The Bottom Line

In 2007 Char-Broil introduced their The Big Easy Oil-less Infrared Turkey Fryer and came up with something almost as unique as they think it is. The Electric Smoker & Roaster is their latest effort in this product line. While this electric version gains features like a smoker box and a meat temperature probe it also gains a lot in price. When first introduced the original cooker came in around $100USD. This version tips the scales at $250USD, taking away the best feature this product had. The Electric Big Easy is not a replacement for your backyard grill, but it is priced like one.

Pros

• Good temperature control with 15 preset temperature settings
• Safe Alternative to Deep Frying Turkey
• Wide temperature range
• Meat probe for accurate cooking

Cons

• Some foods require creative solutions
• Limited construction quality
• Smoking ability at low temperatures is limited

Description

• 1,500 watt electric heating element between two layers of steel
• 15 setting electric temperature control
• Temperature probe connects to the control panel to tell you food temperature
• Front mounted smoker box
• Rear mounted drip pan (takes disposable aluminum pans)
• Comes with two cooking baskets and two adjustable cooking racks
• 16-pound food capacity
• Made in China by Char-Broil

Guide Review - Char-Broil The Big Easy 2 in 1 Electric Smoker & Roaster

When asked to explain what Char-Broil's Big Easy cookers are, I have struggled for an explanation. Ultimately I decided to describe it as an infrared cooking bucket. In its original version it is a double layer metal bucket on legs with a gas burner between the layers that produces infrared heat in the center. Since then, Char-Broil has added a lid and made the unit larger. Now they had made an electric version of the same technology.

Since food is never exposed to the actual heat source, it really doesn't matter how the heat is produced. I have to admit that I was skeptical that a 1,500 Watt electric heating element would produce the same heat as an 18,000 BTU gas burner, but this little cooker heats up fairly quickly, reaching cooking temperatures in 15 to 20 minutes. This Big Easy can hold temperatures between 125 to 525 degrees F, has a smoker box in the front, and a meat probe so you can check the temperature without lifting the lid.

To operate all you need do is plug the cooker in, load food into the cooking basket, lower the basket inside, and select one of the 15 preset cooking temperatures. If you want to produce smoke you need to preheat the grill to its highest temperature, load wood chips (about a cup's worth) into the front smoker box. Once the unit is producing smoke, reset the temperature to your desired preset number and add the food. Smoke production is a weakness of this unit, but with virtually no air flow and an electrically heated smoker box you can not expect too much.

This is a Char-Broil and that means a certain awkwardness to how its is manufactured. Pieces don't line up quiet right and the handles that you have to put on are designed for a flat surface but mount to a round surface. However, there is very little assembly required so this isn't a big issue. You can take this out of the box and be ready to start seasoning the stainless steel (low grade) in minutes.

I have two issues this this cooker. First of all it started with a product designed to cook a turkey, and this one can still do that, holding a turkey of up to 16 pounds. Foods that are not turkey shaped, or small can require you to get pretty creative with how you fit them into the unit. On Char-Broil's customer forums I have seen people suspending roasts with long metal skewers and just generally coming up with some unique ways to get food cooked. This is something of a hobbyist cooker, but does have a big fan base to draw ideas from when you want to figure out how you are going to cook a rack of ribs.

The second issue I have with this is that it is simply too much. Great for cooking a turkey or a couple of chickens, Char-Broil has listened to the fans of this product who have figured out how to jury rig it to do so many more things, and have added and added to the idea. The original unit cost about $100USD when it hit the market and can still be found in that price range. This electric version has dropped at $250USD making it one of Char-Broil's more expensive products. This cooker, which won't grill a burger or a steak is simply not a replacement for a grill, but is priced like it is. If you don't have a traditional grill, this won't do many of the things you might want it to, and if you do have a traditional grill, do you want to spend this much on a product you might only use a few times a year.

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.

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Char-Broil has taken their Big Easy cooker to a whole new level with an electric version of their "oil-less turkey Fryer". Now labeled as a smoker and roaster, this infrared cooking bucket has a smoker box, 15 preset temperature settings, and a meat probe. Find out if this is the right outdoor cooker for you.

Read the review of the Char-Broil The Big Easy 2 in 1 Electric Smoker & Roaster

Image: Char-Broil LLC

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We have a new video that shows you how to put together and use a vertical water smoker. I get a lot of questions about how to use a water smoker and this video puts the information together in a quick and easy way, and best of all the video stars world famous BBQ pit maker David Klose.

Watch: How to Use a Water Smoker

Image: About.com

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This beer bottle makes from great barbecue. Imagine owning of of these and inviting guests over for your next barbecue.

Beer Bottle Custom Smoker manufactured by BBQpits by Klose, Houston TX.

David Klose, BBQPits by Klose, Houston TX.

David Klose built this custom smoker that looks like a giant beer bottle laying on it's side. Basically this is a standard horizontal smoker just designed and painted with its custom features. This is a true, traditional blending of beer and barbecue. Two great tastes that go great together.

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Custom Submarine Smoker made by a real Sub-mariner

Submarine Smoker

P.T. Moore

P.T. Moore made this ingenious smoker to look like a submarine. Notice the undermounted fire box. This keeps the heat flow efficient while putting the fire far enough from the cooking chamber to allow to good low and slow cooking.

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The other day a package arrived at the door. I opened it to find the new electric version of Char-Broil's Big Easy cooker. When the original propane version of this unit hit the market four years ago it was called an "oil-less turkey fryer". Since then fans of this infrared cooker have imagined so many more things it can do. Now, Char-Broil has introduced an electric version of the Big Easy which promises even more versatility with better temperature control.

This is basically an infrared metal bucket. Food is lowered inside where infrared heat cooks it. The promise is even heating and an easy and quick way to cook those foods that are more difficult on a standard grill, like whole chickens, turkeys, or roasts. In the next few days I will be putting it through its paces to see how it compares to the propane powered version and how it works as a backyard cooker. Check back to see if this is the better way to prepare your turkey this all.

Find out more at: Char-Broil

Photo: Char-Broil LLC.

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Take a look at this one. Built with steel plate, painted black, and propane powered, you would think this was just another grill or smoker. This smoker is surprisingly different. This is a high speed smoker that promises a full smoked brisket in 2 hours and a rack of barbecue ribs in as little as 35 minutes. What this is, in essence is a box inside a box with an airtight door. Between the two is a water chamber. A gas burner heats the water, in turn, heating the cooking chamber with radiant heat and a wood chunk box to produce smoke. The way the plumbing is arranged, as the water heats it draws away from the cooking chamber creating a vacuum, or at least low pressure zone. This expands the meat allowing seasonings and smoke to be absorbed quickly. With a cooking temperature much higher than a traditional smoker (around 350 degrees F.), the food cooks much faster.

The question is, what do you think? Can a low pressure, gas powered smoker produce the same quality of barbecue as the more traditional style?

Image: R & V Works

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Stan Johnson made this great smoker by putting a 55 gallon drum between the lid and the bottom of a Weber kettle grill.

Stan Johnson's Magnum Force Smoker.

Stan Johnson

This smoker was made from a standard Weber kettle charcoal grill and a 55 gallon drum. By using the kettle's excellent airflow and the increased space of the 55 gallon drum you make a smoker large enough to do some serious smoking and make some great barbecue.

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If you want barbecue or maybe to smoke some jerky, but don't want to spend the day stoking a fire, then a small electric smoker is probably the answer you are looking for. The Masterbuilt Smokehouse smoker has temperature control and an enclosed and insulated box that holds up to 30 pounds of food and can run for up to 24 hours. The problem with this smoker is that it isn't that simple because getting it to do exactly what you want is a little more of a challenge than it should be.

Image: MasterBuilt

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The Bottom Line

For more than 40 years Cookshack has been making some of the best electric smokers on the market. They make both residential units and commercial smokers for restaurants and businesses. These smokers give you great, authentic barbecue without a lot of work. If you tend towards the easier to operate smokers then this is a great unit. Basically a kitchen appliance this smoker burns standard wood chunks and gives you control over the temperature, smoke quantity and timing. This smoker features full electronic control with meat probe so you can monitor your barbecue without opening the door.

Pros

• Solid construction with 304 stainless where it counts
• Electronic control takes out the guess work
• Easy to clean
• Easy to use
• Efficient grease management system

Cons

• Traditionalists might make fun of you

Description

• 756 square inches of total cooking space
• 35 pound capacity
• 304 stainless steel top and interior. Other parts heavy duty black powder coated steel
• 750 watt electric heating element
• Electronic temperature controller with a meat probe
• Easy access smoker box that typically uses large chuck wood blocks
• Mounted on 3-inch casters make it relatively easy to move
• Large capacity, removable, external drip pan
• Cold smoking available with optional cold smoking baffle

Guide Review - Cookshack Super Smoker Essential SM045

Cookshack makes smokers for some of your favorite barbecue restaurants and this unit does what those larger, commercial units do, produces great barbecue without splitting logs or tending fire all day. Certainly many purists will tell you that it isn't real barbecue if it didn't come off a real fire, but no one will know the difference with this little smoker, after all the convenience of this unit is far greater than with most other kinds of smokers.

While not huge, this smoker is still large enough for most any backyard cookout (can handle around 35 pounds of meat) and gives you the versatility to smoke almost anything. With the addition of the optional cold smoke baffle you can even cold smoke in this unit, giving you the ability to smoke sausage, jerky, cheese or fish.

The electronic control and meat probe means you can put your brisket or whatever in the unit, insert the probe, set the controls and walk away. The timing control system will get your barbecue to your target temperature and then hold it until you are ready to eat. Of course you should be ready to get it out when it is ready but you don't have to worry.

The Smokette has a stainless steel interior and most parts are machine washable so you can easily keep this unit clean. Grease drains from the unit into an easily removable grease tray.

If you want great barbecue, but don't want to bother with wood or charcoal then this really is the perfect unit for you. While there are certainly less expensive units on the market, this one is built to last and Cookshack has one of the best reputations in the industry for service and support.

There are other companies making (or importing) similar smokers, but they lack the quality construction and functionality of this Cookshack smoker.

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