Customer Reviews

Brinkmann 810-7080-8 Gourmet Electric Smoker and Grill with Vinyl Cover, Red

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have owned this smoker for 5 years now and have a few insights for those looking to purchase this smoker.

I have smoked 7 turkeys, alot of pork, and some beef all with really great results.

I love that its electric. Regulating temp with charcoal smokers can be tedious. You barely have to do anything to it except add water and chips. It will maintain the ideal temperature of 220 degrees fairly well, But there are a few issues with this smoker:

1. Materials and construction- metal is thin and the lid fits loosely. The lid is suppose to fit loosely! There is no vent so it helps with the smoke. But because the metal is thin, on cold and/or windy days, it can be difficult for it to maintain it's temp on long smokes. Often runs 200-210 degrees. This will increase your cooking time! On hot days it will run at 230- 240 degrees. Although I can't reccomend this modification to help with heat loss, I have actually heard of people fitting a electric water heating blanket to the outside of the smoker to help with this.

2. I wish the heating element was adjustable to help regulate the temp.

3. The door is small which makes it hard to add chips or water. Although you can take the unit off its base to add chips, this is akward and a bit dangerous since you may spill the water. It is nice to remove the base to help clean the unit though.

4. I installed an after market temp. gauge in the lid. (A must)

Overall a good entry level smoker that is super easy to use. Got mine at W-mart for $75. Anyhow, it's a great value for under a $100. Now after 5 years, it is about done and I need a new smoker. I will try to upgrade although after looking around at all the electric smokers, I might just buy another one of these. I love the "bullet" design of the vertical smokers.

The stainless steel version of this model looks nice and is obviously made of better material, but the main section is attacted to the base. I do like being able to remove the base. Plus the element is still not adjustable. The only other choice is a stainless steel meco smoker which has a better door design and a adjustable heating element, but is double the price. So I will either get this model again and do some modifications (temp gauge and maybe an adjustable element) or get the meco. Hope this review helps.

I picked up this smoker at Lowes for a lot less than Amazon. I also bought an inexpensive cover with elastic that works just fine. Overall this is a good smoker. Assembly took a while since the handles didn't match up with the holes on the smoker body and lid so I had to hammer at the handles a bit to get them to fit. Otherwise assembly was easy.

The food thus far has come out great. I have done salmon twice. I was smoking in 30 and 40 degree weather and the fish took the normal 2 hour smoke time. Once it was heated and smoking the temperature stayed between 200-250 degrees. I'm sure it will do turkey breasts and brisket just as well also.

I would recomend this to anyone who wants a fair priced entry level smoker.

Can someone else comment on how your turkey turned out? I tried to smoke a turkey but after 9 hours, I gave up and finished the 15lb bird in the oven. The internal temp of the smoker stayed at 200'-230' and yet the bird's temp only reached 150'. Far less than the 180' cooked temperature required.
I also noticed the thing ate wood chips. My bro-inlaw has a weber bullet smoker and only added 1 1/2 cups of soaked chips over an 8 hour period, whereas the Brinkmann smoked up 3 cups of soaked chips in 2 hours. I think it has to do with the design with the smoke escaping at the opening of the loose fitting lid.

I was disappointed because I thought the Brinkmann was a great value for a low maintenance electric smoker. I returned it.
Now looking at the old smokey....

***Update: I will leave the text below as originally written: so the entire paint on the inside pealed off in one giant sheet during a cold day/smoking session. The replacement seems again to be fine. ***


I've had mine for a year, and love it. It was cheap, easy and gets used all the time. It's pretty foolproof. Didn't have any of the paint problems that someone complained of. The smoker gets certainly hot enough (unsure why folks complain that this is a problem, unless they have a defective unit), as you don't want to cook the meat quickly, or the smoke won't penetrate. For the price definitely get it. Make sure to get the cover if it isn't in the box (some come with some don't) if you live anywhere there is rain, as rain + smoke/ash lead to rapid corrosion. Make sure this thing is WELL vented, as it produces unbelievable amounts of smoke if used correctly. For a big smoke, as someone noted you have to add more wood (depends on the chunk size). They note in the manual that you should not have the chunks touch the heater, so take care in placing the chunks.

PROS:
Lightweight, make sure to get cover for it.
very inexpensive
super simple (put in wet wood, put in liquid, put in meat, plug in, repeat)
produces gobs of smoke (make sure no air intakes for your house are nearby, you only do that once!)
nice big fluid bowl
2 racks, each capable of holding a big turkey (I've done 2x19lbs)
Electric works when it's cold and it doesn't run out in the middle of a big cooking session, unlike propane (pure wood smokers have this advantage if you have a big wood pile)
Easy cleaning
Nice side door for adding the odd chunk of wood

CONS:
Ash builds up quickly on the lava rocks, which after a long while will start to float (I've taken to periodically rinsing the rocks in a colander)
There is no smokestack, so smoke comes out on all sides of the top (just be aware)
This is more a mild hard smoke (moderate heat, mostly smoke), particularly if it's cold out (this can be a plus with fish - it produces awe inspiring smoked salmon)
Times in manual virtually useless (so spend a few bucks a get a remote grilling thermometer, problem solved)

HOW I USE IT:
My local oil/ice company here in Boston sells smoking woods (I get 50lbs bags of hickory and mesquite at home depot and cherry and apple at the ice place, all 4 last one season). Take a few chunks and soak them for an hour or 2 (if you need faster smoking, start with one simply rinsed one which will start smoking in minutes)

Smoked Salmon:
Get big salmon fillets at costco. Rinse the fish to get anything off, and to make spices stick. Look for bones at this point. Pack in Pepper, Dill, Lemon Zest and about 1/4" of kosher salt. Seal it up in the fridge overnight. About 1-2 hours start smoking with either apple or hickory. Rinse the fish REALLY well to get off the salt or it will be WAY to salty. Reapply dill, zest and pepper (there is NO need for salt again - trust me), With a remote thermometer in the thick part of the fish, put a bottle of beer in the liquid bowl, slap it on the top rack with some 1/2 lemons (smoked lemon rocks). Somewhere in the 130 range the fish is done (remember it is salt cured, so it can take a lower temp) but feel free to adjust to taste. Most folks say this beats store bought smoked salmon.

Tequilla-Lime Smoked Chicken Tacos:
Get boneless breasts. Rinse, place in big ziploc with tequila, lime juice, lime wedges, a little salt and pepper, chili pepper overnight in fridge. This is slightly ceviche'd at this point. Don't rinse off chicken. Put wet mesquite chunks in the smoker, add beer to the bowel (a corona or other mexican beer to be authentic) then place chicken on racks (I end up filling up most of both racks). Somewhere between 1-2 hours, check the meat temp (unlike the fish, make it 170+, this is chicken!). Let it rest for a few minutes, then shred to make tacos. It can be easy to over dry the meat, so watch closely. Remember it will be pink on the meat, this is the "smoke line"

I have owned a Brinkman smoker for 14 years...not this one, but the more simple model that costs about $85.00. I have smoked several turkeys, many chickens, salmon, pork roasts....ALL with great success. TWO things I can think of might help with your low temperature problem:

1. Did you use an extension cord with it? I once had the same problem you had when I used a long extension cord. Troubleshooting, I searched the manual that came with it and found that it says not to use long extension cords (you'll have to search your manual for the maximum optimum length). PLEASE don't give up on your smoker! I get much more tender, juicy results than I do with my flambeed grilled meats!! ha ha! The smoker is easy to use, no fuss and not too bad of a mess to clean if you line your water pan with heavy duty foil! I use Easy-Off oven cleaner on my two racks and water pan and be sure to rinse them very well. I can leave for four hours and my food will be ready when I return (just be sure your water pan always has liquid in it) When we have company, they LOVE the smoked flavor. Hope this helps. Once I eliminated the long extension cord, all was well.
2. Were you peeking at your turkey or basting it? My lid also has a small gap through which the smoke escapes, but it doesn't affect it. You cannot constantly open the lid to peek or baste as this allows the heat to escape and it will take a while for the smoker to reach the proper temperature again. NO NEED to baste with a smoker! The meat is always juicy.

I found your review because after 14 years, I'm seeing rust on my smoker, which was one of the best of our wedding gifts. I never owned a cover for it but always stored it in the garage when not in use. This last year, however, it spent much time neglected outside (I have four children now) and I wanted to research smokers to find the replacement for our trusty old one!

I would highly recommend a Brinkman electric smoker to anyone who is considering purchasing one (sorry, I've never tried another brand). It's so much easier than grilling because you never need to watch over your food to prevent charring. I guess you could say a smoker is to a grill as a crockpot is to an oven, except that unlike crockpot food, the meat will appear beautifully golden-browned with NO blackness.

I just saw this other model on Amazon that looks like mine:
Brinkmann 810-5290-4 Smoke'N Grill Electric Smoker and Grill, Black
It is shorter and so would be easier to store.

I'm relatively new to the art of smoking, having smoked my first piece of meat only about 5 months ago. My first smoker was given to me, and it was the charcoal version of this one. It worked okay, but considering how much charcoal it consumed and especially how much time and tending it required, I decided there must be a better way. So I bought the electric version. Had I known about the conversion kit maybe I would have gone that route instead. But what the heck -- it only cost me $70 at Home Depot, I got to check it for obvious defects before I bought it, and I got to bring it with me when I went home. Either way, I'm glad I went electric. It's SO much easier -- just load it up, add a few (well steeped) wood chunks around (not on) the coils, and walk away -- for at least 4 hrs anyway. After 4 hrs I typically add more wood chunks and check the water. I add water (heated to the point of boiling) via the side door using a long-spouted metal watering can. That works fine. To add wood chunks I find it easiest to remove the cylinder, lid and all, from the base. I tried adding wood chunks through the side door but decided it was just about impossible to do without burning myself. I also try never to open the lid unless it's to mop the meat. And to assist in that endeavor I bought a (corded) remote meat thermometer at the local swap meet for $10. I highly recommend doing the same, because it allows you to continuously monitor the internal meat temperature from outside the smoker. Like many other reviewers mentioned, I also installed a temp probe in the lid to monitor the inside of the smoker itself. But since (unlike the charcoal smoker I transferred the probe from) you can't adjust the temperature of the unit anyway (except, prehaps, by using different grades of extention cords -- more about that later), I don't think it's essential. It's the temp of the meat that's important.

As far as the meat temp goes, I've smoked all kinds of meats now, often 20 or more lbs at a time, and thus far I haven't had a problem getting it up to the desired temp. In fact, this past Thanksgiving I smoked a stuffed(!), 21 lb. turkey without a problem. To be honest, I was surprised it worked as well as it did. Everything I read on the net suggested it's impossible or at least ill-advised to try to smoke a stuffed bird that big. So I fully expected to have to finish it in the oven. But I didn't. In the end I was hailed as a genious, a gourmet among chefs for serving the moistest, tenderest turkey most of our guests ever had. They were probably right about that last part -- the results were incredible. But it's really the smoking process itself, not to mention my little Brinkman smoker, that deserve the lion's share of the credit, not me.

A couple of other things: First, I've found that using an extension cord does affect performance. But the gauge of the cord is also important. Using a short, heavy duty (AC or dryer grade) cord works about as well as plugging the smoker directly into an outlet. But lower grade and longer cords will reduce heat output. It's also true that you should meticulously avoid using the same circuit for anything but the smoker while the smoker is plugged in. If you do, the best thing that could happen is you'll keep tripping the breaker. That's if your breaker works like it's supposed to. If it doesn't you might end up burning down your house. And that would suck. Third, I strongly recommend using wood chunks, rather than wood chips, with this smoker. Chips are too much of a hassle. Finally, ambient weather conditions can affect a smoker's performance. And given its minimal construction it may apply to this smoker more than others. But while that seems reasonable to assume, I confess that it is only an assumption on my part: here in SoCal weather has yet to be a factor in my case. At any rate, I love my cheap little piece of junk. Dollar for dollar it was a great investment. I highly recommend it.

I have owned a Brinkmann electric smoker for about 3 years now, and have smoked everything I could think of to smoke on it, with excellent results. I have the following cautions to offer:
1. Be sure to remove the heating element from the smoker after each use and store it separately in a safe place. Be careful not to spill water on the heating element when it is on. I have gone through two elements so far as a result of not following these instructions, both corroded and burned out as a result (it's in the user's manual, which I studiously neglected to read). It's a pain, but it's cheaper than having to replace the element every year.
2. Heed the warnings in the other reviews about how much electricity this thing burns. I was using the outdoor outlet on the patio for a year or so, but eventually had to switch to another outlet because the breaker got too weak, and would pop off every time I used the smoker(not a good thing to happen to the turkey on Thanksgiving Day when all the ladies in the house keep using their hair blow dryers).
3. I have not yet tried this, but putting a cardboard box around it in cold weather would seem to be a great idea. I have smoked several turkeys the last three years in this smoker, works great, but it does take a long time, over 24 hours. The turkey is moist and tender, much better than baking in the oven.
4. I bought rib racks to do smoked pork ribs, and used them several times, but you really don't need them. I just put the ribs on the flat racks now, and that works just as well.
5. Be sure to follow the instructions (recipes on the internet) for smoking fish. Smoked fish without the marinade is like eating shoe leather. Trust me, I know.
6. Throw away the lava rocks that come with the smoker, and buy a bag of real lava rocks from the home center. Believe me, they work much better. Put the heating element on the bottom, and place the lava rocks (carefully) on top of the element, so that the wood does not contact the element. I use fruit tree prunings from our trees, and hickory chunks I got from a friend, works great. The little wood chips you get in the little bags are a waste of time, don't bother.
7. Like the other reviewers say, the thing is supposed to fit loosely, so that the smoke has someplace to go. Don't try to seal it up tight, or it won't work (that, too, is in the manual).

I've always wanted a smoker, but wasn't willing to spend the money on a top of the line model. Plus, being a bit of a lazy cook, I wanted to get something that didn't involve a lot of fuss and muss.

So, when I saw this Brinkman electric smoker, I thought I'd give it a shot. While Amazon is my usual place to shop, I have to confess I got this from the big box home improvement store ("depot"). They had it on the web site for less than half the Amazon price with free shipping. Plus had a coupon that took several more dollars off the price. Couldn't pass it up. Granted, the one I got did not include the cover, but that's not a problem since it will get stored in a sheltered area.

The construction quality is not what you would call top-notch, but acceptable for the price. Assembly is straightforward - need a screwdriver and pliers. You will also need to season the smoker before using it for real. Simple process - just coat the inside with vegetable oil and then run it for 3 or so hours.

Easy to use and the food is wonderful. I mean wonderful!! And so easy - basically just fill the pan with water, put in some wood chunks, put on the food and leave it alone for a few hours. That's the type of cooking I like!

Clean up is a bit more involved since you have to clean the water pan and the grates. But both fit into the dishwasher, so I only have to wait for things to cool then toss them in for cleaning.

I'm sure the smoking purists will scoff at the idea of an electric model, and the more expensive ones will probably last longer and work better. I'm also sure that this does not have the power to work well in very cold temperatures. But for summertime smoking, you can't get better than this for the money (assuming you get it at the depot) . Highly recommend!

Note: I was also very impressed by the customer service from Brinkman. The water pan had a big dent in it from shipping (the depot shipped it in just the manufacturer box, and it must of taken a hit from UPS). The dent was deep enough that it cracked the metal, and I was concerned about long-term leaks and rust. I called Brinkman and five days later, a new water pan arrived via FedEx. No hassles, no forms, just quick, polite, effective service. Rare to find that these days.

I don't own one yet; But I am buying one this week! Although I am a diehard amazon customer. I am NOT buying it here cause LOWES regular price is "half" what it is here. My friend has owned his for a couple of years & loves it. I have had some food from it & it was so moist & flavorful. I'd recommend it, BUT I would probably check around to see if it's cheaper in your area.

I looked at so many smokers online- Amazon, Google, etc. all over the net. So many mixed reviews about heating elements that failed on this one or that one, parts that malfunctioned on this one or that one...I had a hard time spending the $300-$500 I was convinced I'd have to spend to get a decent smoker because not a single one left me feeling good about my chances of getting a good smoker. While at Home Depot, I saw that they had this smoker (minus the cover- have to buy it separately) for $69. At that price, I was much more willing to give it a try. Make sure you follow the directions to cure the smoker (run it for 3 hours and cool for 30 min prior to first use). The smoker works via a heating coil that lays on top of lava rocks which will heat-up and help distribute the heat. On top of that pan sits two grill grates- spaced to allow a chicken or turkey on the bottom rack and with the space provided by the domed lid- an additional one can fit on the top rack. The directions say you can fit up to 4 chickens. For my first try- I cooked a chicken on the lower rack and a rack of ribs on the upper rack. The ribs were fantastic (took just under 3 hours) and the chicken was "the best chicken I've ever had" per my husband. The chicken took about 4 hours to cook. I used a digital thermometer fork inserted into the thigh to check the temp. Clean-up consists of cleaning the racks and the drip pan (which I filled with a beer and about 3 bottles worth of water during smoking to keep everything moist which it definitely did). On my Weber grill, since I'm not smoking for hours- I don't bother soaking the wood chips. Here- I definitely recommend an overnight soak. I added dry chips 3 times during the 4 hour cook time. I will update this review as I use it more this summer, but for now, I love this smoker.