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A highlight from the HPBExpo this year was W.C. Bradley Co.’s area. For those not familiar, W.C. Bradley Co. is the parent company behind grill brands like Charbroil, Oklahoma Joe’s, and Pit Boss.
They had all their 2025 grill releases on display and it was impressive seeing all the work that they’ve done on new products. I’ve followed all their new releases as they’ve come out, but seeing them all together was really eye opening.
Charbroil
Charbroil is best know for their gas grills, which are solid in their own right, but they’ve also been putting in the engineering hours with their new griddles. Their Performance Series griddle that they released last year has some great features for an affordable price.
What stole the show for Charbroil this year is their Versa-Tile griddle. I call it a griddle but it’s really an all around cooking machine that can griddle, grill, cook pizza, has a wok station, or even a place for a stock pot. It’s all thanks to the swappable tile on the right side of the griddle surface.
The tile gives you access to any type of cooking you can do with a gas burner. The best part is the Versa-Tile comes with the searing plate, sizzling grill grate, pizza and wok accessory ring. That means you don’t have to load up on additional accessories to enjoy the versatility.
It’s a completely different type of grill, and a really creative design. It can be hard to visualize how you can use it, but the above video gives you an idea. The model in the video is from the UK, so keep in mind the US model is a little different (better).
Oklahoma Joe’s
For those that like smoke, Oklahoma Joe’s (OKJ) is your brand. Most people know them for their traditional offset smokers, but there’s nothing traditional about the smokers they’ve released this year.
Tahoma
OKJ released a new version of the Tahoma this year, a charcoal smoker that can be operated with your phone. Think of it like a pellet grill that runs on charcoal or a charcoal grill with cheat codes.
It couldn’t be easier to operate. You load the hopper with charcoal, set the temperature, turn on the auto ignition (new this model), then let the digital controller do the rest.
In addition to the auto ignition that they added, they also added a slide out plate to choke off the fire when your done. That lets you keep whatever charcoal is left in the hopper for the next cook.
For anyone that like pellet smokers but wishes they had more smoke, this is your grill. It’s also perfect for anyone new to smoking, or pros that sometimes have stuff to do other then continuously tend to a fire.
Bronco Drum Smoker
For a completely different way to cook great barbecue, OKJ released an updated version of their popular Bronco drum smoker. It’s like other drum smokers that have been winning barbecue competitions everywhere, but with more features and a more consumer friendly design.
A very basic drum smoker is a drum that you build a fire in the bottom and hang meat from the top. OKJ took this concept and innovated on it to remove some of the pain points.
It has an access door that swings open to easily tend to the fire, adjustable height on the fire for grilling, and adjustable intake and exhaust for control. It also has little convenience features like wheels, side shelves, and utensil hangers.
It’s a fun and really effective way to cook. Plus, OKJ managed to keep the price down at $399 (check price – they run sales).
Pit Boss
Pit Boss had a bunch of new pellet grill releases this year. One of the best models is the new Navigator. They had it at the HPBExpo where I got to see how good it looks, and feels, in-person.
The latest model has all the latest features like a touchscreen WiFi controller, easy ash clean-out, and a flame broiler lever. It also has a roll-top lid, and lots of prep space.
To zoom in on prep space, what’s neat about the new Navigator is how it does food prep. Unlike other grills that just have a side shelf, there’s a whole prep station with a paper towel roll, and a trash bag, to make prep even easier.