smokin pro vs charbroil silver

[mnola917]

I really want to buy a new offset smoker soon, and there is a huge price jump from smokers like the smokin pro and charbroil silver to the $2000 New Horizon smokers.

For a recreational smoker (I smoke stuff maybe 3 times a month) would you recommend the smokin pro or charbroil silver? I hear that the silver is made of very thin material and is a fuel guzzler. Is the smokin pro the same, or does it have better insulation?

 

[memphisbud]

I haven't had any experience with the Charbroils, although there are a lot of folks on SMF who use them very successfully with appropriate mods. I've been using the Brinkman for years, and just bought another last year. They seem to perform very well out of the box, and even better once the mods you prefer are done. This newer one isn't as heavy guage as my older one but held heat well, and didn't seem to eat fuel at a overly fast rate....just my 2C

 

[marty catka]

It may be biased, but the Char Griller site does have a comparison chart for the three models you ask about. I just bought the Char Griller Super Pro and did the mods suggested here. Whichever model you choose, beef it up with the modifications here and it will produce some good 'Que!

 

[timtimmay]

I've had great luck with the chargriller super pro. I cooked once without mods and had very uneven heat. I did a few mods (tray upside down, charcoal basket, internal stack extension) and subsequent smokes have gone very well. I would recommend it for anyone that isn't at the spend thousands stage.

Disclaimer: I'm a big fat noob (5 smokes under my belt) I wouldn't trust me :)

 

[olewarthog]

I've had a CG for several months & am very pleased with it. I have not ever cooked on a Charbroil silver. The CG I have replaced a Brinkman SNP. Here are a few things that made me choose the CG.

I wanted an easy way to dump ashes during long smokes. The SFB on the CG has an ash drawer that slides on. Makes getting rid of hot ash quick & easy.

I also grill on my CG, so the cast iron cooking grates were a big plus.

Being able to use the main chamber charcoal tray as a heat baffle.

Having 4 separate grates in the MC is very handy with grilling indirect. I can take one grate out & build my fire on that end of the grill & still have 3/4 of the cooking space available.

 

[jirodriguez]

I have the Smokin Pro 800 from Char-griller, and have been very happy with it. But I don't know that the thickness of the metal is any thicker than Charbroil Silver.

Both require a few simple mods to turn them into realy good smokers, and both will use more fuel than say a ECB or UDS. But you can mitigate some of the fuel use with how well you seal up your smoker - making it more efficient. One thing I liked about the Char-griller over the Charbroil was that the entire top half of the Chargriller opens up where as the Charbroil has a framed door opening. This is both good and bad: Good in that you can easily access all parts of both the upper and lower rack easily, and can fit large 20+ turkeys with no problems. Bad in that when you open the entire top you lose any and all heat right away, and I have heard that the Charbroil door is easier to seal.

Both will turn out great Que, and both have a good folowing. For me I realy like my Char-griller and would have no qualms recomending one.

 

[ozark rt]

I have a CB Silver that I like ok. The metal is a little thinner than I would like and the wheels need to be replaced if you are going to move it around much. I've made all the mods but since it doesn't leak that much I haven't sealed anything on it. I can tell you that I use a 12"x12"x12" charcoal basket and, depending on the weather of course, I usually get about 5 hours out of before refilling. There's my 2 cents

 

[coyote-1]

The CharBroil is made of slightly thinner metal than the Chargriller. But I'm sure it will serve you very well anyway; once you get a basic rig, smoking really isn't about the tool but about the chef.

So if the CharBroil fits your wallet and your backyard, go for it! You won't be disappointed.

 

[howufiga]

My neighbor has a silver smoker and i have a chargriller smoking pro. The main chamber on the silver smoker is MUCH smaller than the chargriller. I don't believe you could stand up a beer can chicken in there, but i'd say that the silver smoker has a tighter seal and better heat control than the chargriller. The chargriller leaks like crazy! I've cooked on both the grills and I like the chargriller better and the cast iron grates are a plus when doing ribs! that's my 2 cents!