Pit Boss 4-Burner Ultimate Lift-Off Griddle vs Pit Boss Champion Barrel Charcoal Smoker
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Quick take: The Pit Boss 4-Burner Ultimate Lift-Off Griddle costs $190 less; the Pit Boss Champion Barrel Charcoal Smoker offers more cooking space (1,158 vs 647 sq in).
| Spec | Pit Boss 4-Burner Ultimate Lift-Off Griddle | Pit Boss Champion Barrel Charcoal Smoker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$800 | ~$990 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Griddle | Charcoal Smoker |
| Cooking Area | 647 sq in | 1158 sq in |
| Max Temp | — | — |
| Fuel Type | Propane/Natural Gas | Charcoal |
| Build Material | Non-Stick Armored Ceramic Coated Steel | Steel with Porcelain-Coated Grates |
| Hopper Capacity | — | — |
| Burners | 4 | — |
| WiFi / App | No | No |
| App control | No | No |
| Meat probe | No | No |
| PID controller | No | No |
| Side burner | No | No |
| Rotisserie | No | No |
| Searing | No | No |
| Dimensions | 62.7 x 28.7 x 37 in | — |
| Weight | 138.9 lbs | — |
| Warranty | 2 years | 5 years |
Pros & cons
Pit Boss 4-Burner Ultimate Lift-Off Griddle
- ✓Ceramic-coated cooktop removes seasoning and rust management entirely, which is the single biggest reason griddles get abandoned
- ✓Ready to cook out of the box with no break-in period
- ✓Lift-off top genuinely converts a 647 sq in backyard griddle into a campsite unit
- ✓Two-year warranty, double Blackstone's and Camp Chef's
- ✓Four burners over 647 sq in gives usable zone separation
- ✗The lift-off top weighs 89 lbs — a two-person carry, not a one-person one
- ✗Ceramic non-stick coatings wear and cannot be restored the way seasoned carbon steel can be
- ✗Metal spatula technique that griddle cooks rely on will shorten the coating's life
- ✗138.9 lbs assembled and nearly 63 inches wide
Pit Boss Champion Barrel Charcoal Smoker
- ✓Three rows of hanging rods hold twelve racks of ribs — roughly triple a standard 30-gallon drum
- ✓Hanging meat over direct coals is what gives drums their bark and render rate; this does it at party scale
- ✓Also ships with three porcelain-coated grates, so it works as a conventional grate smoker when hanging is impractical
- ✓5-year limited warranty is remarkable on a charcoal drum, where most rivals offer one
- ✓1,158 sq in of grate area plus hanging capacity for under $1,000 undercuts the custom drum builders
- ✗$990 is more than twice a Pit Barrel Classic, and the drum design itself offers no temperature control beyond an intake damper
- ✗Drums run hot — typically 275–300°F — and are poor at the low 225°F range some cooks want
- ✗No thermometer ports, no probes, no controller; this is a manual cooker at a semi-premium price
- ✗Pit Boss publishes neither dimensions nor weight for it, and a 24-inch loaded drum is heavy
- ✗Hanging cooks drip straight onto the coals, which is where drum flavour comes from but also means flare-ups with fatty loads