Masterbuilt Charcoal Gravity Smokers l Long time reviews?

I don't have one(yet) but am looking to get one the next time it goes on sale. It can be bought for under 400 at WalMart but you have to check brickseek periodically for it. My friend purchased his for 350ish and has had zero complaints so far.



Double checked with him and the last time it was on the sale the 1050 cost 500 and the 560 was 300.

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Double checked with him and the last time it was on the sale the 1050 cost 500 and the 560 was 300.

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shite i'd buy the 1050 for 500 for sure

I've had my 560 since March, love the thing. However, the fan went out 3 weeks ago and they are backordered through Masterbuilt.

It's a great grill though, I only smoke on it and the flavor is fantastic.

The Akorn is awesome but it does rust fairly quickly in South LA weather or next to a salt water pool (or in my case, both). If you can cover it and bring it in a garage after each use, it will last you 5 or more years down here though.

No issues with mine since May bar a tiny one. About two weeks ago, I hadn't used it in a month or so, and 3 of the temp probes were reading temp when no prob was actually inserted. The one that had one was accurate though. After that cook, it cleared up and started working as normal.

I bought a 1050 for Father's day this year. Since July 6th, I have cooked on it +20 times & so far the only "problem" I encountered is a leaky drip tray which was an easy fix.

I did melt my fan trying to test the upper limits of the Fahrenheit scale, but it was completely my fault. They still replaced it, no questioned asked except for requesting a photo. Took two weeks from start to finish to receive new fan kit.

I don't use the app on a regular basis but, on occasion when I used it, the biggest complaint is that it regularly disconnects from WiFi when my phone times out.

I cooked burgers a couple of times. I'm not a fan of the large 'M' in the middle of each grate as they reduce the cooking surface where you are able to achieve those nice grill marks.

Another observation,tThe grate that holds the charcoal above the ash pan as it burns is not of the best design. It allows large pieces of unburned charcoal to fall through. This was about #2, out of #16, of unspent charcoal that fell through. This video shows a straight forward solution to fix that issue: YouTube

For smoke, I just add a couple of chunks of wood directly to the ash pan at the beginning of the cook. They get hot enough to smolder & eventually charcoal embers fall through to ensure they do their job.

One of the common issues is that the firebox deteriorates after repeated use. Masterbuilt claims this is by design. This website LINK has a few aftermarket items you can purchase to enhance your MBGS. The stainless steel firebox insert is probably the most useful of these items.

Overall I am very happy with the product that is produced by the MBGS. Going from electric smokers to this has been one giant leap forward. Would recommend 8/10.

Got my 560 in May. Maybe 25-30 cooks on it, smoking, grilling, roasting. I am happy with it and no major issues. On two occasions the fan wouldn't fire up once I had charcoal lit and closed door. Both times just required a reset by unplugging/replugging. Cooking performance is phenomenal and easy as can be. I love the big temp range (which is why I went with MB over pellet grill).

I don't have a problem with the things that other people are modding. I don't care if fire box burns out, as MB says it's made to do so. Some coals falling through is nbd to me - i just toss big chunks back in the chamber for next cook, never more than a couple. I do use a sheet of foil around lid to keep soot buildup at bay. Otherwise thing works great for me and I recommend it. Not quite as quick and easy as a gasser, but food is much more flavorful.

Check out Tom Horsman on YouTube, he has several videos on them. A couple mod videos and reviews

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I have done several cooks of steaks with 700 degrees.

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for some reason i've always stopped at 650 but its definitely touched 700 with no problem.

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I bypassed the switch under the lid of the fuel shoot & the cook chamber.

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Well that seems like it would do it