Masterbuilt Gravity Series 600 Review: Charcoal, Automated

Updated 2026-08-21 Researched, not tested in person

Quick answer

Buy the Gravity Series 600 if you want charcoal flavour with pellet-grill convenience and you accept that it is an electronic appliance. Skip it if you want something that will still work in fifteen years with no electronics, in which case a Weber Smokey Mountain is the cooker to buy.

Real charcoal with a fan and an app, which is either the best idea in barbecue or the most fragile.

Best charcoal automation

Masterbuilt Gravity Series 600 Digital Charcoal Smoker Grill

~$750

A gravity-fed charcoal cooker with a fan-driven digital controller and WiFi, covering low and slow smoking through to high heat searing.

Check price on Amazon

Specifications

Cooking area	600 sq in
Temperature range	225F to 700F under DigitalFan control
Hopper	Up to 12 lb lump charcoal or 18 lb briquettes
Quoted burn time	Up to 18 hours at low and slow temperatures without refilling
Control	Digital control panel plus Masterbuilt app over WiFi
Grates	Reversible cast iron
Warranty	1 year

Specifications above come from Masterbuilt's published feature list. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.

What it does well

It burns charcoal and wood, so it makes the flavour a pellet grill cannot, while still running itself.
A quoted 18 hours on one hopper load means overnight cooks without setting an alarm to tend a fire.
The 700F ceiling makes it a genuine searing device, which most dedicated smokers are not.
Reversible cast iron grates cover both low and slow and high heat cooking without buying extra parts.
Setup to first cook is fast, which is not true of an offset.

Where it falls short

It is an electrical appliance built around a fan and a controller. Owner reports of controller and fan failures are common enough that this is the main thing to weigh, and the warranty is one year.
Gaskets and the hopper seal matter enormously here, because the fan can only control a chamber that is actually sealed. Expect gasket maintenance as an ongoing job.
Ash management in a gravity fed hopper is a real chore, and neglecting it is the most common cause of temperature loss late in a cook.
It needs mains power outdoors, permanently, for the whole cook.
600 square inches is mid-sized. It is not a crowd cooker.

What owners report

The pattern in owner reports is unusually clear. People love the concept and the food, and the complaints are almost entirely electronic or sealing related rather than about flavour or capacity. Fans, controllers and gaskets are the parts that come up, in that order. That is worth knowing before you spend $750, and it is the honest reason a mechanical cooker like a Weber Smokey Mountain still makes sense for some buyers.

The second theme is that this cooker rewards gasket discipline. A gravity fed charcoal cooker is a chimney with a fan at the bottom, and any leak means the fan overshoots trying to hit a setpoint it cannot hold. Owners who reseal proactively report far better temperature stability, which is the same argument as our smoker gasket versus a new smoker comparison.

On fuel, lump burns cleaner and makes less ash, which matters in a hopper design where ash accumulation restricts the burn. Briquettes give a longer, more predictable burn per pound. The lump versus briquettes comparison sets out the trade, and on this cooker it is a real decision rather than a preference.

Who it suits

Cooks who want charcoal flavour without managing a fire.
People who want one cooker for overnight briskets and for searing steaks.
Anyone moving up from a pellet grill because the smoke was too light.

Who should skip it

Anyone who wants equipment with no electronics to fail.
People cooking for large crowds regularly, who need more than 600 square inches.
Anyone unwilling to maintain gaskets, because this design depends on them more than most.

Alternatives worth considering

No-Electronics Alternative

Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker, 22 inch

~$550

Nothing to fail: no fan, no controller, no power. It needs more attention during a cook and it will outlive almost anything else on this list.

Check price on Amazon

Convenience Alternative

Traeger Ironwood 885 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker

~$1,010

More grate, better insulation and a more mature app, if you decide convenience matters more than charcoal flavour after all.

Check price on Amazon

Simpler Charcoal Pick

Oklahoma Joe's Bronco 18 in Heavy Duty Charcoal Drum Smoker and Grill

~$430

Charcoal, sealed, with a fuel door and a rib hanging kit, at a much lower price and with no electronics in the loop.

Check price on Amazon

Keep reading

This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Masterbuilt Gravity Series 600 reliable?

The cooking side is well liked and the electronics are the weak point. Fan and controller failures are the most reported issue and the warranty is one year. Buy it knowing that, and keep the gaskets in good condition, because a leaking chamber makes the fan work far harder than it should.

Gravity Series 600 vs a pellet grill: which makes more smoke?

The Gravity Series, clearly, because it burns real charcoal and wood chunks rather than compressed sawdust in a very efficient fire. That flavour difference is the main reason to choose it.

How long does one hopper of charcoal last?

Masterbuilt quotes up to 18 hours at low and slow temperatures on a full hopper. Real figures depend on ambient temperature, how well the chamber is sealed and how often you open it, so treat that as a ceiling rather than a plan.

Lump or briquettes in a Gravity Series?

Lump makes less ash, which matters in a hopper design where ash restricts the burn. Briquettes give a longer and more predictable burn per pound. Many owners run briquettes for long cooks and lump for short hot ones.

Does it need to be plugged in the whole time?

Yes. The fan and controller run the fire, so a power cut ends the cook. If that is unacceptable, buy a cooker with no electronics in the loop.

How we choose gear: we compare published manufacturer specifications, capacity and temperature ranges, materials, warranty terms and verified owner reviews. We do not test gear in person and we do not publish hands-on claims we cannot support.

Cook times and temperatures are researched guidance, not a food-safety authority. Every figure on this page is an estimate: smokers, ambient weather, humidity and the individual cut all move it. Food is safe when a calibrated instant-read thermometer says so, never when a clock or a chart does. Keep food out of the 40°F to 140°F danger zone, observe the 4 hour rule, and follow current USDA safe minimum internal temperatures. If you are cooking for anyone pregnant, very young, elderly or immunocompromised, cook to the USDA minimums rather than to a preference-based doneness temperature.

Keeping your own cook times, rubs and pit temperatures? The Smoking & Cook Planner is the paid version of these pages: 8 printable worksheets you fill in with your own numbers, plus the full PDF, $29.