Charbroil® The Big Easy® TRU-Infrared™ 3-in-1 Smoker, Roaster & Gas Grill, Black - 14101550

This is our 2nd Big Easy SRG that we have bought.I purchased the 1st thirteen, maybe fourteen years ago, and it is still going strong. It did start getting rusty over the years, but It does remain outdoors and uncovered all year. This was a very easy fix as it is a very well built cooker. I simply took a wire wheel attached to a drill to the rusty areas and than painted with a high temp paint. After a few years now, it is still going strong. Early on I did keep it covered when not being used, but laziness and weather have done their part to keep me from that. However, I expect this unit to last a lifetime.Take your time on assembly, and follow the directions carefully, and do not forget to hook up the ignitor wire. I would also recommend doing this by hand and keep power tools away so you do not strip out any screws. One of two flaws with the unit itself is #1 with the drip tray. It doesn't fit as well as it should, but does get the job done. Seems as though it was built by another manufacturer than that of the main unit.#2 is with the smoker box. It doesn't function/operate as smoothly as it should, but if you are careful with it and take your time to understand how it is secured on the unit, you can use it. I do wish it was a little larger, but have gotten use to this and accept it for what it is, and it works well. I have used mine on and off since the original purchase, and it does function well as a smoker if you let it and work with it. Temperature wise it doesn't want to go low enough for that of a true smoker. To get it at the lower temps you just need to practice and adjust your temperature setting by rotating your temp. control knob past the high setting as if to shut it off. Between the highest setting and the off position, you are able to get a low flame that will give you those lower temperatures. It produces some of the best smoked meats if you let it!!I have used the SRG for everything, and if you watch a video or two of the unit on YouTube from HSN you will get a good overview of the cooker. It does everything amazing, grilling, smoking, roasting, and yes even baking.What I really like to use this for is as a substitute for the oven. It takes all the heat outdoors.I think this does everything extremely well, particularly with the roasting. The amount of food this unit holds is far more than we have ever needed. I do wish at times that the grilling surface was larger, but have learned to work with this. I think the size is perfect for two if you are grilling the whole meal and can be used comfortably for up to four people easily if just doing a single item.On windy days I like to wrap the bottom of the unit from the ground to the top of the legs to keep the wind from blowing out the flame. If I am smoking something I always do this as the flame is so low and if windy the wind will extinguish the flame.As I said this is our second one. We recently purchased a small vacation property and will have one there as well as our home.

This is the smoker you wanna buy if you’re short on time. It cooks fast and thoroughly smoker portion works really well and I have used it on multiple cooks. It does cook a little fast but if you open the top, it definitely helps prolong the cook. It’s easy to clean and doesn’t it take up much space on my deck. I’ve cooked multiple pieces of meat and they’ve all come out very well. I smoked a turkey for Thanksgiving and everybody loved it. I’ve also grilled steaks and chicken wings and they came out delicious. I wish I would’ve bought this a long time ago. The price is definitely worth the value. The wood chamber wood chips or pellets. It was easy to assemble and easy to clean. All you need to do is put it on low and let it cook. If it cooks a little fast just open the top. I recently cooked a brisket not knowing what I’m doing and it came out delicious if you’re not a traditional smoker definitely buy this.

When you receive this unit you'll need to put it together. It's not difficult, but you should be careful - some of the metal edges are sharp, and will give you a nasty cut if you don't pay attention. I'm thinking specifically of the frame on the inside of the unit that holds the wood chip container in place. My unit was missing the two screws (one each at top and bottom) that hold that frame in place. Without those screws, it is IMPOSSIBLE to remove the wood chip container when the unit is heated. All said, the unit would benefit from sturdier legs and a bit better quality in the factory-assembly.The unit itself is lightweight, painted metal, so be sure to keep it under cover when not in use, or purchase the fitted cover for the unit. The light weight is nice when you have to move the unit around, but it won't take much abuse to bend a leg or dent the side.I purchased this unit to cook a turkey - I like that it'll handle up to a 25-pound bird. I first cooked a chicken to see how it'd work. I made the mistake of using a rub that had sugar in it, and it really blacked the skin. Surprisingly, it turned out to be just a cosmetic issue - the skin was crispy and didn't taste burned, while the meat throughout the bird was moist and tender. I tried using the meat thermometer that came with the unit, but wasn't much impressed with it. I compared it with a digital meat thermometer, and found the mechanical one that comes with the smoker was always 10-20 degrees different than the digitalI next tried pork tenderloin, using just salt and pepper. I used some Pecan wood chips (after wrestling with the smoker box a bit), cooked them on the grill, and the result was fantastic! Again, the meat was very moist, with those beautiful grill marks and a fantastic smokey flavor.Overall, it's a great unit for cooking, but suffers a little from quality issues both in material and construction. quality. Would I recommend it to you? As a method for cooking, I highly recommend it (5 stars). Based on my experiences with the missing screws, the sharp edges, and the lightweight materials, not so much (3 stars). With the proper amount of maintenance, realistic expectations, I think you'll derive a great deal of enjoyment from this cooker/smoker, even if you're not a "Grillmeister".Hope this is helpful to you!8 July, 2017 UpdateI just finished grilling two large packs of chicken thighs in the Big Easy. They, like everything else I've ever cooked in this smoker, came out superbly. After hours and hours and hours of cooking everything from fish to turkey to fruit, this smoker has never once turned out a badly cooked piece of meat. Well....once, but that was my fault.The main reason I've come to love this smoker is there is never any way for flames to come in contact with the grease coming from your meats. Thus, you'll never have to fuss with putting out flare-ups. The manufacturer sent me screws for that troublesome wood-chip container, and it's worked beautifully ever since. Mind you - after hundreds of hours cooking, the smoker is showing signs of heavy use - the inner can is heavily blackened now, and the cage and grill top are showing their age, but everything still works like it did when brand new. I mostly turn the flame down to near its lowest setting and just close the lid up. I've got a wireless thermometer that lets me keep track of internal temperatures so I'm not constantly going to check for doneness. I also found little foil pans at my local grocer that fit nicely into the grease trap at the bottom - that really help with the cleanup afterwards.Cleaning the grill top can be a challenge. I've gotten a little lazy with that, and now just put the basket and grill top into my range and turn on the self-clean feature. Clean them off as much as you can first, otherwise it can get pretty smoky in the kitchen. Make sure you can vent the smoke out of the house! I've been hearing lately how wrapping food in direct contact with foil is now bad for you. To get around that, we first wrap things like fish or Hobo meals in parchment, then wrap with foil.When this smoker finally smokes its last, I'll replace it with another Big Easy in a heartbeat. I have to admit I've gotten used to all the compliments from family and friends over the grilled foods.