Home LivingGardenBarbequeMasterbuilt Gravity Series 560 Charcoal Grill & Smoker review: the most versatile charcoal BBQ money can buyTransform your outdoor cooking with the hands-off Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Masterbuilt)T3 VerdictYour search for the fastest and easiest-to-use charcoal grill stops right here. The tall, handsome Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 uses simple gravity and computer-controlled heat management to provide consistent indirect grilling, searing and smoking with almost zero faff. If you love grilling and smoking with charcoal but dislike the way it demands so much attention, consider putting this revolutionary model on your patio and flatter your ego in the process.Reasons to buy+Easy to use+Exceptional charcoal performance+It smokes, grills and sears+Computerised temperature control+Big wheels for easy positioning+Reversible cast-iron gratesReasons to avoid-Very heavy-Awkward to assembleWhy 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 LivingGardenBarbequeMasterbuilt Gravity Series 560 Charcoal Grill & Smoker review: the most versatile charcoal BBQ money can buyTransform your outdoor cooking with the hands-off Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Masterbuilt)T3 VerdictYour search for the fastest and easiest-to-use charcoal grill stops right here. The tall, handsome Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 uses simple gravity and computer-controlled heat management to provide consistent indirect grilling, searing and smoking with almost zero faff. If you love grilling and smoking with charcoal but dislike the way it demands so much attention, consider putting this revolutionary model on your patio and flatter your ego in the process.Reasons to buy+Easy to use+Exceptional charcoal performance+It smokes, grills and sears+Computerised temperature control+Big wheels for easy positioning+Reversible cast-iron gratesReasons to avoid-Very heavy-Awkward to assembleWhy 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.
Transform your outdoor cooking with the hands-off Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Masterbuilt)T3 VerdictYour search for the fastest and easiest-to-use charcoal grill stops right here. The tall, handsome Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 uses simple gravity and computer-controlled heat management to provide consistent indirect grilling, searing and smoking with almost zero faff. If you love grilling and smoking with charcoal but dislike the way it demands so much attention, consider putting this revolutionary model on your patio and flatter your ego in the process.Reasons to buy+Easy to use+Exceptional charcoal performance+It smokes, grills and sears+Computerised temperature control+Big wheels for easy positioning+Reversible cast-iron gratesReasons to avoid-Very heavy-Awkward to assemble
(Image credit: Masterbuilt)
(Image credit: Masterbuilt)
T3 VerdictYour search for the fastest and easiest-to-use charcoal grill stops right here. The tall, handsome Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 uses simple gravity and computer-controlled heat management to provide consistent indirect grilling, searing and smoking with almost zero faff. If you love grilling and smoking with charcoal but dislike the way it demands so much attention, consider putting this revolutionary model on your patio and flatter your ego in the process.Reasons to buy+Easy to use+Exceptional charcoal performance+It smokes, grills and sears+Computerised temperature control+Big wheels for easy positioning+Reversible cast-iron gratesReasons to avoid-Very heavy-Awkward to assemble
T3 VerdictYour search for the fastest and easiest-to-use charcoal grill stops right here. The tall, handsome Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 uses simple gravity and computer-controlled heat management to provide consistent indirect grilling, searing and smoking with almost zero faff. If you love grilling and smoking with charcoal but dislike the way it demands so much attention, consider putting this revolutionary model on your patio and flatter your ego in the process.
T3 Verdict
Your search for the fastest and easiest-to-use charcoal grill stops right here. The tall, handsome Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 uses simple gravity and computer-controlled heat management to provide consistent indirect grilling, searing and smoking with almost zero faff. If you love grilling and smoking with charcoal but dislike the way it demands so much attention, consider putting this revolutionary model on your patio and flatter your ego in the process.
Reasons to buy+Easy to use+Exceptional charcoal performance+It smokes, grills and sears+Computerised temperature control+Big wheels for easy positioning+Reversible cast-iron gratesReasons to avoid-Very heavy-Awkward to assemble
Reasons to buy+Easy to use+Exceptional charcoal performance+It smokes, grills and sears+Computerised temperature control+Big wheels for easy positioning+Reversible cast-iron grates
Easy to use
Exceptional charcoal performance
It smokes, grills and sears
Computerised temperature control
Big wheels for easy positioning
Reversible cast-iron grates
Reasons to avoid-Very heavy-Awkward to assemble
Very heavy
Awkward to assemble
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 Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560, an indirect set-and-forget charcoal grill and smoker that uses the natural force of gravity and a computer controller to maintain constant preset temperatures, just like an indoor oven. In a nutshell, this new barbecue to the British market provides the flavour of charcoal with the convenience of a pellet or gas grill.
I’ll be the first to admit that when it comes to barbecuing for a crowd, I want as easy a time as possible. I don’t want to be chained to the barbecue while everyone else is having a good time and I don’t want to worry about whether the food is burning because I’ve spent too much time chatting to friends. That’s why I’m a huge fan of pellet grills, which, incidentally, you can read about in our all-flavours guide to thebest barbecues.
Well, I’m here to tell you that you no longer need an expensive pellet BBQ to smoke your next brisket or grill your next tranche of buffalo wings because the Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 does exactly the same kind of thing as a pellet grill only with charcoal and an electric fan instead of pellets and an auger. And what’s more, it’s cheaper to buy, too.
Let’s dive in to my Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 review.
Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 review: price & availability
(Image credit: Masterbuilt)
(Image credit: Masterbuilt)
Masterbuilt has clearly ramped up its marketing approach in the UK because the Gravity Series 560 I’m reviewing is available from a wide variety of stores, including some mainstream chains. Its price – between £599 and £649 – can be considered reasonable given the amount of on-board tech, its excellent build quality and overall performance. In fact, the Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 is about the same price as a Pit Boss Navigator 500 pellet grill, a lot less than a Traeger pellet grill and way cheaper than any Big Green Egg charcoal BBQ. UK stockists includeB&Q,ProSmoke,Amazon,Marks Electrical,Grill StoreandBBQ Land.
If you live Stateside, tryMasterbuiltdirect where the Gravity Series 560 is selling for a knockdown $399. Alternatively, head over toWalmart($497) andHome Depot($499).
Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 review: design & features
(Image credit: Masterbuilt)
(Image credit: Masterbuilt)
The hybrid Masterbuilt Gravity Series is available in three sizes: the medium-sized 800; the monster-sized 1050; and the entry-level, smaller-capacity Series 560 I’m reviewing here. The Masterbuilt 560 is quite unlike any other charcoal grill on the market and you can be sure it will invite inquisitive glances from your guests who will wonder what the hell it is. To which you will answer “just watch and learn, and after today’s barbecue, you too will go out and buy one”.
Comprising a very tall charcoal hopper on the right and the main grilling section on the left, the Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 uses indirect heat to grill meats and veg, sear steaks and smoke ribs low and slow for hours at a time. And the best thing is that you can easily add charcoal to the top of the hopper as and when it’s needed.
In all essence, the Gravity Series behaves like a Weber chimney starter – those circular steel devices one uses to kickstart a charcoal fire. With this system you simply fill the hopper from the top with about five kilos of charcoal and light it using firelighters that have been stuffed into a slot directly beneath the charcoal tower. Once the fire has taken hold, close the hopper lid and the ash cupboard door and head over to the controller on the far left. Turn it on, select a temperature for the style of grilling – around 105˚C for smoking, 200˚C for grilling and around 370˚C for rapid searing – close the lid and retreat.
Like a chimney starter, the charcoal burns from the bottom with all ashes falling into a large steel bucket below. Unlike a simple chimney starter that relies upon natural ventilation from the air around its base, the Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 is equipped with a powerful variable-speed fan that feeds the flames while pushing the heat from the exceedingly hot fire bed along a stainless steel manifold tunnel that’s positioned directly beneath the main cast-iron grill grate. The upshot is that it takes just 10 minutes for the BBQ to reach grilling temperature. Really, once that fan is in full swing you can see the temperature rising on the controller’s display at a rate of around one degree every two or three seconds. As a safety measure, the fan will always cut off if the hopper lid or the ash cupboard are opened while the grill is in operation.
(Image credit: Derek Adams)
(Image credit: Derek Adams)
As the model number suggests, the Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560’s two-sided cast-iron grates and twin wire racks amount to 560 square inches of cooking space – more than enough meal estate for six and a lot more if grilling smaller ingredients like burgers, wings, drumsticks or sausages. This grate is triangular on one side – good for smoking – and flat on the other for grilling and searing. The square-shaped double walled lid is not only great at retaining heat while being easy to lift, but its flat top is perfect for pre-heating serving dishes, too.
The control panel is a bit cheap looking it has to be said – it uses horrible bubble-like buttons – so I would hope that future models adopt something along the lines of theChar-Broil Smart Eelectric grill’s slick control interface and massive digital display. That said, the slightly naff aesthetics of the Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560’s controller in no way impedes its function.
To set a temperature, you simply tap the temperature icon, turn the dial and tap the same icon again. The same goes for the timer which can be used as a stopwatch or a timer, with all info being ported in real-time to the accompanying Masterbuilt app. You can use this grill with up to four wired meat probes – it ships with one – that slip through a hole in the side of the grill chassis. Each probe can be preset with its own destination temperature at which point an alarm will sound on the unit and on the app.
Given this barbecue’s cluster of on-board electrical components, I most definitely advise buying a cover for it at the same time. The custom cover Masterbuilt sent with the grill is as robust as Broil King’s high-end covers so it will almost certainly last for many winters. It also fits like a glove.
Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 review: Assembly
The Masterbuilt 560 arrives with the main carcass and hopper pre-assembled(Image credit: Derek Adams)
The Masterbuilt 560 arrives with the main carcass and hopper pre-assembled
The Masterbuilt 560 arrives with the main carcass and hopper pre-assembled
(Image credit: Derek Adams)
I’ve heard that a lot of people found the Gravity Series 560 a pain to assemble and some have said it’s not the best built barbecue in terms of materials used. I beg to differ and I’ve assembled more barbecues than I’ve had hot dinners, though I will agree that one specific step in the assembly did make my head explode.
Firstly, this BBQ comes in a huge box on a pallet, but the good news is that the top half of the box lifts off to expose the items – and there are many of them. Thankfully, the main carcass of the grill – i.e. the grilling tub and the hopper – arrives fully assembled though you will definitely require two sets of hands to lift it because it is heavy with a capital H.
I’d say there are about the same amount of assembly steps with this model as there are with any largegas barbecuewith a side burner. However, the vast of majority of the steps, including the electrical parts, are easy to carry out, except for one – fitting a single fascia panel on the lower part of the hopper. Be patient with this particular step because it involves some twisting and bending – and a lot of swearing.
Incidentally, the first thing you need to do with this grill – indeed any grill – is season it with some cooking oil and complete a burn-in cycle at around 205˚C for 60 minutes or so. This burn-in period is also a good time to get acquainted with how the 560 works, how to use the controller and how to link it to your phone.
Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 review: grilling & searing
(Image credit: Masterbuilt)
(Image credit: Masterbuilt)
For my first test, I threw on some wings coated in The Rib Man’s Buffalo Hot Wing sauce, closed the lid and left them on for about 10 minutes before returning to turn them. The result was amazing, and that was without adding any wood smoke into the mix, which I shall address next. The app displayed a steady temperature throughout the process.
Since this barbecue uses indirect heat as opposed to a normal kettle grill that has the coals directly beneath the grill grate, I wasn’t sure how well it would reverse sear a steak. Starting at around 120˚C, I slapped on a farm shop sirloin and left it on for around 30 minutes then let it rest while I raised the Masterbuilt’s temperature to 350˚C – it didn’t take long. As soon as the meat hit the grate, it sizzled like a sizzling thing. Fat juices then started dripping on to the scorchingly hot manifold below which in turn produced a flame, and it’s this combination of high heat with an occasional flame that makes searing such a cinch on this grill. Needless to say, the surface of the steak sported great sear marks and superb caramelisation while the centre remained a succulent medium rare.
For some reason, only the middle-sized Series 800 model ships with a heavy-duty flat griddle plate but luckilyProSmokeproduces its own heavy-duty griddle and modified manifold that have been designed specifically for the 560 (£140.99). If you love smash burgers or grilled breakfasts – bacon, eggs and all – this is the upgrade for you.
Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 review: smoking
Getting ready for a long smoking session(Image credit: Derek Adams)
Getting ready for a long smoking session
Getting ready for a long smoking session
(Image credit: Derek Adams)
Masterbuilt is a US company that’s justly famous for its range ofsmokers. In fact its website doesn’t list any bona-fide grills at all even though the 560 is brilliant at both grilling and searing. Rather, they list this model as a ‘hybrid grill and smoker’.
To create the required smoky flavour and pink smoke rings on your meat, you have a choice of two methods. For a lightly smoked flavour, lob a hickory wood chunk into the ash bucket and when the hot ash from the charcoal drops on it, it’ll start smoldering, emitting a light woody flavour in the process. For a more robust smokey flavour, add wood chunks into the hopper when you fill it with charcoal. Simply pour in a small amount of charcoal, add a wood chunk and then more charcoal and then another wood chunk, etc.
With this in mind, I went back to the farm shop and bought a rack of ribs which I seasoned using a smear of French’s mustard and some Traeger rub. I went through a five-hour low-and-slow process of smoking the ribs at around 105˚C and the result was fall-off-the-bone Texan authenticity with a mind-blowing ‘bark’ and scrumptious smokiness. And the best thing about it was that the whole cooking process was effortless. I simply set the main temperature, the timer and the probe temp and left the 560 to do its thing.
Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 review: Masterbuilt app
(Image credit: Masterbuilt)
(Image credit: Masterbuilt)
Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 review: performance
(Image credit: Derek Adams)
(Image credit: Derek Adams)
From its initial pre-seasoning burn-in to several experiments with different ingredients and cooking methods, the Gravity Series 560 has single-handedly converted this writer from pellet grills back to charcoal. I found it reassuringly easy to use and extremely convenient, despite the need for an outdoor electricity output.
Overall build quality is excellent, from the strength of the seemingly spindly legs and light but sufficient rectangular lid to the rubberised latches on the hopper and oven-style heat gaskets. The two-sided cast-iron grate, meanwhile, was perfect for both smoking and searing and I had no food sticking issues at all.
Perhaps the only tricky part of the whole process is the act of hauling charcoal into the hopper because it’s 1.35m tall and most charcoal bags weigh about 12 kilos. If you’re not especially tall you may need to stand on a chair so you can more easily aim the contents into the hopper’s small 8x6-inch portal.
Finally, a shout out for the front-mounted thermometer which conveniently highlights the four main temperature ranges for smoking, general barbecuing, hot grilling and high-heat searing.
Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 review: verdict
(Image credit: Masterbuilt)
(Image credit: Masterbuilt)
I have nothing but praise for this mould-breaking charcoal barbie-cum-smoker. Despite one assembly issue and the tall reach required to fill the hopper, this grill performed superbly well in all disciplines, from searing to smoking. It’s just such a pleasure to use and so easy to control without having to be chained to it.
If you’ve always been a charcoal fan but have struggled to maintain even cooking temperatures from one grilling session to the next, do yourself a big favour and pay considerable attention to this sterling game changer. It will transform youral frescocooking experiences and probably turn you into a better barbecue chef in the process.
MasterBuilt Gravity Series 560: Price Comparison
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