Any good smoker/grill combos out there?

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bsds71

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Original poster
Apr 24, 2017
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I have had MB electric smoker the past few years they recently died. I was debating on replacing with a propane smoker but I am low on space at our new house and would prefer an all in one grill and smoker. I would like to stay under $1000. I am open to any suggestions! Thank you.
 
Best grill, unless you are talking about a flat top, is a plain old Weber charcoal burner, I have four, one 22, one 18 and two small smokey joes.
For steaks, burgers and chicken they can't be beat.
For smoking there's a zillion choices, stickburners are the best but take MANY hours of fire "management" (on all but the top end choices) to keep the temps where needed, but top end stickburners exceed your projected budget.
Also factor in the cost and hassle of finding "good" wood and storing it where it will stay dry and free of vermin.
Kamado's can grill but they are poor smokers, plus the good ones cost a lot.
Pellet burners are more or less a convection oven with some smoke added and rank way below stickburner flavor profile.
The new kid on the block and the one I went to, after owning all of the above, is the gravity feed charcoal cooker.
Hardwood is added in with the charcoal and the ash catch bin and the coal burn temps are high enough to elimanate the smoke flavors we don't want in our meat, resulting in meat that tastes almost as good as a stickburner but with near zero work on the part of the pitmaster.
Cost on the gravity units start well under $1000 so it's almost a no brainer.
My small Masterbuilt gravity cost $500 flat and it's my favorite smoker, I use my Weber grills a lot but the other smokers sit under cover on my porch.
Anyone near Austin want a good deal on a Kamado and a Pellet spitter?
Both work great.
 
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I have had MB electric smoker the past few years they recently died. I was debating on replacing with a propane smoker but I am low on space at our new house and would prefer an all in one grill and smoker. I would like to stay under $1000. I am open to any suggestions! Thank you.
The MB gravity feed grill is hard to beat for all around, IMHO.
https://www.masterbuilt.com/collections/gravity-series
 
Is there a downside to this? As far as cleaning or anything? Is 13 minutes a long time to heat up for grilling temperature? My husband does the grilling I do the smoking. I don't want him annoyed with anything as this week likely be his Father's Day present. 😬
Sorry, I don’t own one. A buddy of mine does though went from a pellet grill to the MB gravity and absolutely loves it. It goes from low and slow to grilling or sear temps faster than my Yoder pellet grill. The flavor is better with the charcoal for sure. Look for the magnifying glass icon at the top of the main page. That is the search feature here at SMF. Type in Master Built gravity, you will have many hours of pier reviews and comments. Not many negative, btw.
 
I have had MB electric smoker the past few years they recently died. I was debating on replacing with a propane smoker but I am low on space at our new house and would prefer an all in one grill and smoker. I would like to stay under $1000. I am open to any suggestions! Thank you.
What by chance happened to your master built electric ? That could probably be brought back to life for a small price and one of the best smokers around ( maybe new burner and PID controller?).
Then would look at a kettle, 22" or 26" and you have great smoking ability at high or low temps and ability to grill.
 
What by chance happened to your master built electric ? That could probably be brought back to life for a small price and one of the best smokers around ( maybe new burner and PID controller?).
Then would look at a kettle, 22" or 26" and you have great smoking ability at high or low temps and ability to grill.
The motherboard died and then was doing this flashing thing. We probably could have gotten it fixed but I didn't really have a good spot for it since we moved and was wanting a grill/smoker combo. Actually grill/smoker/griddle combo would be even better. My friend just got a Green Mountain pellet and absolutely loves it, but I'm worried I won't like a pellet as much as I did my electric smoker. Probably should have just gotten it fixed but I was excited to try something different.
 
The motherboard died and then was doing this flashing thing. We probably could have gotten it fixed but I didn't really have a good spot for it since we moved and was wanting a grill/smoker combo. Actually grill/smoker/griddle combo would be even better. My friend just got a Green Mountain pellet and absolutely loves it, but I'm worried I won't like a pellet as much as I did my electric smoker. Probably should have just gotten it fixed but I was excited to try something different.
If you're wanting all 3 maybe take a look at the MBG 800. I personally do not own one but have read lots of good things. From what I've read it'll do all 3 of those things
 
If you're wanting all 3 maybe take a look at the MBG 800. I personally do not own one but have read lots of good things. From what I've read it'll do all 3 of those things
I was looking at that, seems to be sold out everywhere. I also was looking at camp saver woodwinds with a griddle attachment. But pellet will give me a lot less smoke flavor?
My husband also just threw a wrench in my grill search he wants something with propane since we have a propane hookup coming from the house. I think he hates that feature we added when building our house would go to waste. 🙄 So I might need to look at a propane/pellet combo or propane/charcoal combo. Ugh.
 
I was looking at that, seems to be sold out everywhere. I also was looking at camp saver woodwinds with a griddle attachment. But pellet will give me a lot less smoke flavor?
My husband also just threw a wrench in my grill search he wants something with propane since we have a propane hookup coming from the house. I think he hates that feature we added when building our house would go to waste. 🙄 So I might need to look at a propane/pellet combo or propane/charcoal combo. Ugh.
If that's what he wants then that's what I'd get. Only issue with a duel fuel grill like that is how small both cooking spaces are. I have 2 friends that both regret getting the duel fuel and wish they would've gotten just the pellet just because of how small it is.
 
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I know this thread is a couple years old...

I recently upgraded to a Pit Boss KC Combo, which is a pellet smoker/grill and a propane grill with a flat top insert. The retail is $800 though I didn't pay that much.

These photos were taken directly after assembly and prior to seasoning the cast iron flat top

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