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Sneak Peek: UPDATED Review - Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 Grill + Smoker!

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    #31
    Thanks Huskee,
    After reading your excellent review on this unit I decided it was something I wanted. I found one at WalMart. Brought it home and assembled it. It took the 2 hours you had listed but went well. Then I followed the break-in and seasoning instructions.During that time the temps were right on.
    I have cooked burgers at 500 degrees and they were awesome. Then last night I made pizza at 700 degrees with a stone. My home made dough and they came out incredible. The crust at 700 was a little different than when I use my UUNI at 900 but it was just as good.
    It starts up really easy with a fire starter and a small torch. Shuts down quickly and restarts quickly. This is a really great product that works many ways. Cant wait to do some ribs and a brisket. Thank you for your great review.

    Comment


    • Huskee
      Huskee commented
      Editing a comment
      I'm glad your experiences were similar to mine. One thing I haven't cooked in it is a pizza. I hope you enjoy it for a good long while!

    #32
    Great review, thanks so much. They also have a 1050, it is not on their web site. Do you happen to know anything about the 1050?

    thanks,
    Sandy

    Comment


    • Polarbear777
      Polarbear777 commented
      Editing a comment
      Seems like it would be all identical except for the size of the cookbox. Why would they redesign any part of it.

    • STEbbq
      STEbbq commented
      Editing a comment
      The changes as I understand it other than size are cosmetic. The new shelf, moved one of the latches for easier access, no paint on the inside of the hopper lid that we foil anyway, new lid handles washers, the foldout cord storage, and the "solid" tray at the bottom of the grill instead of the holes.

    • Bkhuna
      Bkhuna commented
      Editing a comment
      With the Gravity Series® 1050 Digital Charcoal Grill + Smoker by Masterbuilt®, you can smoke, grill, sear, bake, roast and more. Set the temperature and the DigitalFan™ maintains the desired cooking temperature. The GravityFed™ hopper holds up to 8 hours of charcoal, gravity ensures you have constant fuel to the fire.

    #33
    One of my neighbors--a serious (and good) BBQer and griller--purchased this earlier in the spring, and he seconds everything you said. He's been giving it a heavy workout amidst the lockdown.
    He's especially impressed with the heat range, from low-and-slow to 700+F sear in little time.
    This gizmo appears to be the real deal. Can't believe the price. I love my current set up (Napoleon Apollo for smoking and Weber Genesis for grilling), but if they ever break down, this would be the way I'd go.

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      #34
      NEVER will I purchase a new model of anything. NEVER again. See all the issues with the Weber Smoke Fire.

      Comment


      • Henrik
        Henrik commented
        Editing a comment
        Well, this smoker sure is good, I’m gonna be using it again next week. There have been many reviews so far, and most of them rave about it. So do I.

      • DavidNorcross
        DavidNorcross commented
        Editing a comment
        Interested in what you find Henrik

      #35
      I was pondering a pellet pooper when I had some folding money again, but this charcoal pooper looks like the real deal. I think I have a new item in the MCS hopper.

      Comment


        #36
        I have been eye-balling the new Weber Pellet grill, but had mixed feelings about pellets. I think the Masterbuilt 560 just moved into first place for my next grill/smoker!

        Comment


        • RichardCT
          RichardCT commented
          Editing a comment
          And I did buy one. I had already assembled the 560 and was starting the first burn-in, then I saw the platinum award had been removed due to a number of issues.
          I have smoked a turkey, a Boston butt, and a tri-tip; seared up some rib-eyes; cooked chicken thighs a couple of times and pork chops. So far I have had no issues with the MasterBuilt and every cook was easy to set-up with great results. This is my 5th cooker in my colelction and I have not used anything else since. So far, so good!

        #37
        The 1050 is now available.

        Click image for larger version

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        • Huskee
          Huskee commented
          Editing a comment
          We'll be reviewing it, most likely Max this time.

        #38
        Thanks again for the review. I pulled the trigger and bought it. Made some of the best ribs I ever made! I might even have enough guts to try a brisket! So glad I found y'all. Loving this community!

        Comment


        • MBINQUIN
          MBINQUIN commented
          Editing a comment
          Made ribs on mine last weekend and they were the best ones I have ever done!

        #39
        Looking seriously at the Masterbuilt options after reading your comprehensive and informative review, Huskee. Father's Day is right around the corner so I'm trying to finalize adding to my BBQ collection . I've become a big fan of Jealous Devil hardwood chunks and wonder if the 560 and/or the 1050 will work well with that product. I'm thinking charcoal briquettes will "flow" better with gravity due to conformity in size/shape. Anybody have any experience with feeding chunks vs briquettes?

        Comment


        #40
        SauceQuatch I've used both lump and briquettes in my Masterbuilt 560 and both work well. I have a slight preference for lump given it burns cleaner with less ash and impurities. I have not used Jealous Devil, but the best fuel I've found is B&B charlogs, which lasts forever and is very reasonably priced at Ace Hardware or Academy.

        I have found that some folks are annoyed that briquettes fall through the charcoal screen without burning into the ash catcher. I personally am not bothered, as the amounts (a few briquettes) are immaterial to me, and similar to cooks I'd do on my PBC etc. This does not happen with lump as it burns up.

        Overall, I don't think there's a difference in the MB560 operating performance based on the fuel you'd use, or no "recommended" type of coal. I think the fuel choice would be ultimately much more important depending on the meat being cooked, the time, and the length of the cook. So, if you are fan of Jealous Devil, I think you'd get some great cooks out of it on the MB560. Looking forward to seeing you post your results!

        Comment


        • RichardCT
          RichardCT commented
          Editing a comment
          I was losing a lot of partially burned and a few whole briquettes through the grate. It was annoying trying to separate them out from the ash to re-use them, so I stopped that. I did find a fix on youtube; buy some flat kabob skewers (5 will do nicely), cut to length, and weave over the central rod and under the flat metal on both ends. Works like a charm!

        #41
        Thanks ZC. I agree with all points. I got into the chunks because I grew tired of emptying my ash bin so often and 100% agree it's a cleaner burn. They burn longer than briquettes and I find myself using less flavoring wood with them vs briquettes. I have a Backwoods Chubby now; an awesome little vertical smoker. I'm thinking of stepping up to the 1050 as I just found out this morning after trying to resurrect a Kenmore Elite propane grill with my power washer that NW rain, time and rust have won the battle. I'll be sure to look into the B&B charlogs as JD can be a bit pricey. CHEERS!

        Comment


          #42
          Uh oh...
          https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...asterbuilt-560

          Comment


            #43
            Here's my review, and pics of the firebox.
            https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...ibration-tests

            Comment


              #44
              Update for any who haven't followed the other topic- I ran into some issues a couple weeks back. Issues that unfortunately will affect our overall rating, and we've removed the Platinum medal. I will work to get the review amended and discuss with Max what our award will be after we update our readers with the details of our experiences. We've already had several discussions both with MB and Max & I. This is a toughy. I've had switch failures which, if you're handy, you can bypass the switch(es) and it works fine. On the other hand, a non-handy person might not be able to do this, and the obvious fact is NO ONE should have to after only a few months, heavy use or not. More to come.

              Comment


                #45
                Too bad. This sounded like a great all in one solution for those of us who really don't want several cookers. A great smoker AND high temp griller? NICE!. Sadly, the concerns over build quality seem to be warranted.

                Comment


                • rickgregory
                  rickgregory commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Yeah, I;d pay another $200 for a more robust version of this. As it is, this is a hard pass for me. Yes, it's inexpensive but seeing the issues show up after just a couple of months? Nah,

                • Potkettleblack
                  Potkettleblack commented
                  Editing a comment
                  I think that's exactly it. Someone else will make it more robust. Someone will make it more distinctive styled. A couple players will innovate a bit further.

                  I think this is a natural place for some pellet players to expand to. I could see a funky Grilla charcoal feed grill.

                • rickgregory
                  rickgregory commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Potkettleblack -- yeah but while I'd pay ~$750 for it, I wouldn't pay $1500 so I don't want the only innovation to be among small, specialty places. Both this unit and the SMokefire really seemed like they'd bring innovative stuff to people at a price point that was more friendly and both... just... failed.

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