to compensate for the time.
Answer: It is well insulated and does well in ant kind of weather. F.Y.I. my unit runs hotter than the temperature selected by as much as 15 to 25 degrees according to my independent digital thermometer.
Answer: I live in the mountains of NC and it did fine BUT I left it outside on a covered poarch and it got wet. Now it trips the GSI breaker every time I try to use it. Not sure if this was a factor or not but I would try to cover with large plastic bag or some other grill type cover
Q:
Does it reach 250 degrees?
Answer: all you need is 200 degrees,,, LOW and slooooow
Answer: Yes it does without a problem. In fact you can set it for 275 in you wish.
Answer: I have not tried to get mine that high yet. I have had no problems with it so far. Everything has turned out great
Answer: Yes. Up to 275
Answer: Yes I'd does. It goes to 260!
Answer: Yes but can take a while.
Answer: yes
Answer: Yes
Q:
How mant watts and what is the highest temperature?
Answer: 1000 watts and have seen it hold 285 degrees
Q:
Can it fit a full rack of pork ribs? Or is the smoker not wide enough?
Answer: If you lay them on the diagonal a full rack will fit on each shelf, but if you cut them in half you can fit three halves on each shelf.
Answer: it will not fit a full rack across. I usually cut each rack in half. Both halves will fit on a rack easily. With 4 shelves I have easily cooked 4 racks at a time. I use St Louis syle ribs.
Answer: For sure it can. I like to cut my racks in half to guarantee even heat just in case. But it's plenty wide.
Q:
Can I set the temperature low enough to cold smoke
Answer: Yes, the lowest setting is 100F. It can cold smoke perfectly.
Q:
Can you use an extension cord with this?
Answer: I use a heavy duty extension cord to move the smoker out from under my porch. I don't want my porch to smell all smoky. Secondly, if you leave the unit out in the "elements" it will break down sooner. You need to take care of the equipment; get a cover, get a heavy duty rolling stand, and use a heavy duty extension cord.
Answer: I would think so. I have mine near the outlet. If I were to use one I would use a heavy gage
Answer: Yes. I always have.
Q:
Does this smoker work with the char broil app?
Answer: No. The Digital Electric Smoker With SmartChef Technology is model # 15202043-A1. This smoker is also available through Amazon.
Answer: stay away from this smoker
Answer: Sorry, didn’t know there was an app!
Answer: The unit is not WiFi enabled.
Answer: Mine doesn't, but it is an older model purchased 3 years ago.
Q:
Is this a knock off version of the ones on the Char-Broil website?
Answer: No. This is not a knock off version. Give us a call at 1-800-241-7548 and we will be happy to provide details on this Black Digital Electric Smoker.
Answer: No it's a char broil. Works great. Fairly easy to operate.
Answer: No it is not a knock off. It is the real deal.
Answer: No this is made bye char broil.
Answer: I don't know why you think bits knock off. This is a very good smoker. We have enjoyed it very much.
Q:
Can I use charcoal instead of wood chips?
Answer: No this is designed for wood chips or wood pellets ,neither of which will combust into flames as charcoal will
Answer: no, you can only use wood chips.
Answer: No. Charcoal should not be used with this Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker.
Answer: Don’t know never usedcharcoal but wouldn’t smoke as well as chips
Answer: Why would you no smoke in charcoal
Answer: No, wood chips only.
Answer: No. Wood chips only and dry not wet.
Answer: No. Only use wood chips in the box. The heat is provided by an electric element.
Answer: No
Answer: NO
Q:
What is the electric current used by this 120 V smoker?
Answer: This Digital Electric Smoker is is rated for 120V and should be used with an outdoor GFI protected circuit.
Answer: Amps = Watts/Volts 1000W/120V = 8.3Amps
Q:
What is the highest temperature this smoker goes
Answer: 275 degrees
Answer: 275
Answer: 275° F
Q:
What is the longest you can set the timer before it shuts off? I'm trying to hold something at 120 degrees for a couple days.
Answer: If you don't set the timer function, it should hold the temperature until you turn it off. Make sure you read the manual with it. It will tell you how to season the smoker. This is important before you actually cook in it. It's not difficult and it does it all on its own but it must be done to burn off the factory oils and metal treatments before you cook in it.
Answer: The timer has a range up to 19 hours.
Q:
How big is the box it comes in?
Answer: There was a minimum of 3 inches shipping protection all the way around, so the box size was roughly 38x24x22
Answer: It's about 3ft high and 24' sides. Very manageable once it was delivered
Answer: I would guesstimate about 3 to 4 inches bigger than the smoker. The smoker is packed on all sides with styrofoam.
Q:
What temperature does it go up to?
Answer: 275° But I never smoke/cook anything over 250°. Slow and low.
Answer: 275 degrees when preheating.
Answer: I believe 280
Answer: Mine tops out somewhere around 250f.
Q:
how much smoke comes out?
Answer: This Char-Broil Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker will produce quite a bit of smoke. However, because the walls of this smoker are insulated there will not be that much smoke that escapes.
Answer: There is indeed a lot less visible smoke than with a charcoal/wood chunk based smoker. But the taste is there, especially with shorter cooks such as ribs, meatloaf, salmon and the like. I have not tried a 10/12 hour cook with a brisket as of yet so I can’t comment on how it does with longer cooks.
Q:
Can this fit a whole trimmed (14lbs) brisket ?
Answer: Probably not unless you cut it in two. I usually do about a 10 lb. brisket and it’s a tight fit most of the time.
Answer: Do not buy this piece of crap!!!! I used mine 3 times and it broke. Company would not replace. Sent parts instead. I replaced parts Still would not work. Stay away from CHAR-BROIL
Q:
Does the 725 sq inch model ship with the manufacturer's packaging visible, or is an Amazon box used instead?
Answer: Manufacturers box
Q:
Has reseating the Heating element worked for anyone? My smoker only stays hot when it’s on preheat.
Answer: If you're not using the temperature probe, be sure to set the duration of operation using the timer, will not get to temp if you don't.
Answer: never had that happen to mine sorry
Q:
Does cold smoke?
Answer: No. This Digital Electric Smoker is able to reach temperatures between 100°F and 275°F.
Answer: No. You can probably set the heat really low, but still definitely heat.
Answer: water tray
Q:
Anyone smoked a good prime rib in one of these? if so any recommendations? seasoning before? reverse searing? any searing? other thoughts? thanks!!!
Answer: Hi. We have done deer jerky and beef brisket. We are big on seasoning before and my husband also based the brisket throughout the process which kept it nice and moist. I would definitely season a prime rib before smoking. My husband also likes to use liquid smoke in his meats.
Answer: Rub mustard in all over, then get a rub called rib stickler (at HEB or Academy) sprinkle on both sides, don't be light with it. Put in smoker at 250 for 4 hours. Then set on a double layer of tin foil, squirt honey on the fat side then wrap the ribs with the tin foil. Then set 250 again for 3 hours. Unless you want sauce, then don't put it on. Just don't be around any one on your first bite as you will want to slap someone. It is that good. A more ways to do them, but this is fall off the bone good.
Answer: Yes...it turns out great. There are so many ways to prepare it before you smoke it. I get lots of good ideas from this website: http://www.smoking-meat.com/ You can subscribe to his newsletter and you will get an email every Thursday with a recipe. He wants you to buy his rub recipe. While it is good, it isn't worth the money. But his ideas are completely worth it.
Q:
I bought one and I like it but I want my meat to have a more deeply smoked flavor- what can I do to maximize the smoked flavor? thank you
Answer: Add more chips, and don’t cover food
Q:
I have to run the preheat cycle twice to get my chips smoking anyone else have a fix for this?
Answer: I would try a different brand of chips
Answer: You’re not soaking in water are you, no soak and you don’t get A lot of visible smoke but you do get the flavor
Answer: Hi there well depending on the chips you are using and how long you Soak them. You might want to not soak them in water and see if that works. If that doesn’t work your burner might not be working right. Hope that helps
Answer: Don’t feel bad. I only used mine two times and it quit heating. I threw the piece of junk in the trash. Always stored inside also and babied, like that mattered.
Q:
I thought the vents at the top were adjustable..are they not adjustable?
Answer: The vents on this Deluxe Black Digital Electric Smoker are not adjustable. Give us a call at 1-800-241-7548 and we will be happy to provide details on this smoker.
Answer: No
Answer: No they are not. But I wish they were! I've been thinking about trying to come up with some easy way to at least partially block them
Q:
Does this have a convection fan
Answer: no it does not
Answer: No it doesn't
Q:
I have the 30 inch model and I am unable to get the oven temperature over 200 degrees even though I set it for 2 30. Is there a problem?
Answer: I notice that if it's really cold and windy, ours has an issue going over 200 degrees if it's outside with nothing to block the wind.
Answer: This was a gift so I don't know anything about its operation. I do know he is pleased with it and the meat he smokes is always excellent.. I do not know of any problems with it.
Answer:
Answer:
Answer: I did the break in cook and mine reached 289° F
Q:
can i use the meat probe to see temp in smoker
Answer: No. The meat probe will determine the temperature by what it is touching and will not measure the air temperature accurately. We recommend only using the probe to determine the internal temperature of your food.
Answer: The temp inside the smoker will show whether the probe is connected or not. The probe only gives you the temp of the meat.
Answer: The temp shows on the remote control . The meat probe shows the internal temperature of whatever meat is being cooked.
Answer: I am no expert on thermometers, and if some are more based on contact temp or ambient air temp. If you have purchased the smoker I would test the cooker probe hanging freely with an old fashion oven thermometer that hangs and compare readings. Not the answer you were looking for but an economical way to know the answer. Hope this will help.
Answer: You probably could if you just used the timer, but when you set the temperature, it stays consistent until the meat reaches whatever temperature you choose on the meat thermometer.
Q:
has anyone cooked pizza in this? Would you recommend it?
Answer: no
Q:
What size is the smoker box?
Answer: If you mean the smoker itself, its 725 Cubic Inches
Answer: Not sure of the size, however it is big enough to smike wood chips for up to and including 8 hours. I smoked a 17lb beef brisket for over 10 hours and it had a really nice smiked flavor and a good smoke ring in the meat.
Answer: Where is it manufactured?
Q:
should the probe be left in the smoker all of the time?
Answer: It can be unplugged from the unit and stored outside
Q:
where is it manufactured?
Answer: The smoker is manufactured in China.
Answer: China...and it is piece of junk. Do not buy!!!
Answer: According to the website. China
Answer: China
Answer: It is made in china.
Q:
How many watts?
Answer: look at answer 3 questions above,1000 watts.ed
Q:
I have a problem with the door it wont shut its like its out of alignment any body have this problem.
Answer: That happened to me once. It was sitting unevenly on the ground. Once I leveled everything up it was okay.
Answer: I have not
Q:
Once a temperature setpoint is entered, how close to setpoint does this smoker keep, + - how many degrees around setpoint?
Answer: The Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker is able to stay very close to the set temperature. Please visit Char-Broil's site or give us a call at 1-800-241-7548 for tons of Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker recipes and cooking tips.
Answer: I've used the smoker about 10 times, and I normally see it increase by 12-15 degrees. Definitely not a set it and let it! However, it's a good smoker. Got mine for Christmas from Menards. I'd definitely buy it again!
Answer: Normally I think someone said 15+ degrees off. Others up to 100 degrees. Not a typo.
Q:
Hope it’s still warm weather you think
Answer: I smoked at around 30 degrees had to plug most of the holes with tinfoil but it worked good
Answer: Temperature rises every week.
Answer: Not sure what the question is?
Answer: Is there even a question here?
Q:
What are shelves made of
Answer: Not shelves,wire racks just like your home oven has,
Answer: I’m thinking stainless steel. What I do know is, after the first use they were completely covered with dark grease/smoke residue that I thought would be very difficult to clean, but by just putting in the dishwasher, they came out looking like new.
Answer: Each cooking rack is made of steel.
Q:
My smoker still heats but does not produce smoke. Chips do not burn at all. Suggestions?
Answer: We're sorry to hear this. Please give us a call at 1-800-241-7548 and we will be able to investigate this. We value you as a Char-Broil customer and want you to enjoy using your smoker.
Answer: We soak the chips in water for 24 hrs, and it helps. But it has never smoked "a lot"... that's all we can say, sorry.
Answer: Need to preheat the smoker with chips in from the start
Q:
descirpton states remote control not included, can one be purchased separately? What capablity does it provide? How much $?
Answer: No they do have Bluetooth smokers but this is not one. Only way you would need one is if you were going to be gone a good while and needed to change temperature
Q:
Can this unit be enclosed? Like under the counter in a grill island? Or is there a smoke vent somewhere on the top or side?
Answer: There are vents on each side, towards the top. The unit doesn't get hot, but I've had a ton of smoke pouring out of it, plus I move it inside when I'm not using it because I don't want it to get rained or snowed on. I do use it in the garage, but I have to keep the garage door open because of the amount of smoke that comes out of it. I think you could put it under the counter if there is enough space to let that smoke flow.
Answer: Whenever this Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker is being used we recommend it be a minimum of three feet away from all walls and structures. We do not recommend enclosing this smoker when it is being used.
Answer: Vents are on the sides. During the first few hours, the smoke comes out at a pretty good rate. Enclosing it would likely disrupt the exhaust and inadvertently increase the internal temperature...which is the last thing you want to do.
Answer: Yes a smoke vent. Don’t think I’d recommend enclosing.
Answer: Vents up too on side. I would not enclose
Q:
Can the door be mounted to open the other direction?
Answer: No. The door cannot be mounted to open the opposite way.
Answer: No it cannot. I see no means to change door swing like some refrigerators do.
Answer: No, It can not.
Q:
It says you can use this unit indoors. what about all the smoke the a smoker creates. where's it gonna go? won't your house smell like smoke?
Answer: We apologize for any confusion. This Deluxe Black Digital Electric Smoker is designed for outdoor use only and should never be used indoors. The insulated walls help to keep smoke in. However, it should not be used indoors. Give us a call at 1-800-241-7548 and we will be able to provide more information.
Answer: It creates a large amount of smoke! It works great outdoors which is where I keep mine. Mine has been covered when not in use, but I use mine about once a month. It has even held up through our winter months and still worked in the summer. Great product!
Answer: I would never use mine indoors, it produces a lot of smoke...
Answer: Bad product. Poor Customer service! But NO smoker can be used indoors! Buy the Masterbuilt line of smokers!
Answer: Definitely not to use indoors
Answer: I would never use inside; strong smells
Answer: I would think that is a typo. But it doesn't matter one way or the other, you will be lucky if it works at all based on mine!
Q:
Is this double insulated?
Answer: What does it matter read the reviews the wiring is substandard
Q:
How well is the seal on this thing? We occasionally have rodents get into our grill, will that be an issue here, I plan to leave it outdoors.
Answer: The seal is good on mine so far. It has a clamp style latch on the side that pulls it closed. Mine is outside as well. Problems with grills is there is usually some type of drain/opening in the bottom for ash and grease to fall through. The smoker is completely housed in metal, except for a couple of small vents, so as to keep the most smoke sealed inside the chamber.
Answer: It can get bugs through the vents I noticed, the seal on the door is very tight
Answer: Tight seal, much like a refrigerator for comparison.
Q:
Hi. i want to buy this item char-broil deluxe digital electric smoker, 725 with wood bbq smoking chips and box with this chips. ship to ukraine.
Answer: Works good. Makes a mess to clean up. Despite what all smokers say; if takes a long time to clean.
Q:
How much does the temperature swing from the preset?
Answer: This Digital Electric Smoker is able to reach temperatures between 100°F and 275°F and will stay close to temperature set. Give us a call at 1-866-239-6777 and we'll be happy to provide more details on using this Digital Electric Smoker.
Answer: It all depends on the temperature of the food your putting in as to how far the temperature will change from the preset. Other than that it holds the preset temperature once it warms to that.
Answer: Please do not buy this. It only works for a small amount of time
Answer: It stays spot on.
Q:
What's better to use wood chips or the wood pallets
Answer: This one needs the chips. I don't think you can use the pellets in this unit.
Answer: You can use pellets no problem. A majority of my smoking is with pellets in this smoker.
Q:
My remote stops working after a few minutes. Does anyone else have this problem
Answer: We are very sorry to hear this. Have you tried changing the battery in the remote? Has a case been created with us? Whenever an issue is encountered please give us a call at 1-800-241-7548 and we will be able to best assist.
Q:
If you cook by time (and not target meat temp) can the supplied thermometer still provide internal meat temps via display, app, or remote?
Answer: Yes it will still display thermometer temperature on the remote... I have not yet verified the Accuracy of the thermometer with my other digital thermometers... But when seasoning the smoker the thermometer temperature read 285 even though the temp was set to 250 , could have been from the wood chips smoking close to it
Answer: no, when you use one the other is disabled. you can change method during cooking.
Product reviews of Char-Broil 19202101 Deluxe Black Digital Electric Smoker, Large, 725 Square Inch & Digital Electric Smoker Stand, 30"
Kim : Electric Cabinet Smoker
The product came quickly and in great shape. I’ve always liked char-broil and like that it matches my grill. The sticker on the glass door is a complete failure... does not come off easily at all... there were also two screws in the bottom of the cabinet and the directions don’t mention having to screw or unscrew anything so that’s a mystery. That being said... it worked very well. The remote is a pretty great feature that my previous electric cabinet smokers did not have. Only have used it once so far, but happy with the results. The smoker cover is high quality as well (sold separately).
Wayne : Best electric smoker I have ever owned.
I have owned Master Built smokers in the past. I waited until I had use the Char-Broil smoker a few times before writing a review. The Char-Broil is far superior. Ease of temperature control and loading wood chips is great. Preheating function is a good design option. Well built. Highly recommend.
Keith B Peterson : Did They Lose My Address?
I really can't critique the item because I received the good ol' "Undeliverable" message. Ok. I get that--nothing in the world runs perfectly 24/7; but, my dismay is present because I received no plausible explanation as to "why". For example: "Dear customer, your item was returned to the seller due to extensive damage. You may opt for a reorder or a refund." Nope. "you will receive a refund within 3 - 5 days"
So...I ordered it from Macy's for even less money--we will see.
Update: I received my refund for an undeliverable package. Thank you Amazon! So, I received my smoker from another retailer. The packaging was in excellent condition, nothing broken and all was well. I was very pleased that assembly meant only sliding the racks, water pan and smoker box into place.
I have an outdoor grounded outlet so I brought it outside to begin the seasoning process. I found that the instructions are quite clear in the "Smoking Guide". It seasoned, then I loaded the smoker box, filled the water pan and began preheat.
Personally, I cook all of my meat with a thermometer. I really like the design of "Time or Probe" Just remember to remove the probe from the smoker and insert into meat first. Setting the controls was straightforward! I was smoking short ribs which sometimes is a long process. I was amazed that it smoked 7 lbs. to 170º internal in just over 3 hours--and I love the feature that keeps the meat warm until ready.
Overall, the product works as designed, its weight is manageable and cleaning is relatively easy.
Oh yes, that annoying sticker on the window--a combination of diluted Isopropyl alcohol (50/50 with water), a tablespoon of white vinegar and a squirt of Dawn will help greatly. Wet the sticker and get underneath printed layer.
By the way, the ribs were Bulgogi--a homemade Korean barbecue marinade. At 170º, the sinew was tender and the meat just fell off the bone and very juicy. I hope this helps. KP. Upgrade to 5 stars
So...I ordered it from Macy's for even less money--we will see.
Update: I received my refund for an undeliverable package. Thank you Amazon! So, I received my smoker from another retailer. The packaging was in excellent condition, nothing broken and all was well. I was very pleased that assembly meant only sliding the racks, water pan and smoker box into place.
I have an outdoor grounded outlet so I brought it outside to begin the seasoning process. I found that the instructions are quite clear in the "Smoking Guide". It seasoned, then I loaded the smoker box, filled the water pan and began preheat.
Personally, I cook all of my meat with a thermometer. I really like the design of "Time or Probe" Just remember to remove the probe from the smoker and insert into meat first. Setting the controls was straightforward! I was smoking short ribs which sometimes is a long process. I was amazed that it smoked 7 lbs. to 170º internal in just over 3 hours--and I love the feature that keeps the meat warm until ready.
Overall, the product works as designed, its weight is manageable and cleaning is relatively easy.
Oh yes, that annoying sticker on the window--a combination of diluted Isopropyl alcohol (50/50 with water), a tablespoon of white vinegar and a squirt of Dawn will help greatly. Wet the sticker and get underneath printed layer.
By the way, the ribs were Bulgogi--a homemade Korean barbecue marinade. At 170º, the sinew was tender and the meat just fell off the bone and very juicy. I hope this helps. KP. Upgrade to 5 stars
Wayne : Best electric smoker I have ever owned.
I have owned Master Built smokers in the past. I waited until I had use the Char-Broil smoker a few times before writing a review. The Char-Broil is far superior. Ease of temperature control and loading wood chips is great. Preheating function is a good design option. Well built. Highly recommend.
T. Patton : Juicy, Tender Meat With Little Effort On My part!
Does a great job. Smoked a chicken and St. Louis ribs and both were thoroughly smokey. The water/catch tray does a great job of keeping the meat tender and juicy. The unit is built very well, and I really love the remote temperature devise! No more opening the door to poke a probe into the thick part of the meat to see if you've reached the target temp. My only disappointment is the length of time you have with a full smoke box of chips. I packed the chips in tightly as suggested for a long smoke, but instead of lasting 6-8 hours as promised in the owners manual, they were completely expended in less than 4 hours. I'll need to reach out to Char Broil and see if they can make any suggestions. The type of wood may play a part in the smoke duration. I used hickory, as this seems to be the most popular way to achieve a really deep smoke. Overall, I'm very satisfied with this smoker and would highly recommend a purchase. *** Here's a tip for clean up...Purchase a hand-held steam cleaning unit as I did. It was about a $50 investment, but does a fantastic job on the glass door! I also used it on the other interior surfaces, but it will require quite a bit more elbow grease with include brush accessories, because the metal surfaces are naturally going to be more porous. I decided to use this instead of a chemical cleaner.
BD : Smoke it if you got it !!!
This is a awesome electric smoker I have smoked two meals with it with the first being baby back ribs , pork loin and spare ribs which all came out perfect and tender. My second session with two whole chickens and two dozen wings which were very tender with fall off the bone goodness. I took advantage meat probe towards the end of cooking the birds and it seems to work well and decently accurate when compared to a analog thermometer. Bonus: the meat probe also works if you're in timer mode and press the probe button it will give you the current meat temp which the manual does not state but is a cool bonus feature.
The smoker itself is very well built and unexpectedly heavy which impressed me right out of the box. Also the latch that holds the door shut is very heavy duty and includes a spot to store the meat probe. This unit is also equipped with a digital display which is very easy to use and read. If you're looking for a set and walk away type of smoker this will be a awesome choice as the smoke box hold enough chips for hour and the controller handles the rest of the work. Charbroils website has tons of information and parts available if needed for your smoker which is a good sign of a quality product.
The smoker itself is very well built and unexpectedly heavy which impressed me right out of the box. Also the latch that holds the door shut is very heavy duty and includes a spot to store the meat probe. This unit is also equipped with a digital display which is very easy to use and read. If you're looking for a set and walk away type of smoker this will be a awesome choice as the smoke box hold enough chips for hour and the controller handles the rest of the work. Charbroils website has tons of information and parts available if needed for your smoker which is a good sign of a quality product.
Paulywood : Top smoker!
What a great little Smoker, for home gatherings, BBQs, etc, I’ve cooked Ribbs, sausage, chicken, ham, just about anything you can smoke this little smoker will do it, chip box full gives you about 4-6 hours of smoke (depending on temp of course) cons- takes a little use to getting your temps steady, but all comes with experience, but that’s the fun of it right?, as we say all experiments must be eaten ( as long as they are not raw!) ????????. Give it a good 4 1/2 star ⭐️‘S from me, little “Smokie” works great for me????
AMAD : Quit working
I used this twice very successfully with a Boston Butt and some chicken. Then, on the third use when trying to smoke some ribs, it would preheat and then not maintain any temperature above 90 degrees. I did a warranty claim. They sent me a new power cord and heating element. After replacing these, I had the same problem. They are now sending me a new thermostat and saying that it should have been sent with the first warranty claim. We'll see if that works. I'll update this review when I have replaced the thermostat and tried it again.
UPDATE 4-6-2020 The smoker worked well for a few more times after this initial review. Then last night, I put two boston butts in to smoke overnight. It heated up fine and had been going fine for a couple hours before I went to bed. When I got up, the smoker still showed it was set at 240 degrees and still had several hours on the timer, but it was cold. Ruined about $40 worth of meat. I'm done with Char-broil products!
UPDATE 4-6-2020 The smoker worked well for a few more times after this initial review. Then last night, I put two boston butts in to smoke overnight. It heated up fine and had been going fine for a couple hours before I went to bed. When I got up, the smoker still showed it was set at 240 degrees and still had several hours on the timer, but it was cold. Ruined about $40 worth of meat. I'm done with Char-broil products!
RadDad1 : Good product
Good entry level smoker but I'm having a hard time getting it to actually create enough smoke. I'm using chips and following the instructions that came with the smoker. I've tried hickory, mesquite, and apple wood all with the same results. It makes some smoke, but I haven't been able to get a smoke ring out of anything I've cooked. I'm about to buy a different wood chip box/cage and see if that helps.
It has a digital screen that shows you the temperature you set the smoker at, but doesn't tell you what temp it is actually at. So you have to use a separate thermometer to show the inside temp. I use a regular oven thermometer. I will say that the smoker is pretty accurate in that the temp you set the smoker at, is pretty much the temp that it is inside the smoker after it heats up (within maybe 5 degrees).
The remote is a good concept but is kind of pointless as it doesn't work if you're more than like 15 feet away from the smoker. If you're that close to the smoker you don't really need the remote anyway. Not a big deal to me personally especially considering the price point of the smoker.
It has a digital screen that shows you the temperature you set the smoker at, but doesn't tell you what temp it is actually at. So you have to use a separate thermometer to show the inside temp. I use a regular oven thermometer. I will say that the smoker is pretty accurate in that the temp you set the smoker at, is pretty much the temp that it is inside the smoker after it heats up (within maybe 5 degrees).
The remote is a good concept but is kind of pointless as it doesn't work if you're more than like 15 feet away from the smoker. If you're that close to the smoker you don't really need the remote anyway. Not a big deal to me personally especially considering the price point of the smoker.
Zack : Electrical Issues within Six Months | Poor Customer Service
This little smoker seemed like a good bargain. It works great for beginners, but I think I got a lemon. Within six months and less than a dozen uses, it began tripping a circuit breaker due to arc or ground fault issues. Other heavy duty appliances work fine in the same outdoor outlet. Like others, it appears to be bad wiring within the unit.
I spoke with customer service over the course of two weeks, including speaking with a manager (indirectly). The best Char-Broil could do is send me half a dozen parts and an 11-page, complex repair manual. I should not have to repair a unit within six months of purchase. Customer service stated it was their policy that they do not process returns/refunds if the unit was used. So, that one-year warranty from the manufacturer is almost worthless.
After some research, it appears most of the popular grill companies will not accept returns for grills or smokers after their first use. Your best bet is to go with units that don't have electric components that lead issues.
Char-Broil is a local company for my family, but my customer experience inclines me to go elsewhere from now on.
I spoke with customer service over the course of two weeks, including speaking with a manager (indirectly). The best Char-Broil could do is send me half a dozen parts and an 11-page, complex repair manual. I should not have to repair a unit within six months of purchase. Customer service stated it was their policy that they do not process returns/refunds if the unit was used. So, that one-year warranty from the manufacturer is almost worthless.
After some research, it appears most of the popular grill companies will not accept returns for grills or smokers after their first use. Your best bet is to go with units that don't have electric components that lead issues.
Char-Broil is a local company for my family, but my customer experience inclines me to go elsewhere from now on.
Jake Blues : Very, very poor quality
I purchased this smoker 8 months ago and the today the thermostat and heating element failed for the second time when I had an entire kitchen counter of food prepared and ready to smoke. Fortunately, the warranty allows for free replacement parts for one year from the date of purchase. I regret buying this product and will never purchase anything made by this company again.
UPDATE: The smoker no longer works and now it's out of warranty. This was one of the worst purchases I've ever made. I will never buy a Char-Broil product again.
UPDATE: The smoker no longer works and now it's out of warranty. This was one of the worst purchases I've ever made. I will never buy a Char-Broil product again.
Jake Blues : Very, very poor quality
I purchased this smoker 8 months ago and the today the thermostat and heating element failed for the second time when I had an entire kitchen counter of food prepared and ready to smoke. Fortunately, the warranty allows for free replacement parts for one year from the date of purchase. I regret buying this product and will never purchase anything made by this company again.
UPDATE: The smoker no longer works and now it's out of warranty. This was one of the worst purchases I've ever made. I will never buy a Char-Broil product again.
UPDATE: The smoker no longer works and now it's out of warranty. This was one of the worst purchases I've ever made. I will never buy a Char-Broil product again.
victor sanders : Terrible Smoker
This smoker was terrible. Dont waste your money on this. I have been using an offset smoker for around 3-4 years now and i was looking for something to set and forget. This is not it! I set my temperature the first time to 225 for some ribs and used my weber igrill that i have verified the temperature on just to compare temps. the char broil smoker was reading 225 and my igrill was ready 290. I couldnt set this smoker temp low enough to even have it close to 225. Sometimes i like to smoke at 180 and this was not the smoker for me. I hope you pass on this item.
Amazon Customer : Great product, easy to use and clean
I’ve had this product since Christmas and used it numerous times. I’ve found that it is very easy to use, maintains its temperature well, and is easy to clean up. The glass on the front gets pretty dirty from the smoking process, which is to be expected. However, it is easy enough to clean it up with hot water and some Dawn dish soap. I would definitely recommend the product to someone new to smoking meats like myself.
maryannd : Temperature probe did not work; charged shipping fee for part under warranty
GIfted this for Father's Day. He did the burnoff to make sure it worked but didn't use it to cook until after the return period. Preheated fine but once the temperature probe was inserted it shut down. An online search said to cook using time if the probe didn't work so we did and it worked fine. Called today to get a replacement probe. After two hours on the phone finally got the probe ordered under warranty BUT I have to pay for shipping and handling. Do not recommend this product. I shouldn't have to pay for shipping under warranty.
KahunaSchelf : Worry free smoked meat done to perfection.
This is a great, top notch smoker. I love smoking spiral sliced hams with this smoker. The removable racks give you a flexible environment for smoking large meats or several racks of ribs. The design is well thought and well manufactured. The digital interface is easy to understand and use. With the included thermometer, you set the smoke temp and the meat temp you want. Close the door and lock the latch and let the smoker do all the work worry free. I considered getting the glass door, but I am glad that I did not. I did not want to spend time cleaning glass when I should be eating delicious smoked meat.
Gigiola : Easy to use but a serious design flaw
We've used this product for two and a half years.
On the plus side the unit is easy to use. Comparatively it has a large wood chip holder. The meat/temp probe is removable making it nice for cleaning. While some don't like a glass front (more cleaning) I find it useful to be able to visually inspect what's going on. The handle/closure is well designed and easy to operate with one hand. The price of the unit is much more attractive than competing brands.
On the negative side the unit does not have any way of controlling airflow. The water pan is undersized. Per information I received directly from Charbroil technical support, the unit will raise the set temperature if it feels it's taking too long to smoke/finish (when working as designed). The unit also consistently under measured the operating temperature by 20 to 25 degrees (verified by two third party probes), so if you wished to smoke at 225 you had to set it to 200 or 205. However the biggest drawback is the digital control unit. It has failed twice in the same way ... the unit simply runs at "full bore" and no longer tries to modulate the temperature at whatever setting you selected. First time this happened it was under warranty and Charbroil did send me a completely replacement for the control unit. While not a difficult replacement it wasn't trivial either. The second control unit fared better ... lasting more than a year and a half before failing the same way as the first one. My guess is that the control unit does not have sufficient separation or insulation from the heat of the smoker.
On the plus side the unit is easy to use. Comparatively it has a large wood chip holder. The meat/temp probe is removable making it nice for cleaning. While some don't like a glass front (more cleaning) I find it useful to be able to visually inspect what's going on. The handle/closure is well designed and easy to operate with one hand. The price of the unit is much more attractive than competing brands.
On the negative side the unit does not have any way of controlling airflow. The water pan is undersized. Per information I received directly from Charbroil technical support, the unit will raise the set temperature if it feels it's taking too long to smoke/finish (when working as designed). The unit also consistently under measured the operating temperature by 20 to 25 degrees (verified by two third party probes), so if you wished to smoke at 225 you had to set it to 200 or 205. However the biggest drawback is the digital control unit. It has failed twice in the same way ... the unit simply runs at "full bore" and no longer tries to modulate the temperature at whatever setting you selected. First time this happened it was under warranty and Charbroil did send me a completely replacement for the control unit. While not a difficult replacement it wasn't trivial either. The second control unit fared better ... lasting more than a year and a half before failing the same way as the first one. My guess is that the control unit does not have sufficient separation or insulation from the heat of the smoker.
Rob Wilson : Element wiring corroded out after a year or so.
Excellent smoker when it works. Love the digital display and wireless remote control. Wires to the heat element corroded off after a year or so. I rewired it and it lasted another 2 years. Fired it up today Sept 5, 2021 and wires are corroded and broken again. I have rewired it once more but the this is probably the last time. I'm not the only person with this defect. Smoker is used once a month at the most and it is covered when not in use.
Joe : Only lasted 18 months!
I loved this smoker. It's easy to use and made delicious food. After 18 months, of pretty infrequent use, it stopped working. I opened the back panel and discovered that one of the wires connecting the heating element had caught fire and roasted the wire to a crisp. This smoker is a safety hazard and I would not recommend. Pay a little extra money for a smoker that will last longer than 2 years.
Edit: CharBroil decided to send me just the replacement part since my smoker is out of warranty. That meant I had to completely disassemble my current smoker and reassemble all of the parts to the body they sent me. It was quite a pain and took a few hours because most of the threaded inserts were spinning inside the old body. I ended up having to pry all the fasteners through the sheet metal and trying to mutilate them off of the screws because I had to reuse the old screws. I'm back to having a smoker but I still give this 1 star because I would still not recommend this smoker to anyone.
Edit: CharBroil decided to send me just the replacement part since my smoker is out of warranty. That meant I had to completely disassemble my current smoker and reassemble all of the parts to the body they sent me. It was quite a pain and took a few hours because most of the threaded inserts were spinning inside the old body. I ended up having to pry all the fasteners through the sheet metal and trying to mutilate them off of the screws because I had to reuse the old screws. I'm back to having a smoker but I still give this 1 star because I would still not recommend this smoker to anyone.
Pickels : A must for a family smoker!!!
If you like different types of smoky flavored items (meat and veggies) this is the best smoking vertical smoker I have seen or used. Basically you can set it and forget it yet yield a perfectly cooked, smoked product with easy clean-up. Wish I had found this years ago. We highly recommend this to anyone who is looking at a smoker for family use, you will not be disappointed.
BTW, fast service and great customer support from Char-Broil if you have questions.
BTW, fast service and great customer support from Char-Broil if you have questions.
C Abbot : Nice features, but worked one time and can't return it
The first time i used the smoker, it worked perfectly. The second time was Thanksgiving Day. I woke up at 4 am, preheated it, put the turkey in to smoke, and went back to bed. At 8 am I went out to check it and it was turned off. I started it back up, and within 30 minutes it had turned back off. This kept happening the entire time the turkey was smoking, so I had to keep checking it and restarting it. When it was done, the turkey was delicious, but the unit is defective. I asked to return it so I could replace it, and CharbroilDirect told me to call customer support. Customer support told me they couldn't help me and that I would need to work with Amazon to resolve the issue. I replied to the message from CharbroilDirect on the Amazon message portal and haven't heard from CharbroilDirect or from Amazon. As of now I have a brand new smoker with nice features that doesn't work and which I can't return or replace. This experience is very surprising for Amazon Marketplace. I guess Amazon isn't what it used to be, but I'll keep trying. I gave it 2 stars because it does a good job, if it would last for more than one meal!
Jordan : Overall it's good but you might have to add more chips
Overall, I'm happy with it. I have had it for 2-3 months now. I use it once or twice a week and gotten pretty good at smoking pork shoulder / pulled pork.
My only complaint is the behavior I'm getting from the smoke box. It seems very inconsistent. With a 80% full box every time, sometimes I get the thin blue smoke the entire time, sometimes I get thin smoke for an hour, thick smoke for an hour and then thin smoke again for an hour or two and then sometimes I get 2-3 hours of really thin smoke and then nothing. You can get around this by swapping out your chips in the smoke box but the instructions suggest that a full box of chips should last for 6 hours or more which is absolutely not true in my experience.
It's a little tricky to clean as well especially towards the back of the bottom of it but barkeeper's friend and a good brush seems to do the trick.
My only complaint is the behavior I'm getting from the smoke box. It seems very inconsistent. With a 80% full box every time, sometimes I get the thin blue smoke the entire time, sometimes I get thin smoke for an hour, thick smoke for an hour and then thin smoke again for an hour or two and then sometimes I get 2-3 hours of really thin smoke and then nothing. You can get around this by swapping out your chips in the smoke box but the instructions suggest that a full box of chips should last for 6 hours or more which is absolutely not true in my experience.
It's a little tricky to clean as well especially towards the back of the bottom of it but barkeeper's friend and a good brush seems to do the trick.
Tabitha : Good concept but mine was a dud
The concept of the smoker is great but it does have a couple flaws. I bought it because I mainly make beef jerky and when I smoke jerky I usually smoke it around 160° for 5 to 6 hours. The first batch of the jerkey I did I started it came back three hours later and my wood chips hadn’t even started smoking yet. I did the pre-heat cycle and followed the instructions to a T but at the lower temperatures it’s just not enough to get the chip smoking, even if you turn it all the way up and get them smoking good as soon as you turn it down below 200 it quit smoking. The second batch of jerky I tried I just left the lid off of the Smokebox after I had started the wood chips with a propane torch and that worked OK to get me enough smoke for flavor. If you’re going to be making things at a temperature of 225 or above I think this thing is fine but if you’re a jerky man like me and your going to use it under 200° a lot I would stay away from it. When I turned it up an extra 30° to try to get it smoking on my last batch of jerky it got way over hot and burn on my stuff. I ended up returning it but really wish it would’ve worked out because it’s a great set it and forget it concept. Not to mention the price point was good. I also had a error message pop up on my remote control and tried to get that resolved with charbroil but they never responded to my email of the pictures I sent them
steve a. : Electrical problems
This morning at 530 am went to start my smoker to get ready for a family gathering. Turned it on and no heat. Not being the first time I have had this problem. I quickly removed the back cover where the wires connect to the heating element. I found once again that one wire had just burned up and deteriorated away and was not connected to the element. I once again modified the wire and connected it back to the element and now have heat. I have had it for not quite 3 years and this is the fourth time I have had to fix it. Including Christmas morning a year ago. Fortunately I knew what to look for. I see others in their reviews complaining of popping breakers and the smoker just quit heating. Obviously there is a problem with this product. Honestly with the trouble I have had it is amazing it has not started a fire. There is evidence of overheating and burned up wires inside the access cover. My element is beyond repair the next time this happens and I have repaired the wires to the point that they will not be usable when this happens again.
thisgirl : Quality Smoker for the Lazy Smoker
I started with a propane smoker that needed constant babysitting in order to keep it from catching fire. I liked sitting with it but when other priorities take place, I knew it was time for the switch. With this baby you can set and forget. One time wood chip fill per sample. Turns off when internal reaches set temperature or when time has lapsed. Well built and no complaints. About 10 smokes in and no problems. Cleanup is a breeze with some Dollar Store oven cleaner and a hose. Almost no scrubbing required. Just make sure the elements are dry before running again and you are good to go.
Dan L. Thomas : Great smoker and easy to use
This smoker is really easy to use and the food comes out great. So far I have smoked two whole chickens and four racks of ribs and all of it came out perfect. For the chicken, I used the temperature probe and for the ribs I used the timer. All easy to use.
The only drawback is trying to clean around the grease drain at the bottom. The heating element and smoker box tray are right over the drain which makes it very hard to clean.
Overall, I would recommend this smoker to anyone who is not good at using a non-electric smoker. Like me.
The only drawback is trying to clean around the grease drain at the bottom. The heating element and smoker box tray are right over the drain which makes it very hard to clean.
Overall, I would recommend this smoker to anyone who is not good at using a non-electric smoker. Like me.
T. Patton : Juicy, Tender Meat With Little Effort On My part!
Does a great job. Smoked a chicken and St. Louis ribs and both were thoroughly smokey. The water/catch tray does a great job of keeping the meat tender and juicy. The unit is built very well, and I really love the remote temperature devise! No more opening the door to poke a probe into the thick part of the meat to see if you've reached the target temp. My only disappointment is the length of time you have with a full smoke box of chips. I packed the chips in tightly as suggested for a long smoke, but instead of lasting 6-8 hours as promised in the owners manual, they were completely expended in less than 4 hours. I'll need to reach out to Char Broil and see if they can make any suggestions. The type of wood may play a part in the smoke duration. I used hickory, as this seems to be the most popular way to achieve a really deep smoke. Overall, I'm very satisfied with this smoker and would highly recommend a purchase. *** Here's a tip for clean up...Purchase a hand-held steam cleaning unit as I did. It was about a $50 investment, but does a fantastic job on the glass door! I also used it on the other interior surfaces, but it will require quite a bit more elbow grease with include brush accessories, because the metal surfaces are naturally going to be more porous. I decided to use this instead of a chemical cleaner.
Crunchy : Defective product - doesn't make smoke
The heating element doesn't get hot enough to cause the wood in the smoke box to reach the smoking point. Very disappointed in this product.
Updated to three stars - customer support is sending me a new heating element and control unit (free) so support is good, but online searches show that this has been a common problem well before I purchased the device and yet they still continue to sell defective product.
Updated to three stars - customer support is sending me a new heating element and control unit (free) so support is good, but online searches show that this has been a common problem well before I purchased the device and yet they still continue to sell defective product.
Jamie : Nice smoker
Just purchased this smoker. While doing the initial seasoning set temp to 275 degrees for 2 hours. The timer only ran for 1 1/2 hours and shut off. I really won't be using the timer as I cook by temperature of meat internally. I did notice that the unit said 275 degrees and my thermometer that I purchased separately was reading between 300 and 330 degrees. Will have to do a little tweeking to get the correct temps(don't want to overcook a brisket with to much heat). Overall nice smoker not to heavy to put on stand and looks good. Will update after I actually smoke some meat in it.
Rhonda : Perfect meat, every time!
I rated this a 4 star simply for the damage that it arrived with. If it had arrived without the dent, I would rate this a 5 star smoker. My daughter had bought this same smoker so I was certain I would be happy with the ease of use and the delicious meats. I found clean up easy. I covered the bottom with aluminum foil and sprayed the inside of the door with oven cleaner. After 15 minutes the door wiped off clean with wet sponge. Very happy with the smoker. However, it had received a significant “dent” at some point in its history. I was worried it may hinder the seal of the door, but it didn’t. The packaging was intact and it was covered with styrofoam bracing. The damage had to have happened prior to packaging. I would recommend this smoker to novices.
Tabitha : Good concept but mine was a dud
The concept of the smoker is great but it does have a couple flaws. I bought it because I mainly make beef jerky and when I smoke jerky I usually smoke it around 160° for 5 to 6 hours. The first batch of the jerkey I did I started it came back three hours later and my wood chips hadn’t even started smoking yet. I did the pre-heat cycle and followed the instructions to a T but at the lower temperatures it’s just not enough to get the chip smoking, even if you turn it all the way up and get them smoking good as soon as you turn it down below 200 it quit smoking. The second batch of jerky I tried I just left the lid off of the Smokebox after I had started the wood chips with a propane torch and that worked OK to get me enough smoke for flavor. If you’re going to be making things at a temperature of 225 or above I think this thing is fine but if you’re a jerky man like me and your going to use it under 200° a lot I would stay away from it. When I turned it up an extra 30° to try to get it smoking on my last batch of jerky it got way over hot and burn on my stuff. I ended up returning it but really wish it would’ve worked out because it’s a great set it and forget it concept. Not to mention the price point was good. I also had a error message pop up on my remote control and tried to get that resolved with charbroil but they never responded to my email of the pictures I sent them
Jordan : Overall it's good but you might have to add more chips
Overall, I'm happy with it. I have had it for 2-3 months now. I use it once or twice a week and gotten pretty good at smoking pork shoulder / pulled pork.
My only complaint is the behavior I'm getting from the smoke box. It seems very inconsistent. With a 80% full box every time, sometimes I get the thin blue smoke the entire time, sometimes I get thin smoke for an hour, thick smoke for an hour and then thin smoke again for an hour or two and then sometimes I get 2-3 hours of really thin smoke and then nothing. You can get around this by swapping out your chips in the smoke box but the instructions suggest that a full box of chips should last for 6 hours or more which is absolutely not true in my experience.
It's a little tricky to clean as well especially towards the back of the bottom of it but barkeeper's friend and a good brush seems to do the trick.
My only complaint is the behavior I'm getting from the smoke box. It seems very inconsistent. With a 80% full box every time, sometimes I get the thin blue smoke the entire time, sometimes I get thin smoke for an hour, thick smoke for an hour and then thin smoke again for an hour or two and then sometimes I get 2-3 hours of really thin smoke and then nothing. You can get around this by swapping out your chips in the smoke box but the instructions suggest that a full box of chips should last for 6 hours or more which is absolutely not true in my experience.
It's a little tricky to clean as well especially towards the back of the bottom of it but barkeeper's friend and a good brush seems to do the trick.
Jake Blues : Very, very poor quality
I purchased this smoker 8 months ago and the today the thermostat and heating element failed for the second time when I had an entire kitchen counter of food prepared and ready to smoke. Fortunately, the warranty allows for free replacement parts for one year from the date of purchase. I regret buying this product and will never purchase anything made by this company again.
UPDATE: The smoker no longer works and now it's out of warranty. This was one of the worst purchases I've ever made. I will never buy a Char-Broil product again.
UPDATE: The smoker no longer works and now it's out of warranty. This was one of the worst purchases I've ever made. I will never buy a Char-Broil product again.
James L. Carter : A complete and utter disaster.
I tried to use my smoker today. Did the break in. Did the pre-heat. Everything by the book.
A 5 pound rack of beef ribs. Water pan nearly full. Smoke box half full of apple wood pellets. Cook temperature set at 250.
For about two hours there was no smoke. Then the smoke box caught fire with flames shooting out of the holes in the top. The temperature shot up inside the smoker - I'm guessing to 400-500 degrees. There is no why of knowing because the actual temperature isn't displayed.
I turned the smoker off and managed to get the smoke box out without incinerating myself. Transferred the meat to my oven. Don’t know if it’s ruined or not. Don’t know if the smoker is ruined or not. I’ll let everything cool until tomorrow.
A complete and utter disaster.
A 5 pound rack of beef ribs. Water pan nearly full. Smoke box half full of apple wood pellets. Cook temperature set at 250.
For about two hours there was no smoke. Then the smoke box caught fire with flames shooting out of the holes in the top. The temperature shot up inside the smoker - I'm guessing to 400-500 degrees. There is no why of knowing because the actual temperature isn't displayed.
I turned the smoker off and managed to get the smoke box out without incinerating myself. Transferred the meat to my oven. Don’t know if it’s ruined or not. Don’t know if the smoker is ruined or not. I’ll let everything cool until tomorrow.
A complete and utter disaster.
Kim : Electric Cabinet Smoker
The product came quickly and in great shape. I’ve always liked char-broil and like that it matches my grill. The sticker on the glass door is a complete failure... does not come off easily at all... there were also two screws in the bottom of the cabinet and the directions don’t mention having to screw or unscrew anything so that’s a mystery. That being said... it worked very well. The remote is a pretty great feature that my previous electric cabinet smokers did not have. Only have used it once so far, but happy with the results. The smoker cover is high quality as well (sold separately).
PHmaddnes : Works well, but it take practice.
First, wrong item was delivered- quality of Amazon service is going down.
The unit is nice looking and fits in with other SS appliances in our outdoor kitchen.
Make sure you put a bigger catch tray/pan that will cover the entire (or close) bottom rack otherwise you will add an hour to your clean up time.
The cook grates are well built, clean up easily and hold a surprising amount of meat.
The temp controls is very good and very stable.
I have smoked 19-15 batches of meat so far and the glass window is getting messy as I haven’t bothered cleaning it yet. Not sure how easy that will be.
The controls are easy to understand and use. The display is bright.
The remote is ok, kind of dim and loses signal if you walk a Ross the room. But for the last part this is set it and forget it.
The hard part will be getting the perfect smoke taste you are looking for. This unit can put out a ton of smoke but getting it perfect to your liking will take time and practice. I’ve started keeping a log of the meat, wood, rubs, temps and time as well as the results so if I happen to get it perfect I can reproduce it.
If you are looking for a first smoker I highly recommend this unit. It’s not huge but it doesn’t break the bank and does exactly what it is supposed to do. The rest is up to you.
The unit is nice looking and fits in with other SS appliances in our outdoor kitchen.
Make sure you put a bigger catch tray/pan that will cover the entire (or close) bottom rack otherwise you will add an hour to your clean up time.
The cook grates are well built, clean up easily and hold a surprising amount of meat.
The temp controls is very good and very stable.
I have smoked 19-15 batches of meat so far and the glass window is getting messy as I haven’t bothered cleaning it yet. Not sure how easy that will be.
The controls are easy to understand and use. The display is bright.
The remote is ok, kind of dim and loses signal if you walk a Ross the room. But for the last part this is set it and forget it.
The hard part will be getting the perfect smoke taste you are looking for. This unit can put out a ton of smoke but getting it perfect to your liking will take time and practice. I’ve started keeping a log of the meat, wood, rubs, temps and time as well as the results so if I happen to get it perfect I can reproduce it.
If you are looking for a first smoker I highly recommend this unit. It’s not huge but it doesn’t break the bank and does exactly what it is supposed to do. The rest is up to you.
Scott D. : Loving my new hobby! Go for it if you have always wanted a smoker!
I love me some BBQ and over the years have sought out the best BBQ restaurants around the USA. While I have a propane grill and have tried smoking in it, it never really worked. Couldn't justify buying a dedicated smoker. My friends had them with propane or charcoal and they made some amazing smoked meat. After seeing a pellet smoker in Lowes, I decided to get serious about buying a smoker. Researched them all and ended up with this one and LOVE IT! No hassles running out of gas, charcoal, pellets. A 4 hour smoke uses about 3KWh which is avg 36 cents. Bought the base and wheels as suggested by another reviewer and so glad I did. I keep the unit stored in the garage and roll it out for a smoke session.
I can't understand why so many people have had problems with this smoker and show pictures of burned out/bad electrical connections....my suspicion is they left theirs outside and water got in to corrode the connections. I just finished my sixth smoke session since purchase and I find it so easy to clean and use. Am a little disappointed in the actual amount of smoke produced, typically only getting about an hour of really intense smoke in hour 2 and tapers off to nothing by hour 4. Have tried filling the smoke box with different types/levels of wood chips and pretty much get same result. I am always surprised when done instead of having ashes I have whole chips in there that are blackened but not completely consumed. Have thought about drilling 2 small holes in the side of the wood chip box to promote more oxygen inside for consuming the wood. The box only has about 5 - 1/4" holes on top to let smoke out but no air in.
The remote works well and I like it for observing time/temp left in a cook. I tried the meat probe twice and don't trust it is reading correct temp as both times meat was over cooked. When using the meat probe for cooking to a target temp you don't get box temp, so I prefer to do a timed cook so you get box temp and meat probe temp. Have done wings, ribs, pork butt, brisket, sausage and salmon all have tasted AWESOME! This has become a new hobby for me and we smoke at least once/week and are loving it! Wish I had done this sooner so if your on the fence I reco going for it!
I can't understand why so many people have had problems with this smoker and show pictures of burned out/bad electrical connections....my suspicion is they left theirs outside and water got in to corrode the connections. I just finished my sixth smoke session since purchase and I find it so easy to clean and use. Am a little disappointed in the actual amount of smoke produced, typically only getting about an hour of really intense smoke in hour 2 and tapers off to nothing by hour 4. Have tried filling the smoke box with different types/levels of wood chips and pretty much get same result. I am always surprised when done instead of having ashes I have whole chips in there that are blackened but not completely consumed. Have thought about drilling 2 small holes in the side of the wood chip box to promote more oxygen inside for consuming the wood. The box only has about 5 - 1/4" holes on top to let smoke out but no air in.
The remote works well and I like it for observing time/temp left in a cook. I tried the meat probe twice and don't trust it is reading correct temp as both times meat was over cooked. When using the meat probe for cooking to a target temp you don't get box temp, so I prefer to do a timed cook so you get box temp and meat probe temp. Have done wings, ribs, pork butt, brisket, sausage and salmon all have tasted AWESOME! This has become a new hobby for me and we smoke at least once/week and are loving it! Wish I had done this sooner so if your on the fence I reco going for it!
Charles W. Fain : Great Smoker for 9 Months
Received this electric smoker in September 2020. Arrived dented but since the door sealed, I accepted it. Worked great for about 9 months. Control panel stopped working. Contacted Char-Broil to find they only warranty parts and charge you shipping to send parts. Ordered control panel and installed. Then remote didn't work with new control panel. Also, no Temperature Control. Ordered thermostat and paid more shipping. Installed thermostat, doesn't work. Spend about a month dealing with friendly Customer service but no usable smoker. Reviews implied they should last 5 years, mine didn't last 9 months. If you purchase, hope you have better luck. I noticed they have reduced the price but if it does not last, I don't think it's with it.
Adam Coy : BUYER BEWARE FAULTY WIRING THEY WONT OWN UP TO!!!
BUYER BEWARE!!!! I bought 2 of these one for myself and one for my brother ....after 2 uses my brothers stopped working further investigation (opening the small panel on the back) revealed the wire to the heating element burnt in two. I used mine a dozen or so times and then the same happened to me ...Charbroil customer service was contacted and they said not covered under warranty and they would not provide parts...said if I wanted the wires I had to buy the entire control box and 1/2 the cost of the original smoker ....$ 150 for a wire???? The fact that both units failed in a short time in the same place says its faulty, but they do not accept and responsibility..... your $ is better spent buying a different brand!!!
Steve P. : Great smoker and some added advice
After about a half hour of easy set up, I plugged it in and did that “break in” cook that was a two hour process. After that I cooked some burgers which came out very good. The second day I had it I cooked a small 5 pound for about eight hours. Now I still have some tricks of the trade to learn but I can not believe how good the brisket came out. So far after two cooks, this thing has done a great job making my food taste nice and smoked. A couple things they don’t tell you but I learned before it was too late... be safe and get the warranty. Buy a pair of gloves, any heat resistant ones will do and a good bulk roll of tinfoil (nonstick if possible). Buy a meat thermometer, even though it comes with one, the extra $15 is worth it. Also this does not come with the stand, but it’s a worthy purchase. Buy a concert block for underneath the stand and a hurricane won’t knock it over. Don’t forget chips and rubs. I bought a variety pack of flavors wood chips from western premium bbq products and for rub I highly recommend Bolners Fiesta Brand Extra Fancy Brisket Rub. Though it’s a little salty, it definitely has good flavor. My family and friends can’t say enough good about the food I’ve cooked so far and I’m only two cooks in with a warranty that says I’ll be cooking for at least four years. I also bought a heavy dusty extension chord and a GCFI so if it trips a breaker, it trips it right there as well as covers to cover the connections to make a nice safe environment. Yes these little things add up and ultimately it’ll cost you a little more than $500 for the setup. But it’s worth it to do it right all at once
A. Lauf : Great quality smoker, fantastic results
I almost didn't purchase this device because of past experience with Charbroil grills - at least the one we had was... "meh" at best. Before purchasing this one, I was strongly leaning toward a Masterbuilt unit, but the negative reviews were REALLY putting me off. Having seen poor quality units before, it was hard to justify that much cost for a potentially flawed device.
Finally, one of these units came back in stock - only two left at any reasonable price. We purchased it, and when it arrived, I was very pleased to see its high construction quality. Some had complained about the sticker on the front window - it is there, but if you peel it veeerry slowly, it will come of without any trace left. It requires patience, but leaves perfectly clean glass. I believe that this sticker is added to protect the glass against shattering during shipment.
It's very important to follow the "burn-in" procedure. They call it "seasoning", but really, it allows the unit to off-gas all of the chemical residues from the manufacturing process. Do not cook without this step! Before I started the process, I used a damp paper towel to remove any styrofoam particles and leftover packaging materials and dust, to permit the burn-in to be as effective as possible.
Yesterday was the first time we tried using the unit. The "cook to temperature probe" function is truly fantastic. After the preheat finishes, just throw in what you need to cook, insert the temperature probe, and the smoker will do the rest. I was astounded at how much smoke it was producing. Upon completion of the cooking, everything tasted fantastic. Upon examining the wood chips, they were all thoroughly charred - no leftover bare spots, no unused wood chips.
We also ordered Char-broil's "XS" smoker cover - it fits perfectly. Provided that the quality holds up (we are planning on taking very good care of this unit), we will be very pleased with this purchase.
Finally, one of these units came back in stock - only two left at any reasonable price. We purchased it, and when it arrived, I was very pleased to see its high construction quality. Some had complained about the sticker on the front window - it is there, but if you peel it veeerry slowly, it will come of without any trace left. It requires patience, but leaves perfectly clean glass. I believe that this sticker is added to protect the glass against shattering during shipment.
It's very important to follow the "burn-in" procedure. They call it "seasoning", but really, it allows the unit to off-gas all of the chemical residues from the manufacturing process. Do not cook without this step! Before I started the process, I used a damp paper towel to remove any styrofoam particles and leftover packaging materials and dust, to permit the burn-in to be as effective as possible.
Yesterday was the first time we tried using the unit. The "cook to temperature probe" function is truly fantastic. After the preheat finishes, just throw in what you need to cook, insert the temperature probe, and the smoker will do the rest. I was astounded at how much smoke it was producing. Upon completion of the cooking, everything tasted fantastic. Upon examining the wood chips, they were all thoroughly charred - no leftover bare spots, no unused wood chips.
We also ordered Char-broil's "XS" smoker cover - it fits perfectly. Provided that the quality holds up (we are planning on taking very good care of this unit), we will be very pleased with this purchase.
Jake Blues : Very, very poor quality
I purchased this smoker 8 months ago and the today the thermostat and heating element failed for the second time when I had an entire kitchen counter of food prepared and ready to smoke. Fortunately, the warranty allows for free replacement parts for one year from the date of purchase. I regret buying this product and will never purchase anything made by this company again.
UPDATE: The smoker no longer works and now it's out of warranty. This was one of the worst purchases I've ever made. I will never buy a Char-Broil product again.
UPDATE: The smoker no longer works and now it's out of warranty. This was one of the worst purchases I've ever made. I will never buy a Char-Broil product again.
waetherman : Great Big Smoker, A Few Foibles
First let me say the the construction quality is top notch. This is a heavy(ish) unit that is very sturdy and well put-together. The design is functional but handsome, and while one doesn't buy a smoker for the looks, this one certainly does look good (especially the "deluxe" model with the glass front - but more on that later). The insulation on the unit is very good, and while cooking there was almost no heat radiated from the top or sides, which is good because it means that all the heat stays inside where it should.
The controls of this unit are not quite as "intuitive" as the manual would suggest. First thing you need to know is that you MUST set either a time or a target meat temperature in order to run this machine - you can't just set the temp and walk away. This isn't really a big deal, but because I didn't realize this my first cook in this machine ended up getting delayed because I didn't realize for almost an hour that it wasn't actually on. This problem is compounded by the display which is both illegible in daylight and somewhat confusing - I had thought it would display current temp and target temp, and sometimes it did but other times it did not. I might need to play with it a bit more to really understand how to get the information I need, but either way it's not a big deal; once you get the hang of it, it's pretty straight forward.
The remote that comes with the deluxe model is yet another problematic control. My biggest problem with it is that the connection is intermittent - sometimes I get three "bars" sometimes none, and I'm only maybe 10 feet away with a wall in between. If the remote can't connect over these relatively short distances, it's pretty much worthless, since the point of a remote is to monitor from somewhere other than standing next to the smoker itself. My unit might be defective though so I'm going to contact CB to see if this can be resolved. The other problem with the remote is again the lack of intuitive controls - the remote "on" button is the same button that is used to actually turn on and off the smoker, so at least once while trying to get the remote to "connect" I ended up turning off the smoker itself. Luckily I realized this quickly and the cook was not interrupted, but it's something to watch out for. Finally, sometimes the remote would just display gibberish (see pic) probably because of a bad connection, but either way it's not helpful.
The meat thermometer is one of the most surprising upsides to this machine. I've had mixed experiences with thermometers that are actually in the oven, so I tend to "spot read" temps instead. This one however stayed accurate throughout the cook and could be trusted to be read either on the remote or on the machine, though AFAIK the temp of the meat can only be seen when using the temp-cook mode, not the timer mode, unless you have the remote. In other words, if you're doing a timed-cook, the unit itself does not display the temperature of the meat inside, only the temperature of the oven, even if you have the meat-probe inserted. If you have the remote though, this will display the meat-probe temperature even on a timed-cook, so that's one advantage of the remote. If you can get it to connect.
There are four racks that come with this cooker, and each one measures 15" wide x 12.5" deep. It turns out this is the perfect size for a brisket of 6.5 lbs (see pic) or smaller, so theoretically it's possible to smoke about 25lbs of meat at a time, which is probably more than even I need on my biggest day of cooking (the 4th of July, of course). I'd estimate that it's possible to cook two good sized pork butts and probably 6-8 slabs of baby back, and 3-4 slabs of spare ribs, though I think the average length of a slab is a little longer than 15" so you'd probably have to cut them up a bit. For fish, obviously it depends on the type, but we're probably talking up to 8 2lb filets of something like salmon. TL:DR - you can fit a lot of food in this smoker.
One note about the "deluxe" version vs the regular version; the glass window does give off heat, and while it's nice to be able to see what's being cooked (even at night with the internal light) I'm not sure it's worth the trade-off. In particular it's worth noting that the front glass gets hot enough to burn, which makes it particularly unsafe when kids are around. Not that anyone should allow kids to play around a smoker in the first place, but it's something to think about when purchasing this unit.
So how well does it work? Well I've just done one cook of a brisket so the jury is still out, but so far I'm relatively impressed, with some caveats; the brisket I made turned out great, largely because of the consistent temperature of the unit. The meat flavor wasn't as smoky as my previous smoker (a basic Weber) but I think this could be corrected by refilling the wood chip box once during the cook (which they don't recommend, but I think might be needed). The real upside to this unit is the ease of use and cleanup - it's so easy to get food in and out, to add water if needed, or add wood that it makes it much more approachable. The fact that it can cook longer with less refills also makes this a more every-day (well, every-weekend) device. And the cleanup is much better than with my previous smoker, since all of the components can be fit in the dishwasher. My previous smoker was so difficult to clean that I often didn't use it just because I didn't want to bother with the cleanup. So in short I think this is going to encourage me to smoke more often, give me the capability to cook in larger quantities when needed, and most importantly, control the heat and smoke more carefully to produce a better tasting result. Overall a good purchase at a pretty reasonable price, though in hindsight I might opt for the regular rather than the deluxe version since the remote is not as useful as I had hoped, and the glass door is both non-insulating and possibly a danger to children.
The controls of this unit are not quite as "intuitive" as the manual would suggest. First thing you need to know is that you MUST set either a time or a target meat temperature in order to run this machine - you can't just set the temp and walk away. This isn't really a big deal, but because I didn't realize this my first cook in this machine ended up getting delayed because I didn't realize for almost an hour that it wasn't actually on. This problem is compounded by the display which is both illegible in daylight and somewhat confusing - I had thought it would display current temp and target temp, and sometimes it did but other times it did not. I might need to play with it a bit more to really understand how to get the information I need, but either way it's not a big deal; once you get the hang of it, it's pretty straight forward.
The remote that comes with the deluxe model is yet another problematic control. My biggest problem with it is that the connection is intermittent - sometimes I get three "bars" sometimes none, and I'm only maybe 10 feet away with a wall in between. If the remote can't connect over these relatively short distances, it's pretty much worthless, since the point of a remote is to monitor from somewhere other than standing next to the smoker itself. My unit might be defective though so I'm going to contact CB to see if this can be resolved. The other problem with the remote is again the lack of intuitive controls - the remote "on" button is the same button that is used to actually turn on and off the smoker, so at least once while trying to get the remote to "connect" I ended up turning off the smoker itself. Luckily I realized this quickly and the cook was not interrupted, but it's something to watch out for. Finally, sometimes the remote would just display gibberish (see pic) probably because of a bad connection, but either way it's not helpful.
The meat thermometer is one of the most surprising upsides to this machine. I've had mixed experiences with thermometers that are actually in the oven, so I tend to "spot read" temps instead. This one however stayed accurate throughout the cook and could be trusted to be read either on the remote or on the machine, though AFAIK the temp of the meat can only be seen when using the temp-cook mode, not the timer mode, unless you have the remote. In other words, if you're doing a timed-cook, the unit itself does not display the temperature of the meat inside, only the temperature of the oven, even if you have the meat-probe inserted. If you have the remote though, this will display the meat-probe temperature even on a timed-cook, so that's one advantage of the remote. If you can get it to connect.
There are four racks that come with this cooker, and each one measures 15" wide x 12.5" deep. It turns out this is the perfect size for a brisket of 6.5 lbs (see pic) or smaller, so theoretically it's possible to smoke about 25lbs of meat at a time, which is probably more than even I need on my biggest day of cooking (the 4th of July, of course). I'd estimate that it's possible to cook two good sized pork butts and probably 6-8 slabs of baby back, and 3-4 slabs of spare ribs, though I think the average length of a slab is a little longer than 15" so you'd probably have to cut them up a bit. For fish, obviously it depends on the type, but we're probably talking up to 8 2lb filets of something like salmon. TL:DR - you can fit a lot of food in this smoker.
One note about the "deluxe" version vs the regular version; the glass window does give off heat, and while it's nice to be able to see what's being cooked (even at night with the internal light) I'm not sure it's worth the trade-off. In particular it's worth noting that the front glass gets hot enough to burn, which makes it particularly unsafe when kids are around. Not that anyone should allow kids to play around a smoker in the first place, but it's something to think about when purchasing this unit.
So how well does it work? Well I've just done one cook of a brisket so the jury is still out, but so far I'm relatively impressed, with some caveats; the brisket I made turned out great, largely because of the consistent temperature of the unit. The meat flavor wasn't as smoky as my previous smoker (a basic Weber) but I think this could be corrected by refilling the wood chip box once during the cook (which they don't recommend, but I think might be needed). The real upside to this unit is the ease of use and cleanup - it's so easy to get food in and out, to add water if needed, or add wood that it makes it much more approachable. The fact that it can cook longer with less refills also makes this a more every-day (well, every-weekend) device. And the cleanup is much better than with my previous smoker, since all of the components can be fit in the dishwasher. My previous smoker was so difficult to clean that I often didn't use it just because I didn't want to bother with the cleanup. So in short I think this is going to encourage me to smoke more often, give me the capability to cook in larger quantities when needed, and most importantly, control the heat and smoke more carefully to produce a better tasting result. Overall a good purchase at a pretty reasonable price, though in hindsight I might opt for the regular rather than the deluxe version since the remote is not as useful as I had hoped, and the glass door is both non-insulating and possibly a danger to children.
waetherman : Great Big Smoker, A Few Foibles
First let me say the the construction quality is top notch. This is a heavy(ish) unit that is very sturdy and well put-together. The design is functional but handsome, and while one doesn't buy a smoker for the looks, this one certainly does look good (especially the "deluxe" model with the glass front - but more on that later). The insulation on the unit is very good, and while cooking there was almost no heat radiated from the top or sides, which is good because it means that all the heat stays inside where it should.
The controls of this unit are not quite as "intuitive" as the manual would suggest. First thing you need to know is that you MUST set either a time or a target meat temperature in order to run this machine - you can't just set the temp and walk away. This isn't really a big deal, but because I didn't realize this my first cook in this machine ended up getting delayed because I didn't realize for almost an hour that it wasn't actually on. This problem is compounded by the display which is both illegible in daylight and somewhat confusing - I had thought it would display current temp and target temp, and sometimes it did but other times it did not. I might need to play with it a bit more to really understand how to get the information I need, but either way it's not a big deal; once you get the hang of it, it's pretty straight forward.
The remote that comes with the deluxe model is yet another problematic control. My biggest problem with it is that the connection is intermittent - sometimes I get three "bars" sometimes none, and I'm only maybe 10 feet away with a wall in between. If the remote can't connect over these relatively short distances, it's pretty much worthless, since the point of a remote is to monitor from somewhere other than standing next to the smoker itself. My unit might be defective though so I'm going to contact CB to see if this can be resolved. The other problem with the remote is again the lack of intuitive controls - the remote "on" button is the same button that is used to actually turn on and off the smoker, so at least once while trying to get the remote to "connect" I ended up turning off the smoker itself. Luckily I realized this quickly and the cook was not interrupted, but it's something to watch out for. Finally, sometimes the remote would just display gibberish (see pic) probably because of a bad connection, but either way it's not helpful.
The meat thermometer is one of the most surprising upsides to this machine. I've had mixed experiences with thermometers that are actually in the oven, so I tend to "spot read" temps instead. This one however stayed accurate throughout the cook and could be trusted to be read either on the remote or on the machine, though AFAIK the temp of the meat can only be seen when using the temp-cook mode, not the timer mode, unless you have the remote. In other words, if you're doing a timed-cook, the unit itself does not display the temperature of the meat inside, only the temperature of the oven, even if you have the meat-probe inserted. If you have the remote though, this will display the meat-probe temperature even on a timed-cook, so that's one advantage of the remote. If you can get it to connect.
There are four racks that come with this cooker, and each one measures 15" wide x 12.5" deep. It turns out this is the perfect size for a brisket of 6.5 lbs (see pic) or smaller, so theoretically it's possible to smoke about 25lbs of meat at a time, which is probably more than even I need on my biggest day of cooking (the 4th of July, of course). I'd estimate that it's possible to cook two good sized pork butts and probably 6-8 slabs of baby back, and 3-4 slabs of spare ribs, though I think the average length of a slab is a little longer than 15" so you'd probably have to cut them up a bit. For fish, obviously it depends on the type, but we're probably talking up to 8 2lb filets of something like salmon. TL:DR - you can fit a lot of food in this smoker.
One note about the "deluxe" version vs the regular version; the glass window does give off heat, and while it's nice to be able to see what's being cooked (even at night with the internal light) I'm not sure it's worth the trade-off. In particular it's worth noting that the front glass gets hot enough to burn, which makes it particularly unsafe when kids are around. Not that anyone should allow kids to play around a smoker in the first place, but it's something to think about when purchasing this unit.
So how well does it work? Well I've just done one cook of a brisket so the jury is still out, but so far I'm relatively impressed, with some caveats; the brisket I made turned out great, largely because of the consistent temperature of the unit. The meat flavor wasn't as smoky as my previous smoker (a basic Weber) but I think this could be corrected by refilling the wood chip box once during the cook (which they don't recommend, but I think might be needed). The real upside to this unit is the ease of use and cleanup - it's so easy to get food in and out, to add water if needed, or add wood that it makes it much more approachable. The fact that it can cook longer with less refills also makes this a more every-day (well, every-weekend) device. And the cleanup is much better than with my previous smoker, since all of the components can be fit in the dishwasher. My previous smoker was so difficult to clean that I often didn't use it just because I didn't want to bother with the cleanup. So in short I think this is going to encourage me to smoke more often, give me the capability to cook in larger quantities when needed, and most importantly, control the heat and smoke more carefully to produce a better tasting result. Overall a good purchase at a pretty reasonable price, though in hindsight I might opt for the regular rather than the deluxe version since the remote is not as useful as I had hoped, and the glass door is both non-insulating and possibly a danger to children.
The controls of this unit are not quite as "intuitive" as the manual would suggest. First thing you need to know is that you MUST set either a time or a target meat temperature in order to run this machine - you can't just set the temp and walk away. This isn't really a big deal, but because I didn't realize this my first cook in this machine ended up getting delayed because I didn't realize for almost an hour that it wasn't actually on. This problem is compounded by the display which is both illegible in daylight and somewhat confusing - I had thought it would display current temp and target temp, and sometimes it did but other times it did not. I might need to play with it a bit more to really understand how to get the information I need, but either way it's not a big deal; once you get the hang of it, it's pretty straight forward.
The remote that comes with the deluxe model is yet another problematic control. My biggest problem with it is that the connection is intermittent - sometimes I get three "bars" sometimes none, and I'm only maybe 10 feet away with a wall in between. If the remote can't connect over these relatively short distances, it's pretty much worthless, since the point of a remote is to monitor from somewhere other than standing next to the smoker itself. My unit might be defective though so I'm going to contact CB to see if this can be resolved. The other problem with the remote is again the lack of intuitive controls - the remote "on" button is the same button that is used to actually turn on and off the smoker, so at least once while trying to get the remote to "connect" I ended up turning off the smoker itself. Luckily I realized this quickly and the cook was not interrupted, but it's something to watch out for. Finally, sometimes the remote would just display gibberish (see pic) probably because of a bad connection, but either way it's not helpful.
The meat thermometer is one of the most surprising upsides to this machine. I've had mixed experiences with thermometers that are actually in the oven, so I tend to "spot read" temps instead. This one however stayed accurate throughout the cook and could be trusted to be read either on the remote or on the machine, though AFAIK the temp of the meat can only be seen when using the temp-cook mode, not the timer mode, unless you have the remote. In other words, if you're doing a timed-cook, the unit itself does not display the temperature of the meat inside, only the temperature of the oven, even if you have the meat-probe inserted. If you have the remote though, this will display the meat-probe temperature even on a timed-cook, so that's one advantage of the remote. If you can get it to connect.
There are four racks that come with this cooker, and each one measures 15" wide x 12.5" deep. It turns out this is the perfect size for a brisket of 6.5 lbs (see pic) or smaller, so theoretically it's possible to smoke about 25lbs of meat at a time, which is probably more than even I need on my biggest day of cooking (the 4th of July, of course). I'd estimate that it's possible to cook two good sized pork butts and probably 6-8 slabs of baby back, and 3-4 slabs of spare ribs, though I think the average length of a slab is a little longer than 15" so you'd probably have to cut them up a bit. For fish, obviously it depends on the type, but we're probably talking up to 8 2lb filets of something like salmon. TL:DR - you can fit a lot of food in this smoker.
One note about the "deluxe" version vs the regular version; the glass window does give off heat, and while it's nice to be able to see what's being cooked (even at night with the internal light) I'm not sure it's worth the trade-off. In particular it's worth noting that the front glass gets hot enough to burn, which makes it particularly unsafe when kids are around. Not that anyone should allow kids to play around a smoker in the first place, but it's something to think about when purchasing this unit.
So how well does it work? Well I've just done one cook of a brisket so the jury is still out, but so far I'm relatively impressed, with some caveats; the brisket I made turned out great, largely because of the consistent temperature of the unit. The meat flavor wasn't as smoky as my previous smoker (a basic Weber) but I think this could be corrected by refilling the wood chip box once during the cook (which they don't recommend, but I think might be needed). The real upside to this unit is the ease of use and cleanup - it's so easy to get food in and out, to add water if needed, or add wood that it makes it much more approachable. The fact that it can cook longer with less refills also makes this a more every-day (well, every-weekend) device. And the cleanup is much better than with my previous smoker, since all of the components can be fit in the dishwasher. My previous smoker was so difficult to clean that I often didn't use it just because I didn't want to bother with the cleanup. So in short I think this is going to encourage me to smoke more often, give me the capability to cook in larger quantities when needed, and most importantly, control the heat and smoke more carefully to produce a better tasting result. Overall a good purchase at a pretty reasonable price, though in hindsight I might opt for the regular rather than the deluxe version since the remote is not as useful as I had hoped, and the glass door is both non-insulating and possibly a danger to children.
Joe : Only lasted 18 months!
I loved this smoker. It's easy to use and made delicious food. After 18 months, of pretty infrequent use, it stopped working. I opened the back panel and discovered that one of the wires connecting the heating element had caught fire and roasted the wire to a crisp. This smoker is a safety hazard and I would not recommend. Pay a little extra money for a smoker that will last longer than 2 years.
Edit: CharBroil decided to send me just the replacement part since my smoker is out of warranty. That meant I had to completely disassemble my current smoker and reassemble all of the parts to the body they sent me. It was quite a pain and took a few hours because most of the threaded inserts were spinning inside the old body. I ended up having to pry all the fasteners through the sheet metal and trying to mutilate them off of the screws because I had to reuse the old screws. I'm back to having a smoker but I still give this 1 star because I would still not recommend this smoker to anyone.
Edit: CharBroil decided to send me just the replacement part since my smoker is out of warranty. That meant I had to completely disassemble my current smoker and reassemble all of the parts to the body they sent me. It was quite a pain and took a few hours because most of the threaded inserts were spinning inside the old body. I ended up having to pry all the fasteners through the sheet metal and trying to mutilate them off of the screws because I had to reuse the old screws. I'm back to having a smoker but I still give this 1 star because I would still not recommend this smoker to anyone.
T. Patton : Juicy, Tender Meat With Little Effort On My part!
Does a great job. Smoked a chicken and St. Louis ribs and both were thoroughly smokey. The water/catch tray does a great job of keeping the meat tender and juicy. The unit is built very well, and I really love the remote temperature devise! No more opening the door to poke a probe into the thick part of the meat to see if you've reached the target temp. My only disappointment is the length of time you have with a full smoke box of chips. I packed the chips in tightly as suggested for a long smoke, but instead of lasting 6-8 hours as promised in the owners manual, they were completely expended in less than 4 hours. I'll need to reach out to Char Broil and see if they can make any suggestions. The type of wood may play a part in the smoke duration. I used hickory, as this seems to be the most popular way to achieve a really deep smoke. Overall, I'm very satisfied with this smoker and would highly recommend a purchase. *** Here's a tip for clean up...Purchase a hand-held steam cleaning unit as I did. It was about a $50 investment, but does a fantastic job on the glass door! I also used it on the other interior surfaces, but it will require quite a bit more elbow grease with include brush accessories, because the metal surfaces are naturally going to be more porous. I decided to use this instead of a chemical cleaner.
Mike PNW : Won’t go over 200 degrees farenheit
I had to return 2 of these because they wouldn’t go over 200 degrees farenheit. I would have loved it if it worked but didnt feel like messing around with replacing parts as suggested by customer support. Its too bad because they look like solidly built units otherwise. There is a serious quality control issue going on with these for 2 of them to have the exact same problem. Luckily i bought them through Amazon and they promptly gave me a refund.
alan mautino : Broke after 3 uses
purchased in April to use during the summer. Didn't use until June. When I used it, wouldn't work after 3rd time. Now I have to have parts shipped and pay for shipping. Not really a great smoker if I have to repair so soon.
Gigiola : Easy to use but a serious design flaw
We've used this product for two and a half years.
On the plus side the unit is easy to use. Comparatively it has a large wood chip holder. The meat/temp probe is removable making it nice for cleaning. While some don't like a glass front (more cleaning) I find it useful to be able to visually inspect what's going on. The handle/closure is well designed and easy to operate with one hand. The price of the unit is much more attractive than competing brands.
On the negative side the unit does not have any way of controlling airflow. The water pan is undersized. Per information I received directly from Charbroil technical support, the unit will raise the set temperature if it feels it's taking too long to smoke/finish (when working as designed). The unit also consistently under measured the operating temperature by 20 to 25 degrees (verified by two third party probes), so if you wished to smoke at 225 you had to set it to 200 or 205. However the biggest drawback is the digital control unit. It has failed twice in the same way ... the unit simply runs at "full bore" and no longer tries to modulate the temperature at whatever setting you selected. First time this happened it was under warranty and Charbroil did send me a completely replacement for the control unit. While not a difficult replacement it wasn't trivial either. The second control unit fared better ... lasting more than a year and a half before failing the same way as the first one. My guess is that the control unit does not have sufficient separation or insulation from the heat of the smoker.
On the plus side the unit is easy to use. Comparatively it has a large wood chip holder. The meat/temp probe is removable making it nice for cleaning. While some don't like a glass front (more cleaning) I find it useful to be able to visually inspect what's going on. The handle/closure is well designed and easy to operate with one hand. The price of the unit is much more attractive than competing brands.
On the negative side the unit does not have any way of controlling airflow. The water pan is undersized. Per information I received directly from Charbroil technical support, the unit will raise the set temperature if it feels it's taking too long to smoke/finish (when working as designed). The unit also consistently under measured the operating temperature by 20 to 25 degrees (verified by two third party probes), so if you wished to smoke at 225 you had to set it to 200 or 205. However the biggest drawback is the digital control unit. It has failed twice in the same way ... the unit simply runs at "full bore" and no longer tries to modulate the temperature at whatever setting you selected. First time this happened it was under warranty and Charbroil did send me a completely replacement for the control unit. While not a difficult replacement it wasn't trivial either. The second control unit fared better ... lasting more than a year and a half before failing the same way as the first one. My guess is that the control unit does not have sufficient separation or insulation from the heat of the smoker.
M. Ronce : Room for improvement
so this is a great smoker but as some have pointed out the downfalls are: 1. The door wont stay open which makes things difficult when working during smokes.
2. The led light is a joke not sure why thats on here doesnt light up inside lights top of door jam..
3. The book gives you info on chips to load per cook time but i would cut those timesnalmost in half and make sure to reload your chips.
4. Cannot control amoke the vents are fixed, i domt care much but professional smokers would and i guess theyd have a higher end smoker anyway
The pros
1. Easy to use
2. Cooks amazing
3. Bluetooth remote is helpful
4. Cooking probe is great
2. The led light is a joke not sure why thats on here doesnt light up inside lights top of door jam..
3. The book gives you info on chips to load per cook time but i would cut those timesnalmost in half and make sure to reload your chips.
4. Cannot control amoke the vents are fixed, i domt care much but professional smokers would and i guess theyd have a higher end smoker anyway
The pros
1. Easy to use
2. Cooks amazing
3. Bluetooth remote is helpful
4. Cooking probe is great
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