Pellet Grill vs Gravity Fed Charcoal Smoker | Which should you buy!

[@dennispiper3216]

There are times that I don’t want to be overpowered by smoke flavor so I just don’t add any wood to the 1050. The flavor is still amazing. I actually just fixed a meatloaf on the 1050 without any wood and the wife loved it.

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Dennis thanks. I also do the same from time to time. That said, for this test I wanted to show what both pits are capable of using all it's strengths. Cheers!

[@timothyhestand9439]

Great video... I went with a pit boss a few years back because I loved the ease of temp control (especially after I installed the Savannah Stoker controller) But I missed the smoked flavor of using natural wood. Pellets just don't give that taste. I also missed the charcoal flavor mixed with the smoke given off by a big wood chunk. So for me it's the masterbuilt gravity fed. Anyway good video...

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Tim. Thanks bud for the comment.

[@meatcranium4280]

I definitely like a Smokey flavor on the backside as well. Steaks were beautiful.

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Thanks brother. Both were good but I definitely dig the smoke.

[@tonefaulcon9729]

Rookie griller here. Thanks for the video! Definitely helps me in the big decision on pellet or charcoal!

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Enjoy

[@tadcock30]

Without a shadow of a doubt it’s the Masterbuilt for me!!

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Tommy. You can never go wrong with that decision.

[@Hotshots2890]

its great buy , mine is a beast!

[@SmokinJoesPitBBQ]

Great cook comparison Tommy. Did the Masterbuilt have charcoal in it too? Have a great week buddy!🤘

[@thegalleryBBQ]

It did Joe. Thanks buddy

[@johnmbell4642]

Excellent comparison TommySomehow I almost missed this one keep the videos coming have a good one

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Thanks, will do! Enjoy and stay tuned for a rib cook off between these two pits.

[@robertmantell1700]

Late to the party, I am about to retire my grill and have been thinking about getting one of these Masterbuilt jobbies. Thank you for sharing.

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Glad I could help

[@ChewyBlues]

I did this comparison with briskets. The Masterbuilt ran way with it. Better bark, better smoke flavor, juicier, you name it. So much so that I sold the pellet grill to get a bigger gravity grill. It had no advantages for my way of cooking. My wife likes lighter smoke as well so when I do steaks I just drop one apple chunk in the ash bin. Fuel consumption edge still goes to pellet grills for sure, but good quality lump charcoal can last a long time in a Masterbuilt hopper. I slept 8 hours while cooking the briskets and the MB still had a few lumps unburned when I woke up.

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Agreed... I LOVE LOVE my gravity feds!!

[@Hotshots2890]

Pitboss gives you that "Chicago" style char all black

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Which I do love. Thanks for the comment.

[@Hotshots2890]

@@thegalleryBBQ only thing I don't like about the MB. U can get that sear but not blackening

[@wisemanm6390]

Nice to see you reply to every comment!! I'm going to lowes tomorrow to buy my pit boss 820D3 matte black. Thanks for helping me break it down between the two.

[@thegalleryBBQ]

wise man m and I do believe, you'll love it!! Cheers and I hope to follow along with your BBQ Journey!

[@ComparisonCooking]

Wow, good review, I thought it would have been the other way around!

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Kev. Thanks buddy!

[@beers-jackofbbq]

My wife would have said the exact same thing about the smoke. Nice comparison and both looked good to me! Cheers!

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks brother!

[@bobchristie2163]

Looking good, from the Masterbuilt group

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Bob. Thanks bud. Enjoy your week!

[@honeyforce996]

What is you use charcoal pellets in the pellet smoker?

[@thegalleryBBQ]

im not understanding the question.

[@honeyforce996]

If people love pellet grills because they are easy (and pretty cheap respectively) .... what if you tried to turn a pellet grill, into more like a charcoal grill? Like, -use pellets made of out of charcoal (such as, "Royal Oak 100% Charcoal Hardwood Pellets") -or burn a small amount of charcoal inside the cooking area. (like have a 8" cast iron pan full of lump coals smoldering) -or put some lump in the woodwind pro lump box I guess reviews about charcoal pellets are not positive. But maybe there's a way to keep the convenience of the pellet grill, and add some charcoal flavor to the pellet grill. Instead of messing with the inconvenience of a gravity charcoal system.

[@cooking1.586]

Looks real good. I like them a little more rare but a good smoke flavor makes any temperature good.

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Yeah me too. Thanks buddy for checking it out.

[@DC8FD]

Make no mistake about it, Masterbuilt Gravity Charcoal Somokers are the best units on the market today folks!! The flavor it puts in your meats is incredible!!

[@thegalleryBBQ]

1000% agree!!

[@MrStaybrown]

Absolutely

[@patrickstylianou4572]

Awesome review as always. I followed your Tri Tip cook and made one of my steaks to date. Gotta love the smokey flavor and convenience of the Masterbuilt. My only complaint is the paint in the chimney peels and needs to be scraped off. I spoke with their customer service who said, "Thank you for contacting Masterbuilt Customer Support. We apologize for the delay in response. Due to the heat from the unit the paint can bubble. You are able to scrape the layer off and paint the area again with a heat resistant paint." I hope they use the right paint moving forward because it's a major issue. Keep up the good work! 💪

[@thegalleryBBQ]

I hear you on that Paint. Thanks Patrick for that well thought out responce. Its greatly appreciated...Enjoy!

[@robertmantell1700]

What is the spray you are using? Just cooking non stick spray?

[@thegalleryBBQ]

yes. veg oil

[@robertmantell1700]

@@thegalleryBBQ Awesome, thank you!!

[@SteveContreras]

Both looked great. I notice the same results with my pellet grill and Kamado Joe. Both are good just different.

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Thanks brother. I may dig in a bit deeper on these two pits.

[@LassesFoodAndBarbecue]

NIce comparison! Love these as you know

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Thanks brother!

[@farmasis2]

Aren't you supposed to flip the grates on the Masterbuilt for sear?

[@thegalleryBBQ]

My testing shows me its more of a gimmick. Cheers

[@unclestevesshake]

GREAT STEAKS!! Great comparison. Thanks. Big box in the mail!

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Hot damn. Loving the new Rubs brother!

[@adamgronvold8608]

Which one is cheaper for the fuel? Pellets or wood?

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Pellets.

[@BehindTheFoodTV]

Charcoal FTW - I love the flavor of smoke! Thanks for doing this comparison!

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Thanks for watching! and I got more coming.

[@lx2nv]

Great video, thanks!

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Glad you liked it!

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

This is making me hungry 😋

[@thegalleryBBQ]

So good. Ain't nothing wrong with 28day-dry-aged steak. Thanks brother!

[@chrisnash2154]

Great show brother! First of all, I want to preclude that either steak is a winner at home on your own grill as opposed to driving out somewhere to drop 75 bucks or so for a steak dinner for two. My question is how much wood did you use in the 1050? Just wondering if perhaps too much wood was used. Another possibility would have been to use wood that has more subtle notes. I also wasn’t a fan of how much the steak was rollin around in the Pit Bosses Fire. Loved the color and char marks on the 1050 steak. Finally, I’d appreciate it if you could put out a video on your experience with getting your control board for the Masterbuilt 1050 repaired.

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Hi Chris and thanks for the comment. As far as wood I went with 3 chuncks in the ash catcher and 3 down in the chamber. I dig the wood flavor. Most times when the wife is going to eat ill use cherry or apple. As far as the control board, it was just a bad AC adapter. I do want to dive into a masterbuilt vs pit boss rib cook-off. Maybe baby backs as I'd like to see a longer cook. What's your thought on that??

[@chrisnash2154]

Oh man, that sounds like a great comparison. I also think your wife is a great person for a taster because she appears to like her food with a little less smoke. I’m sure she gives your audience a different viewpoint. I’m really wondering what she would’ve thought of the steak from the Masterbuilt if you would’ve either cut the amount of wood used in half or not used any?

[@thegalleryBBQ]

@@chrisnash2154 I was just thinking a rib taste test with no wood added to the Masterbuilt. Does that charcoal give enough flavor to beat out the pit boss?

[@mattl7424]

Your paint is starting to peel and bubble on the inside. Do you ah e it serviced or did you junk it or have it repaired and repainted? I have a small smoker for 70$ and the paint was coming off bubbling so I scraped mine. Prob not gonna repaint it

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Its not paint it's smoke ash build up!!

[@mikebrennan3451]

Nice work Tommy. I’m torn between a Rec Tec Bull pellet grill and the MB1050.

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Mike. The Masterbuilt will 100% provide you with better food. IMHO (and I owned a stampede)

[@HarmonHeat]

Both perfect, just a preference on level of smoke flavor. Much like you guys, my wife prefers less smokey flavor and I like em all!!!

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Yep. Aint nothing wrong with that PB char:)>

[@bry120]

Running cost?

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Gravity will cost you more!!

[@4seasonsbbq]

Great comparison Tommy, steaks looked delicious. Do you think if you ran the Master built at 550 like the pit boss it might get a lighter smoke? Great video brother.

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Hello. The smoke was in the low and slow.... At least that's what I belive:)...

[@steveseals9458]

@@thegalleryBBQ right on. You lose the smoke as you get into the higher temperatures. It's recommended to run your pellet grills as low as possible to maximize smoke flavor from them.

[@1984BBQ]

Great comparison Tommy ... I would swing towards not so Smokey myself . Both steaks looked excellent

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Right on brother. Enjoy!

[@2chrisward]

Are you doing any new masterbuilt 800 content? You kind of pushed me toward it even though I think durability longterm might be an issue. What do you think it would pair good with as a second "easier" time saving option? Pellet? Propane? Kamado? Thanks for great content!

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Pellet. I love the Masterbuilt/pellet combo, I'll be bringing in a 1050 so my 800 content may be finished. That said. That pit should last you plenty of years. Have you had any problems??

[@2chrisward]

@@thegalleryBBQ No problems yet, but it's new. I might retire my propane weber genesis and replace with a pellet. I'll be watching your content to help decide on what to get. Thank you!!!!

[@scotthudson8172]

well im just glad I didn't waste my money on that pit boss.. thanks for saving me 400 bucks

[@thegalleryBBQ]

No problem 👍 That said. I love the Pit Boss for what it is, A pellet grill:).... Scott, Enjoy my friend and thanks for the comment.

[@denniskuhlman8828]

Tommy, another great comparison,! It would interesting to see these really put to the test, and compare how they could handle say 3-4 butts, 6-8 rack of ribs or say 30 burgers..

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Jezz, You'd have to help me eat all that food. lol Email me your address [e-mail] :)

[@BehindtheGarageBBQ]

Great comparison cook Tommy! My wife is the same less smoke the better..lol...I'm for the more smoke flavor, every grill does have it's purpose, I say ya don't use just one pan in your house..lol..thanks for sharing brother, have yourself a great one, you all stay safe!👍

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Right on Thanks brother and thanks for the comment. Ill be digging a tad deeper into these two pit. And the Weber;)..

[@Lorcancunn15]

Hey brother was just wondering do u still use your pit boss copperhead ?

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Sorry man. Sold that and went with the Pit Boss 820. I loved my verticle but needed that direct flame of the 820:)...

[@dougfroehle1206]

Thanks Tommy. Another great job of putting together an informative video. The Masterbuilt steak had great color. Either steak would make me smile if it landed on my dinner plate. Cheers.

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Thanks 👍 and I agree. One is top of the line restaurant. The other, Backyard BBQ:).... eNJOY!

[@davecowan4174]

Great video. I don't know how many videos I have seen where the wife prefers less smoke but it seems to be the majority. Separate topic--glad to see the 1050 up and running. What was the problem and solution to your previous post about the controller not powering up?

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Dave, bad plug! Thanks for the comment.

[@Kevin-oh5hw]

Don't feel bad old boy my wife is not a fan of smoke either but it's where the flavor is good video.

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Kev. Thanks buddy for stopping in.

[@jtlbb2]

I feel torn. In comments you’ve said the charcoal gravity grill can outperform any pellet grills, but in vids you basically say they’re a tie.

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Dont be torn. If you like smoke,. Get the Masterbuilt. My wife prefers pellet. I prefer gravity. That said. I do loven them both

[@jtlbb2]

@@thegalleryBBQ thanks! I’m going with masterbuilt ☺️

[@jtlbb2]

@@thegalleryBBQ thanks largely to you, I bought myself the Masterbuilt 800. Thanks for all your helpful videos.

[@coleman6131]

It's not about "smoke flavor", it's about "wood smoke flavor" vs "charcoal smoke flavor". Give me wood smoke flavor all day long.

[@Rbouch]

Great video Tommy.....both cooks are great it’s all a matter of taste for sure!!! My wife loves the heavier smoke flavor as I do but the pellet grill she likes too!!!

[@thegalleryBBQ]

You got that right! Thanks brother!

[@5Minuteman]

I was lookin for the difference between the grills as I expect for long smokes the gravity requires more tending. This was not discussed and steak was a poor choice for a smoker comparison.

[@thegalleryBBQ]

The Masterbuilt XT is what you want. See my latest videos.

[@arturocabral8232]

Is there a reason you didn’t flip the grate to seat side? I almost got that exact pit boss before finding the master built which I love!

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Thanks for asking that question. Honestly, I feel it makes no difference which side you sear or smoke on. That said. For this test, I should have flipped to the right side. Thanks for pointing that out. Cheers!

[@lisaholden7950]

Great review! We have a Pitboss Austin XL, and LOVE it! However, maybe I need to persuade my husband into getting a Masterbuilt as well!! The more the better! 😉 Your steaks were beautiful! 😊

[@thegalleryBBQ]

You should! lol.... I do love using both the Pit Boss and Masterbuilt! Enjoy Lisa and thanks-)...

[@TheWpruden]

Linda Can you talk my wife into getting a master built, she loves my rec-tec! Lol!!!

[@jeremiahguadan2624]

Lisa Holden did you end up getting the masterbuilt? I have the Austin XL and ready to purchase the MB 1050. If so, what are your thought

[@downsouthlouisiana]

You need to sear on the right side of the masterbuilt. The heat source is on the right. It starts a flame easier on the right for searing.

[@vookie91]

The right side you said?

[@hartlife7795]

They look great!!! Very good crust making me hungry...

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Thanks. Stay tuned as I have plenty more to come;)...

[@4MzBBQandGRILL]

Great comparison. Both steaks looked amazing. I guess it all comes down to how much smoke flavor you like. Nice job as always 👍🏻

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Much appreciation.

[@bangpandes0079]

Very good...

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@cainlord52]

nice comparison! So based on what you made, in your opinion do you feel you could do more steaks at once to get the same kind of consistency on the Masterbuilt versus the pit boss since the pit boss basically has like a sear open flame section where the masterbuilt is pretty much the whole cooking area? Also, how long did the pitboss take to come up to sear temp versus the Masterbuilt?

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Marco. I'd agree with that statement. You'll get a more even cook doing a bunch on the 1050. The PB hits that 550 pretty quick.

[@danielarchibald3247]

Great comparison Tommy, going by what all the other youtube channels I watched and my on experience with an offset and smoking on a weber kettle I figured the masterbuilt would have the better smoke flavor. Thanks for proving that true. So if I decide to get one of those electronic controlled cookers, it will be the masterbuilt cause i love smoke flavor.

[@thegalleryBBQ]

That Masterbuilt is an awesome cooker. I love it. Thanks Dave for the comment.

[@michaeldavis8065]

Great video! Both steaks look great. Currently trying to decide between a pellet smoker and a gravity fed charcoal grill. This video made me hungry too. Lol

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Tough call. It really depends on you and your family. My Wife is not huge on smoke flavor so she loves the pellet.

[@cypressblue8877]

Damn they look awesome. Stay safe & take care of you all. Thanks for sharing eh :))

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Thanks. Enjoy!

[@cypressblue8877]

Thanks you 2. Your welcome eh@@thegalleryBBQ

[@leeblack1277]

If you don’t want strong smoke flavor, don’t smoke it for an hour. Just grill it at 700* for a few minutes per side. Perfect medium rare at a fraction of the time.

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Hi Leee, I agree. Cheers.

[@travis7068]

I like my ribeye anyway I can get it except well done!

[@thegalleryBBQ]

I hear that brother!

[@ashleymalone5396]

Just a personal opinion, and I love smoked meat, but smoke ain't for steak. Not for me, anyway. Sear and cook, or cook and sear. But limited smoke on a steak. Steak ain't barbecue.

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Agree on that! Cheers.

[@jimwhite8789]

Thats on steaks. If I cook steaks I will use my webber kettle. On a cook like ribs or brisket the pellet grills dont produce enough smoke. People keep going with smoke tubes to increase the smoke on pellet grills. An offset smoker will destroy either one but the MB is closest to an offset. Cant beat charcoal and wood.

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Jim. Agreed!

[@cypressblue8877]

Thanks you 2. Your welcome eh

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Thanks again for thge watching of my cooks.

[@cypressblue8877]

Your welcome , still have some to go. @@thegalleryBBQ

[@ff8123]

Pit Boss can sear???

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Open flame sear!

[@DefTaker]

Not a good comparison (nice video tho on how well both can sear a steak, was surprised the pellet cooker charred it up like it did) - anyone that does not like heavy smoke flavoring should/will favor a pellet cooker simply due to the lack of enough smoke wood in the pellets. Any other cooker, that can take actual chunks or mini or full splits will have heavier smoke flavoring and so if you like smoke flavor get a MBGF560/1050, Weber WSM or Charcoal Summit or Kettle, offset smoker, etc.

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Thanks, buddy and I do appreciate you for that well thought out response.

[@Miiike604]

After the day I had..... absolutely horrendous.... I need this video more than you know.. serenity now... You killed it Tommy. 💨💨💨💨💨💨

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Mike. Thanks, brother and tomorrow will be kick-ass for you.

[@Sam-ez9lr]

Grant Cardone in another life.

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Lol... Thanks-

[@co1003]

You buy these 2 units for smoking, not cooking a steak…

[@thegalleryBBQ]

You need to learn how to work a pit! Both these pits will cook a steak and cook it awesome!

[@co1003]

@@thegalleryBBQ I know how to work a pit. That’s why I don’t cook steaks on them. No steak house cooks a steak like this.

[@thegalleryBBQ]

@@co1003 Steakhouses don't have grills. Sorry my friend but you have no idea what your talking about.

[@co1003]

@@thegalleryBBQ That’s the point I was trying to get across to you… I was raised in a restaurant. I have forgot more about cooking than you will ever know.

[@prestontuttle5832]

Great comp video, MB all the way - Hey, I notice that you have the same problem with the "temp gauge", doesn't seem to match the MB temp at all. Sometimes mine runs 100 to 200 degrees different? What say you, but since now I just use it to decorate the front of my MB, I don't care.👏👏👌

[@thegalleryBBQ]

Haha. Thanks Preston. My masterbuilt digi temp reading is pretty spot on, The hood gauge is also pretty spot on. The problem is sometimes ill open the hood to postion the camera which in turn drops the temp reading. lol

[@kevinbaldonado5614]

Lol dude you cooking the wrong meat, you need to cook a tri tip if you really testing charcoal

[@Scratch-That91]

It surprises me how someone could ruin and be so proud of it… hahaha jk everyone likes it their way

[@thegalleryBBQ]

You lost me on that!!!

[@shadchandler]

What a ridiculous way way to cook steaks