The price for both is about the same in the $955-$985 range, once you buy the GrillGrates, cover, and accessory pack for the Silverbac. I don’t need the AlphaSmoke, but I suppose it’s a nice to have option.
I smoke year round, including in Illinois winter, so the double-walled insulation in a plus. The area is pretty windy, and I have little in the way to shield it, as I have to move the grill to the end of the driveway so it is in a flat area, but that also leaves it exposed. With the constant moving, good mobility is always a plus. I also feel pretty comfortable with about 500 square inches of space, given I am cooking for just my wife and I. I’ve loaded up the MB560 several times, but haven’t needed any more space.
Since I do not need the extra space, the biggest pros for the SIlverbac are the storage underneath the smoker plus the ability to add a front shelf.
For the Grilla, the pros would be the AlphaSmoke included, and the likely slight improvement in smokey flavor. I’ve determined the best way to describe this is that more smoke can remain in the cooking chamber since you only need to open the hinge very slightly to check on the meat. I assume this probably also aids in quicker temp recovery times on a windy day.
Both units appear to be more or less built identically, and both can be assembled very quickly.
Given I would be getting a lot less square footage for my dollar with the OG Grilla, and both units appear to be constructed identically, I assume the extra cost is due to the design.
I also have looked at the Chimp, which after including the cover and GrillGrates, is about $300 cheaper for a similar amount of square footage to the Grilla. My primary concern is its durability as a main cooker versus a back-up for tailgating (I don’t go camping) since it only weighs 90 pounds.
The lack of WiFi is eh. I don’t need it for temperature monitoring or adjustments during the cook, but I would be interested if Grilla introduces it with low pellet alerts and/or the ability to turn the smoker on and off. I have it on the MB560, and it’s cool, but it adds nothing over the InkBird temperature monitor I already use.
So, this is where I am at in terms of looking at the Grillas. The wife only allows one smoker at a time, which makes the timing here fairly uncertain, as the MB560 is performing very well.
Are there any considerations or features that I have not mentioned that would push you in one direction or the other?
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