Weber SmokeFire EPX4 2022 review

At a look

Expert’s Rating

Pros

• Loads of grill house
• Gives meals an ideal smoky flavour
• App is in actuality helpful

Cons

• Noisy fan
• Expensive (particularly in the United Kingdom)
• Hopper might be even steeper

Our Verdict

The SmokeFire EPX4 is immensely flexible, permitting you to barbeque an enormous number of issues, with out requiring a large number of enter. It provides a beautiful flavour to meat and plays reliably.

Price When Reviewed

Not to be had in the USA

For the general public, or no less than the general public I know, a barbeque is an easy, affordable outside cooker that comes to cooking meals on a grill over charcoal. Either that or it’s a fuel barbeque which, although handy, doesn’t rather give meals the similar barbecued style as charcoal.

But there’s an entire different international of barbequing and, simply as glamping is to tenting, you’ll be able to lift your outside cooking to an absolutely other stage with a beast just like the Weber SmokeFire EPX4.

It makes use of neither charcoal nor fuel, as a substitute burning compressed pellets of wooden. Weber recommends you employ its personal emblem of pellets, which are available a variety of various kinds of wooden to provide other flavours for your meals. You can, after all, supply different manufacturers of pellets, however effects aren’t assured.

Unlike a large number of barbecues, you’ll be able to prepare dinner no matter you favor at the SmokeFire EPX4. From your usual BBQ fare together with burgers, sausages and kebabs to steaks, ribs and extra, the EPX4 allows you to prepare dinner on the suitable temperature, from 200-600F (95-315C).

The low temperatures, together with the SmokeBoost serve as, will let you slow-cook ribs and different joints of meat which want many hours of cooking, whilst the easiest will let you sear steaks and even stir fry the use of a wok.

The EPX4 makes sense, too, with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi so you’ll be able to regulate temperature remotely, set timers and get signals when the ones temperatures or instances are reached.

To transparent up any confusion, that is the new 2022 EPX4 Stealth Edition which differs from the common (and less expensive) SmokeFire EX4 best in that the silver portions of that style are actually black, together with the shelf, handles and brackets for the castors. Other than that, it’s the similar barbeque.

Features & design

• Built-in display
• Supports as much as 4 core temperature probes
• SmokeBoost serve as
• Built-in gentle for middle of the night grilling
• Side desk

Though it’s the little brother of the EPX6, the EPX4 continues to be a majestic barbeque. Weber says there’s enough space at the two grills to prepare dinner for 6 other folks and that’s no longer exaggerating. You can are compatible 3 complete racks of ribs in an EPX4 in the event you sought after to. The decrease grills measure 610x460mm in general.

The twin upper- and decrease grills also are helpful in the event you’re cooking meals that wishes other temperatures: the higher grill will get oblique warmth and is perfect for smoking meat, while the decrease one has direct warmth from the so-called Flavorizer bars.

The UK-specific style that Weber despatched for review comes with 3 grills: one higher and two decrease. And as a result of the Gourmet Barbecue System (or GBS for brief), there’s an extra grill that sits under the bigger of the decrease grills and which helps the other equipment discussed already, together with the dual-sided sear grate.

Image: Jim Martin / Foundry

To the best of the grill itself is an invaluable shelf (although a little bit small) and a integrated display that allows you to see and keep an eye on the temperature the use of the huge dial. The massive textual content is simple to peer, even in vivid stipulations, however the data is replicated within the app as smartly.

Image: Jim Martin / Foundry

Below the display are 4 connectors for temperature probes that will let you track the core temperature of no matter you’re cooking to make sure it’s correctly and safely cooked. The quantity you get within the field relies on your area. In the United Kingdom, you get one. Additional probes are round £23 / $18.

To be transparent, that is the second one era SmokeFire – Weber has modified a couple of issues following comments from the primary era. In explicit, it added an insert to extend the perspective of the hopper to 33° so the wooden pellets slide extra reliably into the auger (the section that feeds them into the fireplace pot), and in addition modified the way it manufactured the auger to cut back the danger of a jam.

And if a jam is detected, the EX4 will try to repair the problem with none handbook intervention.

Build high quality is superb: the porcelain-enamel black end at the outdoor is hard and clean to wash. It’s additionally clean to collect, basically because of the reality Weber has put directions within the BILT app so you’ve got step by step directions in 3-d. Plus, the quite a lot of packing containers are labelled and the directions let you know which field the portions for every step are in.

Image: Jim Martin / Foundry

For someone coming from a standard charcoal barbeque, the reality the EX4 lighting fixtures itself is each superb and handy. Weber even supplies two spare glow plugs within the field, this means that there’s no want to seek out the precise sort when you want a alternative.

But even higher than that, in contrast to fuel or charcoal barbecues, the SmokeFire will deal with the temperature – similar to an indoor oven – so you’ll be able to pop your meat at the grill, close the lid and do different issues till it’s cooked,  with out being worried it’ll burn.

App

The Weber Connect app is divided into 3 sections. Barbecue will provide you with keep an eye on over the EX4’s temperature, allows you to allow and disable the SmokeBoost serve as and set timers.

Image: Jim Martin / Foundry

It additionally contains cooking programmes for a big selection of meats, fish or even fruit and greens.

For instance, underneath Pork is child again ribs, together with the time they’ll take. Tap on it and also you’ll discover a breakdown of the quite a lot of preparation and cooking steps, and the place suitable quick movies display you what to do with each the beef and the barbeque.

Image: Jim Martin / Foundry

Starting a programme can even fan the flames of the EX4 to the proper temperature, and also you’ll get signals in your phone when you want to accomplish different steps.

Another segment is Recipes the place you select the similar classes of meat, fish and greens, however there’s no seek serve as, so it’s a must to scroll thru and to find one thing you just like the glance of.

Last, there’s the More menu which is the place you’ll be able to get to the EX4’s settings, although those prolong to simply converting its title and connecting to a Wi-Fi community.

It’s price noting that in the event you best attach by the use of Bluetooth, you’ll want to be inside of Bluetooth vary of the EX4 to make use of the app. But in the event you arrange Wi-Fi, no longer best are you able to use the app anyplace in vary of your house Wi-Fi, you’ll be able to additionally track and keep an eye on the EX4 remotely from anyplace with an web connection. And that’s particularly helpful for longer smoking classes when you want to get on with different issues and possibly pop to the malls for one thing you’ve forgotten.

Wood-pellet grilling

The SmokeFire EX4 takes round quarter-hour to gentle itself and warmth as much as the temperature you’ve set. It’s excellent at protecting that temperature, however you want to stay the lid closed because it cools down speedy briefly whilst you open it.

The pellets themselves are principally compressed sawdust and glance precisely just like the pellets you’d feed sheep and farm animals. The complete level of the use of wooden pellets is as a result of they severely beef up the flavor of your meals, extra so than charcoal does. You can choose between quite a lot of hardwoods together with hickory, maple, cherry and blends of the ones.

Image: Jim Martin / Foundry

The EX4 burns thru pellets at a fee of knots, particularly at upper temperatures. It’s perfect to make sure the hopper is complete in the event you’re going to prepare dinner low and sluggish for a number of hours. It’ll take a complete bag – 20lb or simply over 9kg – with slightly of room to spare, which means you’ll be able to empty a whole bag although there are nonetheless a couple of pellets within the backside.

Bags aren’t reasonable, at round £18 / $19 every, however will have to ultimate a couple of classes every. Just keep in mind you’re no longer going to seek out them to your native grocery store, so it’s essential to remember to have sufficient handy earlier than you invite visitors over.

Despite the steeper slope within the hopper, I discovered pellets didn’t all the time slide, particularly when the extent is reasonably low. There isn’t a lot else Weber can do about it, however it could be higher if it was once even steeper.

Like all wood-pellet grills, the EX4 has a fan which assists in keeping the fireplace going in addition to make sure that the warmth is directed round all the ‘cookbox’, just like a convection oven.

It’s rather noisy, particularly throughout the shutdown procedure which takes round quarter-hour and – annoyingly – has the fan spinning as much as most velocity and stale many times. If you’re consuming close to the barbeque that’s sufficient of an issue to imagine swapping it out for a quieter one and we’ve noticed a couple of other folks do that with Noctua PC fanatics with, it seems that, nice good fortune.

Image: Jim Martin / Foundry

However, it is a minor gripe and it’s price enduring for the improbable flavour you get from cooking at the EX4. Whether you’re protecting it easy with conventional burgers and hotdogs or going for the overall smoked impact via the use of SmokeBoost for the primary couple of hours of a low-and-slow consultation, effects are mouth-wateringly just right.

I attempted SmokeBoost, which reduces the temperature to 165-200F / 74- 93C, with each ribs and a joint of red meat – the type we typically prepare dinner for a Sunday roast in a sluggish cooker. And each had a noticeable smoky flavour that made it that a lot more stress-free to devour.

Image: Jim Martin / Foundry

For those who care about such issues, it additionally gave the beef a beautiful smoke ring – a crimson ribbon a couple of millimetres huge across the edge.

Image: Jim Martin / Foundry

It additionally cooked the entirety else we attempted rather well, with out burning it, and with out consistent consideration and turning of the beef. Obviously, it’s conceivable to burn issues in the event you depart them on too lengthy at too excessive a temperature, particularly anything else skinny, which is able to additionally dry out.

Weber recommends the use of a steel tray, part full of water, to assist stay meat wet when smoking, and in addition to catch extra grease to prevent it falling to the ground and probably blockading the drain holes.

In truth, it’s fascinating that the design hasn’t modified between the primary and 2d era on this admire: grease nonetheless drains thru two small holes on the backside of ‘slides’ each side of the burn pot.

And in spite of the claims of the easy-clean device with a detachable drawer that catches the ash and grease, you’ll nonetheless must scrape out grease from the cookbox each few classes, and that may be rather messy.

But it’s essential to do it to make sure there’s no risk of a grease fireplace. I had no actual issues throughout trying out: the EX4 carried out nearly faultlessly. The best factor that cropped up was once a solitary auger jam, however the barbeque taken care of that out itself in a couple of mins, possibly via reversing the corkscrew and forcing the pellets again into the hopper and making an attempt once more.

Image: Jim Martin / Foundry

Price & availability

You should purchase a SmokeFire EX4 direct from Weber in the USA the place it prices $1099. The EPX4 Stealth Edition isn’t to be had but for US consumers. You too can buy an EX4 from Amazon in the US for a similar worth.

The EX4 is dearer in the United Kingdom at £1,599 from Weber  and £1,899 for the EPX4 Stealth Edition.

Availability in the United Kingdom wasn’t nice on the time of review, with the EX4 appearing low inventory and EPX4 totally out of inventory on Weber’s site.

However, you’ll to find each fashions to be had at decrease costs from different outlets.

In the United Kingdom you want to pick out up an EPX4 for £1619 from BBQworld, and the EX4 for £1439 from the similar store.

You’ll nearly for sure wish to purchase the fitted duvet to offer protection to the barbeque from the weather, which prices $72.99 / £119.99 – once more, significantly dearer in the United Kingdom. It’s price searching round for package deal offers which come with the quilt and different equipment slightly than paying complete worth for them personally.

Image: Jim Martin / Foundry

Verdict

At this worth, the SmokeFire EPX4 (and even the EX4) isn’t one thing you’re going to shop for on a whim. But in keeping with my time with it, it’s cash smartly spent. You’ll most likely to find you barbeque much more than you can with a charcoal grill, too, and the reality you’ll be able to track temperatures from indoors way it’s no drawback to barbeque even within the iciness as there’s little want to be outdoor whilst your meals is cooking.

Also, the reality it may do the entirety from low-temperature smoking to high-temperature searing way it’s extra flexible than maximum barbecues.

Finally, as a result of it’s a must to close the lid and also you meals chefs while not having consistent consideration, you’ll be able to spend time along with your visitors as a substitute of status on the grill.

If you’re after one thing an identical however on a significantly tighter funds, then check out our Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 review, which is not up to part the cost of the EPX4.

Specs

• Temperature vary: 95-315°C / 200-600°F
• Fires up inside of quarter-hour
• Gravity-fed hopper
• Stores between 9kg / 20lb of pellets
• Upper and decrease grills
• 4270cm² general cooking house
• Night-time illumination
• Built-in temperature gauge
• 1 meat probe equipped (helps 4)
• Weber Connected App (Bluetooth or Wi-Fi)
• 5-year guaranty