Customer Reviews

Brinkmann 810-5301-C Smoke-N-Grill Charcoal Smoker and Grill

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Ok. Pound for pound this is the ultimate smoker for the price. I've been smoking (food) for the past 17 years and the Brinkmann has never failed to produce! The only problem I've had with it was getting a 24 pound Thanksgiving Turkey out without it falling apart and me burning myself. To tell you the truth I forgot how I managed to get the Turkey out but everyone raved over it's flavor! Filled the water pan with wine instead of water. Ribs, Tri-tip, Chicken and my favorite, Salmon have all come out perfect! The trick is keeping the coals hot throughout the duration of cooking time calculated. 4 racks of Ribs (6 hours), the rest half that time. I've had a total of 6 of these (sometimes using 2 at once) throughout my 17 years of smoking. Enjoy! BDM

Brinkmann's Smoke N Grill is perfect for the beginning smoker. What makes it perfect is the fact that it doesn't have all the fancy gadgets of the higher priced smokers and one has to actually learn how to make this contraption work by way of trial and error. Controlling cooking temperatures is a tedious task because there are no vents and the top has plenty of space between it and the body which allows alot of heat to escape. Modifications can be made to the unit which in turn will enhance its performance. Look around online for ECB modifications (El Cheapo Brinkmann)and you'll be glad you did the mods which will make things so much easier for you.

i have had my smoker for a few years and have used it to smoke briskets and even turkeys. Works great, Easy to use and it's upright design makes it easy to store. light weight and a verry generious water pan for marinades.

Heres a quick tip... about an hour before you are done smoking throw some veggies in the marinade/water pan and boil them in the smoker while finishing the meat. I also prop a instant read thermometer in the lid to get a accurate reading of the internal temp of the smoker (low, med, high guage is rather vague)

if you use both racks only put items you do not need to handle on the lower one as you won't be able to access it if food is also on the top rack.

Works great as a regular grill also.

I wanted a simple, affordable and easy to use smoker and this one foots the bill perfectly. At less than $70 it was the least expensive and the most efficient unit i could dream off. The fish I smoked tasted delicious and afterwards i used the same coals to grill a steak to perfection. The thermometer on the lid lets you know when the unit is ready.On another ocassion i smoked a whole turkey-fantastic. Just make sure you use long mittens when removing the water pan...

I purchased this smoker at Home Depot this summer. It creates a lot of smoke and has lots of room for food, so I do like it. That said, I have yet to have anything come off of it cooked properly. Yeah, some of it is me getting used to using it, but if used as it was designed, the temperature never comes higher than the low end of ideal"; usually it sits in the upper end of "cold". I tried using a full chimney starter of briquettes, and even adding new ones after dumping. My theory is that the pan of water really keeps the temperature down. That's good for some things, but not for most (unless you like having to replenish the charcoal four or five times). Next time I use it, I plan to try and keep the water pan low. Just enough water to spread across the bottom. I might even leave it empty and use it as a drip pan only. I'm not sure how the manufacturer could fix this problem, but some mention of techniques would be useful.

Best smoker for the money anywhere. You can buy a more expensive smoker but this one does what it's designed to do and that's put mouth watering ribs on my table. Baby back ribs are foolproof in this smoker.

The smoker can be OK, but not unless the user makes after purchase modifactions. Without them, this thing allows for VERY poor air flow and extremely poor regulation of temperature control. (No air vents, or easy access to charcoal pan like the 3 part models)
Save yourself the time and trouble and go with at least the "Brinker Gournment Model" that has the lift apart charcoal tray. This basic model is not worth the money.

I've had this smoker now for 2 years. At first it was a little difficult to use, but like everything in time things came together.

I primary use this for baby back ribs and use it 3 to 4 times each summer. I usually cook between 10-14 lbs at one time (3 to 4 racks). Using only charcoal and the water pan. In about 3-4hrs they are done, I use a meat thermometer to check the internal temp. of the thickest piece of meat. The inside meat temp. should be 165*F.

Here are some tips that I use, that might make it easier for you.
-I line the charcoal pan with heavy foil this radiates the heat upward.
-Don't open cover frequently, you lose heat. I open only when flipping the meat, around halfway through.
-Filling the water pan adds moisture to the meat.
-Adding charcoal every hour. Lighting it outside the smoker then adding it once ready. I add it using a fireplace shovel.

Pros: Small footprint, easy clean-up
Cons: Hood Temp Gauge should read actual numeric temp, Door to narrow

I have had many grills, but this smoker delivers the best flavors I have had from any grill. Meat is tender and jucy with or without the water pan. For thoes who like to season their meat prior to cooking, this is the grill for you.

This smoker works pretty good, but only if you make the following modifications:

1) Drill holes in the firepan. That way the coals can burn evenly and not go out.

2) Take out the waterpan. That way it can actually get hot enough to cook your food. If you try to use the waterpan the food will not cook.

3) Take out the lower cooking grate. That way you actually have enough room to access the firepan and coals while you are cooking.

If you make these modifications this thing will work pretty good and cook at the proper temperature. Downside is you're only left with the upper grate to cook on. That's not a lot of room. The craftsmanship is not very good on this product, but with modifications it gets the job done.