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Anyone used a Barrelhouse Cooker? (very similar to a PBC)

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    Anyone used a Barrelhouse Cooker? (very similar to a PBC)

    So I'm researching my next purchase and the PBC had certainly caught my eye and was in the running...then I stumbled across the Barrelhouse Cooker...incredibly similar, but a few details got me thinking about that one over the PBC. First, the fact that the main barrel part comes off the base, so you can just lift up the barrel to add coals (and also you can use it as a hibachi which is sort of neat though admittedly I don't think I'd use that particular feature much), and second, the movable coal basket makes it easy to bring it close to the top, slap on your (included) regular grill and use it for burgers and the like, whereas I believe that while this is still possible in the PBC, you have to sort of reach down into the barrel to use it in this fashion. Oh it's also 50 bucks cheaper which is pretty awesome. The stuff that comes with it seems essentially the same; there's a thing to hang the hooks from, 8 hooks, a standard "regular" grill. For what it's worth the Barrelhouse also comes with an integrated thermometer as well though as usual I *probably* wouldn't trust it any more than say, the one that comes with a Weber kettle or whatever, so while you don't get one with the PBC, I don't imagine I'd use it much anyway so I don't count it as too much of a plus.

    Anyhoo, anyone have experience with the BHC? Looks like a great alternative both price-wise and I love the easy access to the coals.

    #2
    The Barrel House Cooker makes an 18 inch diameter UDS that very closely resembles Pit Barrel Cooker, a company we admire very much. Indeed, Pit Barrel took legal action against Barrel House. Read our review. In a settlement, the owners of Pit Barrel received a lump sum and acquired Barrel House.

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      #3
      So you sent me a link to...not a review?

      Comment


      • Jerod Broussard
        Jerod Broussard commented
        Editing a comment
        Our website has yet to review it, or at least release it due to the pending lawsuit. Not sure if any active members have one, you're the first to mention in quite some time.

      #4
      Ahh OK...all news to me, I literally just found about it down a Youtube rabbit hole a couple of hours ago. Can't imagine what the legal trouble is, it's not like the Pit Barrel people invented 30 gallon drums, or cooking in them, not to mention their product, while similar, has easily noticeable differences. Anyhoo they both look cool as hell and I'm definitely looking into one. Looks like a great way to be able to cook a lot of stuff without using up a lot of real estate on your patio or deck. Been watching some videos and they seem to work pretty damn awesome.

      Comment


      • Jerod Broussard
        Jerod Broussard commented
        Editing a comment
        Yeah, cooking and hanging is a blast! Awesome flavor. The PBC folks were going to do business with a company and the company used proprietary information in a not so legal way.

      #5
      Oh I see...as usual it is much more complicated than it seems. That is a bummer as they both appear to be great, well built products. Probably the best way to solve this is to cook 8 racks of ribs in each of them and have amazingribs.com members taste test it out. Then a turkey in each, then a brisket in each. Average the scores. Then repeat a couple of dozen times for accuracy and so all the members get to eat something. Winner gets to be called "Awesomest Barrel Cooker Company" and loser is called "2nd Best But Still Really Awesome Barrel Cooker Company." My law degree from Hollywood Upstairs Law School will be available for inspection at anyone's disposal :P

      Comment


        #6
        Well if they are that cheap, and you are a lawyer so can easily afford it , why not just buy the dang thing, try it out and give us all a first hand review?

        Comment


          #7
          Members who have been around long enough probably won't buy one because of the way we understand they went into business. I know it left a very bad taste in my mouth, and I wouldn't want to support them in any way.

          Comment


          • Nate
            Nate commented
            Editing a comment
            +1

          • JimLinebarger
            JimLinebarger commented
            Editing a comment
            +2

          #8
          The lawsuit between the two companies was settled out of court and PBC got some cash and get's a royalty from sales of BHC's. Seems both companies walked away satisfied.

          I've never quite got the hype for PBC's but they seemed like a decent deal for what you get. The BHC also seems to be a decent deal for what you get and I like some of the features of the BHC over the PBC.

          Comment


            #9
            I agree with RonB . I have read most of the threads about the PBC on this site and met Noah Glanville at the Bahama Meat Up a couple years ago. A PBC is definitely on my radar and I will have a hard time Not Buying the Original PBC! MCS is hovering over our house right now.

            Comment


              #10
              I read the accusations in the lawsuit. Pretty damning stuff, if true. I have a PBC and really like it, but if BarrelHouse has caught your eye I'm sure it cooks perfectly well.

              Comment


                #11
                I have a PBC and would not touch a BarrelHouse. Obviously Noah had a legit case against them. I read the details of the lawsuit a while back and there is no way I would do anything to support a company like BarrelHouse. That's just me.

                Comment


                  #12
                  Ok guys, this was posted to the PBC Facebook page on July 20th, 2018:

                  Pit Barrel Cooker Co, LLC, the world’s leading premium vertical barrel cooking brand, agreed to settle a lawsuit concerning Pit Barrel’s confidential business information and trade secrets filed in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado in December 2015. In the lawsuit, Pit Barrel also alleged that the Barrel House Cooker infringed upon its U.S. Patent (No. 8,919,334).

                  The lawsuit was resolved on May 25, 2018 with the entry of a joint stipulation to dismiss the case. As a part of the settlement, Barrel House Cooker, LLC and its parent company M.D. Manufacturing, Inc. of Bakersfield, California agreed to make a financial payment and then future royalty payments under a licensing agreement.

                  Pit Barrel’s President Noah E. Glanville stated, "We're pleased with the results that we achieved in this case. We will continue to defend our innovations and intellectual property which simply cooks some of the best food you’ve ever tasted, with no hassle. Amber and I appreciate the support of our loyal customers and the dedicated fans of the PBC."

                  Comment


                  • RonB
                    RonB commented
                    Editing a comment
                    I'm glad to hear Noah prevailed!

                  #13
                  I don't have a vested interest in barrel cookers, as I do not own one. That said, personally, if I ever order a prebuilt 14-18 inch barrel cooker, it will be a PBC, simply because I've been on both ends of patent lawsuits in my employment as an engineer, and I don't like supporting someone who apparently infringed enough to where they are in fact now paying patent royalties in perpetuity to the Pitbarrel Cooker company. I'd rather support the original.

                  On having the barrel body removable, my opinion is that while it may make refueling more convenient, it also will lead to more air leaks and potential inability to control the fire, if you want to control it. I also feel that the PBC design, being one piece, is better for transport if you want to take it with you somewhere.

                  Comment


                  • RobertC
                    RobertC commented
                    Editing a comment
                    The removable barrel makes refueling and emptying more convenient, there are no discernible leaks around the joint (or at the top, since the lid doesn't get deformed), it's incredibly easy to rotate the food instead of letting it drip over the same spot on the coals, and you can actually sear meats after smoking. That the exhaust ports don't have to be used for hanging rebar means that they're fully available for adjustment.

                  #14
                  Well the last thing I want to do while cooking is be thinking about the politics of this vs. that, especially when it comes to an idea that was around long before either company was building anything. Also if both sides are happy with the outcome (as it appears they are), I consider the matter closed and essentially none of my business. I just want to get the best cooker I can get for the money.

                  Anyway thanks for the input all, at the end of the day it's all just about cooking delicious food! Got a couple months to mull this over (I'm currently out of the country for work so sadly no grilling for me for a while) and come springtime I'll figure out what I'm gonna do. Cheers!

                  Comment


                  • jfmorris
                    jfmorris commented
                    Editing a comment
                    Agreed - they are paying royalties now, legal stuff is over, so if that is the cooker you like, go for it.

                  • RonB
                    RonB commented
                    Editing a comment
                    Anyone ca buy whatever cooker they want, but these guys left a bad taste in my mouth. If they are willing to do what they did, I can only wonder how their customer service is...

                  • Rod
                    Rod commented
                    Editing a comment
                    RonB Exactly. If a company uses less than ethical means to get started, then how ethical do they operate?

                  #15
                  I have one, the original 14" cooker. If the size fits your needs, it's indisputably a better design than the PBC. I could've purchased a PBC (they didn't offer the PBC Jr at the time), and considered it but bought the BHC instead. I don't regret that decision at all. If you read the PBC forum here, there are a series of modifications that keep getting suggested or recommended -- I haven't had to make any modifications at all.

                  Disclaimer: I have no connection with either BHC or PBC. I have, and had, no dog in the PBC/BHC fight.

                  I haven't seen the 18" version of the BHC. The 14" version works fine for my family, and the dinner parties I've had.

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