BURNHARD FLINT Pelletsmoker

Burnhard calls the FLINT an electrically powered pellet smoker. That is true and still easily misleading, as were earlier versions of this page: it is heated with wood, and the electricity only drives the technology around it. In our Pellet grills category, the FLINT (item number 945915) is one of the units that cook exclusively indirectly. This article is based on the product page on burnhard.com, the German operating manual dated October 2024, Burnhard’s Starter Guide for the FLINT and the catalogue data at Amazon. We have not handled the smoker ourselves.

What heats the FLINT: pellets, auger, igniter rod

The heat comes from the fire. An auger pushes the pellets automatically from the pellet chamber into the fire pot, where, according to Burnhard, they burn in a controlled way. An integrated heat baffle in the cooking chamber distributes heat and smoke, so the food is never over the open flame.

Three components need electricity. The manual lists 200 W for the igniter rod, 25 W for the auger gearbox and also 25 W for the fan that blows in combustion air, at an operating voltage of 220 to 230 V and 50 Hz. The product page gives consumption in the heat-up phase, meaning the first 10 minutes, as 300 W. The three individual values from the manual add up to only 250 W; Burnhard does not explain where the other 50 W come from. For the hours afterwards there is no figure, and we would not simply assume the 50 W of the two motors, as long as it is unclear whether the igniter rod fires up again during operation.

You set the target temperature on the dial of the control panel, and the integrated display shows it. In the illustration in the manual, the scale carries the positions START, 80, 110, 120, 130, 150, 180, 200, 220 and MAX. There is a discrepancy tied to this scale that you should know about: the product page and Amazon state 70 to 230 °C, while the manual names 82 °C as the lowest setting. If you plan recipes at the low end, allow for 82 °C.

Two probes for the food are part of the package. You pass them through an insulated hole into the grill chamber and plug them into the sockets on the control panel. With the button that carries a circular arrow symbol in the manual and is called Select Probe on the product page, you bring a reading onto the display, after which the display jumps back to the cooking chamber temperature on its own. As described, you see the values one after the other and never two at once.

The cooking chamber is not entirely independent of the weather. Under the error pattern for excessive temperature, the manual notes that high outside temperature, wind and direct sun affect the grill temperature.

Grates, pellet chamber, base cabinet

The product photo shows the layout well: a horizontal cooking chamber with a domed lid, the pellet chamber with the control panel in front on the left, the chimney on the right and below it an attached bucket, the grease bucket. Under the cooking chamber stands a base cabinet with two doors.

Cooking takes place on two levels. According to Burnhard, the main grate at the bottom measures 66 x 49 cm, the upper warming grate 66 x 36 cm. The upper one is split in two, and you insert the two halves individually or remove them completely; that is why the box contains three stainless steel grates. From the grate dimensions this gives 3,234 cm² at the bottom and 2,376 cm² at the top, 5,610 cm² together. The total is our calculation and counts both levels, including the area that lies above the main grate and partly covers it.

The base cabinet has a shelf and two doors with magnetic fastening and stands on four swivel solid rubber wheels. At the front sits a fold-down front shelf with a removable cutting and serving board made of acacia wood, and a bottle opener is included. The pellet chamber has a emptying flap on the back, and according to the manual you do not place heavy objects on its lid.

The housing is where it gets confusing. The specification table on burnhard.com lists two materials, anthracite as enamelled steel and black as powder-coated steel, but the shop offers no colour choice. Amazon lists the unit in black, and on the product photo it looks dark grey. We would ask the retailer which version you will receive before ordering, as these are two different finishes.

The dimensions do not match either. All sources agree on a depth of 72 cm. The manual and Amazon give 120 cm width and 129 cm height, while the product page swaps the two values. For weight, burnhard.com says 72 kg and the manual approx. 71 kg; the Amazon catalogue, at 156.5 pounds, is likewise around 71 kg.

The documents we reviewed also lack:

• the sheet thickness of the cooking chamber and lid, and whether the lid is double-walled or has a seal
• the material of the pellet chamber and fire pot, heat baffle and grease drain plate (the assembly instructions speak generally of stainless steel panels)
• the type of control, for example PID, and a tolerance in degrees
• a heat-up time to a particular temperature
• a fill level indicator for the pellet chamber
• measuring range and accuracy of the two probes
• the length of the power cable
• working height and dimensions of the front shelf
• app, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, which are not mentioned anywhere
• a number of people the area is enough for
• country of origin and year of market launch

How long does one fill last?

According to Burnhard around 10 hours if you cook between 175 and 230 °C, and up to 24 hours between 70 and 105 °C. Both apply to the full pellet chamber with 9 kg.

The manual provides the consumption values for this: 0.3 to 0.5 kg per hour below 105 °C, 0.8 to 1 kg per hour above 176 °C. Calculated, that gives 9 to just over 11 hours for hot cooks and 18 to 30 hours for cool ones. The 24 hours on the product page fall within this range, as do the 10 hours.

The table has a gap. Between 105 and 176 °C, where the positions 110 to 150 lie on the dial scale, no consumption is given. For cooks in this range, the run time can only be narrowed down: it probably lies between the two stated values, but that is not documented.

On long cooks, ash also matters. The manual recommends cleaning the ash container after every use and at the latest after 24 hours of continuous running, while the product page says after 20 hours. If too much ash collects in the fire pot, the fire can go out. A 24-hour cook on a single fill therefore reaches exactly this limit.

You should not let the chamber run empty. If the pellets run out, according to the manual you repeat the steps of the initial start-up. If the smoker does not start afterwards, our guide Pellet grill won’t start helps you find the cause.

According to the Starter Guide, leftover pellets may stay in the chamber until next time, as long as no moisture gets in. According to the manual, damp pellets can expand, break apart and block the auger. They are stored dry, away from devices that generate heat and away from fuel containers.

Smoking, baking, but no searing

Burnhard describes the range of use like this: hot smoking from 70 °C, even baking bread at temperatures up to 230 °C, plus pulled pork, brisket and spare ribs. Cold smoking does not appear in the documents; earlier versions of this page had attributed it to the FLINT.

For steaks, roast beef and tri-tip, the Starter Guide itself suggests a second grill. The meat cooks in the smoker and then gets its crust on the gas grill over high direct heat. The reason lies in physics. Browning needs temperatures well above the boiling point of water at the surface of the food, and hot air transfers heat much less effectively than a grate over an open flame or the radiation of embers. A cooking chamber at 230 °C therefore browns slowly, and the surface dries out before it takes on colour.

If you want to sear steaks on the same unit, you need a pellet grill with a direct zone. There is no mention of that anywhere for the FLINT.

Location, power and safety according to the manual

Before start-up, Burnhard requires you to read the entire operating manual, and all instructions in it are to be followed without exception. The points below follow the wording of pages 4 to 7 and 11 as closely as possible. The manual contains more; this summary does not replace it.

The FLINT is for smoking, heating, cooking and grilling food and is suitable exclusively for outdoor use. You never operate it in a building, a garage or any other enclosed area, nor in tents, caravans, motorhomes or boats: there is a danger to life from carbon monoxide poisoning. The manual names headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, tiredness and confusion as possible symptoms. Carbon monoxide reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen, too little oxygen in the blood can cause unconsciousness or even death, and alcohol or drugs increase the effect. Particularly at risk are mother and child during pregnancy, small children, older people, smokers and people with cardiovascular disease. If anyone develops cold-like or flu-like symptoms while smoking, a doctor must be consulted immediately.

The smoker keeps a distance of at least 60 cm to the back, 60 cm to the side and 100 cm upwards from objects of any kind. Because it radiates heat, you never place it directly against glass fronts, walls or plants. It stands on a firm, level, heat-resistant and non-combustible surface, in a dry and, where possible, wind-sheltered place, and you keep combustible or easily flammable materials and liquids away. In damp weather or rain it stays off. Local rules on when and where you may work with open fire apply in addition. Whether a balcony is an option is not answered explicitly by the manual; we would rule it out as soon as a ceiling or canopy is closer than 100 cm above or the floor is combustible.

For electricity, the following applies: the socket must match the voltage on the rating plate, be earthed and be no more than 1.8 metres away. Beforehand you check the wattage at your socket and make sure the fuse is not overloaded. An extension cable or cable reel must not be pinched anywhere and must not lie near sharp edges or hot objects, and you route cables so that nobody can trip. You never dip the power cable and plug in water and you protect them from moisture; you only plug in the plug when it is dry. Before every use you check the cable for cracks; if it is damaged, qualified specialist staff replace it.

For operation itself, the manual states, among other things:

• When igniting, the lid is always open, and you use no firelighters, methylated spirit or petrol, neither for lighting nor for relighting.
• During operation the smoker is not left unattended and is not moved, only after it has cooled down completely.
• You never reach into the pellet chamber and fire pot during operation, and you never touch the auger.
• On hot components you wear protective gloves, you use grill tongs for turning, and wide sleeves are not allowed.
• You always open the lid carefully, because built-up heat can cause burns when it is opened abruptly.
• The device is not intended for children and people with a reduced ability to operate devices, and not for commercial use.

On page 6 of the manual there is a sentence saying never to fill pellets by hand into the pellet chamber. Page 22, by contrast, forbids putting pellets by hand directly into the fire pot, and the Starter Guide recommends filling the chamber to the brim. We consider page 6 a misprint and read the rule as on page 22.

In the event of a grease fire, you switch the smoker off and keep the lid closed until the fire has gone out. You explicitly do NOT pull the mains plug. You do not try to extinguish with water or smother the fire, you move bystanders to safety, keep your distance from the seat of the fire and inform the fire brigade immediately.

Switching off and cleaning according to the instructions

The FLINT is switched off in stages. If you cooked above 120 °C, it must first cool below 120 °C; for this you set the lowest setting and wait. Burnhard recommends burning off the remaining pellets in the auger, because that considerably reduces the risk of burn-back. Then you set the dial to COOL DOWN, and the fan keeps running for another 10 minutes. Only after that comes OFF, and you disconnect the power cable from the mains only after COOL DOWN has finished. While cooking, you never set the dial to COOL DOWN. For a restart the rule applies again: lid open, as an excess of unburnt pellets can otherwise overheat the smoker.

Cleaning is done after every use, and only once the unit has cooled down completely, is switched off and the mains plug is pulled. The grease drain plate, V-shaped grease drain and grease drain tube are done every time, otherwise, according to the manual, grease fires can occur. You scrape off accumulated grease with a sturdy, non-metallic tool, such as a wooden, silicone or plastic spatula, and remove residues with washing-up liquid and boiling water or a suitable grill cleaner. You empty the grease bucket regularly, depending on how often you smoke.

According to the manual, the stainless steel grates are rustproof and dishwasher-safe. By hand you use a grill brush or a sponge, warm water and a little washing-up liquid. You wipe the housing with a soft sponge, warm water and mild washing-up liquid; oven cleaner, abrasive cleaning agents and steel wool are ruled out, as are paint strippers and thinners. You never spray liquid or flammable cleaning agents on the inside.

You clean the chimney every 3 to 4 months. Burning produces tar and other vapours that combine with moisture to form creosote; according to the manual, cleaning is meant to reduce the fire risk. The easiest way to remove ash from the fire pot is with a vacuum cleaner, and it is always disposed of in a metal container with a suitable lid. In the event of faults, only qualified specialists carry out repairs, and you must under no circumstances open the housing yourself.

Price, shipping and what is in the box

At Amazon the FLINT stood at €749.25 on 20.10.2026, at Burnhard it costs approx. €949 (as of 20.10.2026), plus €29 shipping by freight forwarder. On the same day, according to the product page, a promotion code BLACK for 27 percent was running, valid until 30.11.2026. For approx. €959 Burnhard also offers a two-part set of the FLINT and hardwood pellets; how many kilos of pellets it contains is not stated on the product page.

In the box are the smoker, the three stainless steel cooking grates, the front shelf including the acacia board, bottle opener, grease bucket, the swivel wheels, two temperature probes and a cover. So there is no extra charge for the cover and the probes, but there is for the pellets. Electricity is the smaller item: 300 W over 10 minutes is 0.05 kWh for the start.

These three pellet grills stand alongside it

The prices are guide values from our price box and change; for the FLINT the Amazon price is shown there, for the Traeger and the Broil King that of Santos Grills. The rating is our editorial assessment from the data comparison and not a measurement result.

When the FLINT fits and when another grill does

We see the FLINT for you if it gets a fixed spot in the garden with a socket and you mainly plan long, indirect cooks.

Measure the location first. Because the sources swap width and height, we calculate with the larger value: 129 cm width plus twice 60 cm clearance gives just under 2.5 m, 72 cm depth plus 60 cm to the back a good 1.3 m. Upwards you need up to 129 plus 100 cm, so around 2.3 m free. The calculation is ours. At 71 to 72 kg, the smoker can be moved on its solid rubber wheels, but never during operation.

If you want to sear steaks on the same unit, the FLINT is the wrong choice. The Pit Boss Pro 850 costs approx. €649 according to our price box, the FLINT at Amazon approx. €749, and the Pit Boss has a slider for the direct flame. The Broil King Regal Pellet 500 costs approx. €999, brings a GRILL level at 315 °C and has the highest rating in the category in our comparison, but according to Broil King weighs between 106 and 113 kg.

If you would like to follow the core temperature from the sofa, nothing gets past the FLINT’s display. The Traeger Pro 575 costs about the same at approx. €749 according to the price box and connects to Wi-Fi via WiFIRE.

For beginners who mainly want to make pulled pork, spare ribs and brisket and do not miss an app, the FLINT is a reasonable choice in our comparison. Factor in the maintenance effort from the section above, which comes after every grilling evening. If you are still unsure whether it should be a pellet unit at all, the Grill Finder walks you through the basic questions.

The FLINT is the wrong choice for anyone without an outdoor socket within 1.8 m, for example in an allotment without a power connection, and for anyone who wants to cold smoke salmon or cheese.