Char-Broil The Big Easy TRU-Infrared Smoker Roaster & Grill, Black

I've mostly been using the roaster but the food is turning out fantastic. Shame there isn't any hooks or other accessories that are specifically designed for the SRG. The grill works but I believe you'd probably be better off with a BBQ designed specifically for grilling and of course the "smoker" isn't all that great. It is a very small compartment and the smoke won't last very long. Real smoking takes hours with a relatively expensive smoker if that's what you're looking for. Although you could try wrapping the woodchips in aluminum foil and poking a small hole at the top and putting it at the bottom of the barrel, I've done that with charcoal bbqs before but I'm not sure if it's okay to do that with the SRG. Assembly on the other hand was such a pain in the !@#. I believe that there might of been some manufacturing defects or warping with my roaster because getting the holes to align for the parts that the SRG dials attach to was very difficult. The rails for the drip tray was also put in wrong and I had to adjust and fix it, fortunately that wasn't too difficult.

Where to start?? Let's say this bad boy made the best turkey my mother in law has had in her entire life. Very easy assembly. Smoker works great. For long smokes leave the lid open and let it do its thing! Cooks great and is truly a bargain!

I was asked this Thanksgiving if I wanted to deep fry a turkey. Well, of course I said yes! So I went to a local store and was going to buy a deep fryer and a ton of oil, and set it up. When I got there, I saw the deep fryer, and a smaller version of this Char-Broil unit on display. For the cost of the deep fryer and oil, I could buy the smaller unit. Now, I knew it wasn't a deep fryer, but I was intrigued by the "infrared grill". So instead of buying either, I went home to do some research. I talked to a friend of mine, and we thought the Char-Broil infrared grill sounded good, but wouldn't it be better if we could add smoke to it? And that's what led me to find this unit, the Char-Broil Big Easy Infrared Smoker, Roaster and Grill. Now, obviously this unit does not deep fry. It's a roaster, smoker and grill. So if you have your heart set on deep frying something large, you should go and do that. Myself, I was concerned. One, because the oil needed was going to cost about $20/use, and then I have to dispose of all that oil somewhere. What a waste! Second, any splash-over could result in a major fire. I was hoping to cook the turkey on the deck, but thought that was probably a bad idea, so I'd have to go and do it on the back lawn. Depending on the weather, that might not be a lot of fun. I bought the Big Easy, assembled it in less than an hour (directions were easy and straightforward, and it went together fine). I seasoned it. And then I tried a 7.5 lb chicken in it, just to get a sense of what it could do. Wow!! We figured it would take 10-15 minutes per pound to cook. So I put it in and checked it an hour later. The chicken was done - actually past-done - as the coldest part of the chicken was already 173 degrees. It took only 7-8 minutes per pound. Darn! But wait, it looked great!! And I used some mesquite wood chips in the smoker, and you could smell it! The result: this chicken was the moistest, tastiest, most wonderful chicken I have had in a very long time!! It was awesome!! Subtle, but not overpowering smoke. Flavorful throughout. Skin was crispy and wonderful. Even over-done, it was great! Round two: 20 lb turkey. We put it in, and planned 2.5 hours for it to be done. It was almost done (temp 155 degrees) after an hour. I turned it down to low, and put some more wood chips in, and let it cook for another hour. It was done by hour 2, and pretty much perfect throughout. We pulled it, let it rest, and again - amazing results!! Best thanksgiving turkey we've ever had. Moist, juicy, a nice smokey flavor without being really powerful. We also took the pan drippings and made a wonderful gravy. Easy. Delicious. The unit is pretty solid. It is simple to use. And the results are great. I can't wait to do some ribs, a ham, a roast, and even corn, in the Big Easy. If the results are anything like our two poultry items, I am so glad I went in this direction. Again, if you want to deep fry, go ahead. Deal with the oil (cost, disposal) and the occasional call to the fire department. If you want to cook food easily and deliciously, this is a great way to do it.

Great bbq

This is our 2nd Big Easy SRG that we have bought. I purchased the 1st thirteen, maybe fourteen years ago, and it is still going strong. It did start getting rusty over the years, but It does remain outdoors and uncovered all year. This was a very easy fix as it is a very well built cooker. I simply took a wire wheel attached to a drill to the rusty areas and than painted with a high temp paint. After a few years now, it is still going strong. Early on I did keep it covered when not being used, but laziness and weather have done their part to keep me from that. However, I expect this unit to last a lifetime. Take your time on assembly, and follow the directions carefully, and do not forget to hook up the ignitor wire. I would also recommend doing this by hand and keep power tools away so you do not strip out any screws. One of two flaws with the unit itself is #1 with the drip tray. It doesn't fit as well as it should, but does get the job done. Seems as though it was built by another manufacturer than that of the main unit. #2 is with the smoker box. It doesn't function/operate as smoothly as it should, but if you are careful with it and take your time to understand how it is secured on the unit, you can use it. I do wish it was a little larger, but have gotten use to this and accept it for what it is, and it works well. I have used mine on and off since the original purchase, and it does function well as a smoker if you let it and work with it. Temperature wise it doesn't want to go low enough for that of a true smoker. To get it at the lower temps you just need to practice and adjust your temperature setting by rotating your temp. control knob past the high setting as if to shut it off. Between the highest setting and the off position, you are able to get a low flame that will give you those lower temperatures. It produces some of the best smoked meats if you let it!! I have used the SRG for everything, and if you watch a video or two of the unit on YouTube from HSN you will get a good overview of the cooker. It does everything amazing, grilling, smoking, roasting, and yes even baking. What I really like to use this for is as a substitute for the oven. It takes all the heat outdoors. I think this does everything extremely well, particularly with the roasting. The amount of food this unit holds is far more than we have ever needed. I do wish at times that the grilling surface was larger, but have learned to work with this. I think the size is perfect for two if you are grilling the whole meal and can be used comfortably for up to four people easily if just doing a single item. On windy days I like to wrap the bottom of the unit from the ground to the top of the legs to keep the wind from blowing out the flame. If I am smoking something I always do this as the flame is so low and if windy the wind will extinguish the flame. As I said this is our second one. We recently purchased a small vacation property and will have one there as well as our home.