Home LivingGardenBarbequeChar-Broil Smart-E electric barbecue review: a top choice for convenient outdoor grillingChar-Broil’s new Smart-E brings full-size electric grilling to a wider audienceWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Char-Broil)T3 VerdictThe Char-Broil Smart-E is arguably the most impressive full-size electric barbecue on the market. Large enough to feed a family of four or more, this sterling grill heats up quickly and uses infrared technology to cook food with tender texture and genuine barbecue flavour. Warmly recommended.Reasons to buy+Excellent electric performance+Uses TRU-Infrared technology+Very pretty interface+Easy to useReasons to avoid-Requires an electricity outlet-Grill grates require regular cleaningWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Home LivingGardenBarbequeChar-Broil Smart-E electric barbecue review: a top choice for convenient outdoor grillingChar-Broil’s new Smart-E brings full-size electric grilling to a wider audienceWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Char-Broil)T3 VerdictThe Char-Broil Smart-E is arguably the most impressive full-size electric barbecue on the market. Large enough to feed a family of four or more, this sterling grill heats up quickly and uses infrared technology to cook food with tender texture and genuine barbecue flavour. Warmly recommended.Reasons to buy+Excellent electric performance+Uses TRU-Infrared technology+Very pretty interface+Easy to useReasons to avoid-Requires an electricity outlet-Grill grates require regular cleaningWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Char-Broil’s new Smart-E brings full-size electric grilling to a wider audience
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Char-Broil)T3 VerdictThe Char-Broil Smart-E is arguably the most impressive full-size electric barbecue on the market. Large enough to feed a family of four or more, this sterling grill heats up quickly and uses infrared technology to cook food with tender texture and genuine barbecue flavour. Warmly recommended.Reasons to buy+Excellent electric performance+Uses TRU-Infrared technology+Very pretty interface+Easy to useReasons to avoid-Requires an electricity outlet-Grill grates require regular cleaning
(Image credit: Char-Broil)
(Image credit: Char-Broil)
T3 VerdictThe Char-Broil Smart-E is arguably the most impressive full-size electric barbecue on the market. Large enough to feed a family of four or more, this sterling grill heats up quickly and uses infrared technology to cook food with tender texture and genuine barbecue flavour. Warmly recommended.Reasons to buy+Excellent electric performance+Uses TRU-Infrared technology+Very pretty interface+Easy to useReasons to avoid-Requires an electricity outlet-Grill grates require regular cleaning
T3 VerdictThe Char-Broil Smart-E is arguably the most impressive full-size electric barbecue on the market. Large enough to feed a family of four or more, this sterling grill heats up quickly and uses infrared technology to cook food with tender texture and genuine barbecue flavour. Warmly recommended.
T3 Verdict
The Char-Broil Smart-E is arguably the most impressive full-size electric barbecue on the market. Large enough to feed a family of four or more, this sterling grill heats up quickly and uses infrared technology to cook food with tender texture and genuine barbecue flavour. Warmly recommended.
Reasons to buy+Excellent electric performance+Uses TRU-Infrared technology+Very pretty interface+Easy to useReasons to avoid-Requires an electricity outlet-Grill grates require regular cleaning
Reasons to buy+Excellent electric performance+Uses TRU-Infrared technology+Very pretty interface+Easy to use
Excellent electric performance
Uses TRU-Infrared technology
Very pretty interface
Easy to use
Reasons to avoid-Requires an electricity outlet-Grill grates require regular cleaning
Requires an electricity outlet
Grill grates require regular cleaning
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
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Welcome to T3’s review of the Char-Broil Smart-E, a full-size electric barbecue that delivers on all fronts.
Electric barbecues are nothing new but, as I explain in my article onelectricity becoming the fuel of choice for future barbecue grilling, major manufacturers like Char-Broil and Weber – check out ourreview of the new Weber Lumin Compact– appear to be embracing this oldest and most ubiquitous of energy sources more seriously than they have in the past. Even kitchenware brand Ninja is getting involved with the recent launch of its fabulousNinja Woodfire, a compact 3-in-1 portable grill that grills, smokes and even air fries.
Until now, the majority of electric barbecues have been small and compact and therefore designed for use on balconies, smaller patios, glamping sites and other areas with restrictions on the use of charcoal and gas (in the States, many Homeowner Associations have already banned the use of gas and charcoal on their properties, leaving electricity as the onlyal frescoalternative). There are other full-size electrics out there but the the Smart-E is the first model from a premium player.
So what is electricity like to grill with and does it produce the same barbecue flavour as charcoal? Moreover, can it compete withgas barbecuesandcharcoal grillsfor outright convenience? Let’s find out…
Char-Broil Smart-E review: why go electric?
(Image credit: Char-Broil)
(Image credit: Char-Broil)
There are a number of reasons why electricity may become the barbecue fuel of the future and chief among these is the environment. Take gas, for instance. Although it’s arguably the cleanest of fossil fuels, it’s still far from perfect so it will almost certainly be phased out sometime in the distant future. Charcoal, meanwhile, is absolutely not good for the environment since it involves cutting down trees which might not always be done sustainably. Also, the wood it yields is then slowly burnt, creating a cocktail of bad chemicals and gasses in the process. It’s then shipped across the world which increases its already high carbon footprint even further.
Char-Broil Smart-E review: assembly
Like all large barbecues, the Smart-E arrives in a large box on a wooden palette and requires self assembly. I’ve assembled loads of barbecues in the past and this one was almost as easy to build as a charcoal model. Yes, there were a few hiccups along the way – most notably sections 4 and 5 which aren’t illustrated clearly enough and sections 11 to 13 which relate to the fitting of the electrical components – but in the main, it all went relatively smoothly. I’d say it took me about two hours to assemble which is faster than it takes to build most gas barbecues. Incidentally, if you can’t get on with illustrated assembly manuals, there’s a more thoroughphotographic assembly guideon the Char-Broil website.
Char-Broil Smart-E review: design
(Image credit: Char-Broil)
(Image credit: Char-Broil)
In America, this model is sold under the name The Edge and it’s in stainless steel rather than all black. In the pantheon of large barbecues, the Char-Broil Smart-E is on the smaller end of the scale – it measures 71.5cm in width, 80cm in depth and 50cm in height – so it will fit very nicely on a large balcony that’s big enough to accommodate outdoor furniture. However, if your balcony is standing-room only then perhaps consider a Weber Lumin or Ninja Woodfire instead since both of these models will sit comfortably on a small 24-inch tabletop.
I’ve got to say that this is one of the better looking barbecues I’ve ever assembled. I’m quite liking the simple angular design, the shiny black livery and even the racy air-intake slats on the front that may or may not have any bearing on how the system works, because behind the slats and door, there’s nothing to mention aside from an electrical box, a small drip tray, a wire storage rack and a large empty space that doesn’t appear to serve any purpose at all. Two collapsible shelves, meanwhile, provide ample space for ingredients waiting to go on the grill while making the whole shebang easier to store.
(Image credit: Char-Broil)
(Image credit: Char-Broil)
Hence, when you tap the big silver dial to input your preferred grilling temperature, the light pulses red and when it reaches the predetermined temperature it glows solid red. And when it’s time to give the grill a clean (more on this below), the light turns orange. Once set, the temperature readout on the screen constantly flits between actual and preset so you’re always kept abreast of the process.
I should add that, being of an electric nature, it’s essential that you either buy a cover for this barbecue or store the grill in a shed. Thankfully, Char-Broil produces ahighly durable coverfor this barbecue that looks like it will last for years.
Char-Broil Smart-E review: features
(Image credit: Char-Broil)
(Image credit: Char-Broil)
The Smart-E’s cooking grate measures 57cm x 39 which equates to 2,223cm2 of grilling space. Char-Broil says it will feed 4-6 people but there’s no doubt it will feed many more mouths if grilling skinnier dishes like sausages, kebabs, drumsticks, wings or corn on the cob. Like all Char-Broil grills, the Smart-E utilises the US company’s TRU-Infrared technology. Infrared in this instance doesn’t mean the barbecue has a special heating lamp beneath – it’s simply a term used to describe the way the food cooks.
The slight downside to this system is that the two corrugated panels require regular cleaning. Char-Broil used to provide a special toothed tool for the job but this model arrived without one. Instead it came with a plastic bristled brush which I used while it was still piping hot. The brush naturally melted. Since I am not the only one to have done this, I thought I’d forewarn you lest you tried something equally silly.
Thankfully, cleaning the grates is actually rather easy and involves a simple tap on the control dial to initiate the cleaning mode which ramps the temperature of the grill up to 370˚C, rather like a pyrolytic oven. The upshot is that all fats and food bits are reduced to ash which you simply sweep away or suck up with a vacuum cleaner.
The same high 370˚C temperature is also available for general grilling purposes which means you can easily sear a steak on this grill, replete with caramelised crust marks. You could also bake a pizza at this temperature – just buy the optional 12” cordierite pizza stone and put it on top of the grate.
Char-Broil Smart-E review: performance
(Image credit: Future)
The fact I needed to run a 13-amp extension cable to use this barbecue was a bit of a faff but then that’s my fault for not having an outdoor AC outlet installed.
After giving the Char-Broil Smart-E a good seasoning using a rub of oil and setting the temperature to around 300˚C for 25 minutes, I let it cool and then started it up again and set the temp to 250˚C. As per usual, my first test was with some buffalo wings and a few drumsticks – it turns out that 250˚C was a perfect temperature to sear the skin and deliver good crisp. And, as expected having used Char-Broil’s TRU-Infrared gas and charcoal grill in the past, the meaty parts were succulent and juicy. In fact, I’m still gobsmacked at how well this infrared system works.
On day two, I threw on some burgers and steak kebabs, only this time I started at an even higher temperature of 300˚C to produce a perfect sear. In fact I had to reduce the temperature immediately in case it went too far. I then set the temperature to 350˚C and put on a fillet steak. Wowsers, talk about a sear – and in mere seconds, too. I then removed the steak, lowered the temperature and put it back on for another four minutes. The result was utter perfection – a black caramelised outer and a gloriously juicy medium-rare centre.
At no time during any of these grill-offs did I question the fact the food had been cooked over an electric oven element – enough seasoning smoke was produced to make everything taste genuinely barbecue-y. Moreover, I loved the ease of control and how responsive the grill was to temperature changes. Yes, it took a bit longer than gas to drop or raise the grate temperature but it was quicker than a pellet grill and much faster than charcoal.
Char-Broil Smart-E review: price and availability
The Char-Broil Smart- E retails between £680 and £789, depending on where you purchase it from. The best deal in the UK at the moment is atBarbecue Worldwhere it retails at £679.99. Alternatively, tryStovesAreUs(£719),Marks Electrical(£789) andVery(£799.99).
Char-Broil Smart-E review: verdict
(Image credit: Char-Broil)
(Image credit: Char-Broil)
If you’re looking to embrace the world of electric barbecuing but have been waiting for a suitable family-sized model, step right this way. The Char-Broil Smart-E performs brilliantly well, it’s a doddle to use and you will absolutely love the interface and stupendous LED screen display.
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Char-Broil Smart-E: Price Comparison
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