Klose 20″ x 42″ Grill Chef Review

The 20″ x 42″ Grill Chef is one of Klose Pit’s most popular residential cookers and WOW! What BBQ aficionado wouldn’t want this in their backyard? Klose is one of the most respected names in traditional, competition grade “stick burners”: offset smokers that burn logs in a side firebox, separate from the larger smoke box. Cheap Offset Smokers like the ones you get at hardware stores are a nightmare. The thin flimsy metal and rickety construction makes heat and smoke control an almost insurmountable task. But Klose Pits are handmade with heavy ¼” welded steel, superior design and tight construction. Grill Chef is a scaled down, backyard version of the big Klose smokers that competition BBQ teams have used for decades to bring home the gold. Once your stick burning chops begin to develop, you’ll be cranking out top shelf, traditional smoked delicacies like ribs, butts and brisket.

The main chamber has a removable secondary cooking rack for expanded capacity and the  20″ x 20″ firebox with a five level, adjustable height “meat rack” can double as a grill for searing steaks and burgers, or crisping chicken straight from the adjacent smoke box. An ash removal pan facilitates clean up.

That big hood is heavy so Klose adds a counterweight on the back for ease of movement. Dampers on the dual smoke stacks and firebox provide accurate air control, hence accurate temperature and smoke control, while the thick ¼” metal retains heat and keeps temps steady.

The massive weight is supported by four 8″ locking casters and a large storage shelf runs along the bottom.

Our posted MSRP is for the basic Grill Chef. Many options are available like the firebox gas burner and stainless steel front work table pictured above. And if you have a vision of a customized model, you’ll find a friend in Dave Klose. He loves wild, inventive ideas. He recently told me about plans for a fire truck smoker with a dance floor on top and beer taps running along the sides.