Royal GourmetCC1830S 30" BBQ Charcoal Grill and Offset Smoker | 811 Square Inch cooking surface, Outdoor for Camping | Black

We finally had a chance to assemble this new grill and test it out. It took us a while to find the right opportunity which is why this review is delayed. Our unit arrived undamaged and all the parts we needed were there. Assembly was straightforward and took about 1.5 hours. It takes two people at some important steps like installing the bottom tub and lid. Also, getting the initial assembly of the legs going makes you wish you were an octopus. One big improvement would be to put pins or screws into the joints where the leg sections slide together - not for future stability but just to hold those parts in place to install the brackets and bottom rack. We were very happy with the final appearance once it was assembled.The number of accessories is generous and very helpful. We love the adjustable height of the charcoal tray in the main section and the extra grates for the top of the side section could be very useful. As second oversight we found was that the ash tray in the side section does not fit back out through the cover or the door. So to remove the ashes you need to manually scoop them out or push them out the door on the side. Having that tray removable without spilling the ashes would be a bonus.As a direct grill it's wonderful. As an offset smoker, it's adequate. During smoking, it's a little hard to keep the right amount of charcoal and wood going to maintain the temperature without overshooting or rapid drops. The main lid leaks a lot of heat out the edges. We used the high temperature caulk all around the main parts during assembly and that helped a lot compared with some other peoples experiences in reducing the leaks. We ran it with the side door open most of the time and had to keep stirring the wood and charcoal to keep it hot enough.But, overall this is a very nice product and certainly acceptable for the price. Congratulations to the designers who have made a really nice affordable entry level grill/smoker product!

This is a great quality grill especially for the price. My boyfriend put it together with no problems in the morning and by lunch we were grilling. I have no complaints. This is almost exactly like the pricey grills at Lowe’s for a 3rd of the price. I highly recommend. Save yourself some money and get this one instead. Food came out full of flavor. You won’t be disappointed.

Good basic charcoal. Only issue we had was that the screws became loose after a few uses and the lid didn’t sit right. Definitely not a forever grill but it will get you through a few years.

Definitely took the advice to heart that the bolt holes and seams are going to leak delicious smoke if not addressed in the assembly process. Used the 1/2” felt adhesive and red RTV, gave it 48 hours to cure and now it’s working like a champ. I added a better thermometer and drilled a new hole to use the included thermometer for the offset side. I also added a barrel lock to compensate for the felt that kept the lid from sitting flush. Total touch time was 3 hours, the instructions were practically worthless. A cover is needed 100%.

First order didn’t come with all the pieces so had to order a replacement once that was put together it is really nice for the price and my boyfriend been on it at least 3 -4 times a week lol ..

For the price it’s a great smoker we did 2 full slabs of ribs on it after 8 hours they fell off the bone.

Before making this purchase I read several reviews and the bad ones kind of spooked me but I decided to give it a try because I really wanted to be able to grill and smoke, and this is all the money I could spend right now. So who was right, the positive reviews or the negative ones? Kind of both.I ordered the grill on a Friday and it arrived on a Tuesday. Assembled it Wednesday night. Assembly was very simple. First thing I noticed was that the people complaining about how thin the steel is were right, but you get what you pay for. The instructions call for the grill to be seasoned with a small fire. Another reviewer recommended to do this more than once. So between Thursday and Saturday night I built four small fires in the grill. By the time the fourth one had almost burned out I could still smell the chemical smell but it was greatly reduced.Note that the instructions say never to get the temp above 400 degrees F. They also say you can put six pounds of charcoal in the main grill body. If you use that much charcoal you will have a 700-800 degree fire. You'll have to really play a balancing game of getting a fire big enough to cook without burning all the paint off.With the grill seasoned it was time to try cooking on it. I used just enough charcoal to cover 90% of the grill grate with one layer of coals. Temp jumped quickly to about 550, so I shut all the dampers. Cooked chicken and squash. Pleased with the way the grill performed. However, the next day when I cleaned the ashes out I noticed lots of paint had peeled off the pan that holds the grill grate. Now either it will rust or I'll need to repaint it with a high temperature paint. YOu get what you pay for.Today I attempted using the unit as a smoker. The instructions say you can put four pounds of charcoal in the fire box, but I was scared to use that much. I probably started with 2.5-3 pounds. Put a water pan on the charcoal grate in the main grill. Got the temp up to about 200 and put ribs on. Checked about 30 minutes later temperature was 250 but the fire was dying so i stoked it. Bottom line I continued this process of adding to the fire so that the thermometer read 225-300 for about three hours. When I checked the ribs, however, they were not actually cooking. I mean they were hot to the touch, but not hot enough to render any fat out. Not sure yet how to solve this problem. I'm guessing either the thermometer is off or the product just loses too much heat due to gaps in tolerances and thin material.Overall, I think the grill is worth what it costs. I expect it to be functional for grilling and hope to figure out the smoking function. But you get what you pay for so if you can afford a higher quality cooker you should probably get one.Update. After 8 months of use there is not much paint in the main cook chamber or the fire box chamber. The carcoal pan and grate in the cook chamber are warped, rusted, and cracked. However, I am still able to use the grill very effectively--just not sure how much longer that will last. I've also learned that it does function fairly well as a smoker if the ambient conditions are nice and you monitor the fire very carefully. The instructions say not to use real wood in the fire box. However, I have found that if you keep a good bed of coals you can use very small splits of oak or pecan and it works well.22 month update. Had to replace the ash pan. The fire box (on the side for the smoking function) has rusted through in two places and is no longer safely functional. The grill part still works fine and we use it almost every week. The cooking grates have held up very well.I guess my recommendation has not changed--get this if it is all you can afford.

Cheap material, some screw holes don’t line up, once put together it’s wobbly, fire box vent door doesn’t line up and won’t stay shut,,, just stays half wide open ,,,