Char-Broil launched the EDGE full-size electric grill last summer. With high temperature searing at 700°F, we had great results with it when testing it. Now they’re expanding it to the UK market with more features, a different name, and a slightly different look.
Branding
While Char-Broil is going to further their marketing efforts this year of the EDGE in the US, different markets have different preferences. For the UK, Char-Broil went with the name SMART-E for full-size electric grill.
The name isn’t the only thing they changed on the grill, they also gave it a paint job. While in the US it has a two-tone look with steel and black, Char-Broil went with an all black look for the UK market.
Beyond the look and name, Char-Broil also branded the technology differently than the US market. They name the electric fuel source as E-POWER, and the temperature control as SMART PRECISION.
Upgraded Design – More Power
When we first looked at the SMART-E, we thought it was just a rebranded EDGE with a new color scheme. Upon closer look, it has a number of cooking upgrades from the UK’s use of 230 volt outlets.
US outlets are about half of the voltage as the UK. It’s interesting to look at what the SMART-E does with the extra power, because it could be a preview of what Char-Broil could do in the US by using an appliance outlet or a different design.
Longer Heat Coil
While the EDGE is rated for 1,750 watts, the SMART-E uses 2,400 watts. This allows the SMART-E to have a heat coil that covers the whole cooking chamber. It has grates over the whole area, rather than a warming tray with vacant space underneath.
In addition to having active cooking grates across the whole surface inside the grill, the SMART-E also comes equipped with an upper warming rack. That’s absent from the EDGE, but a common feature on most non-electric grills.
Cooking Options
With the additional cooking area inside the cook chamber, there are additional cooking options. The SMART-E has 3 cooking grates that are removeable from the grill. It gives the ability to add a griddle to your cooking setup.
Changeable grates are something that the new electric Weber Lumin has, but not something the EDGE is advertised to be able to do.
Different Grate Design
The grate design itself is different on the SMART-E than the EDGE. As can be seen in the photo below, there is an emitter plate on top of the Calrod element, with grates on top of that.
The EDGE has what looks like a combined emitter plate and grate in one. There are no additional grates. We’re not sure why the design is different.
Additional Accessories
While there aren’t any additional accessories for the EDGE in the US, the SMART-E is compatible with Char-Broil UK’s MADE2MATCH accessories. They are a line of storage and prep accessories that can be added to the grill.
There isn’t a comparable line in the US, which is somewhat surprising given that the US is Char-Broil’s number one market by far.
Conclusion
While the EDGE is a great grill in its own right, it’s cool to see what Char-Broil’s engineers can do with a little extra power. While the SMART-E is for the UK market, is it a look into the future of electric grilling in the US?