BBQCharcoalGrill

Best Charcoal Grill Smoker Combos in 2021 Reviewed

In our opinion, charcoal is one of the greatest inventions of all time. There’s no other product that can produce the aroma, flavor, and sear that charcoal can. It’s a product that’s great for fueling everything from grills to smokers. We love charcoal so much, we couldn’t resist taking the time out of our busy days to review some of the best charcoal grill smoker combos. These are devices that take advantage of the dark smoke and flavor produced by charcoal briquettes and create incredibly succulent meats, tender vegetables, and melt in your mouth seafood. Let’s take a look at the models that we feel are the best, so everyone can start cooking with charcoal.

Summary of the Best Charcoal Grill Smoker Combos
Reviews

Editor’s Choice: Masterbuilt Gravity-Series 1050 Digital Grill/Smoker

Even though we have to admit that this model is one of the more expensive models that we’ve reviewed for this article, it also happens to be the most powerful and the best charcoal grill smoker combo available. In fact, this model blows all of the competition away and is one of the easiest models we’ve ever had the pleasure of using. That’s why this is a review that our readers are definitely going to want to pay attention to.

This model is approximately 33x61x52-inches and is over 200-pounds in weight. It’s the kind of heavy-duty grill/smoker combo that people dream about using and one that’s meant to be parked in its spot and left there. However, for those people who need to move it into place, it does have front casters and rear wheels that make it a lot easier to move.

This model allows the consumer to load up to 10-pounds of lump charcoal or up to 16-pounds of charcoal briquettes. This allows the consumer to get a good 8-hours of smoking out of it at a time, and since it has a gravity-fed charcoal hopper, it’s relatively simple to use.

Another thing that we liked about this model was that it had a ton of power. This model can reach up to 225-degrees Fahrenheit in only 10-minutes for low and slow smoking, and its grill can reach up to 700-degrees Fahrenheit for searing meats. And speaking of searing, this model has cast-iron grates that sear the meat perfectly and retain heat very well.

Other features that can be found on this grill/smoker include WiFi Bluetooth capability to allow for smoking and grilling from an App on the consumer’s phone, foldaway warming racks that provide additional cooking space, digital fan control that moves air from the hopper to the cooking chamber, and a stainless-steel front shelf that provides the BBQ cook with plenty of prep space.

PROS:
– This model can reach 700-degrees in 15-minutes.
– This model has Bluetooth capabilities.
– It holds up to 16-pounds of briquettes.

CONS:
– This model costs more than other models we’ve reviewed.

Also Recommended: Char-Griller Outlaw Grill/Smoker

Another charcoal grill smoker combo that caught our attention was this one from Char-Griller’s Professional Line of grills. This is a model that’s called the Outlaw, and while we’re unsure of why they chose this name for this product, we do know that it is a powerful smoker/grill combo that we’d like to introduce to all of our readers.

The first thing that the consumer is going to need to do once they’ve acquired this grill is to assemble it and that is not going to be as easy as it probably should be. That’s because the instructions for this model aren’t all that great, so consumers who haven’t assembled a lot of grills might find themselves fumbling around with it. Fortunately, that is the only real problem we’ve found with this product and once the thing is assembled, it works extremely well and is easy to use.

This product is made from heavy-gauge steel, which is surprising considering its low price tag. This product is 49x29x50-inches in size and it weighs under 115-pounds. This model has a side-table that can be used for prep work, and it has a shelf underneath that can be used to hold a bag of charcoal. It also has two wheels, a nice front prep table, and an air damper.

Inside the grill, the consumer will find a cooking area of 725 square-inches and a 338 square-inch warming rack for a total of 1,063 square inches. It has great cast-iron cooking grates that hold onto the heat and puts a great sear on burgers, steaks, or chops.

Some of the other features that consumer will find on this model include an easy to dump ash pan, an adjustable fire grate, and wheels that make the product easy to move into place. Keeping all of this in mind, it’s easy to see why this is a model that we wholeheartedly recommend.

PROS:
– It has durable cast-iron grates.
– It provides 1,063 square-inches of cooking space.
– It has an adjustable fire grate.

CONS:
– This model can be difficult to assemble for some people.

Also Consider: Royal Gourmet 30-Inch BBQ Grill & Offset Smoker

The last charcoal grill smoker combo we’d like to introduce to our readers is this one from Royal Gourmet. The first thing anyone will notice about this product is that it’s only a fraction of the cost of other smoker/grill combos we’ve reviewed for this article. That means that it’s very affordable, but also means that it isn’t as durable as some of the other ones we’ve reviewed. But that shouldn’t be a surprise. We would venture to say that no one thinks a grill in the $100 range is going to be as durable as one in the $150+ range of the $700+ range.

This grill is approximately 55x27x48-inches in size and weighs a mere 55-pounds. This is a 30-inch BBQ grill that has an offset smoker and is one that allows consumers to grill or smoke just about anything. This product has porcelain-coated steel wire grates that provide up to 438 square inches of grilling space, an offset smoker that provides an additional 183 square-inches of smoking space, and a chrome-plated warming rack that provides up to 179 square-inches of warming space. That’s a total of 800 square-inches of total cook space—which isn’t too bad for a product in this price range.

One of the things that we like about this product is that it has an access door on the firebox that makes it easy for the consumer to tend to the coals without having to lift the smoker’s lid. It also has a removable ash pan that makes cleanup quick and efficient.

Other features that can be found on this model include a storage shelf underneath the grill for added storage space, a side table for extra prep space, a temperature gauge mounted in the grill’s lid, and stay-cool handle, and two wheels on the bottom of the unit that makes it easy to move. All of these features make this a product that’s worth looking at by anyone searching for a budget grill/smoker combo.

PROS:
– This is an inexpensive grill/offset smoker combo.
– It has a total cooking/warming area of 800 square inches.
– It’s easy to move from one location to another.

CONS:
– This model isn’t as durable as some other grills.

How To Buy The Best Charcoal Grill Smoker Combo

Even though we’ve reviewed three models that we think are the best charcoal grill smoker combos available, we do understand that some of our readers might want to strike out and find their own models. That’s why we’ve written this buyer’s guide. This is a guide that is designed to give our readers a road map they can follow to make sure that any charcoal grill/smoker combo they purchase is good enough to fit their needs. Let’s take a look at some of the common features found on these grill/smokers and see what the consumer should be on the lookout for when choosing a new model. 

Step One: Consider The Unit’s Size

One of the first things that consumers are going to want to think about when choosing one of these models is the size of it. The size not only informs the consumer of the amount of space it’s going to need and the amount of clearance that the consumer is going to need for it, but it also informs the consumer of the cooking size of the unit. Larger grill/smoker combos tend to have more cooking space than smaller models. 

The consumer should also think about the amount of grilling and smoking space available. As a general rule, 400-500 square inches of grilling space is sufficient for the average household. People who do a lot of entertaining might want to go a little bit higher, however, and look for a grill that provides 550+ square-inches of grilling space. 

The amount of smoking space the consumer should think about is dependent on the model they choose. If they choose a model where smoking and grilling is done in the same chamber, then they can just keep in mind the grilling space and use that as their guide. Or if they choose a model that has racks above the grilling space for smoking, then they can just consider the amount of space they need. 

If they choose a model that has an offset box, however, they’re also going to have to consider the amount of space it provides. Most people are served well by a smoker box that’s at least 180 square inches or so. That’s a good size for an average household of four people. 

Step Two: Consider The Type Of Grill Smoker

When we say that our readers should consider the type of grill smoker, we don’t mean that they should consider how the product is fueled. After all, this is a guide for charcoal grill/smoker models. What we’re talking about is how the product is set up. Some models are set up so that the smoker and grill are in the same chamber with overhead smoker racks, some just use the grill racks and grill chamber for both smoking and grilling, and some have offset smokers. Let’s examine each of these more closely, shall we?

As can be seen from our above list, the models that use the same grilling/smoking chamber but have overhead racks are our favorite. These models allow the consumer to grill on the lower rack, all while smoking the food on the upper racks. That maximizes the grill/smoker space and makes it easier to use. At least, in our opinion. 

Another model that uses the same chamber for grilling and smoking is the one that uses the same rack for both grilling and barbecuing. These models don’t provide as much cooking space as models that use overhead racks or offset smokers. When using them, the consumer will often have to move the food around to ensure that it doesn’t overcook, so that’s something else that needs to be thought about before choosing these models.

The last model uses an offset smoker. This can make the grill a little bit larger than other types of grills/smokers, but it also provides a little more smoking space than models that only have one chamber for both grilling and smoking. These models work well, as long as the consumer chooses one with a large enough smoker box. 

Step Three: Consider Some Other Fine Features

Now that we’ve covered the size and style of the grill smoker combo, it’s time to turn our attention to some of the other features that consumers might want to think about before finalizing any purchase. Even though we don’t give the following features their own sections, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t important. In fact, we think that many of the below features can make or break a charcoal grill smoker combo, so our readers might want to think about them carefully. 

  • Air Damper Numbers And Locations
  • Stay-Cool Handles
  • Removable Ash Trays
  • Automatic Charcoal Feed
  • Digital Controls
  • WiFi And/Or Bluetooth Operation
  • Adjustable Fire Grates
  • Cast-Iron Grates
  • Wheels And/Or Casters

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