Char-Broil Big Easy Review: Turkey Without the Oil Bath
The Char-Broil The Big Easy appeals to the cook who wants an outdoor turkey dinner without buying, cooling, and disposing of a pot of frying oil. This propane cooker skips the oil bath and suits people who value simpler cleanup over traditional deep-fried texture. Model 24102165 combines a vertical cooking chamber with straightforward controls, making it a focused choice for poultry and suitable roasts. It still needs outdoor space and an attentive cook, and it cannot replace a pot-and-burner set for fish fries or seafood boils.
Pros
- Avoids purchasing and handling a large oil bath.
- Integrated ignition and a single control knob keep operation straightforward.
- Front-access grease tray provides a dedicated place for drippings.
Cons
- The stated turkey capacity stops at 16 pounds.
- It does not provide traditional immersion-fried texture.
- It cannot perform the boiling and small-batch frying jobs of a pot set.
An Oil-Less Cooker Changes the Work Around Dinner
The Big Easy cooks food in a basket inside a propane-heated chamber instead of submerging it in hot oil. That difference removes several chores from a traditional turkey fry: calculating and purchasing frying oil, managing a large oil bath during cooking, and arranging its handling afterward. For someone who cooks one holiday turkey rather than hosting regular fish fries, those omissions are a substantial part of the appeal.
It is useful to think about the food you actually want. This method can brown a turkey, but it is not immersion frying. Buyers seeking the particular finish of a bird cooked in oil should not assume that the word “fryer” makes the two processes interchangeable. Seasoning, food preparation, and the appliance’s cooking instructions still influence the result.
Nor is this a countertop electric air fryer moved outside. It burns propane and has its own cooking chamber, clearances, and operating procedures. The absence of an oil reservoir does not make it suitable for a garage, an enclosed porch, or indoor use. Hot surfaces and collected grease remain part of the job.
The reward is a more focused routine. You prepare the bird, load the appropriate basket, manage the cook, and deal with drippings rather than gallons of frying oil. That is a worthwhile trade for households that would otherwise avoid outdoor turkey cooking because of the oil handling alone.
The Basket Sets a Meaningful Limit on Capacity
Char-Broil rates this model for a turkey or chicken up to 16 pounds. The manufacturer also lists separate capacities for roasts and pork shoulder, which is a reminder that food shape matters as well as weight. A weight limit should never become an invitation to squeeze an unusually shaped piece of food into a crowded chamber.
Buy the bird for the cooker, not the cooker for a bird already waiting in the freezer. Check that the food fits the basket as instructed, with the required clearance. This is especially important if your family normally orders a very large holiday turkey. A smaller bird and a revised menu may be more realistic than trying to stretch the stated capacity.
Cooking time needs similar flexibility. The burner’s listed 16,000-BTU output is not a dinner timer. Weather, the food’s size and starting condition, and the chosen recipe affect when the meal is ready. A food thermometer should determine doneness; the clock helps you organize the meal but cannot establish that the center is safely cooked.
If you expect to host a large gathering, plan the rest of the menu around those limits. Additional side dishes or another separately cooked main course may make more sense than forcing the largest possible turkey into the basket. Buyers who want large boiling batches rather than a basket-sized roast should look at the ROVSUN 80QT, which serves a very different purpose.
Straightforward Controls Still Need an Attentive Cook
Model 24102165 uses integrated piezo ignition operated through the control knob. The compact control arrangement is appealing if you want to avoid learning several separate adjustments before the first meal. It does not, however, turn the appliance into a thermostatically controlled indoor oven or an unattended cooking system.
Set up the cooker according to its manual and check the propane connection before use. Keep the cooking area separate from guests, pets, and the route between the kitchen and the table. A location that is convenient for conversation is not necessarily a suitable location for hot outdoor equipment.
Wind deserves particular attention. Do not assume a flame is still burning simply because the food has been inside for a while. If it goes out, follow the shutdown and relighting procedure rather than immediately attempting ignition. Avoid improvised enclosures or shields that conflict with the required ventilation and clearances.
Retrieving a cooked bird is another task worth planning before lighting the cooker. The basket, food, and chamber will be hot. Have the specified lifting equipment, protective mitts, and a suitable place to transfer the food ready in advance. The design avoids lifting a turkey out of a deep oil bath, but it does not eliminate the need to handle a heavy, hot main course carefully.
Our turkey fryer safety tips distinguish the risks of oil frying from the precautions that still apply to propane cooking. That distinction helps you appreciate the Big Easy’s convenience without treating “oil-less” as a guarantee against burns or fire.
Less Oil Cleanup Does Not Mean No Cleanup
The front-access grease tray is a useful part of this model’s design. Drippings have a designated collection point, so the cooker provides a way to deal with grease after the meal. Wait for the appliance and its contents to cool before removing and cleaning parts as the instructions direct.
The basket also needs attention. Food residue does not disappear because the cooking method avoids an oil bath, and cleaning around the basket’s structure is different from wiping a flat pan. Make room in your post-meal schedule for both the food-contact parts and the grease collection area.
Storage is another consideration. This is a dedicated outdoor appliance, not cookware that slips into a kitchen cabinet. Decide where you will keep it dry and protected between uses, and follow the instructions for propane-cylinder storage. A cooker purchased for one meal each year still needs inspection before the next season.
The ownership cost is easier to understand when you compare methods instead of shelf prices alone. This model avoids a large purchase of frying oil, but you still need propane and suitable food-temperature monitoring. Traditional sets such as the CreoleFeast TFS3010 include cookware for other meals. The Big Easy’s value rests on how much you prefer its particular approach to poultry and roasting.
Should You Buy the Char-Broil The Big Easy?
Choose this cooker if oil handling is the main reason you have avoided frying turkey outdoors. Its advantages are practical: no large oil fill to purchase, no oil bath to monitor, and no bulk oil disposal after dinner. A household comfortable with the basket capacity and interested mainly in poultry or suitable roasts is its clearest audience.
Choose a traditional set if your goal includes battered fish, other immersion-fried foods, or boiling. Our best turkey fryers comparison separates those uses so you can choose a method before choosing a model. For outdoor turkey cooking with fewer oil-related chores, the Char-Broil The Big Easy is the most appealing oil-less option in this lineup.
