Customer Reviews for Char-Griller 1012 sq. in. Competition Pro Offset Charcoal Grill or Wood Smoker in Black

Purchased online. Had it assembled and delivered. Finally got a chance to look at the grill. Missing a few screws. Not pleased at all.

I have NEVER be so appalled at the condition of my Home Depot delivery! They were leaving and I caught one guy and asked about the damage- he said give us a call if it's badly damaged, and they drove off. Really?

Bout this grill a few weeks ago, seasoned the grill like an competition pitmaster would! Paint began chiping off on first use, continued to use and just keep seasoned so it wouldn't rust, first 18hr smoke an now the fire box is trash, grates deformed, door wonth function, grill has turned white what shouldn't have happened at 225 smoke, this is very sad! Was going to go for the XD but now glad I didn't waste the money definitely not even a home grill better yet a "competition " model

As you can see, the first time we used the barbecue, the paint peeled off. I hope it won't rust and make a hole. Otherwise, it seems sturdy.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Bought this for my son in law . We had some man time together smoking meat

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Had to retire my Acorn just before the Super Bowl. I had 3 slabs of baby backs and my neighbor bringing me a pork butt to smoke. This does an amazing job of holding temperature . It’s not my first that I’ve owned but , the most impressive

Absolutely love this grill/smoker. I already own a Masterbuilt electric smoker and have been an avid proponent of propane grills for ever….until now that is!! This has upped my grilling/smoking game 100%

Seasoned properly. Paint peeled off firebox within the first hour of the first cook. Poor paint quality.

It's hard to find a solid smoker. It is pretty heavy duty but Char-Griller really needs to make the hot box more solid and use appropriate paint. I'm hardly 3 hours in on my first use and it's already peeled, warped, and burning off.

This would be my 4th smoker from this company and probably the last , Paint bubbled off the fire box on first use , grate warped and wouldn't allow air to flow through and then had to fight to keep 225 smoking temp no easy way to empty ash like the drawer type smoker , paint chipping off the main barrel, no drain to empty grease from main barrel

THE GOOD: Steel wheels, heavy steel lid, large cooking area, metal shelves vs wood slats, "good" overall construction. THE BAD: 1- When reviewing online it appears that the entire BBQ grill is heavy steel construction just like the lid, but it is NOT. The body of the smoker/grill is in fact a lighter pressed metal, not cheap, but MUCH lighter material than the lid. 2- The actual grill material is VERY LIGHT duty expanded metal. I used a small pile of sticks to burn off the grease packing substance from the grill grids before my my first use and immediately saw they were intolerable to extreme heat generated by fire wood versus charcoal briquettes and warped. I can clearly foresee that the grill material will be require replacement sooner than later. A same better grill material is not used...

This has the potential to be a great smoker. Do your research and apply a few mods. Mine doesn't leak any heat and is very efficient after using hightemp RTV to seal it during assembly. For the cost, you're getting a heck of a deal even after the cost of the mods. I also added a heat shield from the fire box opening into the main barrel. View pics to see additional mods.

Awesome smoker, leaves great smoke ring but be prepared to monitor as all good cooks should do.

The end of the grill where it attaches to the smoker section was welded at the wrong position. The hole is setting kind of sideways instead of at the bottom. So when we attached the smoker section, it is not at the correct position. Will be calling the warranty number tomorrow.

It's a great smoker and seems very durable. Don't forget to season it before you cook in it. Not super impressed with the firebox door, not a good seal and the door hinges should be made more permanently (the door slides off if not careful) Would buy again

Rating provided by a verified purchaser

Paint chipped after first use

This is cheap junk and not worth the time or money. The body of the grill warps at 300° so bad, that you can't open the lid without it getting stuck and takes extra effort to pry it open. It also leaks everywhere, so it is impossible to maintain consistent heat. I'll stick with Weber.

We bought this brand of grill last week and this is the first day we use it. Within 10 minutes of use this is what happened to the bottom of this grill.

I spent 40 minutes setting it up. While setting it up I noticed that the hardware was junk, with a wrench it was stripping the bolts, so start using a screwdriver and it was still getting strip. I finally got it all put together seasoned it up and while it was seasoning the smoke box painted came right off. Smoke and heat were puring out everywhere. Definitely return.

This is my second Char-Griller unit. First one the body was out of round, as door had gaps. Returned it and go 2nd one. Same issue, just gap was not as bad as first one. Char-Griller sent our new doors/lids, and they are even worse than the set that came with. I decided to just eat the bullet, and use original doors. Too much of a hassle to deal with THD, and Char-griller to get it taken care of. Char-Griller's customer service, over all, is great to deal with and part of the star rating. I just have to keep a closer eye on my temps, and do a little more vent adjusting than needed. I see this as building character, and keeps me on alert. As people have stated, after about 5 uses, the firebox will burn off the powder coating, even at keeping the main cook chamber no higher than 275. I am not sure how long the charcoal grate will last, I see this might be needing replaced possibly for next year, or the year after, as mine is warped already. I tried to fit one of the OKJoes charcoal baskets in my side firebox, but it would not fit, way too tight. Overall, it does a good job at smoking, and does allow the smoke to flavor your food, and if this one is in your budget, with statement below, you will like it. If you are going to buy this, or any of the other thin metal, grills, smokers, go to the store, and get one off the floor, so you know what you are getting, and not a boxed one you have to put together. This is my biggest advise. Good luck and thank you for reading my review.

I am very happy with this smoker!! Already have 4 cooks on it and temp holds very well!!!! In short.... we’re going steady lol!!!

I watched numerous videos before purchasing. I determined which modifications were needed immediately and which could wait. I purchased Lavalock BBQ gasket, Lavalock Black Foodsafe High Temp Adhesive, and Lavalock BBQ Door clamps. My 1st Time Use - Seasoning the grill had absolutely no smoke leaks visible to me. Temperature held constant for two hours(although higher than expected). Leveled off to relatively equal left and right temps after an hour or so(still to high). Smoke was extremely clean(See Madscientist BBQ videos on maintaining clean fire.) Overall, once I learn a little more about temperature control I expect to cook a perfect brisket. I read reviews about rust after 1st cook. So far there are no signs of rust and I am extremely happy with my purchase. Tomorrow I will be cooking a chicken and I am very excited to see the outcome. BTW, I used 1 chimney of kingsford original, (5) chunks of hickory and 1 chimney of lump charcoal and those temps remained virtually constant through out.

Stay away from these grills. I bought the combination gas grill and charcoal with side burner and just after three years the back of the gas side entirely collapsed with rust. I have kept it covered and clean and this is the end result. I assume it was made of cheap steel. I live in Florida and too far from the water so I get it that salty air will take its toll, but three lousy years. If i can't stand up to the elements than it should not be sold in Florida.

Great great smoker!!! Just wish char Griller would make a charcoal box to hold charcoal and wood in the side fire box...No after market ones fit!!! That's the only problem!!!

I got this smoker/grill For my husband for his birthday in March along with the matching cover. He’s been able to make some amazing meals on this smoker!! Made his own sausage and smoked bacon and it was more than up to the task. We have always covered it when not in use and now three months later there are spots of paint flake in three spots l that we will have to cover With high heat paint or rust will form. Very poor finish!! That of course is not covered by warranty.

The functionality is perfect. I was able to grill 12lbs of chicken at a time. I also smoked 15lbs of potatoes to make smoked potato salad. Its very important to follow the seasoning steps. This will also give you an idea of how the heat temp behaves with functioning the vents. The only reason for giving it a 4 star is because of the paint job. I would have paid more money if the paint job was like the Weber grills. I have had my Weber Kettle grill for 13 years and the paint is better than on the cars these days.

So far the grill has been amazing! No issues and wasn’t too hard to put together

I decided to write a review because reviews are what drives my purchase decisions 90% of the time. I am 49 years old, a fireman by profession and an experienced grillsman but novice smoker. My family gave me this grill for Father’s Day 2020. I bought this grill because I did not want to spend 1K+ on a custom grill. We are a family of 6 and this grill after several smokes & grills has proven to be a great value. I wasn’t to crazy about the 3 individual grates as opposed to one solid. However, I have grown to appreciate this feature because if I need to put some more chips or coals on the grill, I don’t have to disrupt the other meat. I can just remove one section. I wish the firebox was a little larger, particularly the side door (difficult to add a wood split from the side) but this is not a deal-breaker for me. I do wish that Char-Griller would change the location of the thermometer. It would be an easy fix to place it at meat level either on the left or right instead of the top where heat rises. I noticed today that at the top left corner of my firebox, the paint has started to peel (still is not a deal-breaker). My last smoke, I noticed I put a little too much wood in the box which may have contributed to this. Overall I’ll will give this grill the highest rating because as a consumer grade product, already it has exceeded my expectations. I know with proper maintenance these grills have longevity. My Father bought several during his lifetime and got at least 10 years of good usage out of each one. I oil my firebox and other components subjected to high heat after every use. I just received my cover from Char-Griller to protect my investment. As you read reviews, be mindful that these are not custom grill-smokers. They are not designed for excessive heat but if you follow the manufactures recommendations, you will get good results! I am impressed with this grills performance for the price!!!

I decided to write a review because reviews are what drives my purchase decisions 90% of the time. I am 49 years old, a fireman by profession and an experienced grillsman but novice smoker. My family gave me this grill for Father's Day 2020. I bought this grill because I did not want to spend 1K+ on a custom grill. We are a family of 6 and this grill after several smokes & grills has proven to be a great value. I wasn't to crazy about the 3 individual grates as opposed to one solid. However, I have grown to appreciate this feature because if I need to put some more chips or coals on the grill, I don't have to disrupt the other meat. I can just remove one section. I wish the firebox was a little larger, particularly the side door (difficult to add a wood split from the side) but this is not a deal-breaker for me. I do wish that Char-Griller would change the location of the thermometer. It would be an easy fix to place it at meat level either on the left or right instead of the top where heat rises. I noticed today that at the top left corner of my firebox, the paint has started to peel (still is not a deal-breaker). My last smoke, I noticed I put a little too much wood in the box which may have contributed to this. Overall I'll will give this grill the highest rating because as a consumer grade product, already it has exceeded my expectations. I know with proper maintenance these grills have longevity. My Father bought several during his lifetime and got at least 10 years of good usage out of each one. I oil my firebox and other components subjected to high heat after every use. I just received my cover from Char-Griller to protect my investment. As you read reviews, be mindful that these are not custom grill-smokers. They are not designed for excessive heat but if you follow the manufactures recommendations, you will get good results! I am impressed with this grills performance for the price!!!