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Home Depot Ratings and Reviews
Product Reviews
Square Vertical Smoker
Add great smoke flavor to your meat with this affordable, heavy-duty steel charcoal smoker. Able to hold up to 50 lbs. Of meat, this smoker has a space-saving vertical design with two locking front doors for easy access to food, water and charcoal pans. With four adjustable air vents to control heat and smoke, plus a professional temperature gauge. The smoker has sturdy chrome wire handles that stays cool to the touch, porcelain-coated water and charcoal pans that slide out for easy clean-up. Finished in a durable black textured paint that will last for years.
Average Customer Rating:
out of
5
(26 Reviews)
17 out of 26(65%)customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Square Vertical Smoker
Review 1 for Square Vertical Smoker
Overall Rating:
out of
5
A lot of flavor for little price,
December 5, 2009
By KattheDreamer
"We are down-sizing, replacing a huge smoker with a Square Verticle Smoker. My husband wasn't sure if it would accomodate our meats, but it did! We smoked 2 turkeys, a ham and rack of ribs at the same time and they all came our delicious, juicy, and tender enough to use a fork to cut with. The flavor was well worth the small price we paid. My daughter is going to get herself one for her terrace space, so she too can enjoy the smokey meat flavor all year long."
Review 2 for Square Vertical Smoker
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Not What It Claims To Be,
December 5, 2009
By MetairieMan
"I bought this because I thought that it was the best value for the dollar. Unfortunately, it does not work well; there are too many air "leaks" that affect both the fire and the smoke control. I would look to spending more money on a "tighter" system, if you would want to start smoking food."
Review 3 for Square Vertical Smoker
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Thanks everyone!!!,
November 22, 2009
By RCraig
"I read many of the reviews on this site and made the decision to purchase this smoker. I decided to fashion a grate out of 1" chicken wire. The charcoal pan is being used as the catch pan for the ash. The smoker is curing as I type this and is holding 250 degrees with the bottom vents about 90-95% closed and the top vents completely closed. I am looking forward to smoking a turkey this week and think this smoker is going to be a great addition to the backyard."
Review 4 for Square Vertical Smoker
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Works but needs adjustment,
November 22, 2009
By smokeifyougotem
"First time charcoal smoker this weekend and after reading reviews I felt pretty confident on how using the smoker was going to work. One thing you must do with this smoker is adjust/replace the charcoal tray (its really a bowl with no air holes). Just add a flat grill pan that has many holes where the pan would be and the temperature stays at a nice 250 degrees.
If you don't do this the smoker will never get above 200. To smoke a 10lb turkey I used a 5lb bag of apple chips and one 8lb bag of lump charcoal. Overall the process required a lot of handholding (adding water, charcoal etc.) but the result was worth it. A juicy and tasty bird, will definitely do this again."
Review 5 for Square Vertical Smoker
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Almost There,
July 20, 2009
By Anonymous
from New York
"Okay, so I read the reviews went out and got this smoker. I like it so far. My only problem is that after making a suggested alteration (drilling holes in the charcoal pan) I can't seem to keep the heat for long. I fel like I'm going through alot of charcoal....Any other suggestions? Should I use anything else? The holes I made were 7/16 since that was the largest bit I had on hand..."
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Review 6 for Square Vertical Smoker
Overall Rating:
out of
5
poorly designed product,
July 5, 2009
By VegasBBQ
"Like many other reviewers I could not get this smoker to reach more than 150 degrees regardless of side air vents open, amount of charcoal or wood used, etc.
The fuel pan is of very poor design in that it does not allow air to circulate around the charcoal to aid in combustion. As such the charcoal tends to snuff itself out over a relatively quick period.
I had to drill many holes in the fuel pan to get the smoker to reach at least 200 degrees.
Would NOT recommend this product as there are other smokers out there at comparable prices that do a much better job."
Review 7 for Square Vertical Smoker
Overall Rating:
out of
5
,
July 4, 2009
By Lariel
"Thank you, thank you, thank you to all that told me how to modify this smoker...I made a few little tweaks (used the suggest of putting the charcoal on the bottom and cooking grate on top). Now my very first little smoker is awesome"
Review 8 for Square Vertical Smoker
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Good Product for beginners,
June 28, 2009
By SmokinNKC
"I have owned this smoker for about 2 years now, and, since it is my first smoker, I wanted something that was nearly fool-proof. I shopped around looking for a charcoal smoker that would require minimal work, be within my price range (under 80.00) and cook just enough food for the family without wasting a lot of space in the garage. This product met all of those requirements, and I could not be happier. controlling the temperature is easy and requires very little adjustment to maintain 200 degrees. The food is always nice and moist thanks to its large water bowl. Since it requires so little watching-over, I can play with the kids, work on the cars or just lounge in a chair while the food smokes its way to perfection."
Review 9 for Square Vertical Smoker
Overall Rating:
out of
5
SMOKIES,
June 15, 2009
By MALCOM4430
"YOU DO NEED TO ADJUST IT SOME HOLES WORK GOOD FOR BOTTOM PAN DO NOT ADD YOUR WATER TO THE SECOND PAN UNTIL TEMP IS RIGHT FOR THE TIME YOU WANT TO SPEND COOKING I CAN REACH 300 TO 375 CHARCOAL USE & WOOD CHIPS IN METAL BOX."
Review 10 for Square Vertical Smoker
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Great starter smoker for the $$,
June 7, 2009
By JWGTexas
"This is a good place to start your smoker experience. Yes, it takes some mods to get the most out of this unit but I paid $70 - other high end smokers will run $400-$2000. Don't panic. Spend $8 on a Weber small bottom grate, drill 8-10 1/2" holes in the bottom of the fire pan and I can keep temps up to 275 degrees without problem. If Brinkman did these mods and charged $90 I'd still buy this smoker and it would work perfectly."
Review 11 for Square Vertical Smoker
Overall Rating:
out of
5
My Brinkmann Smoker,
May 21, 2009
By Anonymous
from Cary NC
"I love my little Brinkmann smoker. I have used other smokers in the past, including an Electric smoker. This model is very easy to use, and the model is perfect for the novice smoker."
Review 12 for Square Vertical Smoker
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Garbage,
May 19, 2009
By Sauced
"I bought this new and owned it for a month. I used it 3 times but could never get the temperature over 190 for any length of time. I opened the vents, I closed the vents, I piled on the charcoal. Nothing worked.
I had to finish cooking the meat in my oven all three times after 6 to 8 hours of smoking.
I thought about modifiying it like some reviewers suggested but hey, when you buy something new it is suppose to work, so forget that.
I took it back for a different model.
DO NOT purchase this model. It is total garbage."
I had to finish cooking the meat in my oven all three times after 6 to 8 hours of smoking.
I thought about modifiying it like some reviewers suggested but hey, when you buy something new it is suppose to work, so forget that.
I took it back for a different model.
DO NOT purchase this model. It is total garbage."
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.
Review 13 for Square Vertical Smoker
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Poor design,
May 11, 2009
By chuchu
"I fall into the category of many of the reviewers. I received this smoker as a gift and tried it with little success. The air circulation is poor and in 3 uses, trying different mixtures of wood/coal, with all of the vents open I could only the the temp up to 175 for 15 mins. My daughter has accused me of always returning gifts so I was DETERMINED to make it work, but have been very frustrated with this mokerand end up having to cook the raw meat by another means after 4+ hours on the smoker. I have just found this site to rate after an email to Brinkmann, to which I received a response, but needed to look up the model number. Had I seen this sooner I could have shown my daughter after the first falied attempt LOL!"
Review 14 for Square Vertical Smoker
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Smoking with the Brinkmann-only 2 grates?,
April 27, 2009
By Smokeycarebear
"This unit does take a little work, especially the numerous holes I had to drill in the pan to get the airflow sufficent. I have been smoking for for about 10 years and have used many inexpensive Brinkmann smokers and I have had alot of success with them. A word of advice...keep this baby covered! They rust very quickly. I am curious why they have only four side rails and two cooking grates when they have room to add two more cooking grates! Yes, we can move them from lower to higher levels, but I always rotate my food in distance from the fire anyway. So i priced up the 4 side rails and 2 grates to full out the smoker-$53! The unit cost $69! Thats before shipping or tax! Has anyone else thought about filling out the rest of the room on this smoker? Smokes well, 225 degrees is easily maintained (w/ the holes in the pan), my ribs off this unit are slaying my friend who thought he made the best in our neighborhood with his $400 smoker! Easy access to the water & fire without losing heat up top. Like the door access for the food to baste. Good smoker for the money!"
Review 15 for Square Vertical Smoker
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Another option / modification,
February 2, 2009
By SmokerGuy
"As you will note from the rest of the reviews, the only modification you need to make if you purchase this smoker is fixing the air flow to the charcoal / wood. There are several reviews that suggest drilling holes into the bowl that holds the charcoal. Another option (which is what I do) requires you to sacrifice one of the cooking grates.
I place the "charcoal" bowl right on the floor of the smoker (as opposed to using the side rail supports), and then I place one of the cooking grates right on top of the bowl. This method gets TONS of air (as the grate is right about in line with the bottom vents), requires much less charcoal, and is very easy to control the temperature. After I get it fired up, I usually can close all 4 vents and walk away from it for 2 hours. No problems maintaining 250-275 degrees. Obviously the spent charcoal falls thru the grates and into the bowl.
That is the only change I made. Works great after the change. The down-side to this method is you can't utilize both cooking grates. But 1 cooking grate is big enough for 2 pork butts, which is the most I have ever cooked.
But to buy a product and have to make a drastic change is pretty foolish, so I only gave it 3 stars. This is my first smoker and have loved the experience. If you are a beginner smoker, or someone that will only smoke something once or twice a year, and don't want to invest a ton until you have tried it out, then this product is IDEAL for that, because for $60 and a few modifications, it works great."
I place the "charcoal" bowl right on the floor of the smoker (as opposed to using the side rail supports), and then I place one of the cooking grates right on top of the bowl. This method gets TONS of air (as the grate is right about in line with the bottom vents), requires much less charcoal, and is very easy to control the temperature. After I get it fired up, I usually can close all 4 vents and walk away from it for 2 hours. No problems maintaining 250-275 degrees. Obviously the spent charcoal falls thru the grates and into the bowl.
That is the only change I made. Works great after the change. The down-side to this method is you can't utilize both cooking grates. But 1 cooking grate is big enough for 2 pork butts, which is the most I have ever cooked.
But to buy a product and have to make a drastic change is pretty foolish, so I only gave it 3 stars. This is my first smoker and have loved the experience. If you are a beginner smoker, or someone that will only smoke something once or twice a year, and don't want to invest a ton until you have tried it out, then this product is IDEAL for that, because for $60 and a few modifications, it works great."
Review 16 for Square Vertical Smoker
Overall Rating:
out of
5
What I would change,
January 18, 2009
By Smokerstoaker
"The smoker is of good design, but lightweight and short. The fire box needs better circulation.
I cut a five inch circular hole in the fire pan and replaced it with heat resistant wire mesh with about 1/2 inch spacing between the wires then placed a pie pan underneath to catch the ash. This increased airflow to the fire and helped maintain heat on a cold day. Now I will add extensions to the legs to reduce need for low bending and the necessity to get on your knees to tend to the fire. Will be terrific !"
I cut a five inch circular hole in the fire pan and replaced it with heat resistant wire mesh with about 1/2 inch spacing between the wires then placed a pie pan underneath to catch the ash. This increased airflow to the fire and helped maintain heat on a cold day. Now I will add extensions to the legs to reduce need for low bending and the necessity to get on your knees to tend to the fire. Will be terrific !"
Review 17 for Square Vertical Smoker
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Smoker needs modifications,
November 17, 2008
By kenhin
"Thanks to the other reviewers I was able to alter this smoker to make it work. Like many others I found that it was impossible to achieve an internal temperature above 175 degrees on a warm day or 150 degrees on a cool day. I smoked two pieces of chicken for four hours yesterday and had to grill them to get them cooked. I have since drilled holes in the charcoal pan to get more air through the fire and raise the temperature. This looks like an excellent smoker for the money but I am surprised that it made it out the door as it is currently designed. I would recommend it to others if they are willing to make some adjustments."
Review 18 for Square Vertical Smoker
Overall Rating:
out of
5
SAVE YOUR MONEY,
November 5, 2008
By JOE987
"I read the reviews and still made the mistake of buying this smoker. The design is horrible. I should've known when the display models were falling apart. I took the unit out of the box and attempted to install the door handles with no success.
I'm too impatient to fight with a poorly designed smoker. The box is flimsy and thin, the handles won't latch, and just think I never even attempted to cook anything.
If you're a grill master, spend the extra money and get the better design--you get what you pay for. If you're cheap, buy the bullet shaped smoker and spend the extra $30 bucks on beef, brew, or the broad."
I'm too impatient to fight with a poorly designed smoker. The box is flimsy and thin, the handles won't latch, and just think I never even attempted to cook anything.
If you're a grill master, spend the extra money and get the better design--you get what you pay for. If you're cheap, buy the bullet shaped smoker and spend the extra $30 bucks on beef, brew, or the broad."
Review 19 for Square Vertical Smoker
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Great for the money,
October 15, 2008
By jtbaer
"I bought this smoker at the beginning of the summer and love it, but you have to realize what you are going to get with a $60 smoker. You definitely need to do some modifications to it to get it to work at its best.
I replaced the charcol pan with an expanded metal box that I made that has angle aluminum legs to keep it off the bottom of the smoked. I also use a thick cast iron griddle I had hanging around for a heat sink instead of the water pan. Works very well and is much easier for clean up.
This set up gives me much better airflow and the ash falls throw the charcoal box, which means better heat control. Plus getting rid of the water pan gives me more room for a third rack. I can smoke three racks of ribs, a brisket and a couple pork butts at the same time. More than enough for what I need. I have no problem maintaining 275 degrees and that is with the intake vents 95% closed.
The metal they use is a little thin, but the set up with access doors for the food and the fire is great. You have total access to everything, unlike the bullet smoker I was using previously.
A couple more mods that I need to do to really make this thing rock is silicone or fiberglass tape around the doors to get an airtight seal, a couple of baffles for the exhaust vents and some rigid insulation to wrap it to hold the heat better.
A couple more mods that I need to do to really make this thing rock is silicone or fiberglass tape around the doors to get an airtight seal, a couple of baffles for the exhaust vents and some rigid insulation to wrap it to hold the heat better.
For the price this is a great smoker. Granted, its not going to last for a real long time and it is not ready to go out of the box. But, unless you're spending closer to $1,000, most any smoker you get will need a far amount of modifications to get it dialed in."
Review 20 for Square Vertical Smoker
Overall Rating:
out of
5
Good little smoker,
October 13, 2008
By HomesickTexan
"I just bought this little smoker a few days ago, and I think it will be just fine. I sprayed it down with vegetable oil and cured it for a couple of hours, then smoked two slabs of baby back ribs and a chicken. I used natural hardwood charcoal (rather than the briquettes) and mesquite chunks that I soaked overnight. The meats were perfect – just like back home in my granddaddy’s mesquite pit. I'm not sure why people have said they had trouble keeping the temp up. Someone suggested drilling some holes in the bottom of the charcoal bowl to allow for better circulation and for spent ash to drop through and thus not choke the live coals. That might work, or Brinkmann sells a little "heat booster" grate on their website for the bottom of the coal pan that would serve the same purpose. I think you just have to make sure you have a nice, hot fire to start with, keep an eye on it, open the bottom vents when it starts to get too cool, and add new piping hot coals about every hour. You might also try starting with hot water in the water pan, or using less water and topping it off more often. It takes some vigilance and skill -- but hey, that's real charcoal smokin' for ya! If you want to be lazy about it (and not have as good a flavor), get an electric smoker. I would have given this baby a 5 if it held more meat and if the walls were thicker. But it’s a steal for $60, and I’m sure I’ll upgrade to a larger, better built smoker when I get my Yankee friends and family spoiled to real, Texas-style barbeque."
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