There’s something about charcoal that transforms an ordinary piece of meat into something truly special. It infuses the meat with that smokey flavor that just can’t be beaten by any other method of cooking. Cooking with charcoal is also extremely easy and people can BBQ effectively with it even if they’re a beginner. The only tough thing about cooking with charcoal is deciding on whether to purchase a charcoal grill or a charcoal smoker.
Fortunately, consumers don’t have to make that choice anymore. They can purchase a grill/smoker combo that’s powered by charcoal and can provide the average person with awesome cooking power. We should know because we’ve reviewed some of the best charcoal grill smoker combos currently available.
Quick Summary of Best Charcoal Grill Smoker Combos
Reviews
Editor’s Choice: Masterbuilt Gravity-Series 1050 XL Digital Grill/Smoker
When people look at this charcoal grill and smoker combo they might balk at its price tag, and we do admit that it does cost more than some of the other models we’ve reviewed. However, thanks to its ability to cook smoothly, ability to come to temperature quickly, and the fact that it’s equipped with very advanced features, we have to say that we think it’s worth every penny. This is the grill/smoker combo that everyone dreams of having and won’t ever regret using.
This product is approximately 33x61x52-inches in size and weighs a little bit over 200-pounds. It’s a model with a modern design and is equipped with a handy charcoal hopper that can hold up to 10-pounds of lump charcoal or 16-pounds of briquettes. This hopper can automatically feed this grill so that it provides up to 8-hours of cooking. This feature, along with the Digital Fan control found on it, allows the grill to almost work by itself. It’s not fully automated, of course, but it does require less from the BBQ cook.
This grill is capable of reaching 225-degrees Fahrenheit in 10 minutes and an impressive 700-degrees in 15-minutes. That means that the consumer can grill, sear, and smoke their food. It’s also equipped with WiFi/Bluetooth capabilities that allow the consumer to control the grill using the Masterbuilt App. Other features found on this product include fold-away warming/smoking racks, a stainless steel front shelf, and digital temperature control.
After taking a good hard look at all of the features found on this product, we have to conclude that it’s the best charcoal grill and smoker combo that we’ve ever seen. It’s a model that will make short work of BBQ and is large enough to handle the grilling and smoking needs of most people. It’s also a grill that looks very nice and will fit in with just about any outdoor décor.
- It has a gravity-fed charcoal hopper.
- It has digital controls and WiFi/Bluetooth operation.
- It has precise temperature controls.
- This grill/smoker combo costs more than other grills.
Also Recommended: Char-Griller Smoking Pro 50-Inch Grill
The next charcoal grill smoker combo on our list is this one from Char-Griller. This is a model that’s called the Smoking-Pro, a title that might be a little bit too much for this product. Now don’t get us wrong, we think that this is a great grill/smoker combo, but consumers should know that it’s not a professional unit. In fact, there are no combination smoker grills in its price range that is for professional use. With that said, we believe that this is a great model for home use. Let’s look at some of its features.
This product is approximately 62-inches by 29-inches by 50-inches and weighs just a little bit under 150-pounds. It’s a product that requires the consumer to assemble it, and it’s a model that has two wheels that make it easy to move from one location to another. This is a product that has the main cooking surface of 580 square inches, and it has a side firebox that provides an additional 250 square inches of space for smoking or grilling. That provides the consumer with a total of 830 square-inches of cooking surface space.
This product is made from heavy-duty steel and has cast-iron cooking grates that distribute heat evenly for perfectly cooked food. It also has an adjustable fire grate that allows the consumer to have more control over the BBQ, and an easy-to-empty ash pan that makes cleanup a snap.
This product is also equipped with a front prep table and side table, which gives the BBQ chef a little bit of extra space for holding utensils. And there’s a rack underneath the unit that can be used for additional storage. Keeping all of its features in mind, as well as the quality of its construction, we do have to say that this is a great home charcoal grill smoker combo and is ready to do the work for the consumer straight away.
- This product does a good job of smoking/grilling.
- It has a total cooking area of 830 square inches.
- It’s equipped with cast-iron grates.
- This is not a professional smoker grill.
Also Consider: Royal Gourmet 30-Inch BBQ Grill & Offset Smoker
During the course of our charcoal grill smoker combo reviews, we’ve come across a lot of different products. However, few products deliver a great host of features for a low price like this one did. Sure, this product isn’t as well made as some of the other grills we’ve reviewed, but it does do a job of smoking or grilling food, and it does have a decent array of features. Let’s take a closer look at this product.
This product is approximately 55-inches by 48-inches by 27-inches and it has a dedicated grilling area and a side firebox. This product is also equipped with two wheels and a shelf underneath the unit. On the side of the unit, the consumer will find a table on which they can put BBQ utensils or other things that they might need while they’re smoking or grilling meat or seafood.
Inside of this grill, the consumer will find the main cooking area that has porcelain-coated steel wiring grates and has a surface area of about 438 square inches. It’s also equipped with a chrome-plated warming rack that gives the consumer an additional 179 square inches. The offset smoker has a total cooking area of 183 square inches. That gives this smoker a total of 800 square inches.
Other features that can be found on this model include a lid-mounted temperature gauge, two adjustable dampers that allow the consumer to control smoke and temperature, lifting handles that can raise the fire pan to one of two different levels, and a firebox access door that makes tending to the charcoal a lot easier.
All of these features taken together make this a great budget charcoal grill smoker combo and one that we recommend for anyone looking for one of these grills but who doesn’t want to spend a small fortune. It’s certainly a product that will get the job done and has some nice features.
- This is an inexpensive grill/smoker combo.
- It provides a total cooking area of 800 square inches.
- It has an access door on the firebox.
- It’s not as durable as we would’ve liked it.
A Charcoal Grill Smoker Combo Buying Guide
We’ve spent a lot of time with our charcoal grill smoker combo reviews, and we learned quite a lot during the process. We learned what makes a great grill/smoker combo and what features consumers should expect when buying a new one. After learning all of this information we thought that it would be a waste if we didn’t share it with anyone, so we decided to pen this buying guide. It’s our hope that this guide will help all of our readers buy the best charcoal grill smoker combo available so they can grill, smoke, and sear to their heart’s content.
The Grill/Smoker Combo’s Construction
One of the first things that the consumer is going to want to do is to make sure that they purchase a product that’s well made. There are a ton of different grill/smoker combos that come in a lot of different price ranges and are made using a bunch of different materials. Higher-end models tend to be made from stainless steel, aluminum, or even enamel-coated cast-iron. Those materials will last the longest. Cheaper models are usually made from carbon steel. Carbon steel can rust over time, so although these grills might be inexpensive, they won’t last as long as higher-end models.
An All-In-One Grilling Chamber Or A Separate Firebox?
The next thing that the consumer is going to want to think about is whether they want a model that has one area for both grilling or smoking, or if the grill has a firebox so the consumer can smoke foods without having to grill them as well. If the consumer chooses a model that has just one cooking area, then they should make sure that it has warming racks that foods that are supposed to be smoked can be placed. For consumers who choose models with a separate firebox, they will usually also get the benefit of having a little bit of extra grilling space.
How Does Air Flow Around The Unit?
Another thing that consumers might want to think about before they purchase their new charcoal grill smoker combo is to look at how it manages airflow. Some models only have one damper, which can make managing smoke and air a bit difficult. Models that have multiple dampers are better because they give the consumer great control over airflow. Even better are models that are equipped with digital fans that can control air automatically, although these models can be more expensive in the first place.
How Much Cooking Space Does It Provide?
The consumer should also make sure that the grill is going to provide enough cooking space for their needs. The average family of four can make do with approximately 400 to 500 square inches of grilling space. Larger families, or people who do a lot of grilling for friends, might want to look at grill models in the 500+ square inch range.
While we’re on the subject of grill space, it’s important for the consumer to carefully read the description of any smoker combo they’re thinking of buying. Most grills will list the total cooking area available—which is a total of not only the grilling surface but also the warming racks and the offset smoker. So, the consumer might want to make sure that it actually provides the grilling space they need.
Does The Unit Have A Built-In Thermometer?
Another thing that the consumer might want to think about is whether the grill/smoker combo has a built-in thermometer. Some models don’t have any sort of built-in thermometer, while some have digital controls and others might have a digital temperature display. Having the ability to know the precise temperature of what is happening inside the grill or smoker box is going to make it easier for the BBQ chef to cook their foods as precisely as possible.
Additional Features To Ponder
As we wind our way through this guide and come close to ending it, we want to spend the last few inches of space we have to talk about some of the other features the consumer might want to think about. The above features are what we consider to be the basic features that all consumers need to think about before buying a new charcoal grill smoker combo, while the features below are more like icing on the cake. Let’s take a closer look at these features, so all of our readers know some of the features that some grills might have.
- Automatic Charcoal Hopper
- WiFi/Bluetooth Operation
- Foldaway Shelves & Racks
- Automatic Temperature Control
