Char-Broil American Gourmet Offset Smoker: Review

Review of the Char-Broil American Gourmet Offset Smoker

The Char-Broil American Gourmet Offset Smoker had 1,230 customer comments and 153 answered questions on Amazon as of this writing.  I’ve read through the feedback and then condensed the results into this review.  I hope that this helps you when shopping for a smoker.

Best Fea​tures

• check ​Easy to move​
• check ​Clean out door for easy ash removal​
• check Adjustable height steel fire grade
• check Great price
• check Can be used for both grilling and smoking 

Easy to Move

Some smokers are big, bulky and not easily moved unless on large wheels. This smoker is very easy to move since it is small and light.  The compact nature of this smoker is good for anyone who doesn’t want to keep it out in one place at all times.  This comment from a customer gives some more specifics on the size, “This unit is only 4 ft wide and very light.  With the handle and wheels, you can move it easily with 1 hand.”

Needs to Be Monitored While Smoking

One topic that kept resurfacing was that this smoker needs monitored in order for the meat to turn out well.  I’ll share one of many similar comments about monitoring it here – “Functional smoker, but it requires a LOT of babysitting. Definitely not set it and forget it… I bought this as an introductory smoker to try my hand at barbecue.  The end result has been pretty good, but have found myself adjusting settings, adding wood or otherwise messing with this thing every 15-30 minutes for the entire cooking process (an all day commitment).”

Ease of Assembly

There were mixed reviews about how easy this smoker/grill was to assemble.  Some had issues with everything fitting together flush enough.  I’ll share one assembly comment here, “First of all, this had easy to follow instructions and all of its parts but unfortunately I had the luck to get the one that was made by the b team. Holes didn’t match up, even remotely close, on the smoker so I had to fix it myself. The lid to the grill is bent and doesn’t sit very flush, so smoke freely pours from this thing in every possible gap. The fiber washers were 3/4, one was broken and the nuts weren’t all threaded.”

Item Specifics

The Char-Broil American Gourmet Offset Smoker is a combination of a smoker, BBQ and Charcoal Grill.  It has a 290 square inch cooking surface in the main chamber with 140 square inches of cooking surface in the firebox chamber.  This grill/smoker combo has an adjustable height steel fire grade.  It is also features a clean-out door for easy ash removal with an adjustable built-in damper.

Better for Smoking Than Grilling

Pretty much the consensus is that this is a better smoker than grill.  Some shared that they did not feel it was good for grilling at all, only smoking.  Others felt that it was ok for grilling but was mainly built for smoking.  Most agreed that this was a nice little smoker that could handle grilling too.

Great Price

This is not a high end smoker, but more of an entry level smoker for the beginner or someone who doesn’t want to spend a lot on a smoker. If you are just starting out with smoking or don’t want to spend a great deal, the Char-Broil American Gourmet Offset Smoker may just fit your needs perfectly.  Here is what one customer shared about the price, “We’ve smoke ribs, bbq’d some steaks, hot dogs, and burgers.  The food comes out tasting delicious! I highly recommend this grill to those who are on a budget.  I’ve always been a fan of Char-Broil, and I will continue to be one.”

Pros

• plus Lightweight
• plus Great price
• plus Grill and smoker combo

Cons

• close Not of high quality 
• close Not the best for grilling. More of a smoker 
• close Assembly tricky with getting lid flush 

Char-Broil American Gourmet Offset Smoker Conclusion

The Char-Broil American Gourmet Offset Smoker is an inexpensive grill/smoker combo that is mainly for smoking.  Many described it as an entry level smoker.  It is lightweight and also easy to move.  Some had a hard time getting all of the pieces to fit together properly during assembly.  If you are looking for a low priced grill/smoker combo, the Char-Broil American Gourmet Offset Smoker may fill your needs perfectly.

Common Questions

Here are some top questions that I found for people considering buying a Char-Broil American Gourmet Offset Smoker. 

• chevron-circle-right Does it have a temp gauge?  Yes it has a chamber temp gauge that tells you how hot the fire is but you still need a meat thermometer to monitor the meat’s doneness.
• chevron-circle-right Is the grill height or charcoal height adjustable? If so, how is it adjusted?  Unfortunately, no it is not adjustable. It’s a fixed rack and for the charcoal it’s fixed on the bottom of the barrel.
• chevron-circle-right Can you place charcoal in the main grill area without problems or is it only safe to use in the firebox area? I was hoping to use it as a grill/smoke.  Yes you can but it is harder to clean up after you are done cooking.  You must keep the areas where you have charcoal that’s been burned clean and dry, to prevent rusting.

Related Article: Best Charcoal Grill: (Our Top 10 Picks and Overall Favorite)