Masterbuilt 600 Review: Digital Charcoal Grill & Smoker

Thinking about upgrading from a standard kettle or gas barbecue but not ready to babysit a charcoal smoker all afternoon? That's exactly the gap the Masterbuilt 600 is built to fill. It's a digital charcoal grill and smoker that uses fan-assisted temperature control to do the fiddly work for you, so you get proper charcoal flavour without needing to hover over the coals all day.

This one's for the bloke who wants brisket-level smoke flavour on a Sunday and a quick sear on a steak on a Tuesday night, from the same unit.

What Is The Masterbuilt 600?

The Masterbuilt 600 is a digital charcoal smoker that pairs a gravity-fed charcoal hopper with an automated fan to hold whatever temperature you set, from low and slow smoking right through to high heat searing. Set it on the digital control panel or the Masterbuilt App, and the DigitalFan does the rest, adjusting airflow to keep your chamber steady.

You get 600 square inches of total cooking space across a combination of reversible cast iron grates and a porcelain-coated warming rack, which is enough to feed a couple of families or run a serious weekend cook.

Digital Control That Takes The Guesswork Out

This is the bit that separates it from a standard charcoal smoker. Set your target temperature and the DigitalFan holds it there automatically, so you're not constantly adjusting vents or fighting temperature swings. Because it's WiFi connected, you can monitor and adjust from your phone while you're on the couch, check your meat probes (it supports up to four, with one included), and look back over the live session graph to see exactly how your cook tracked.

For anyone who's had a low and slow cook fall apart because the fire dropped out at 2am, this is the feature that fixes it.

From Low And Slow To Searing Hot, Without Refuelling

The speed of that fan response is what makes this thing properly versatile. It'll reach around 105°C in about 7.5 minutes for a gentle smoke, or crank up to roughly 370°C in 10 minutes when you want to sear. That's a genuinely wide range from the same cooker.

The GravityFed hopper holds a solid charcoal load, giving you up to 18 hours of continuous burn time. In this newer generation, Masterbuilt has lined the hopper and upgraded the switches from the older mechanical micro switches to magnetic ones, which makes day-to-day use noticeably more reliable.

Built Tough, Ready For Anything

This isn't a flimsy build. You get a heavy-duty powder-coated body, a folding front shelf for prep space, a stationary side shelf, and a front-removable grease tray for easy cleanup. The reversible cast iron grates give you the flexibility to smoke low and slow one weekend and sear hard the next.

It's also accessory-ready, compatible with the Masterbuilt Pizza Oven and Rotisserie attachments if you want to expand what it can do down the track. As a Masterbuilt gravity fed smoker, it's built to be the one unit that covers grilling, smoking, searing, roasting and baking, rather than needing a separate setup for each.

Is The Masterbuilt 600 Worth It?

If you're after proper charcoal flavour but don't want to wrestle your smoker's temperature all day, the Masterbuilt 600 does an excellent job without costing a bomb.

For a couple of families' worth of feeding, or a serious weekend cook-up, it earns its keep.

Ready to take the guesswork out of charcoal cooking?

Check out the Masterbuilt 600 and see if it's the right fit for your backyard.

Shop now at BBQ Spit Rotisseries.

FAQs

Is The Masterbuilt 600 A Grill Or A Smoker?

The Masterbuilt Gravity Series 600 is both a charcoal grill and smoker. Its gravity-fed charcoal hopper and DigitalFan automatically control airflow and temperature, allowing you to smoke brisket low and slow, roast, bake, grill burgers or crank the heat up for steak searing from the same BBQ.

How Long Does Charcoal Last In The Masterbuilt 600?

The Masterbuilt 600 can run for up to 18 hours on a full charcoal hopper, depending on the cooking temperature, weather conditions and type of charcoal being used. This makes it particularly well suited to long Australian low and slow cooks such as brisket, pork shoulder and ribs without constantly topping up the fuel.

What Temperature Does The Masterbuilt 600 Reach?

The Masterbuilt 600 has a wide cooking temperature range for both smoking and high heat grilling. It can reach approximately 105°C in around 7.5 minutes for low and slow cooking and around 370°C in roughly 10 minutes for high temperature grilling and searing.

Can You Control The Masterbuilt 600 From Your Phone?

Yes. The Masterbuilt 600 has WiFi connectivity and works with the Masterbuilt App, allowing you to monitor and adjust your BBQ temperature remotely. You can also monitor compatible meat probes and follow your cooking session without needing to constantly stand beside the smoker.

Is It  Direct Grilling On The Masterbuilt 600?

No, the masterbuilt does not have direct flames underneath it, as it runs off of a digitally controlled fan. Therefore it doesnt have direct flames searing the meat, it has hot air, being controlled via a fan being pushed into the chamber. A good way to think of it is it essentially acts as a really hot oven. You can still do all your steaks, snags, and chops, but it is a slighlty different cook as it's not direct flames from underneath the protein. 

by: Sasha Halabi