Asmoke has just launched an all new portable pellet grill with some first to market features. The new feature they are bragging about is the ASCA System. According to Asmoke, ASCA (which they do not state what this acronym stands for) offers a simplified ash cleanout system and a chamber to hold liquids of your choice to add humidity/vapor to your cook.
Asmoke also redesigned their firepot which contains stainless steel rods with separation to allow ash to fall through into the ash cleanout tray. Asmoke claims you will never have to vacuum out ash again.
A lot has changed with this unit when comparing it to the AS300. We will go over the key differences.
Asmoke AS300 vS AS350
So what is the difference between the new AS350 and the AS300? Quite a bit actually. As mentioned above the AS350 comes with the ASCS auto ash cleanout and liquid chamber to add humidity to your cooks. This system is not available on the AS300. With the AS350 you can expect more tender/juicy cooks because of the humidity system and less ash to cleanout of the cooking chamber and firepot.
Asmoke also added a taller lid on their AS350. This was an upgradeable option on the AS300 but now standard on the AS350. You can literally fit a whole chicken or small turkey in a portable pellet grill. Not many portable grills are capable of that.
The AS350 comes with an upgraded grease trough and trap system. The AS300 grease trap was on the small side.
The AS350 also comes with an external handle to move the slide and grill damper. Slide it open and you have direct flame heat for searing, slide it shut and you have indirect heat for smoking or slow cooks.
Asmoke Portable Pellet Grill AS300 – Overview
AS350 Grilling Space – Hopper Capacity
Here, there is no difference when compared to the AS300 portable wood pellet grill. You still get the 256 sq/inches of grilling space and a 4lbs pellet hopper. Asmoke brags that with the ASCA system in the AS350, you will use less pellets because food will cook faster with the extra humidity.
The grilling space is large enough to do 3-4 racks of ribs, eight burgers, whole chicken or small turkey, one pork butt or half a brisket. All very impressive for a portable pellet grill. The AS350 is slightly heavier than the AS300, weighing in at 47lbs. Still light enough and easily portable.
Asmoke AS350 Temperature Range
The Asmoke AS350 has the same temperature range as the AS300 of 180F-500F. 500F really isn’t enough to get a good sear on a steak but good enough if you are in the middle of nowhere and do not have any access to a large gas grill.
Controls and Accessories
The AS350 offers a PID controller, which is what all the higher end pellet grills on the market use to get consistent and accurate temperatures. The controller also offers a pellet prime button, temperature change increments of 20-25F and a temperature probe.
Carrying cases are also available, making this a truly portable grill.
Warranty
Asmoke offers a 5-year limited warranty on their grills which is actually more than a lot of introductory grill lines. Other comparable grill lines only offer 1 to 3-year warranties.
How Does it Compare to Others?
There are a lot of new portable tabletop pellet grills on the market this year. Louisiana Grills and Pit Boss recently came out with their own as well. The Asmoke AS350 is a very strong contender because of the ash cleanout system and the humidity/vapor system which no one else offers on the market today.
You have to pay a premium for the AS350 which starts to get you into a full pellet grill price point. If you want one of the best portable pellet grills on the market, the AS350 is definitely worth checking out.
What Else Does Asmoke Make?
They just launched their free standing line of pellet grills. These are very economical when compared to Traeger and Green Mountain introductory lines. Build quality and options will not be similar to Traeger and Green Mountain, but if you want a simple pellet grill with some reasonable functionality for an attractive price, the Asmoke AS660N series has a place in the market.
Final Thoughts?
The AS350 comes with features that no other portable pellet grills offer today so I believe this is one of the best on the market today. Asmoke is really innovating in this grill size while the other manufacturers are staying focused on large pellet grills. I think Asmoke has a winner with the AS350.
