Brinkmann 852-7080-E Charcoal All-in-One Grill / Smoker

This past fall I decided that I wanted to try smoking things like ribs, brisket, turkey breast, etc.  I wasn't sure if I'd even like the flavor that smoking imparted to food, so I asked my in-laws to buy me this inexpensive Brinkmann Gourmet Charcoal Smoker for Christmas so we could try it out.  My husband wanted to go straight for the $400 Weber Smoker, but somehow I managed to convince him to chill out and see what we thought of smoked meat from this less-expensive device.

About This Product

The Brinkmann Charcoal Smoker has 2 grates so you can smoke a fair amount of meat all at one time.  There are several pieces to this device: the charcoal base, the body of the smoker, the lid, the grates, the liquid tray, etc.  This is a very common smoker that is easy to find.  My in-laws bought it at the local Lowe's for about $60 just before Christmas.  Brinkmann makes two different styles of smokers: electric and charcoal.  We decided that we wanted to go with the charcoal version because it also can be used just as a charcoal grill as well for beach days, tailgating concerts, etc.

Our Experience

We have no complaints whatsoever about the performance of this Brinkmann Smoker when it comes to the flavor of the ribs, pork loin, and brisket that we've cooked in it.  The entire family has been raving for the past couple of weeks about the smoked Sunday football food that we've been serving them. 

My husband had no problems with putting all of the parts of this smoker together, but he did state right from the outset that he didn't expect this product to even make it through one cooking season because everything seemed to be so cheaply made.  I had to agree with him after the very first use when I removed the grates to clean them.  One of the metal pieces that makes up the grate popped right off as I gently removed it.  After another use, another metal piece fell off.  I find it absurd that the grates are already falling apart after just 2 uses.  The smoker itself is still intact, but give it another couple of months and that may disintegrate too.

We have learned from our limited smoking experiences that we really do enjoy the flavor of smoked food and this Brinkmann Charcoal Smoker is a low-quality product that isn't going to last for very long.  My husband works for a steel fabricator so he may be able to bring new grates home for this thing, but we currently plan to just use this as a charcoal grill for our beach days.  My husband is going to order the Weber smoker soon because the whole family is raving about how delicious everything has been and they want him to make them some tasty smoked meats as soon as possible!

Overall Opinion

The Brinkmann Charcoal Smoker produces some really tasty food, but it is cheaply made and is already starting to fall apart.  I can't recommend buying it simply because of the quality and durability issue.  I wouldn't say that you should go straight for the super-expensive and complicated smokers that are out there, but I also would caution you from buying this cheap version.  After 2 uses, this thing is already starting to fall apart.  Not recommended!


UPDATE AFTER 9 MONTHS OF USE:

The smoker is still intact but the grates are not so great as it were.  Both of them have lost a couple of metal bars for no good reason as we are always very gentle when handling and cleaning the grates.  We will have to replace them soon but I think that Santa may just bring my husband the Weber smoker that he wants instead.