tepro Biloxi Smoker Grill

The tepro Biloxi (item no. 1087) is a charcoal grill on a cart frame with two chambers: a large main chamber with its own charcoal grate and a small side chamber in which wood or charcoal burns for smoking. The manufacturer lists it in its catalogue under the smoker heading, and on our site it is in the smokers category. In the product photo, the main chamber is a horizontal cylinder with a lid, with the side chamber at one end and a smoke stack at the other.

We did not have the Biloxi in our hands and did not grill anything on it. Our basis is the 2026/2027 manufacturer’s catalogue, the instruction manual, the Amazon catalogue entry for ASIN B009ATRA9G and the photo. Calculations and assessments of our own are marked as such in the text.

Manufacturer, model number and sources

tepro is the brand; as the party placing it on the market, the instructions name TEST RITE tepro GmbH in Rödermark, while the imprint on testritetepro.de gives Hamburg as the registered office. TEST RITE is part of the company name and is not an indication of any assessment. In our research, the former address tepro.de no longer leads to the brand.

The item number 1087 and the EAN 4011964010871 appear on page 10 of the 2026/2027 catalogue. The Amazon catalogue also lists part number 1087 under B009ATRA9G, so our buy button points to this grill. The Biloxi has no product page of its own at tepro: testritetepro.de is a corporate site, and the product data is in the PDF catalogues (2023 and 2026/2027) and in the instructions. The instructions are version 2021 with a print date of 26.07.2018 and state that the product meets the applicable European and national directives (DIN EN 1860-1, which applies in Germany).

Construction: two chambers, two charcoal grates

Offset smoker is in the title because a second, smaller firebox sits beside the cooking chamber. tepro does not use the term: the catalogue speaks of a main firebox and a side firebox, the instructions of a large and a small combustion chamber. We say main chamber and side chamber.

According to the catalogue, the main chamber has a grilling area of approx. 58 x 40 cm (W x D), split across two chrome-plated grill grates of approx. 29 x 40 cm each. In addition there is a chrome-plated warming rack with a warming area of approx. 58 x 21 cm. The Amazon listing text calls the grates stainless steel, both catalogues say chrome-plated; we follow the manufacturer. Chrome-plated means steel with a chrome layer and is not stainless steel throughout (that is how the material is built in general, not a statement from tepro). The fire area includes a fire pan of approx. 66 x 41 cm and a height-adjustable charcoal grate of approx. 61 x 24 cm; the chamber holds a maximum of 2.3 kg of charcoal. The lid is steel and carries a metal handle and the thermometer.

For the side chamber, the catalogue lists a grilling area of approx. 33 x 31 cm with two enamelled grates (approx. 16.5 x 31 cm each), plus a fire pan of approx. 38 x 33 cm and a charcoal grate of approx. 32 x 22 cm. It holds a maximum of 0.7 kg of wood or charcoal, and its steel lid has a metal handle but no thermometer. At the same time, the instructions state: “Use the small combustion chamber for smoking only.” We therefore do not read the catalogue’s grate figures as approval for grilling in the side chamber.

According to the instructions, the assembled grill measures approx. 126 x 63.5 x 126 cm (W x D x H); the catalogue gives the working height as approx. 86 cm. In front of the main chamber there is a front shelf made of three slats, which you should load with a maximum of 5 kg, and below, between the legs, a wire-rack shelf with a frame. Two large steel wheels make the grill mobile. In the photo, both sit at the end with the smoke stack, and the end with the side chamber stands on legs; to move it, you lift the side chamber end and roll.

The weight varies by source: approx. 32.4 kg in the instructions, approx. 32.46 kg in the 2023 catalogue and the Amazon entry, approx. 33.2 kg in the 2026/2027 catalogue. The grill is built of steel, and the paint finish is heat-resistant up to 350 °C according to the instructions. This figure has nothing to do with the operating limit, which is lower (next section).

In detail: smoke path, air vents and lid thermometer

A smoker with a side firebox separates the fire from the food. On the Biloxi, according to the instructions, the smoke is produced in the side chamber, passes through the main chamber and escapes through the smoke stack. The food does not sit above the embers. The instructions call this indirect cooking and cite as a consequence that no fat drips onto the embers and no flames form at the food.

As a rule, with this design the end near the firebox is hotter than the opposite end. The two grates of the main chamber lie side by side, one closer to the side chamber. We cannot say how large the difference is in the Biloxi, as we have no measured values for it.

For grilling, you use the main chamber. The grates come out for lighting, 3 to 4 solid firelighters go in the centre of the charcoal grate, and the charcoal is stacked around them. According to the instructions, food only goes on the grate once the charcoal has a light layer of ash. For smoking, wood or charcoal burns in the side chamber; you may heat up with charcoal and add pieces of wood later. The lids stay closed, otherwise the smoke escapes faster and the cooking time gets longer.

Control is manual via two vents. Before lighting, you open the air vent on the side chamber approx. 1.5 to 2.5 cm and the exhaust vent on the smoke stack halfway. You read the temperature on the thermometer in the lid of the main chamber and adjust it via the air vent of the side chamber. More air fans the embers, less dampens them, which applies to every charcoal grill.

According to the instructions, the ideal smoking temperature is 80 to 120 °C. The Amazon listing text gives 80 to 130 degrees; we stick to the instructions. According to the instructions, you must not heat the grill above 260 °C, even though the paint finish from the construction section tolerates more.

The thermometer is screwed onto the top of the main chamber during assembly and sits in the lid; the side chamber has none. It shows the air temperature at its position under the lid, in principle neither that at the grate nor that inside the meat. tepro does not state the scale, measuring range or accuracy. For doneness, the instructions require a food thermometer; we consider the lid thermometer unsuitable for that because it only measures the chamber air. Which types exist is explained in the guide Grill thermometer: probe, wireless or cable-free?.

Does the Biloxi fit on a balcony?

Your tenancy agreement and house rules decide that, not the grill. The instructions do not mention the balcony; they require operation exclusively outdoors and at least 3 m clearance from highly flammable materials such as awnings, wooden decks or furniture.

The Amazon listing text names garden, balcony, terrace, veranda and camping as places of use, without any clearance figure. On an average balcony with an awning, wooden floor or garden furniture, a free radius of 3 m is hard to achieve; that is our assessment, not a statement from tepro. We would not set up the Biloxi there.

For the footprint, the base dimension from the construction section (width times depth) and the space to work in count. According to the instructions, the ground must be level, horizontal, secure, heat-insensitive and clean, and because grease splashes can soil the floor and wall, you should protect them. The grill should not stand near entrances and busy areas. Whether a covered or side-enclosed loggia still counts as open air is not answered by the instructions; because of carbon monoxide (see Safety), we would not light it there. The legal situation is explained in the guide Grilling on a balcony, and if you first want to work out which type suits your space and fuel, use the Grill Finder.

Safety and care: what the instructions specify

As intended, the grill is for heating, cooking and grilling food, exclusively outdoors and only in private use. According to the instructions, any other use counts as not intended and can lead to property damage or personal injury; the manufacturer is not liable for resulting damage. We reproduce the further notes sorted by topic in our own words:

• Carbon monoxide: Burning charcoal and briquettes produces an odourless gas that can be fatal in enclosed spaces. The grill must not be run in enclosed or habitable spaces; buildings, tents, caravans, motorhomes and boats are named.
• Lighting: The charcoal is only lit in a wind-protected area. Methylated spirits and petrol are prohibited for lighting and relighting; dry firelighters or liquid grill lighter fluid complying with EN 1860-3 are allowed. Liquids poured onto the embers cause flare-ups or deflagrations, and pieces of charcoal soaked in lighter fluid do not belong on the embers either.
• Fuel: Only pure charcoal of good quality or a mixture of charcoal and wood, no charcoal with lighter fluid. The fill quantities from the construction section are maximum quantities. In the side chamber, the charcoal must lie far enough from the air vent that no embers can fall out, and hot coals or burning wood should not touch the walls of the grill directly.
• Operation: Do not leave unattended, do not move or transport during operation, set up on a level surface with the wheels blocked. Keep children and pets away, and keep a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit ready. Do not use when lacking concentration or tired, and not under the influence of drugs, alcohol or medication.
• People: The appliance is not intended to be used by people (including children) with reduced physical, sensory or mental capabilities or a lack of experience and knowledge. They must be told about the dangers and supervised by a person responsible for their safety.
• Heat: The grill, charcoal and food get very hot, and any contact can cause severe burns. The instructions require sufficient distance from hot parts, category II grill or oven gloves for heat protection (e.g. to DIN EN 407), only long-handled grill tools with heat-resistant handles and no clothing with loose sleeves.
• Other: Modifications to the product are prohibited; for damage or repairs, you contact the service point or a specialist. Some parts of the grill and its components have sharp edges, and protective gloves should be worn where necessary. Do not let children play with the packaging film, as small assembly parts can be swallowed. Paint solvents or thinners for removing stains are taboo, as they are harmful to health and must not come into contact with food.

For care, the instructions begin with seasoning. Before first use, the grill must be oiled and then burned in for at least 3 hours, according to the instructions to prevent heavy rusting and to burn off production residues. For this, you rub the outer surfaces with vegetable oil or spray them. Then you hold approx. 120 °C for 2 hours and approx. 175 to 200 °C for about 1 hour and let everything cool down completely; 200 °C must never be exceeded, because the paint is meant to bake on. If you use liquid lighter for this, wait until the liquid has burned off completely before closing the lids, otherwise flare-ups or an explosion on opening are a risk. When oiling, the charcoal grates and ash tray should be left out, whereas after every cleaning the grill grates and charcoal grates should be coated thinly with vegetable cooking oil; the instructions do not explain the difference.

You only clean once the grill has cooled down completely. You let the fuel burn out after grilling, which reduces the effort. You empty cold ash regularly, ideally after every use: it contains salt and, when damp, attacks the inside of the combustion chamber. Some foods produce flammable fats and juices, so according to the instructions the grill should be cleaned regularly. You take off the grill grates, clean them thoroughly with soapy water and dry them just as thoroughly. You remove loose deposits with a wet sponge, clean interior and exterior surfaces with warm soapy water and dry them with a soft, clean cloth without scratching the surfaces. Strong or abrasive solvents and scouring pads attack the surfaces. Screw connections can loosen during use, so you check their tightness before every use and retighten.

The grill is made of steel and, according to the instructions, will eventually rust. tepro advises protecting it from constant exposure to the weather and always storing it oiled, covered and protected from moisture. It is not disposed of with household waste but through an approved disposal company or the municipal disposal facility. More on rust in the guide Rusty grill: what to do?.

Assembly, accessories and costs

The instructions walk you through 21 assembly steps. As tools they name a Phillips screwdriver and an adjustable spanner, alternatively adjustable pliers to hold the nuts, plus a level work surface of three to four square metres. According to the instructions, the box contains, among other things, 44 M6 x 15 mm Phillips screws, the smoke stack with exhaust vent, two wheels with wheel axle and two handles. Check immediately after unpacking whether anything is damaged or missing: once assembly has been completed or begun, according to the instructions tepro no longer accepts complaints about damage or missing parts. If there is damage, you do not use the item and notify the retailer.

A tin can is not included; the instructions’ parts list only includes the grease can holder. According to the instructions, a can must stand under the grease drain opening at all times; as an example, they name an empty open soup tin.

As matching accessories, not included, the instructions list a cover, chimney starter, grill tongs and grill cleaning brush. According to the catalogue, the cover (item no. 8607, in the catalogue also 8707 in a second colour) is intended for the Biloxi and a model 1094H and measures approx. 125.7 x 73.7 x 119.4 cm. Compared with the grill, it is 6.6 cm lower in height and 0.3 cm narrower in width. The catalogue does not explain how the cover fits over the grill with these dimensions; we would clarify the fit with the retailer before buying. The chimney starter (item no. 8500) is black-painted steel with a plastic handle and has a diameter of 17 cm, the grill tool set (8520) is three pieces of stainless steel and 38 cm long, and the brush (8504) has brass bristles.

For smoking, the instructions recommend beech and fruit-tree wood and warn against oak, which they call harmful to health. As smoking chips for the Biloxi, the catalogue lists the numbers 8553, 8554 and 8555; for 8553 (cherry) and 8554 (apple) there are entries with approx. 1 kg of contents each, without bark and chemical additives, while the catalogue has none for 8555. How to use chips in the side chamber is not described in the instructions, which only speak of pieces of wood. More on wood types and flavour in the guide Smoking on the grill: wood chips, box and flavour.

The Biloxi costs approx. €196 in our price box; on the Amazon page it stood at €195.69 on 16 October 2026. In addition come fuel, firelighters, grill gloves, a food thermometer, a tin can and, if the grill stays outside, the cover. We have no prices for accessories.

What the manufacturer does not state

These details are in neither the catalogue nor the instructions:

• Warranty with duration and conditions
• Spare parts list with prices and ordering route
• Thickness of the steel of the chambers and lids, type of paint finish, material of the charcoal grate and ash tray
• Assembly time and the number of people needed for assembly
• Recommended number of people or portions
• Heat-up time, burn time per fill and the temperatures achievable in practice
• Temperature distribution in the main chamber
• Measuring range, scale and accuracy of the lid thermometer
• Suitability for the balcony (only the Amazon listing text mentions it, without a clearance figure; the instructions do not mention it)
• Whether the side chamber grates should stay in place during smoking
• Ash removal: the instructions know an ash tray on the charcoal grate, while the catalogue lists no removable collection tray for the Biloxi
• Dishwasher suitability of the grates
• Load capacity of the lower wire-rack shelf
• Country of origin and production site
• Market launch, year of manufacture and successor; only the print dates of the instructions and the inclusion in the 2023 and 2026/2027 catalogues are documented

What else is worth considering?

The prices are guide values from the price boxes of our reviews and change. The rating is our editorial assessment, not a measurement result, and the table is only of limited use for comparing dimensions and weight, because the figures come from different sources. More models are shown in the best smokers ranking.

Who the Biloxi suits and when to choose another

First ask yourself what you mainly plan to do. The main chamber with charcoal grate is built for direct grilling. If you smoke almost only at low temperature and do not need a direct grill, you are better served by the Weber Smokey Mountain 57, a vertical water smoker with a water pan; Weber describes it as not ideal for searing. The Biloxi does both in one cart. The only manufacturer information on this is the limit values from the detail section.

Then the size. According to the catalogue, the main chamber of the Tepro Wichita is 4 cm narrower and 10 cm less deep, and the unit is around 11 to 12 kg lighter. If you only smoke small quantities, you probably do not need the Biloxi’s extra area (our assessment). If you regularly want to smoke larger quantities and have a fixed spot, look at the Oklahoma Joe’s Highland: its weight from the Amazon catalogue is over two and a half times that of the Biloxi, and with that mass it tends to stay in one place.

On budget, the Highland costs approx. €273 more than the Biloxi in our price boxes, the Weber approx. €403 more. With the Biloxi, the items from the section Assembly, accessories and costs come on top. If you have no dry place to keep it and do not want to buy a cover, you should include the rust note from the care section in your calculation (our assessment).

The Biloxi is wrong for anyone who would have to run it on a balcony without the clearance given in the instructions, for buyers who expect gas or electric convenience (here, controlling means: vents by hand), and for anyone who wants to read warranty terms before buying, because neither the instructions nor the catalogue state a warranty. Our assessment: it suits you if you have a fixed spot outdoors with the prescribed clearance, want to grill and smoke in one cart and like to manage the temperature yourself. If you first want to find out whether smoking suits you at all, read the guide Smoker for beginners beforehand.