Char-Broil 17202004 Digital Deluxe Review

by Joost Nusselder | Last Updated:  June 2, 2022

Always the latest smoking tips & tricks?

Subscribe to THE ESSENTIAL newsletter for aspiring pitmasters

We'll only use your email address for our newsletter and respect your privacy

I love creating free content full of tips for my readers, you. I don't accept paid sponsorships, my opinion is my own, but if you find my recommendations helpful and you end up buying something you like through one of my links, I could earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more
Best electric smoker for brisket & best with remote control- Char-Broil 17202004 Digital Deluxe

(view more images)

This electric smoker is a product of Char-broil. They are a very well-known company in the smoking and barbecuing industry.

This should give you more confidence when purchasing the product. Buying from an unknown company that imports re-branded generic products from China may lead to a terrible experience mainly because of the customer support that’s horrific.

Another thing that is going for the Char-broil Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker is that it’s very easy to operate. It’s one of the easiest electric smokers to assemble.

It’s also relatively effortless to move around. If you are new to smoking, then the Char-broil Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker is an excellent choice to test the waters.

char-broil-deluxe-smoker-pros-1024x576

(view more images)

The Char-broil Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker also incorporates a built-in meat temperature probe. This should help you get better results as it takes a lot of guesswork from the equation.

Another feature that is worth mentioning is the real estate. To be more specific, the Char-broil Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker offers a 725 square inches of cooking space.

This is surprising as this electric smoker comes with a compact build. This also means it’s easier to fit into limited spaces like rooftop terraces, balconies, and patios.

The Char-broil Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker features a double-wall insulation construction. It’s excellent at trapping smoke and heat.

This also means it’s an efficient smoker as energy is conserved and put to use as much as possible. Also, this electric smoker features a locking latch made from stainless steel.

This mechanism helps in locking down the door to ensure that heat and smoke do not escape.

The Char-broil Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker features a front glass door and sports a two-tone finish. The design looks expensive, and it’s far from boring.

One thing that you might not like about the Char-broil Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker is it’s meant for slow cooking. This is because it can only reach the maximum heat of 275 degrees Fahrenheit.

For fast and hot cooking, you will typically need temperatures of 290 to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Hence, if that’s what you are looking for, the Char-broil Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker may not be the one for you.

Brisket lovers behold the digital electric smoker from Char-Broil. It’s the best option for smoking large cuts of beef.

With four racks and 725 square inches of cooking space, you’ve got enough room to smoke as much brisket as you can eat.

Additionally, all the racks are adjustable, so you can set up the smoker any way you want, depending on what foods you’re cooking.

This vertical electric smoker is full of smart features and comes with a remote control so that you can go about your day while the unit prepares mouthwatering smoked foods.

You no longer have to go up to the smoker to check the display and see the temperature. All you have to do is adjust it via remote control for perfectly cooked meat every time.

What makes this a great smoker is that it has a glass door. Most Masterbuilt electrical units don’t have glass doors, but this one is fun to use because you can see the food browning.

See this smoker being unboxed here:

A major advantage with this smoker is that the trays and pans are all dishwasher-friendly which seriously reduces cleanup time. Also, it’s easy to load the wood chips because the tray is built into the side of the unit.

I want to mention that the remote control has a limited range, so you will still need to stay pretty close to the smoker.

The product does include a nifty remote control that allows you to monitor and manage the entire smoking process from a distance.

A temperature probe also lets you check the temperature inside the product that you’re smoking. I think this model is super stylish. I love its rounded corners and stainless steel, dual-tone finish.

Pros

  • Price – You get a lot of ‘bang for your buck’ with this one. It includes several useful features that make it worthy of the price.
  • Size – The 30-inch smoker includes 4 smoking racks offering 725 square inches. of cooking space over three different cooking grates – that’s more than enough space to cook for a party of 8 or more! You can cook up to 8 racks of ribs, 4 briskets, or 6 whole chickens
  • Quality – Good quality. Stainless steel, dual-tone finish
  • Mobility – Includes wheels and an integrated handle for easy mobility
  • Features – Insulated, double-wall construction, removable food thermometer, large stainless steel locking latch for smoke-tight seal, porcelain-coated, slide-in water pan, and remote control for increased accessibility

Cons

  • Cold smoking? – There isn’t an additional attachment for this. The manufacturers offer a range of recipes on their website from beef to chicken, pork, and seafood. However, there aren’t any smoked cheese recipes.

Smoker features

  • Material: stainless steel
  • Cooking space: 725 sq. inches
  • Drip tray: yes
  • Temperature controls: digital
  • Built-in thermometer: 1 meat probe thermometer included (removable)
  • Bluetooth: no

Check the char-broil price here

Also read: these are the best indoor smokers to get right now

Joost Nusselder, the founder of Lakeside Smokers is a content marketer, dad and loves trying out new food with BBQ Smoking (& Japanese food!) at the heart of his passion, and together with his team he's been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with recipes and cooking tips.