Hasty-Bake new Stainless Steel Roughneck Barrel Smoker
I just got an email from H-B announcing their new SS Roughneck Barrel smoker. It appears to be close to the same as the Kent Rollins Roughneck they introduced a few months ago. This one is MUCH prettier than the Kent model, but the price tag is UGLY.
The new SS is $1999. versus the Kent Rollins model at $899.
For those of you with money burning a hole in your pocket, you can see it on the H-B website.
The full stainless steel Hasty Bake Roughneck "Barrel" Smoker is here! Get the convenience, flavor, and temperature control of a traditional barrel smoker, without all the headaches! This cooker is made by hand in Tulsa, Oklahoma of beautiful stainless steel, with mirrored accents, and all the bells and whistles. Elev
Panhead John
Thank you for posting the picture too, so I don't have to click the link.
That does not look like a barrel to me. Does it to you?
Oh NO, now I will click the link just to see if I can apply PBR coupons.
Hasty Bake makes good stuff from what I’ve heard here but, in the description above 👆….” without all the headaches”….🧐🙄 Yeah, that damn Bronco is such a PITA…..🙄
Hasty Bake does make good stuff. I am a bit biased though, having been a Hasty Bake user for many, many years. Some would call me a fan boy I guess.
I don't understand these new offerings they have been coming out with of late though. Who are they targeting?
I wish they would focus on the little things existing customers want, rather than new fangled products.
Give me a flat stainless grate for my Ranger ( not a stamped or cut piece of plate like they have begun to offer, but like the existing stainless grates in the old Gourmet and Legacy).
Also one for the upper shelf in the Gourmet.
My 2 cents...
Last edited by TheCountofQ; March 21, 2023, 08:32 AM.
I don't get the sense that any of the respondents so far has any interest in this ...............perhaps this isn't the droid you're looking for.
@Steve R. has it mostly correct above regarding, in part, how the price climbs in comparison to the Corten steel model. To expand, the SS model, in addition to the 304 stainless material (which ain't the cheap Chinese SS most commercial/commodity cookers on the market are made of) has most of the optional pieces including the second level grates ($109 option), and TelTrue thermometer ($40), although they don't show the wheel kit included, so it might not be all the options. They also reference an ash receptacle which, so far, isn't shown for the cheaper version. Oh, and the knob on the lower door looks new (woo hoo). They also indicate it's fully assembled as opposed to knocked down like the cheaper version. It's not complicated to assemble, but took me about 45 minutes not counting repair time. The other difference indicated is they will ship this via LTL truck rather than FedEx, so the "free" shipping costs more to them to bury in the price.
As for calling it a barrel smoker/cooker, it functions pretty much like a UDS or a Bronco (the Pro model would be more of a comp due to size). There are advantages to the square format as opposed to round..........much more grate area compared to round for roughly the same footprint on the patio. The fuel bin is about 14" square which is also quite large, though for short cooks it takes some fussing to build a tight pile of fuel. Max Good indicated in an earlier post on the Roughneck that he was looking forward to getting one for eval, we'll see. My experience, so far, is that it works fine, though not perceptively better than the Bronco except for the available surface area on the grates and a pinch more hanging room.
I'm not normal, so my motivations don't apply to others easily. Looking at most of the posts on the HB facebook group those people are nearly a cult. Many of them seem attracted to the Roughneck because it's, first, a HB product, and second, another excuse to satisfy MCS. There is some angst over the rusting of the Corten steel, which won't apply to the SS version, but the nose bleed price will probably limit appeal.
The SS version comes with all of the optional accessories offered on the Corten steel one including the wheel kit. It comes with a regular thermometer though and not the optional one that you could buy for the Corten steel one. The optional one is still available to buy though.
I have the first generation Corten steel version with the cast iron grates. I bought all of the accessories with it originally. I later added the stainless steel grates, the door knob, and the ash pan.
I do like the SS version and I would have probably waited to buy it if I would have known they were going to be making it. My current version does a great job of smoking and uses very little fuel to do so. I'm happy with it.
Uncle Bob70monte I currently have a PBC but the bottom has begun rusting through and it will soon need to be replaced. The Roughneck has peaked my interest as a potential upgrade / replacement, as it appears to have a number of characteristics important to me, i.e., portability, good versatility, fire accessibility, appears to be easy to clean (especially with the ash pan), and a footprint not much larger than the PBC yet with significantly greater grill space. Since you both have one, might I ask in your experience what you would consider the highest attainable sustained temperature to be, just ballpark? The few videos etc I’ve found on it so far are cooks conducted at 225-275F, and I’d hate to get one only to find that it struggles above, say 300F or so. Thanks.
I'll add that compared to my Bronco Pro the Roughneck isn't as easy to get easy operation. It's just fussier for me..........so far. I may have more work to deal with it's quirks. The Bronco took no learning by comparison, costs about 1/3 less, is way heavier, roughly the same footprint, and is less prone to shipping damage. That said the US built, refueling ease and slightly more useable grate area of the Roughneck could be the swing features for some. Build quality is a toss up to me.
Thanks Uncle Bob, good info. I would get one with wheels, so portability wouldn’t be a problem, just need to move it away from the wall of the house further out onto the patio for use. Struggling to get over 325F would be a deal breaker for me, though. Did you have the deflector plate in during that burn in, or out?
The deflector was in. I actually do two burn ins on any cooker I have. First burn is to burn off processing contamination, the second is with cooking oil for a seasoning bake.
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