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Masterbuilt 800 vs. Char-Griller 980

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    Masterbuilt 800 vs. Char-Griller 980

    Hi everyone! I'm new here, but I've been smoking on my Weber kettle for the past 3 years or so. I've finally decided that I enjoy smoking enough and do it frequently enough to justify upgrading to a dedicated-use smoker.

    When I started smoking, I had always imagined one day getting an offset. However, I have a 5 month old infant, and am not expecting to have a ton of free time, so I let this dream go and decided to settle on something a little more practical. After spending a lot of time looking into different types of pellet/electric smokers, I've decided that I would like to pick up a gravity feed charcoal smoker.

    I'm torn between the Char-Griller 980 and the Masterbuilt gravity series. Space isn't really a deciding factor for me - the smallest MB gravity smoker (or the next size up) is plenty big for me, let alone the 980. What's more important to me is functionality and reliability. I've read a lot about how the initial MB line had some issues, but from what I can tell the team went about fixing these issues in the second generation of the gravity family. I will also say that I don't really care about the griddle that the MB 800 comes with; I don't really see myself using it much, as I have a decent indoor griddle. I'm not going to avoid the MB 800 because of it or anything; it just won't make any impact on my decision.

    Any advice would be very welcome and appreciated! Thank you all for your time!

    #2
    This video is probably the best comparison. Personally, I prefer my MB560 because of the square box which creates more space.

    Comment


    • davibf11
      davibf11 commented
      Editing a comment
      Thanks for sending that over! Watched the review - it looks like the CG980 may have some design elements that are better thought out than the MB series, so I may go that route over the MB800. Had been looking for a high quality comparison review for a while, somehow didn't see this one. Would still be interested in anyone's thoughts on pros and cons of each smoker!

    • STEbbq
      STEbbq commented
      Editing a comment
      The differences between the two are really minimal at this point. You’d be happy with either. If you think the pros from the video sell you on the CG then perfect.

    #3
    It’s probably like picking between a Chevy and a Pontiac used to be as they are part of the same corporation now. I suspect the CharGriller was a joint effort before the deal was finalized and announced publicly.

    Comment


      #4
      Welcome to The Pit.

      Sorry, but I can't help.

      Comment


        #5
        I am still torn on this. This gonna be my first more expensive smoker, I have used a COS and a cheap propane box one. I will be pissed if I get the wrong one 700 buck isn't something I can sneeze at

        Comment


        • glitchy
          glitchy commented
          Editing a comment
          Are you a Costco member? They had the 800 for a good price, but without the griddle.

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