Originally posted by DanMancuso
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that 980 isa good coker u will like it...char-grilla on there site says the chamber has no need for a gasket..i put one anway on my friends and on the fire box..checkout Tom Horsnman on u tube -
One big difference between the MGS and Char-Griller is that unlike the MGS, the Char-Griller is not cloud enabled. That means that you can only use their app to monitor the cooker as long as your phone and the cooker are on the same WiFi network. This would make the Char-Griller a non-starter for me, even if I hadn't already ordered a 560 with some of my Air Canada miles. :-)Comment
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I can confirm there has been regular firmware updates on the MGS as well that have fixed bugs and made the WiFi rock solid without hurting performance.Comment
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I did a lot of research on the MGS line prior to using my points to order one and from what I've read, these are the main problems that folks have reported:
1. The lining of the firebox burns away and one finds small bits of metal in the ash bin. Masterbuilt says this is by design and the thin metal in that area is there to protect the fire resistant material underneath until it hardens up from the heat of use. The MGS series now ships with a porcelain lined hopper which is new.
2. Issues with the switches. There is a switch to detect the lid being open and one for the lid on the charcoal hopper being open. These switches were problematic for a lot of folks. The newer MGS grills have new switches with stainless steel plungers rather than plastic ones.
3. Unburned charcoal in the ash bin. This was also addressed by Masterbuilt with a new design for the charcoal grate that has smaller openings and everything I've read from those who have this updated grate indicates that it solves the initial problem.
I realize that FB groups for products are normally full of fans but I belong to 4 of them, and those who have an MGS rave about how great a cooker it is. At least Masterbuilt has acknowledged the short comings and has addressed them. I can't wait for mine to arrive.Comment
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1. Metal on mine long gone. Probably 100 cooks in no issues with performance due to the firebox
2. All my switches are dead and I shorted them all together.
3. Haven’t noticed any unburned coals ever. Except when I run lump and those small pieces fall through while loading.
Cooks great, easy to run, reloading fuel mid cook us no prob, I run it for 24 hrs plus many weekends and the ash bin isn’t even full.
Doesn’t seem built to last....my guess is 4-5 years before major parts needed.
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Just received my 980 a few days ago. I've done reverse seared ribeyes, chicken, and asparagus so far. Everything came out excellent and the temperature is rock solid. The temp is even on the grill surface area, no bad hot spots. Steaks and chicken every bit as good as my Kamado Joe with the convenience of a pellet grill. I don't think I'm ever going back. This thing will smoke at 225, then shoot up to 700 in minutes to sear. Just best to set it to 675 or so to avoid shooting over. It's really something else and the smoke from chunks in the ash basket is just fine. I love this grill. It's also built like a tank.Comment
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One thing I'll also add is the space. Lots and lots of space on this beast. So much better than my 18" kamado. You can throw a lot of food on this thing and with the even temp distribution, you're just fine. It's really impressive how they managed to have even cooking over the whole surface.Comment
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I finally got around to watching this Tom Horsman video comparing the MB560 and the Char-Griller GF.
The major differences are the improved grease management with the Char-Griller and the more insulated firebox.
The problem is the updated parts look to be porcelain-coated and not stainless steel, meaning durability issues and rust issues over time. There's also a more substantial charcoal grate for catching coals.
I am not entirely convinced that the upgraded grease management system will offer benefits. As the grease tray is not removable, so maybe it will let more grease flow to the grease bucket effectively, but you'd still have to take everything out to clean it, versus the removable drawer with the MB.
With MB560 offering the upgraded grate, switches, and firebox inserts, it seems that they've at least upgraded the parts to match up with Char-Griller.
And, as others have noted, the MB lets you monitor from anywhere, while the Char-Griller is WiFI only.
Tom also noted no differences in food quality.
Overall, I don't think it's a slam dunk that the Char-Griller is automatically better than the MB560, especially given the recent MB updates.
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First impressions after three cooks (Ribs, Brisket, 2" Tomahawk Steaks)
!!! FANTASTIC !!!
Full disclaimer: I applied gasket tape around the cooking chamber lid and the firebox top lid as part of the assembly. Also, put bumpers on the legs where the front shelf could hit when in the down position. AND, bumper on the side of the shelf where the firebox ash door could hit when opened. All done before firing it up. Then ran a 30-minute smoke test for leaks.
Ribs: 3.5 hours @ 225ËšF. Fuel: Mix of Briquets, Lump, and Hickory chunks. The grill maintained the temp perfectly.
Brisket: 15.2Lbs (after trimming). 3 hours @225ËšF, 13 hours @ 250ËšF. Fuel: Same mix as ribs. I did top off the hopper mid-cook to ensure I didn't run out of fuel. Total cook time: 16.25 hours. Again, temps were maintained perfectly.
Tomahawk Steaks: 8-10 minutes @ 700Ëš, flipping every minute. Fuel: Lump (Hickory chips in ash can). As the lid was opened, I wanted to test the temps around the surface. I put seven (yes, 7) temp probes around the grill; each corner, center edges, and dead center. Cooked the tomahawks. I was SHOCKED, all probes were within 10Ëš of each other at all times, EVEN THE FRONT! I was blown away.
Taste Review: As many of you know, my wife is a VERY discerning BBQ carnivorous fiend. If the smoke is "dirty" or even slightly too much, she lets me know and won't eat more than a bite or two. Seriously.
I used Hickory on all of these cooks as it is a stronger (heavy) smoke and I wanted to see how the Char-Griller Gravity 980 handles it. All of my taste-testers (11) said the smoke flavor was spot on. When turning to my wife to get her review, she looked up from her empty brisket plate, smiled, and said, "Thank you for cooking this perfectly to my taste." I asked her how she liked the ribs from the night before, "Why? What did you do that was different? Did you test some kind of weird stuff, like ground grub-rub or something?", she asked. "No, just used the new cooker with my regular process.", was my reply. "They were excellent. Let's have some more for Memorial Day."
So, there you have it. Pretty good cooker. It is now, officially, in my stable of cookers.
Last edited by BCam; May 30, 2021, 09:10 AM.Comment
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One thing I forgot to mention, I put two trays of the brisket trimmings to render the fat for tallow (I use either Wagyu Tallow or self-rendered tallow when wrapping my brisket). The real estate on this grill allowed for the huge brisket and the two trays of trimmings.Comment
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I am waiting for the review here before I pull the trigger. 2 years ago I bought a new propane grill and my wife is not in love with the idea of me needing a new grill/smokerComment
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