Char-Griller Smokin’ Pro Review
Published On: 3/11/2013 Last Modified: 6/15/2025
About the only good thing we can say about the Char-Griller Smokin’ Pro is the price is unbeatable. MSRP on this is way inflated. You can easily find these for substantially less. Many wide-eyed first time smokers, including me, thought it made sense to buy this tin can as a starter model to learn what BBQ smoking is about before moving up to a more expensive cooker. The problem with the Smokin’ Pro and many other cheap offset smokers is they are hard to use. And once you finally get a feel for them, it’s still tough to get good results consistently. You can really get turned off to smoking altogether by these crummy cookers.
A lot of people buy cheap smokers and either take what they get or spend time and money trying to make them into something they’re not: good smokers. The Smokin’ Pro does have a few features that some other offsets in this price range don’t: the charcoal hopper slides out for easily adding charcoal and wood or for cleaning, the adjustable charcoal grate in the smoker box lets you do some large capacity burger searing and you get two wooden shelves for work space.
Product Information:
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Model:Smokin' Pro
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Item Price :279.99
*Price Subject To Change -
Where to buy (buying from this supplier supports this website):
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Review Method:Cooked On It
We have hands-on experience testing this product. We have also gathered info from the manufacturer, owners and other reliable sources. -
Primary Function:Grill, Smoker
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Fuel:Charcoal, Logs
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Primary Capacity:Mid-Size (about 28 burgers) : 580 square inches
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Secondary Capacity:270 square inches
Manufacturer:
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Char-Griller
Char-Griller makes some of the cheapest cookers on the planet. Many of their models are round, horizontal charcoal grills and smokers. Budget conscious buyers often can’t pass up the Char-Griller price tag and many models are very popular. Unfortunately, novice cooks aspiring to slow smoke with wood are drawn to Char-Griller’s super cheap offset smokers. Offsets are already difficult to work with and Char-Griller’s tin can, drafty construction has been a source of consternation for generations of first time smokers. But in recent years they introduced an intermediate level offset smoker called Grand Champ which costs more than their cheapo offsets but is a viable starter smoker for aspiring stick burners. We also like their Grillin’ Pro gas grill and Akorn kamados which offer a lot of bang for very low bucks. Char-Griller is becoming a brand to watch.
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