Ive had my XT now for 4 months coming from a komado joe. To me the food taste is virtually the same with so much more ease of use and much larger cooking area. The app is great and the build quality is amazing. Temp control is very easy. Its a 10 out of 10 for me.
@@RaNDoM_MAI a Kamado will use way less fuel. But my offset or even worse Santa Maria will make even this grill feel like a Toyota Prius for mpg. Will keep an eye on it with some longer cooks
Hey James, how about a 3 way competition, your best pellet grill (Woodwind Pro?), a comparably priced offset ( Oklahoma Joe) and Masterbuilt XT. And brisket all the way as it is the Cadillac of BBQ!
@@SmokingDadBBQ I like this idea all though the Oklahoma Joe offset needs to go an compare it something like a brosso or offset in the 1200 - 1600 range seems more fair to me. Either way I will be watching.
I'd like to see this to. The other question I'd have for this grill is if you take a larger split and and surround it with charcoal would it still turn the wood to charcoal?
I agree, but bring people to taste it. I have an offset, KJoe, and master built pellet. Cook a lot for my church events and others events. In those cases I usually have all 3 going. Brisket is always on the offset, but pork, ribs, chicken etc I use them on all. What I find, most people prefer the pellet. My opinion why, most people are not that big on the smoke level of the other smokers. Now if I served it to fellow smokers the offset will win every time. So for me cooking for a range of people all 3 have been important. As for my cooking. I was injured in an accident and could not do the events for a year. We had a catering bbq company that is popular. Most preferred my because of the smoke level. As someone who uses smokers a lot. My opinion there were dead wrong, the catering was much better than mine. Just think most are not into stronger smoke flavor. Yeah, I know
Thanks you For your integrity! You are one of the few RUclipsrs that actually have a discloser regarding your videos, your relationship with sponsors, and that no one reviews what you say! Subscribed.
I have had my XT for about a month now, and man am I satisfied. I have done smoked flank steak (for fajitas), chicken breast, and most recently smoked pork tenderloin. The grill actually goes all the way down to 150°. The smoke flavor permeates the meat so much better than my previous pellet smoker (Oaklahoma Joe Rider DLX). I think you should change it up and do some smoked wild caught Sockeye (Red) salmon for your competition/comparison smoke
James, thank you for all your reviews on different grills, accessories and tools. You save me a ton of money (on equipment and meat) and I always learn a lot. Your videos and passion for BBQ’ing has really uped my game and I and my family and guest thank you for all you do. Cheers!
I stopped the video just before he got into the Masterbuilt. I owned two of the 560s. I absolutely loved them beyond what I can say! But they both broke down. And I can’t see jumping into anything else from these guys till they prove themselves! The concept is big time amazing!! I cooked some of my best food on those grills! The app is great, the looks were great! The cooks were great! But they both broke down and or had cpu problems back to back. I’m hoping to buy one of these eventually! But, they gotta prove they are durable and can run for at least a few years!
Yeah the safety switches were problematic, that's why I and many others have bypassed them. They sell a kit on Etsy that basically gives you a manual switch if you need to disable the fan to add charcoal. Mines been rock solid ever since
Thanks very much for the review, and comparisons to the previous model. I currently own a Traeger and Masterbuilt. You were bang on with the smoke flavour comments. Masterbuilt takes the win for sure. Great video! Keep up the good work.
I switched to a Masterbuilt Gravity smoker this year after using a pellet smoker for a couple years. My wife and I both agree the ribs and briskets I've done since switching are significantly better. Those are the 2 BBQ proteins we do most often, but I also smoked our turkey for thanksgiving last month and it came out incredible as well. So far I'm extremely happy with it and don't imagine I'll be switching to anything else. Need to do some pork shoulders and other meats too, but I'm confident they'll all have better flavor than I ever got from pellets.
@tangoreal9098 I'd say a bit more. But how fast it burns also depends on the charcoal you use. There are some meant to burn low and slow, so finding one of those that you like is important.
I have a 1st gen masterchef. Loved it until after 6 months of blissful use the electronics died. I tried a new control panel, no worky, new door switches, still no worky. Tried reaching out to masterchef with no responses. It is sitting on my deck taking up space but my wife gave it to me as a Christmas gift and I truthfully really liked it. Happy to hear feedback if anyone else has had this issue and found a fix.😊
Great initial video on the XT. As someone who’s family prefers light to moderate smoke, pellet grills have served me well but I do include extra smoke tube with combination of pecan pellets and wood chips as well as a water pan. I do prefer the fill the hopper and leave it alone feature for long overnight cooks. So with that, I would ask that you try a large brisket right off the bat - a relatively short cook will not adequately demo the capability of this very interesting gravity smoker. Im curious as to how often you have to feed the beast during a long cook and how much control you have over level of smoke. Second cook should be chicken to see about moisture and tenderness - both whole chicken and chicken breasts. Pork is easy so that can be last. Thanks again
I loved my masterbuilt gravity fed. However, only lasted about 1 1/2. Sensors started to malfunction, which kills your cooking heat. Also had really bad rust issues. So much rust it became none usable. Yes I covered and oiled and uncovered. It’s in a landfill somewhere now.
@@Unknowninyourworld Similar experience on my end. It wasn’t going to last so I sold my 1050 after a season. Great taste but a pain to use and not built to last.
I have an outdoor kitchen with 8 different smokers, grills and griddles. Masterbuilt gravity feed and y other pellet smoker both have electronic and controller issues. I have never had a problem smoking with my offset or my Weber smoky mountain or my Weber kettle. I can control my temp just as good. It just takes experience and I don’t have to worry about all the electronics
Plenty of people own multiple smokers, I have 4. I'd have more if I had the space. If you get them second hand you could have 4 for the price of 1 new one, like me.
Love the concept of using charcoal over pellets. The previous version did seem cheap to me. This one looks a lot better. I also like that it can dip down as low as 180°. Would love to see a brisket cook and better understand how the heat and air roll through the cook chamber. Thanks for the great content!
Absolutely love mine. I was an still a pellet grill fan a believe every man and woman should own one over propane. This grill is more work than a pellet so you must really be an avid smoker to upgrade to this lump style over pellets. But I know I've a Yoder 640 commercial pellet and both the large and smaller Masterbuilt 1050 and 800.
As someone who owns both an 800 and a 1050, this was a great video for me. I wanted the XT to be a lot bigger,hssc pconsidering the price, but the idea it is more effective spacing is a plus.
Super excited for your brisket cook!! I’m so glad they made a more durable version of the original. I was close to buying a 1050 at one point but held back because of that.
First off.. thank you.. I've applied all ur theories like double indirect and airflow across all my cookers with GR8 results.. I have a chargriller Gravity 980 unlike the masterbuilt is cylindrical in design.. the breadbox designs seem to release more the smoak and make less creosote flavor so I welded up a collector with stack inplace of the small flared luver that was bolt on and basically made it into a stick burner.. I almost sold this cooker at first but decided to turn it around.. now I have a modified stick burner that I created and the flavor of meat that comes off it is amazing.. my wife noticed right away.. but it came with ur theories and guidance of airflow and double indirect so now I've got a GR8 cooker.. thank you for all you do and contribute to the cooking community.
Good question! I guess I'm not entirely sure. It looks like maybe when you initially go to make a comment there is a photo button you can click to add pictures. Or if you are typing a message and click out of it on mobile there is a photo button to add pictures
Hold up. 8:02 How does this work without burning up all the charcoal vertically like a typical charcoal chimney that many people use to get their grills going?
@@AV8R_1 I think the seal at the top limits oxygen, and oxygen is only added in the burn zone. If you leave the lid open for long periods of time, I can see that being a problem for sure. But the smoke will rise and oxygen will be limited.
Never stop making videos 😂 Great intro to this smoker/grill. Been looking at the Old Country Gravity Fed Smoker but it’s around $1,600 with no built in electronics but this update version of the Masterbuilt might be a better entry point. I say the first cook should be ribs but do the old faithful biscuit test before you put the ribs on to see the hot spots.
That's actually the argument I'd have to get the Old Country over the electronic gravity feds. Electronics fail, and the more you have,the higher chance of them failing. Look at today's vehicles. Once you have a non-electric gravity feds dialed in on the temp, it's just as set it and forget it as the electric smokers. I've seen some Old Country gravity feds online for as low as $1300-1400, btw. Full disclosure, I am a fan of the Chargriller and MB gravity smokers, but read too many headache stories of having to troubleshoot this and that electric malfunctions. I do enough of that sort of thing at work and my smoking time is my relaxing time.
I've had a Master built gravity 800 for about 5 years and it's hands down the best grill/smoker I've ever owned. Every single piece of meat that comes off that thing is the best thing you've ever tasted, it's like magic This XT is exciting because it looks to fix literally every complaint I've heard with mine, hopefully they beefed up those safety switches though.
Brisket!!! I have a gravity 1050. Love it. I can't figure out how to cook a brisket. Fat side up or down? Who knows, because the heat comes from the bottom. And tests at the top? IDK. Look forward to the series. All the haters talking about a commercial, go away.
You do a great job with your reviews, and I look forward to seeing them on the Masterbuilt XT. The increased temperature range is a bonus, though 180 may be too high for a long brisket hold. I appreciate your honesty on the inherent drawbacks of pellet grills, the greatest of which are insufficient smoke and fuel that is too dry to rival offset flavor. But despite their limitations, the convenience of pellet grills still makes them a rational choice for many consumers.
@@SmokingDadBBQ I remember you brought the original 1050 to 150 for a hold and it's not supposed to support lower than 180 as well. Plus the upper shelves on my 900 stays ~25F lower than the set temp. Can you try a brisket hold at 150 to 155?
Yes!! Been anxiously awaiting this! I've had my XT for a few months now and I'm loving it. Looking forward to your cooks and your ideas for best smoke methods. As for questions about it surviving a Canadian winter - I understand it's the same controller that's in the Spider Grills Venom which I've been using and in love with for a couple years now, and it has remained (covered) outdoors.
I'm excited to see some cooks on this new beast to see how it can compare! I would love to see a head to head with the XT vs the Kamado Joe vs the pellet grill!
James… this review was just fine! I appreciated it. Especially from someone who is such a Kamado pro. Part of being a good reviewer is being able to step out of your zone to take a look at something of interest. Please carry on and disregard complaints. I know you have to “adjust” to your viewers but bottom line… this was a great informative video
I love my MB 1050, I had no problems with my 22” and 26” Weber Kettles, but the 1050 gets me the same results without all of the labor. I haven’t used my kettles in about a year now.
I just did a 13 lb rib roast, making it like i would a brisket. Cooked at 250 and held it for 1.5 hours. Best I've ever had and the whole family loved it.
I can't wait to see what this thing can do. I was waiting for an update based on original comments about the 1050 being cheaply made and the fans going out on some people. I had settled on getting a camp chef pellet smoker, but I may be back on the masterbuilt train if this goes well. A brisket cook would be the best real test. You need a long cook to understand how it would perform against the competition. I still don't understand why they route the airflow like a pellet cooker when they could take over the market if they got the offset airflow right.
I have 2 Masterbuilts, a 560 and 800. Great smokers/grills. I also have a Lone star Grillz Pellet smoker (48). Hands down the best pellet smoker I have ever owned. Blue smoke up to 350ºF easy. I have had just about every pellet smoker out there in my quest for the best one and so far LSG's pellet grill is by far the best.
LSG by far. Gets used at least once a week sometimes 2-3 times. I also have a pit barrel smoker, big green egg large and an ole hickory CTO. I like the convenience, smoke I get but also the Fireboard controller as it works very well. I also have a Camp Chef Woodwind pro.
This may be because my Traeger Timberline 1300 has a gasket, but the chicken breasts I cook on this grill have more moisture than when I grill them on my Weber 22" kettle. In both situations, I simply put dry rub on the chicken breast and cook unwrapped. I'm sure if I took steps to wrap the chicken breasts in foil, add butter, etc the results may be different, but I'm happy with the moisture content of the foods coming off the Traeger.
I've had my 900. (The Costco version) Since the fall. I went with a friend and he told me to buy the master built because of the superior smoke flavor you get with charcoal. It has been a dream to work with and this was my first ever smoker. This is a slept on corner of the market as Yoder has dominated with marketing.
Great video! Can't wait for your first cook on the XT. Brisket gets my vote! What better way to put it through its paces to see how it does with a long cook, temperatures maintained, fuel longevity, etc. Keep us posted and keep up the great content and videos!
Thanks for all you do James. Would love to see a head-to-head of this or another MasterBuilt Gravity Series versus the Konnected Joe (preferably with both using all wood fires) to get the ultimate showdown between automated smokers!
I keep a Pellet burner for convenience, its still the best tool for busy Mon-Fri family dinners. Also fuel cost seems to be the lowest, very hard to beat.
Yep. People can sh*t on them all they want but the tradeoff of convenience and output works. The reality is while it’s cool to talk about smoke flavor, a lot of folks really don’t like excessive smoke flavor, except the hard core bbq addicts.
I find myself having to "work on" my 1050 constantly. I've upgraded and replaced so many things on it, I sort of dread starting it up. Using the cast iron flat top is a pain too. I'm considering the Weber 36" slate now. You video has me convinced this might be the follow up to the Slate. GREAT VIDEO!
Hey James, I've had a 1050 for few years now and found bridging in the hopper to be a real issue. The XT looks like the ceramic tiles are an afterthought and should be recessed, I'd be interested in tests on the bridging issue. Sorry if this has already been addressed in previous comments. Love your channel. Keep up the great work.
I grew tired of tending fires as well. I have been doing smoking and BBQ for many decades. I switched to a gravity feed (not the one you have) mainly because I can use wood and charcoal. It is great. I can actually do other things and still have a great result.
Great video. Not that it matters because i tend to agree that pellets are weak on flavor. However, in case you werent aware.... those moisture meters work by measuring conductivity through a substance. In other words... both probes of the meter needs to be in contact with the same piece of material. You will never get a measurement with each probe being on separate pellets. Just fyi... curious to onow what ot actually is percentage wise now.
I can't wait! Your videos featuring using would chunks with the previous Gravity models were closer to convincing me to buying one. The only thing that's done to me is the Master Built build quality. In this video, you seem to suggest that the build quality and materials are improved for this version!
It’s better but let’s give it some reps and see. The assembly is still a lot of steps and there are still things that I think could align better but I am confident the durability will be improved
@@SmokingDadBBQwould love to get your thoughts on XT vs autoignite once you have had a few cooks on it. The autoignite is more likely to be in my price range but if XT can get close to offset quality with greater ease of use might be worth saving up.
I've loved my Recteq 340. Had it 4 years with only 1 real problem. I should've gone bigger! These gravity feed smokers definitely have me intrigued for when I upgrade to something larger
I’d love to see a head to head using this and the KJ and a look at the final product and what was needed for each “grill” to make it happen! Thank you as always
I’m hoping the XT is all that it appears to be. I’m done with pellet grills, and not wanting to mess with a stick burner. Looking forward to see how it cooks.
@@SmokingDadBBQ I don't find myself doing briskets too often, there isn't much of a selection here where I live..Thanksgiving is coming up man, how about a turkey instead? I do more turkeys, ribs, chicken, and burgers in my pellet than anything else... I actually do ribs on a PBC.. but I have had my eye on the gravity for a long while, I just heard too many bad stories.. this just might be the one.. I really want to see it in action...hopefully you can do a full size turkey.....I would love to see how it does..
I love my Grilla Grills Mammoth Vertical Pellet Smoker. There is plenty of smoke flavor. All grills and smokers have their pros and cons. That's why it takes practice to get the best result from them.
Can't say it's ever gonna replace my Lone Star grill pellet smoker. Absolutely fantastic smoke . Get easy searing temps "basically flame seared" pretty much th best controller out there. So over built and heavy duty, it's nuts. But it's another option which is great. More competition the better it is for everyone.
Brisket is the golden standard, soooo. Also, you changed me from a pellet grill (I still use it for whole chickens when time is an issue) to a Kamado Joe Kettle Grill that I have found somewhat disappointing, so most recently, I acquired a Kamado Joe Big Joe-II I got for a song (still learning how to use it). So far, I find it far superior over both the pellet and Kettle Joe grills. Thanks for all the great content!
i would pick the kj3 in that company too... the kettle had potential but didn't deliver on the value / quality prop as well in real life as it did on paper
Thanks for the video. I purchased an older model and returned it. I had problems with the blue tooth and I found it to be difficult and tedious to clean. Customer service is horrible. I tried to purchase additional items and accessories and it was such a bad experience I returned everything. It is owned by very large company. The cooking Experience and food was very good. I hope they fixed the problems I experienced.
Hi James, perhaps you haven't tried the Broil King Regal 500 Pellet grill/smoker. It easily achieves 600F for grilling plus does a great job at smoking. For the odd time I do want a lot more smoke, I place a cold smoke generator in one of the probe ports. I grew up using a weber kettle and have never owned a gas grill. Pellet grill automation has been a game changer.
So glad you are using this grill I have been keeping my eye on it ever since I saw it on The Gallery Backyard BBQ. Would really like to see how it does on high heat items, maybe smash burgers on a griddle? Pizza?
I would love to hear how a brisket cook comes out and if you can hold it at a low temp for the rest. I don’t think I would ever abandon my BGE but I see the XT as a possible great addition to my cooking arsenal
I have the MB900 and love it. I baby mine and have the cookbox mods so it is holding up great. Would love to see you cook a brisket on this. Make sure to add a chunk of wood to the firebox. I have a little mesh stand in my firebox to elevate the wood so it catches fire quicker and more consistantly. Much better smoke flavor than a WSM and pellet smoker I have tried.
I have a gravity smoker but the Char-Griller version. Had it for a few years and it really makes my BBQ better than when I used a regular offset. It really is a gamechanger. I suggest the Char-Griller version or Masterbuilt. Eben though I don't have the Masterbuilt I seen the reviews which is good also.
I’ve had an 800 for the last 4 years and it’s been great. I am a little worried about the electronics being located on the hopper. Curious to see how things go.
Pellets can give great smoke flavor if you keep the temp low -- tiny wood, tiny fire. You don't get the wonderful charcoal notes ("fat smoke"), cook times are longer (hands-off), and seasonal degreasing is pretty unpleasant... but they're an unbeatable "bang for buck" weeknight option for up-front and consumables cost.
I'll just say that I've had great success with a Yoder YS640 and Lumberjack pellets. Great smoke flavor, holds a wide range of temps very well. It is also able to hit those high temps 600+ for a quick sear or using the pizza oven attachment.
Looking forward to the first cook, whatever it is. And as always, my big concern is the ability of the electronics to survive a Canadian winter with nothing but a nylon cover for protection. Thank you for all of your hard work in making these videos!
i think some people are going to make a offset style manual version this concept... i would for longevity and personal preference for no electronics be interested in what that looks like when they come out
Going to have to look into these. My #1 issue with my pellet "smoker" had been getting enough smoke flavor in my proteins. I have a smoke tube and that helps, but there should be a better way.
Still lookin' for a secondary grill. Hope the improvements hold up (quality-wise). Thanks for the review on this grill. I thought the old model looked liked a decent grill but never purchased due to quality issues. Cant wait to see your cooks on this one!❤🔥
If the hopper is filled to the top with fuel, how does the entire hopper not catch fire? I am curious if an overnight low and slow brisket cook with the XT is possible without any intervention. I've tasted brisket from my offset and from a Trager pellet and there is no comparison. But would be nice to have "set and forget" quality bbq results comparable to an offset.
@@dennisblankenship1169 I have the older 560, never had a problem with long cooks. I'm not an expert why. But it has to have something to do with how the chamber is designed. Mine always keeps the temp nearly perfect. And the 560 is a big step down from this one
I’d like to see a brisket and use the warm rest feature. Question: isn’t 180 a little high? Will it warm rest or cook? I do mine at about 145-150. Thank you. I’m really interested in your tests though. Started 15 years ago with a WSM, added a KJr a few years ago after watching you and then add ya small WSM. The last two go with us RV-n.
I had the masterbuilt 800 and it was great…when it worked. The electronics interface and the fan never worked. I think these machines are great if you can get them working.
Y'all, if you want real bbq, get an offset or reverse flow. It'll take time, but if your patient and dont give up, you'll get it and produce the best bbq. Mucho love from Tejas!
Pellet grills are for someone who is lazy about their BBQ cooking. I know, cause I use my pellet grill the most. I hardly ever use my 2 Weber grills. My Kamado is the second most grill I use. About 3 or 4 times a month. A pellet grill is just fill the hopper and set the temp and that's it. Using a offset is still the best way to cook. I am still on the fence about these Masterbuilt grills. My Rec Tec grill does have a riot mode, about 700 degree's. So, I can sear steaks. Thanks for another good view. Maybe some St Louis ribs for your 1st cook...
I have a pellet grill, offset, and Weber Smokey mountain 22 with a temp controller, even when I use my offset, I usually cook about 4 hours in it then switch to the Weber and go to sleep. I like the pellet grill, but not enough smoke flavor and too much convection, i haven't used my oven in years, that's what my pellet grill is for
I came back to last week's video after learning something I hadn't heard about from James -- There is a company called Middleby October that owns Kamado Joe, Masterbuilt, and Char-Griller. I didn't realize that the Gravity XT was the big brother of Big Joe.
The lack of smoke is the only real issue with pellet grills, if you have one you have a grill next to it for reverse sear, there's no point smoking anything at 500 for a sustained period of time. Smoke tubes or a Smoke Daddy (if you really wanna solve it) are easy additions
Couldnt you put wood chips into that instead of charcoal? That hopper looks a lot like the cold smoke hopper i have on my smaller electric masterbuilt smoker
My XT arrived 3 weeks ago. It took me just under 3 hrs to assemble. As James said, the quality is fantastic. Certainly in this dept you won't be disappointed. BUT... and it's a big but: temperature control. If you set the temp at let's say 250 F and keep on watching the temp on your app or on the control panel, this grill keeps the temp perfectly at 250 F, but you couldn't be more mistaken. I've seen other posts where guys had temp problems, so I put inside the chamber an additional (calibrated) thermometer. Although on the panel was a perfect 250 F, the real temp was all over the place with up to 100 F difference. In my opinion, the problem is the software which doesn't properly control the fan. It looks like the fan is either full on or off and nothing in between. When it's on, the temp goes up very quickly and overshoots the set temp. Then it switches off and the temp slowly keeps falling down to way below the set temp. So, if you didn't have an additional thermometer you would've thought that the MB perfectly holds the temp. I'm waiting for MB's service dept to deal with this issue and either replace the control panel or replace the whole unit. Final thought: Fantastic build quality and despite the temp problems my rib's, pork belly and Chicken wings came out very good. Can't wait to get it fixed to use it again. Sorry for such long post
I read about this from people on release. Can’t believe it’s still an issue. Had there definitely not been a firmware update for the unit that you’ve not got yet? I’m holding out until any issues are resolved
I am curious to see what happens. I also use a trusted thermometer as I have noticed several grills paint overly flat lines on their charts which independently monitored probes disagree with
@@SmokingDadBBQ it’s more the build quality for me. I had a gravity 800 for about 18 months. It did not stand up well to the British Climate. It rusted and corroded from every fold and crevice. Middleby were great with support I must say. But not a chance in hell I’m paying £1600 for this thing without some long term reviews from British users first. But oddly I’m still very interested. I really hope it’s a great machine that is made to last. Btw a comparison test of charcoal use vs Kamado would be good. Felt like mine used a LOT of charcoal, especially in winter. So when the fuel costs more than the meat that’s a bit of an issue
@@DGH441 that’s annoying. Have you flagged with Middleby support? I found them very helpful with replacing parts. Not sure what can be done here though. But good to flag with them at least
Great intro to this new product. A concern I have is about the warranty... MB has a horrendous reputation with customer service. It's great the warranty is 3-yrs but if you can't get anything out of them but @$$ pain then the warranty is neither here/there. Let's hope they're working on fixing that part of the equation. Oh - Brisket cook please!
I have an auto kamado and been having issues with my sensor and computer system. Have to replace it. I am very interested in getting this. Thanks Joe Go bills
Be careful using pellet grills in winter! The camp chef you showed doesn't compensate for outdoor temperature. The built in probe is against the left sidewall, and on a cold windy day the center of the grill will overheat while the PID tries to maintain that probe to the set temp. To overcome that I used a second probe placed in the center, and set the grill temperature to get that region to the desired value. For example, when it was windy and 25 deg F outside, I overcooked wings at my usual 250 deg setting, and was shocked to see later that the center temp was actually 300+ ! I learned this in time to get a perfect brisket cook a few days later by using a lower temp so the center stayed close to 225. Bottom line is you have to be careful when it's cold OR get one of those expensive blankets to cover it.
Just found your channel, great vid. I have been looking at the master built series to replace my pellet grill set up. Would love to see baby backs on a future cook and how you can use different wood flavors in the new MB.
I’m lovin my patio boss from rectec - 180 slow n low for 4-5 hours then finish on the weber (thing is 35 years old and still kicking a$$) Have been doing extra thick cut ribeyes on it… For me it’s a night n day difference from propane but obviously I’m sure what he’s discussing is a whole different level but then it sounds like there’s a ton of electronics issues per the comments on here…
I was looking for a good smoker for a while and the wood/charcoal is really appealing however that is the only thing I liked about it some of my friends have it and the door/latch switches are really not holding up. Went with a pellet smoker
I cooked on a kamado for years. Switched to a pellet a couple years ago for my wife to be able to cook more. I have no idea what he's talking about with meats coming off the pellet grill dry. Everything we cook is moist with great flavor. I still prefer my kamado but we've been very happy with our pellet grill.
I’m a KJ owner, but the original version on these I was looking at a couple years ago, but ended up with the Akorn Auto-Kamado. This XT looks super nice, and I LOVE the idea of using real wood as fuel, but I just don’t need the size of the XT. I wonder if we’ll see the same build quality, and feature set updates and PID controller to upcoming smaller units? 🤞🏻
A properly operated stick burner gives you more complete combustion and much greater air flow. Cooking on a pellet grill is kind if like cooking fries in a convection oven versus an air fryer. However, pellet grills are a step up from liquid smoke.
it’s finally in stock in the home depot close to my house i’ll wait until veterans day or black friday and see if it’ll go on sale. I have the portable one isn’t it the same concept? Excellent review of the new features. Please do a chuck roast like it better than brisket since it’s cheaper and i think more flavorful. Also, you should look into the KBQ C-60 pit i think it’s the same concept as offset smoker and underrated, uses real wood, US built like a tank, anything with skin gets crispy. I don’t use it often since it’s not a set and forget it pit, you have to feed it wood constantly.👍
I wouldn’t buy an electric controlled grill personally but so many do I am curious to see how this does. I think it will be near or at the top food quality wise
Ive had my XT now for 4 months coming from a komado joe. To me the food taste is virtually the same with so much more ease of use and much larger cooking area. The app is great and the build quality is amazing. Temp control is very easy. Its a 10 out of 10 for me.
Glad to hear your loving it. I don’t have that benefit of months of use yet to see how it lol comes together
does it still consume charcoal like crazy? I had a 560 when it first came out and it ate charcoal like no tomorrow
@@RaNDoM_MAI a Kamado will use way less fuel. But my offset or even worse Santa Maria will make even this grill feel like a Toyota Prius for mpg. Will keep an eye on it with some longer cooks
@@ryancameron5222 I wonder how it would stack against the new Konnected Joe though?
What do you think about the stainless steel grates? I have a 560 and really like the cast iron reversible grates.
Hey James, how about a 3 way competition, your best pellet grill (Woodwind Pro?), a comparably priced offset ( Oklahoma Joe) and Masterbuilt XT. And brisket all the way as it is the Cadillac of BBQ!
Good idea
@@SmokingDadBBQ I like this idea all though the Oklahoma Joe offset needs to go an compare it something like a brosso or offset in the 1200 - 1600 range seems more fair to me. Either way I will be watching.
Maybe the Old Country G2 if that is close to the same price range
I'd like to see this to. The other question I'd have for this grill is if you take a larger split and and surround it with charcoal would it still turn the wood to charcoal?
I agree, but bring people to taste it. I have an offset, KJoe, and master built pellet. Cook a lot for my church events and others events. In those cases I usually have all 3 going. Brisket is always on the offset, but pork, ribs, chicken etc I use them on all. What I find, most people prefer the pellet. My opinion why, most people are not that big on the smoke level of the other smokers. Now if I served it to fellow smokers the offset will win every time. So for me cooking for a range of people all 3 have been important. As for my cooking. I was injured in an accident and could not do the events for a year. We had a catering bbq company that is popular. Most preferred my because of the smoke level. As someone who uses smokers a lot. My opinion there were dead wrong, the catering was much better than mine. Just think most are not into stronger smoke flavor. Yeah, I know
Thanks you For your integrity! You are one of the few RUclipsrs that actually have a discloser regarding your videos, your relationship with sponsors, and that no one reviews what you say! Subscribed.
I'm with you, nothing beats a good stick burner and I really enjoy the labor that comes with it
I have had my XT for about a month now, and man am I satisfied. I have done smoked flank steak (for fajitas), chicken breast, and most recently smoked pork tenderloin. The grill actually goes all the way down to 150°. The smoke flavor permeates the meat so much better than my previous pellet smoker (Oaklahoma Joe Rider DLX). I think you should change it up and do some smoked wild caught Sockeye (Red) salmon for your competition/comparison smoke
James, thank you for all your reviews on different grills, accessories and tools. You save me a ton of money (on equipment and meat) and I always learn a lot. Your videos and passion for BBQ’ing has really uped my game and I and my family and guest thank you for all you do. Cheers!
Glad to help
I stopped the video just before he got into the Masterbuilt. I owned two of the 560s. I absolutely loved them beyond what I can say! But they both broke down. And I can’t see jumping into anything else from these guys till they prove themselves! The concept is big time amazing!! I cooked some of my best food on those grills! The app is great, the looks were great! The cooks were great! But they both broke down and or had cpu problems back to back. I’m hoping to buy one of these eventually! But, they gotta prove they are durable and can run for at least a few years!
Fingers crossed they solved the issues
Keep the unit, swap out the controller
Never get anything 1st year it's out .
@@garyelderman1229very true. Hard to get a long term quality verdict shortly after unboxing
Yeah the safety switches were problematic, that's why I and many others have bypassed them. They sell a kit on Etsy that basically gives you a manual switch if you need to disable the fan to add charcoal. Mines been rock solid ever since
Thanks very much for the review, and comparisons to the previous model. I currently own a Traeger and Masterbuilt. You were bang on with the smoke flavour comments. Masterbuilt takes the win for sure. Great video! Keep up the good work.
I switched to a Masterbuilt Gravity smoker this year after using a pellet smoker for a couple years. My wife and I both agree the ribs and briskets I've done since switching are significantly better. Those are the 2 BBQ proteins we do most often, but I also smoked our turkey for thanksgiving last month and it came out incredible as well. So far I'm extremely happy with it and don't imagine I'll be switching to anything else. Need to do some pork shoulders and other meats too, but I'm confident they'll all have better flavor than I ever got from pellets.
How does the charcoal burn compare to pellet more less for example cooking a brisket. Tia
@tangoreal9098 I'd say a bit more. But how fast it burns also depends on the charcoal you use. There are some meant to burn low and slow, so finding one of those that you like is important.
I have a 1st gen masterchef. Loved it until after 6 months of blissful use the electronics died. I tried a new control panel, no worky, new door switches, still no worky. Tried reaching out to masterchef with no responses. It is sitting on my deck taking up space but my wife gave it to me as a Christmas gift and I truthfully really liked it. Happy to hear feedback if anyone else has had this issue and found a fix.😊
My power adapter died when it got wet. Ordered a replacement off Amazon. Did you try that, by chance?
@ the control powers on but doesn’t seem to be connecting to anything
Great initial video on the XT. As someone who’s family prefers light to moderate smoke, pellet grills have served me well but I do include extra smoke tube with combination of pecan pellets and wood chips as well as a water pan. I do prefer the fill the hopper and leave it alone feature for long overnight cooks. So with that, I would ask that you try a large brisket right off the bat - a relatively short cook will not adequately demo the capability of this very interesting gravity smoker. Im curious as to how often you have to feed the beast during a long cook and how much control you have over level of smoke. Second cook should be chicken to see about moisture and tenderness - both whole chicken and chicken breasts. Pork is easy so that can be last. Thanks again
I loved my masterbuilt gravity fed. However, only lasted about 1 1/2. Sensors started to malfunction, which kills your cooking heat. Also had really bad rust issues. So much rust it became none usable. Yes I covered and oiled and uncovered. It’s in a landfill somewhere now.
@@Unknowninyourworld Similar experience on my end. It wasn’t going to last so I sold my 1050 after a season. Great taste but a pain to use and not built to last.
I have an outdoor kitchen with 8 different smokers, grills and griddles. Masterbuilt gravity feed and y other pellet smoker both have electronic and controller issues. I have never had a problem smoking with my offset or my Weber smoky mountain or my Weber kettle. I can control my temp just as good. It just takes experience and I don’t have to worry about all the electronics
i also prefer no electronics
Don’t lie bro u don’t have 8 smokers , HAH u wish
@@NotoriousMastaGwanna bet everything we own? Why would you even doubt it?
Plenty of people own multiple smokers, I have 4. I'd have more if I had the space. If you get them second hand you could have 4 for the price of 1 new one, like me.
Love the concept of using charcoal over pellets. The previous version did seem cheap to me. This one looks a lot better. I also like that it can dip down as low as 180°. Would love to see a brisket cook and better understand how the heat and air roll through the cook chamber. Thanks for the great content!
I am leaning brisket too for the same reasons
The 800 can go as low as 150°. Not sure why they upped it to 180° like pellet grills?
@@BillKessler-q7j the controller allows 160 on this but the specs say 180. Curious what the data will actually say
I'm excited about seeing lump charcoal in the Xt!
I might even buy one now, not a fan of pellets, sorry.
Those low temps could make a big difference for smoking cheeses or fish. Would like to know what the data says also.
Absolutely love mine. I was an still a pellet grill fan a believe every man and woman should own one over propane. This grill is more work than a pellet so you must really be an avid smoker to upgrade to this lump style over pellets. But I know I've a Yoder 640 commercial pellet and both the large and smaller Masterbuilt 1050 and 800.
As someone who owns both an 800 and a 1050, this was a great video for me. I wanted the XT to be a lot bigger,hssc pconsidering the price, but the idea it is more effective spacing is a plus.
Super excited for your brisket cook!! I’m so glad they made a more durable version of the original. I was close to buying a 1050 at one point but held back because of that.
First off.. thank you.. I've applied all ur theories like double indirect and airflow across all my cookers with GR8 results.. I have a chargriller Gravity 980 unlike the masterbuilt is cylindrical in design.. the breadbox designs seem to release more the smoak and make less creosote flavor so I welded up a collector with stack inplace of the small flared luver that was bolt on and basically made it into a stick burner.. I almost sold this cooker at first but decided to turn it around.. now I have a modified stick burner that I created and the flavor of meat that comes off it is amazing.. my wife noticed right away.. but it came with ur theories and guidance of airflow and double indirect so now I've got a GR8 cooker.. thank you for all you do and contribute to the cooking community.
Do you have pics of this i want to see this,you should make a video
or would you just recommend the different shape in the first place(xt vs gravity 980)
@@teddillon7739I'd love to see this modded out 980 too!
@@mattn6946 I'm not a tech savvy kinda guy.. how would I post picks.. I'm kinda lod school sorry
Good question! I guess I'm not entirely sure. It looks like maybe when you initially go to make a comment there is a photo button you can click to add pictures. Or if you are typing a message and click out of it on mobile there is a photo button to add pictures
Hold up. 8:02 How does this work without burning up all the charcoal vertically like a typical charcoal chimney that many people use to get their grills going?
@@AV8R_1 I think the seal at the top limits oxygen, and oxygen is only added in the burn zone.
If you leave the lid open for long periods of time, I can see that being a problem for sure. But the smoke will rise and oxygen will be limited.
Never stop making videos 😂 Great intro to this smoker/grill. Been looking at the Old Country Gravity Fed Smoker but it’s around $1,600 with no built in electronics but this update version of the Masterbuilt might be a better entry point. I say the first cook should be ribs but do the old faithful biscuit test before you put the ribs on to see the hot spots.
Thanks 👍
I like the biscuit idea, but also thermal image the grates and cooking chamber at like 250 degrees.
That's actually the argument I'd have to get the Old Country over the electronic gravity feds. Electronics fail, and the more you have,the higher chance of them failing. Look at today's vehicles. Once you have a non-electric gravity feds dialed in on the temp, it's just as set it and forget it as the electric smokers. I've seen some Old Country gravity feds online for as low as $1300-1400, btw. Full disclosure, I am a fan of the Chargriller and MB gravity smokers, but read too many headache stories of having to troubleshoot this and that electric malfunctions. I do enough of that sort of thing at work and my smoking time is my relaxing time.
@@johnaustin8758 thanks for the advice.
I've had a Master built gravity 800 for about 5 years and it's hands down the best grill/smoker I've ever owned.
Every single piece of meat that comes off that thing is the best thing you've ever tasted, it's like magic
This XT is exciting because it looks to fix literally every complaint I've heard with mine, hopefully they beefed up those safety switches though.
Brisket!!!
I have a gravity 1050. Love it. I can't figure out how to cook a brisket. Fat side up or down? Who knows, because the heat comes from the bottom. And tests at the top? IDK.
Look forward to the series. All the haters talking about a commercial, go away.
I would do second level fat cap up
Fat still drips down. So fat cap up
You do a great job with your reviews, and I look forward to seeing them on the Masterbuilt XT. The increased temperature range is a bonus, though 180 may be too high for a long brisket hold. I appreciate your honesty on the inherent drawbacks of pellet grills, the greatest of which are insufficient smoke and fuel that is too dry to rival offset flavor. But despite their limitations, the convenience of pellet grills still makes them a rational choice for many consumers.
I am hoping the higher levels do ok with less than 180
@@SmokingDadBBQ I remember you brought the original 1050 to 150 for a hold and it's not supposed to support lower than 180 as well. Plus the upper shelves on my 900 stays ~25F lower than the set temp. Can you try a brisket hold at 150 to 155?
@@pfrank I’m counting on it being cooler there… fingers crossed
Yes!! Been anxiously awaiting this! I've had my XT for a few months now and I'm loving it. Looking forward to your cooks and your ideas for best smoke methods.
As for questions about it surviving a Canadian winter - I understand it's the same controller that's in the Spider Grills Venom which I've been using and in love with for a couple years now, and it has remained (covered) outdoors.
I'm excited to see some cooks on this new beast to see how it can compare! I would love to see a head to head with the XT vs the Kamado Joe vs the pellet grill!
James… this review was just fine! I appreciated it. Especially from someone who is such a Kamado pro. Part of being a good reviewer is being able to step out of your zone to take a look at something of interest. Please carry on and disregard complaints. I know you have to “adjust” to your viewers but bottom line… this was a great informative video
I love my MB 1050, I had no problems with my 22” and 26” Weber Kettles, but the 1050 gets me the same results without all of the labor. I haven’t used my kettles in about a year now.
I just did a 13 lb rib roast, making it like i would a brisket. Cooked at 250 and held it for 1.5 hours. Best I've ever had and the whole family loved it.
I can't wait to see what this thing can do. I was waiting for an update based on original comments about the 1050 being cheaply made and the fans going out on some people. I had settled on getting a camp chef pellet smoker, but I may be back on the masterbuilt train if this goes well.
A brisket cook would be the best real test. You need a long cook to understand how it would perform against the competition. I still don't understand why they route the airflow like a pellet cooker when they could take over the market if they got the offset airflow right.
Brisket
I have 2 Masterbuilts, a 560 and 800. Great smokers/grills. I also have a Lone star Grillz Pellet smoker (48). Hands down the best pellet smoker I have ever owned. Blue smoke up to 350ºF easy. I have had just about every pellet smoker out there in my quest for the best one and so far LSG's pellet grill is by far the best.
What do you prefer using more? Your master built or LSG?
I was about to buy a LSG. I am curious as well
LSG by far. Gets used at least once a week sometimes 2-3 times. I also have a pit barrel smoker, big green egg large and an ole hickory CTO. I like the convenience, smoke I get but also the Fireboard controller as it works very well. I also have a Camp Chef Woodwind pro.
@@yambor44 Thanks for the reply, I also have the LSG and absolutely love it, incredible unit. Was wondering if it was worth having both haha.
Definitely worth IMO. The Masterbuilt is a great cooker.
This may be because my Traeger Timberline 1300 has a gasket, but the chicken breasts I cook on this grill have more moisture than when I grill them on my Weber 22" kettle. In both situations, I simply put dry rub on the chicken breast and cook unwrapped. I'm sure if I took steps to wrap the chicken breasts in foil, add butter, etc the results may be different, but I'm happy with the moisture content of the foods coming off the Traeger.
Gaskets help a bunch
I've had my 900. (The Costco version) Since the fall. I went with a friend and he told me to buy the master built because of the superior smoke flavor you get with charcoal. It has been a dream to work with and this was my first ever smoker. This is a slept on corner of the market as Yoder has dominated with marketing.
Because the Yoder is built like a tank with few issues compared to the Masterbuilt that has major quality issues.
Ive owned mine for 5 months now and its the best pit ive ever owned. I only use real wood splits in the hopper an get offset quality food digitally.
Great video! Can't wait for your first cook on the XT. Brisket gets my vote! What better way to put it through its paces to see how it does with a long cook, temperatures maintained, fuel longevity, etc. Keep us posted and keep up the great content and videos!
decided on ribs first, then brisket
Thanks for all you do James. Would love to see a head-to-head of this or another MasterBuilt Gravity Series versus the Konnected Joe (preferably with both using all wood fires) to get the ultimate showdown between automated smokers!
Good idea
I keep a Pellet burner for convenience, its still the best tool for busy Mon-Fri family dinners. Also fuel cost seems to be the lowest, very hard to beat.
Yep. People can sh*t on them all they want but the tradeoff of convenience and output works. The reality is while it’s cool to talk about smoke flavor, a lot of folks really don’t like excessive smoke flavor, except the hard core bbq addicts.
I always feel like the smoke flavor tastes the same regardless but maybe it's just my taste buds.
@athisio836 if done right, the difference is very minimal for sure.
I've had a Recteq for a few years now, use BBQs Delight pellets and get plenty of smoke. You can't beat the convenience.
@morganl5031 great combo there
I find myself having to "work on" my 1050 constantly. I've upgraded and replaced so many things on it, I sort of dread starting it up. Using the cast iron flat top is a pain too. I'm considering the Weber 36" slate now. You video has me convinced this might be the follow up to the Slate. GREAT VIDEO!
Thanks
Hey James,
I've had a 1050 for few years now and found bridging in the hopper to be a real issue. The XT looks like the ceramic tiles are an afterthought and should be recessed, I'd be interested in tests on the bridging issue. Sorry if this has already been addressed in previous comments. Love your channel. Keep up the great work.
I grew tired of tending fires as well. I have been doing smoking and BBQ for many decades. I switched to a gravity feed (not the one you have) mainly because I can use wood and charcoal. It is great. I can actually do other things and still have a great result.
Great video. Not that it matters because i tend to agree that pellets are weak on flavor. However, in case you werent aware.... those moisture meters work by measuring conductivity through a substance. In other words... both probes of the meter needs to be in contact with the same piece of material. You will never get a measurement with each probe being on separate pellets. Just fyi... curious to onow what ot actually is percentage wise now.
@@andrewbendtsen6554 came here to point this out as well.
I can't wait! Your videos featuring using would chunks with the previous Gravity models were closer to convincing me to buying one. The only thing that's done to me is the Master Built build quality. In this video, you seem to suggest that the build quality and materials are improved for this version!
It’s better but let’s give it some reps and see. The assembly is still a lot of steps and there are still things that I think could align better but I am confident the durability will be improved
@@SmokingDadBBQwould love to get your thoughts on XT vs autoignite once you have had a few cooks on it. The autoignite is more likely to be in my price range but if XT can get close to offset quality with greater ease of use might be worth saving up.
I've been wondering about the master built you make it sound really great. I'll be following you on this grill. Thanks for the great video.
I've loved my Recteq 340. Had it 4 years with only 1 real problem. I should've gone bigger! These gravity feed smokers definitely have me intrigued for when I upgrade to something larger
I’d love to see a head to head using this and the KJ and a look at the final product and what was needed for each “grill” to make it happen! Thank you as always
Cabinet Pellets smokers are fantastic.....they make it easy for anyone to be a great smoker........simple.....
I’m hoping the XT is all that it appears to be. I’m done with pellet grills, and not wanting to mess with a stick burner. Looking forward to see how it cooks.
Going to try a brisket I think next
@@SmokingDadBBQ I don't find myself doing briskets too often, there isn't much of a selection here where I live..Thanksgiving is coming up man, how about a turkey instead? I do more turkeys, ribs, chicken, and burgers in my pellet than anything else... I actually do ribs on a PBC.. but I have had my eye on the gravity for a long while, I just heard too many bad stories.. this just might be the one.. I really want to see it in action...hopefully you can do a full size turkey.....I would love to see how it does..
No more pellets for me
I love my Grilla Grills Mammoth Vertical Pellet Smoker. There is plenty of smoke flavor. All grills and smokers have their pros and cons. That's why it takes practice to get the best result from them.
I owned a Master Built and loved it. I was very disappointed to find the inside rusted out after just 2 years (and yes, I kept it covered)
I love the gravity function
Can't say it's ever gonna replace my Lone Star grill pellet smoker. Absolutely fantastic smoke . Get easy searing temps "basically flame seared" pretty much th best controller out there. So over built and heavy duty, it's nuts. But it's another option which is great. More competition the better it is for everyone.
Nor should it. I’ll take a LS pellet or Yoder pellet any day!
Unfortunately all pellet smokers suffer from lack of flavor no matter how much you spend.
@@Pete_or_Peter4Long I think tyne woodwind pro and lone star seem to give me just as much smoke as the mb800.
@@Pete_or_Peter4Long have you ever tasted anything off a Lone Star Pellet especially one that used wood chips mixed in the pellets?
I have the 560 with mods and I love it, cant wait to upgrade to the XT
Brisket is the golden standard, soooo. Also, you changed me from a pellet grill (I still use it for whole chickens when time is an issue) to a Kamado Joe Kettle Grill that I have found somewhat disappointing, so most recently, I acquired a Kamado Joe Big Joe-II I got for a song (still learning how to use it). So far, I find it far superior over both the pellet and Kettle Joe grills. Thanks for all the great content!
i would pick the kj3 in that company too... the kettle had potential but didn't deliver on the value / quality prop as well in real life as it did on paper
Thanks for the video. I purchased an older model and returned it. I had problems with the blue tooth and I found it to be difficult and tedious to clean. Customer service is horrible. I tried to purchase additional items and accessories and it was such a bad experience I returned everything. It is owned by very large company. The cooking Experience and food was very good. I hope they fixed the problems I experienced.
Yes. There customer service is horrible.
Hi James, perhaps you haven't tried the Broil King Regal 500 Pellet grill/smoker. It easily achieves 600F for grilling plus does a great job at smoking. For the odd time I do want a lot more smoke, I place a cold smoke generator in one of the probe ports. I grew up using a weber kettle and have never owned a gas grill. Pellet grill automation has been a game changer.
So glad you are using this grill I have been keeping my eye on it ever since I saw it on The Gallery Backyard BBQ. Would really like to see how it does on high heat items, maybe smash burgers on a griddle? Pizza?
I would love to hear how a brisket cook comes out and if you can hold it at a low temp for the rest. I don’t think I would ever abandon my BGE but I see the XT as a possible great addition to my cooking arsenal
I have the MB900 and love it. I baby mine and have the cookbox mods so it is holding up great. Would love to see you cook a brisket on this. Make sure to add a chunk of wood to the firebox. I have a little mesh stand in my firebox to elevate the wood so it catches fire quicker and more consistantly. Much better smoke flavor than a WSM and pellet smoker I have tried.
I have a gravity smoker but the Char-Griller version. Had it for a few years and it really makes my BBQ better than when I used a regular offset. It really is a gamechanger. I suggest the Char-Griller version or Masterbuilt. Eben though I don't have the Masterbuilt I seen the reviews which is good also.
I’ve had an 800 for the last 4 years and it’s been great. I am a little worried about the electronics being located on the hopper. Curious to see how things go.
Pellets can give great smoke flavor if you keep the temp low -- tiny wood, tiny fire. You don't get the wonderful charcoal notes ("fat smoke"), cook times are longer (hands-off), and seasonal degreasing is pretty unpleasant... but they're an unbeatable "bang for buck" weeknight option for up-front and consumables cost.
No disagreement here. Just curious if we can keep all those same benefits and add some new ones
Brisket! Great intro! Yes, do smoke off with Nemesis please! Nice video.
I'll just say that I've had great success with a Yoder YS640 and Lumberjack pellets. Great smoke flavor, holds a wide range of temps very well. It is also able to hit those high temps 600+ for a quick sear or using the pizza oven attachment.
Looking forward to the first cook, whatever it is. And as always, my big concern is the ability of the electronics to survive a Canadian winter with nothing but a nylon cover for protection. Thank you for all of your hard work in making these videos!
This has and always will be my hesitation with modern electronics
I probabably won’t get one of these, but you sure saved me from getting a pellet grill.
i think some people are going to make a offset style manual version this concept... i would for longevity and personal preference for no electronics be interested in what that looks like when they come out
Amen to that!
Going to have to look into these. My #1 issue with my pellet "smoker" had been getting enough smoke flavor in my proteins.
I have a smoke tube and that helps, but there should be a better way.
Still lookin' for a secondary grill. Hope the improvements hold up (quality-wise). Thanks for the review on this grill. I thought the old model looked liked a decent grill but never purchased due to quality issues. Cant wait to see your cooks on this one!❤🔥
Nice seeing a pic of Harry! Used to work with him until he retired.
If the hopper is filled to the top with fuel, how does the entire hopper not catch fire? I am curious if an overnight low and slow brisket cook with the XT is possible without any intervention. I've tasted brisket from my offset and from a Trager pellet and there is no comparison. But would be nice to have "set and forget" quality bbq results comparable to an offset.
@@dennisblankenship1169 I have the older 560, never had a problem with long cooks. I'm not an expert why. But it has to have something to do with how the chamber is designed. Mine always keeps the temp nearly perfect. And the 560 is a big step down from this one
@@Bigheadedwon I had heard if you fill the hopper with wood for a long cook, the wood ends-up turning into charcoal. Has that been your experience?
I’d like to see a brisket and use the warm rest feature. Question: isn’t 180 a little high? Will it warm rest or cook? I do mine at about 145-150. Thank you. I’m really interested in your tests though. Started 15 years ago with a WSM, added a KJr a few years ago after watching you and then add ya small WSM. The last two go with us RV-n.
It is too high but I am hoping not all levels will be 180
Agree - think 180 degrees is too high
I had the masterbuilt 800 and it was great…when it worked. The electronics interface and the fan never worked. I think these machines are great if you can get them working.
I'm interested in seeing a brisket smoked to see what you think of the smoke flavor.
Y'all, if you want real bbq, get an offset or reverse flow. It'll take time, but if your patient and dont give up, you'll get it and produce the best bbq. Mucho love from Tejas!
Pellet grills are for someone who is lazy about their BBQ cooking. I know, cause I use my pellet grill the most. I hardly ever use my 2 Weber grills. My Kamado is the second most grill I use. About 3 or 4 times a month. A pellet grill is just fill the hopper and set the temp and that's it. Using a offset is still the best way to cook. I am still on the fence about these Masterbuilt grills. My Rec Tec grill does have a riot mode, about 700 degree's. So, I can sear steaks. Thanks for another good view. Maybe some St Louis ribs for your 1st cook...
I have a pellet grill, offset, and Weber Smokey mountain 22 with a temp controller, even when I use my offset, I usually cook about 4 hours in it then switch to the Weber and go to sleep. I like the pellet grill, but not enough smoke flavor and too much convection, i haven't used my oven in years, that's what my pellet grill is for
Yea I have a recteq easily hits 750 can go higher great smoke favorite grill I have used think the gravity feeds have a ways to go.
I came back to last week's video after learning something I hadn't heard about from James -- There is a company called Middleby October that owns Kamado Joe, Masterbuilt, and Char-Griller. I didn't realize that the Gravity XT was the big brother of Big Joe.
Yes they own all of those and several others including lynx gas grills and some oven vent ranges etc
The lack of smoke is the only real issue with pellet grills, if you have one you have a grill next to it for reverse sear, there's no point smoking anything at 500 for a sustained period of time. Smoke tubes or a Smoke Daddy (if you really wanna solve it) are easy additions
Couldnt you put wood chips into that instead of charcoal? That hopper looks a lot like the cold smoke hopper i have on my smaller electric masterbuilt smoker
I have the 1050 and this is making me tempted to upgrade
Looking forward the reviews after a few cooks!
We love our XT's they are easily the most popular BBQ we sell here in the UK
Can't wait to see some cooks on this - sounds like it could be a contender!!!
My XT arrived 3 weeks ago. It took me just under 3 hrs to assemble. As James said, the quality is fantastic. Certainly in this dept you won't be disappointed. BUT... and it's a big but: temperature control. If you set the temp at let's say 250 F and keep on watching the temp on your app or on the control panel, this grill keeps the temp perfectly at 250 F, but you couldn't be more mistaken. I've seen other posts where guys had temp problems, so I put inside the chamber an additional (calibrated) thermometer. Although on the panel was a perfect 250 F, the real temp was all over the place with up to 100 F difference. In my opinion, the problem is the software which doesn't properly control the fan. It looks like the fan is either full on or off and nothing in between. When it's on, the temp goes up very quickly and overshoots the set temp. Then it switches off and the temp slowly keeps falling down to way below the set temp. So, if you didn't have an additional thermometer you would've thought that the MB perfectly holds the temp. I'm waiting for MB's service dept to deal with this issue and either replace the control panel or replace the whole unit. Final thought: Fantastic build quality and despite the temp problems my rib's, pork belly and Chicken wings came out very good. Can't wait to get it fixed to use it again. Sorry for such long post
I read about this from people on release. Can’t believe it’s still an issue. Had there definitely not been a firmware update for the unit that you’ve not got yet? I’m holding out until any issues are resolved
I am curious to see what happens. I also use a trusted thermometer as I have noticed several grills paint overly flat lines on their charts which independently monitored probes disagree with
@@paulshepherd5649 I've updated the firmware to the latest one and still the same problem
@@SmokingDadBBQ it’s more the build quality for me. I had a gravity 800 for about 18 months. It did not stand up well to the British Climate. It rusted and corroded from every fold and crevice. Middleby were great with support I must say. But not a chance in hell I’m paying £1600 for this thing without some long term reviews from British users first. But oddly I’m still very interested. I really hope it’s a great machine that is made to last. Btw a comparison test of charcoal use vs Kamado would be good. Felt like mine used a LOT of charcoal, especially in winter. So when the fuel costs more than the meat that’s a bit of an issue
@@DGH441 that’s annoying. Have you flagged with Middleby support? I found them very helpful with replacing parts. Not sure what can be done here though. But good to flag with them at least
Hopefully this new model is better than the first generation!
I bought the MB 560 in 2020. I love it.
I would like to see the biscuit test on this grill to identify the hot spots
will have that in the next video (ribs)... then do a brisket and steak sear
Great intro to this new product. A concern I have is about the warranty... MB has a horrendous reputation with customer service. It's great the warranty is 3-yrs but if you can't get anything out of them but @$$ pain then the warranty is neither here/there. Let's hope they're working on fixing that part of the equation. Oh - Brisket cook please!
How does it compare cost-wise?
I have an auto kamado and been having issues with my sensor and computer system. Have to replace it. I am very interested in getting this. Thanks Joe Go bills
Be careful using pellet grills in winter! The camp chef you showed doesn't compensate for outdoor temperature. The built in probe is against the left sidewall, and on a cold windy day the center of the grill will overheat while the PID tries to maintain that probe to the set temp. To overcome that I used a second probe placed in the center, and set the grill temperature to get that region to the desired value. For example, when it was windy and 25 deg F outside, I overcooked wings at my usual 250 deg setting, and was shocked to see later that the center temp was actually 300+ ! I learned this in time to get a perfect brisket cook a few days later by using a lower temp so the center stayed close to 225. Bottom line is you have to be careful when it's cold OR get one of those expensive blankets to cover it.
My question how well does it sear ?
Where is it manufactured? This might be a nice addition to my smoker collection.
whats covered / WARRANTY?
Just found your channel, great vid. I have been looking at the master built series to replace my pellet grill set up. Would love to see baby backs on a future cook and how you can use different wood flavors in the new MB.
Agree, i had a rec-tek pellet grill and it ran well - but just very little real wood/bbq flavor ( to me).
I’m lovin my patio boss from rectec - 180 slow n low for 4-5 hours then finish on the weber (thing is 35 years old and still kicking a$$)
Have been doing extra thick cut ribeyes on it…
For me it’s a night n day difference from propane but obviously I’m sure what he’s discussing is a whole different level but then it sounds like there’s a ton of electronics issues per the comments on here…
Thank you, as always very informative . My concern is with what are the pellet made of?- this is the biggest problem.
Pellets are made from compressed saw dust / wood
I was looking for a good smoker for a while and the wood/charcoal is really appealing however that is the only thing I liked about it some of my friends have it and the door/latch switches are really not holding up. Went with a pellet smoker
I cooked on a kamado for years. Switched to a pellet a couple years ago for my wife to be able to cook more. I have no idea what he's talking about with meats coming off the pellet grill dry. Everything we cook is moist with great flavor. I still prefer my kamado but we've been very happy with our pellet grill.
I’m a KJ owner, but the original version on these I was looking at a couple years ago, but ended up with the Akorn Auto-Kamado. This XT looks super nice, and I LOVE the idea of using real wood as fuel, but I just don’t need the size of the XT. I wonder if we’ll see the same build quality, and feature set updates and PID controller to upcoming smaller units? 🤞🏻
A properly operated stick burner gives you more complete combustion and much greater air flow. Cooking on a pellet grill is kind if like cooking fries in a convection oven versus an air fryer. However, pellet grills are a step up from liquid smoke.
Agreed
it’s finally in stock in the home depot close to my house i’ll wait until veterans day or black friday and see if it’ll go on sale. I have the portable one isn’t it the same concept? Excellent review of the new features. Please do a chuck roast like it better than brisket since it’s cheaper and i think more flavorful. Also, you should look into the KBQ C-60 pit i think it’s the same concept as offset smoker and underrated, uses real wood, US built like a tank, anything with skin gets crispy. I don’t use it often since it’s not a set and forget it pit, you have to feed it wood constantly.👍
Very interested in learning from your future experience with this grill. I have never been a fan of Masterbuilt but you got me curious now.
I wouldn’t buy an electric controlled grill personally but so many do I am curious to see how this does. I think it will be near or at the top food quality wise
I need to see how It compares to my Weber Searwood. The best pellet grill on the market in my opinion.
I haven’t tried the updated version