Need Advice For New Smoker

[glitchy]

Like a couple others mentioned, you probably need to zero in on a fuel source first or everyone is just going to throw either their current favorite or next desired smoker at you. Then do you want another smoker only or something that can smoke and grill? How important is the capacity vs footprint? Cabinet smokers have the most capacity for the space they take, but did you often fill it up?

There’s tons of options out there, many great for different situations. If you want something similar to what you had, SmokinIt, SmokinTex, and Cookshack all build more premium electric cabinets. I’d recommend picking a model that can get to at least 325-350 as some max at 250°.

[Nannylori]

I could smoke up to 8 briskets or corned beefs for pastrami on special occasions, because of the vertical 4 shelves, but because I never smoke for just the two of us, always doubling up on food so I can give some to friends, cooking for 2-6 seems to be about average. I need to start with the small footprint as space is definitely an issue. I looked at a combination grill/ smoker, but I think keeping them separate is better. I would like the option of a higher temp also. Thanks for suggestions !!

[Mudkat]

This is what I like about the Pit! Welcome to the Pit Nannylori. One more thing to add if it hasn't been said already. If you are worried about keeping temps constant it is not necessary to have a temp dialed in exactly. Ranges between 210 - 250 are perfectly acceptable when low and slow smoking with charcoal or other fire fuel sources. 300 - 350 degrees for cooks around 325 or so, etc. In fact, many here don't even smoke on the low side. Most charcoal smokers and grills will settle into these ranges fairly quickly and will allow you to go on with other things in your day.

Of course none of this matters if you just want to set it and walk away until the meat probe beeps, of course that is fine too!

[Nannylori]

I find, as I get older, I want to fuss less, and seem to be gravitating more towards a set and walk away lifestyle. I like having the option of higher temps. I do have to start at the small foot print , though, as that will immediately limit models available. The vertical style with 4 shelf capacity worked well, so something similar would be great. Thanks for taking the time to help me out!

[Clark]

We have a Grilla Chimp and could not be any happier with it. For just reliable and easy smoking I don't think you can beat it.
Holds temp within 5 degrees, big temp range, stainless steel, double walled, and has a relatively small footprint.

I cannot speak on their customer service as I have not needed any service.

[Nannylori]

Your suggestion seems to be taking the lead. I do need to start with the small footprint and go from there. I had never heard of the Grilla Chimp before reading it here in everyone’s helpful comments, but it seems to be popular, so I’m definitely checking it out. I do want a dependable smoker- don’t want to be buying a new one every three years. Your description sounds like it’s well made. I also like having the option of higher temps. Thanks so much for your help!!!

[Murdy]

I'm surprised we haven't heard more out of the PBC crew -- if you aren't sold on pellets.

[Nannylori]

Never considered them until I read all these comments. I couldn’t imagine how pressed wood could be as good as chips, but I admit, you all have taken a crow bar to my brain and made an opening for pellets to sneak in! There must be something to it for so many people to be fans .

[Murdy]

Nannylori -- the PBC (Pit Barrel Cooker) isn't a pellet grill. It's a barrel smoker that relies on charcoal or a mix of charcoal and wood.

[rickgregory]

I thinkNannylori needs to come back and give us more info. There's not much point in everyone just chiming in with their fave when we all have different requirements and price sensitivity. I mean, $500 price limit means one set of smokers. A $1500 opens up a lot of other things.

[Nannylori]

You’re quite right. I haven’t provided as much info as you needed. Since I need to start with a small footprint , I thought that would automatically put me in a certain category . If I could stay under $500, that would work for me. Vertical seemed to work with small area and 4 shelves allowed me to smoke up to 6 -8 small briskets at a time. Cooking for 2-6 would be great. Thanks so much for your help!

[rickgregory]

Nannylori - You'd be surprised how much you can spend and fit in a small space

In your shoes I'd lead to a propane powered vertical like the Camp Chef Smokevault someone listed above.

[Huskee]

Masterbuilt makes a thermostatically-controlled charcoal version of this cooker if you're looking to keep in the more affordable price range yet upscale your authentic flavor. It has the benefits of both sides- ease of use & digital control, with great flavor. We're working on a review of that one as we speak. It is full of positives. It is called the Masterbuilt 40" Digital Charcoal Smoker.

[Nannylori]

I’ve never smoked with charcoal, as I imagined I would have to keep tending to it over many hours. But I’m open to learning new ways to smoke( new to me), so I will check this out. Thanks for your help!

[Huskee]

Nannylori This particular one is nice because it eliminates you from having to tend it. You do have to pour the charcoal in, start it, and then possibly dump the ash and reload more if you're doing a long cook, like say a pork butt or a brisket. But you don't have to tend it at all during the cook. For quicker cooks like chicken, turkey, or ribs you don't even have to reload it.

[STEbbq]

Nannylori My opinion is that the wood chips are likely too small and burn too fast to add a lot of flavor. If you want to stick with wood, but do not obviously have time for a stick burner, I think you will be pretty thrilled with the increased smoke profile from pellets. You can customize it to your taste by using different flavors of pellets, running the smoker in smoke mode or low temps to increase the amount of smoke at the start of the cook, or even using a smoke tube to add more flavor if desired.

Alternatively, if you like the regular clean smoke just generated without doing anything extra, it should be a good improvement over what you have now.

I’d still think the Grilla Chimp would be a strong contender based on what you have shared to date. The value proposition versus everything else including Traeger is excellent.

[Nannylori]

I couldn’t imagine pellets being better than chips, but your explanation makes such good sense. I am willing to broaden my horizons as long as I can have a small footprint , options for wood flavors, reliability in construction,less tending and hovering , and capacity for up to 6 people, as I never cook for just the two of us, I’m willing to try pellets. They seem to be winning the day … thanks so much for your help!!!

[STEbbq]

Pit Boss has a line of cabinet smokers that use pellets that AR has rated with good reviews. Price range from $289 to $799, but it's relatively easy to find Pit Bosses on sales with huge discounts regularly or via seasonal closeouts. The downside is they would not be as well made as the Grilla, so you’d be more likely to replace it before the Grilla.

https://pitboss-grills.com/products/...t-smoker-pbvp1

https://amazingribs.com/ratings-revi...rtical-smoker/

[Joey877]

Masterbuilt makes a thermostatically-controlled charcoal version of this cooker if you're looking to keep in the more affordable price range yet upscale your authentic flavor. It has the benefits of both sides- ease of use & digital control, with great flavor. We're working on a review of that one as we speak. It is full of positives. It is called the Masterbuilt 40" Digital Charcoal Smoker.

I have the propane version of this ( https://www.amazon.com/Masterbuilt-M...12&sr=8-3&th=1 ) and it is pretty low maintenance. It has a thermostat so you just set the temp and walk away. It also burns wood chunks, not chips, which allows you to better control the smoke profile. I tend to disagree with STEbbq and the others that advocate for pellets. To me, pellets provide the least smoke flavor, though I agree that pellet smokers are great for "set it and forget it". This propane ThermotempXL may be the best of both worlds, and it definitely has the space without taking up a huge footprint. Not trying to sell you on it, but give you another option. I have or have had and use/used every type of smoker out there. I no longer use kamado style smokers or pellet smokers out of personal preference, but I use all fuel types and every other style of smoker on a regular basis. You just need to figure out what works best for you. Based on what you've said as far as convenience, footprint, price point and capacity, I'm thinking this would be a good fit for you.

Oh, and here's a link to the review here:

https://amazingribs.com/ratings-reviews/smoker/masterbuilt-340g-thermotemp-xl-review/

[Huskee]

Masterbuilt has really been innovating the last few years with very functional and convenient products, a step ahead of the pricier competition, while keeping the price point down where they still maintain mass appeal. They're not built to last forever so you won't pass them on to your grand kids, but they are some clever products that work well and have a wide range of appeal.

[jfmorris]

I agree with this, and feel that a propane cabinet smoker with chunks will likely result in superior smoke results to a pellet smoker, in less space.

[au4stree]

My father loves his pellet grills, he's on his third one. He absolutely refuses to go charcoal and has basically quit using his propane grills. That said, he recently purchased a RecTeq Bullseye. He says this is the best one yet. He's had Traegers and GMC.

This might fit your digital, small(er) footprint needs. As a bonus, this is 22", so it opens you up to all the kettle accessories that are out there.

RT-B380 Bullseye Wood Pellet Grill – recteq

[Nannylori]

It definitely fits the small footprint,but I think I need more shelves. I always try to make enough to share with friends. But I have added your suggestion to my list. Thanks so much!!!

[jfmorris]

Nannylori I see several times that you mention how you prefer to stay with wood, in relation to either pellet or charcoal smokers. I just want to clarify something about wood and smoke.

First - chips versus chunks.

With your electric smoker, you put some wood chips in a tray, and they smoldered and produced smoke for an hour or two, then you replenish as needed during the cook. Propane smokers work in the same way. With both, if you can fit wood CHUNKS versus wood CHIPS, you will get smoke for much longer than with the chips, just because we are dealing with bigger pieces that will burn longer. I know not all cabinet smokers will have clearance in the pan for the larger wood chunks however, but if you can use those, you typically get better results. The same goes with charcoal smokers - chunks which can produce smoke for hours are better than chips that burn up in a few minutes in most cases.

Second - charcoal smokers

There are a LOT of options for vertical smokers that are small footprint and which burn charcoal as the source of heat. Examples are cabinet style smokers, bullet style smokers like the Weber Smokey Mountain series, and drum/barrel smokers like the Pitbarrel Cooker or the Oklahoma Joe Bronco and others. With these, the charcoal is predominantly a source of heat, with wood chunks as the source of smoke. Charcoal can be lump, which is unprocessed wood, simply turned into charcoal, or it can be briquettes, which are formed from processed wood and pressed into the briquette shape. Some briquettes use inert binder minerals, starch, etc, to help hold together. Others do not. Personally I use more lump than briquettes these days, as I know it is straight hickory, oak, whatever.

You can even consider a grill such as a Weber Kettle or a Slow 'N Sear Kettle as a smoker, as with the right setup, you have a direct and an indirect zone. I smoke more on a Weber Kettle with the Slow 'N Sear insert than I do on my wood burning offset. And capacity on a 22" kettle is not bad - I can smoke two 8-10 pound Boston butts, an 18 pound brisket, 3-4 chickens (split into halves), and up to 5 slabs of baby back or Saint Louis style spare ribs, by using a rib rack to stand them on edge.

Anyway, the thing with charcoal is this. While it does take some time getting the fire started, I can go 8-12 hours without adding fuel on my Weber Kettle. With a Weber Smokey Mountain I know folks can go 18 hours on a load of charcoal. It's as set it and forget it in many ways as your electric smoker was, although you do have to dump ashes the next day, and start the fire. To me the results are about as good as I ever got with my much larger offset smoker.

Third - propane smokers

Most of these are cabinet style, like what you have, and aside from fuel source, operate in much the same way. Sounds like the addition of the propane tank might be an issue for your space. They may be more reliable though, and don't need power.

Last - pellet smokers

I know a lot of told you about pellet smokers, which I have little personal experience with. I do know that many say that these have a lighter smoke profile on the smoked meats than you get from burning charcoal and wood chunks, or burning wood only on an offset. But for many folks, that lighter smoke profile is desirable, and they are most certainly a set it and forget it type of smoker. As far as the pellets themselves go - you are right - it is processed wood (sawdust) pressed into a pellet shape. But pellets from any reputable maker are really just wood of various species, in a different form than you are used to seeing. For you though, I think the footprint of the pellet smokers will be an issue. Even the vertical ones tend to be a lot more footprint than most electric cabinet smokers like the one you had.

Finally

Based on your space constraints, I think you need to CONSIDER a charcoal smoker (or kettle), as they can be had in footprints that will be similar to what you had. If you JUST need a smoker and not a grill, and can find space for a propane tank, or have natural gas, I would also think about the propane cabinet smokers. I think both propane and charcoal smokers will last much longer than your Masterbuilt electric smoker did.

[Nannylori]

Thank- you so very much!!! You answered so many questions.

[SmokingSteve]

Nannylori I agree with Joey877! On the right hand side of this page in the Spotlight, second from the top is a small blurb about the Masterbuilt MPS/G 340 XL Thermotemp vertical propane smoker that can use wood chunks or chips to create the smoke. Please click the link and read the review. It is thermostatically controlled (like an oven) and is truly set and forget capable. It has a large window, separate doors for wood and food, and four shelves/racks. I have been an owner for a couple of years. It has worked extremely well and currently sells at Home Depot for around $340.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Masterbu...1316/303383033

It has a short learning curve and many satisfied owners. Please read the review I mentioned by Max Good here on Amazing Ribs. https://amazingribs.com/ratings-revi...temp-xl-review
If you have questions about it you are welcome to contact me by PM.

[Joey877]

You could have just quoted me, ya know...

[SmokingSteve]

This one's for you Joey877

[Nannylori]

Thank- you!!!!
I can’t believe how much I didn’t know!!!

[willxfmr]

One of the more popular options that has been mentioned is the Chimp. I personally think that while it is certainly a great pellet pooper, it falls way short of what you have said you wanted in terms of capacity. When you need small footprint and capacity for multiple briskets, then you are pretty much committed to a cabinet smoker of one type or another.

Based on everything you have said you wanted the terms of convenience and capacity, I'm going to dial my recommendations down to just two smokers. These two suggestions reflect my own personal bias for pellet poopers, and charcoal/wood smokers. YMMV.

The first is the Pellet Pro 2300 from Smoke Daddy This pellet pooper will give you set and forget convenience, combined with the capacity to cook large volumes of food. I talked a former co-worker, and a couple of others into one of these, and they love it. It is a fair bit of over kill when cooking for just two people, but with your space limitations, you're going to have to compromise somewhere. One thing that has not been mentioned much, but is important to consider, is that with a pellet pooper you have a lot of range to customize your smoke profile to your liking. Smoke Daddy sells a range of products that will do this from smoke generators that will burn wood chips, to the stick burning heat diffuser. Troutman did a nice write up of the stick burning heat diffuser that you can read here. There are also range of tubes, boxes, and mazes available in a wide range of prices that will help you tune your smoke profile. I chose for my pooper a straight tube that I burn wood chips in.

My second choice is the 40-inch Digital Charcoal Smoker from Masterbuilt
This is the smoker that Huskee suggested. With this one, you will give up some capacity over the Smoke Daddy, and have to spend a few minuets each cook getting the fire started, but once you have the fire going, it should be hands off from there unless you need to add charcoal. I would expect one load of charcoal will be plenty for all but your largest cooks where you fill it to capacity with meat. This smoker will give you a different flavor than you now get from your electric smoker, but it is a flavor can be adjusted by how much wood you add to the charcoal. Make no mistake, there is a learning curve when you get started. But after just a few cooks, you should be able to dial in to what you like. I highly recommend keeping a journal detailing your process for each cook. That will be your best guide to getting the flavors you prefer. Our friend @mgartez has a nice Pit themed journal you can find here.

If your space allows it, you would certainly benefit from adding a Slow N Sear kettle to your lineup. Combined with fan controller, these kettles, with their inserts, are arguably the best small smoker/grill combinations made, and would give you a more reasonable option for the times you are cooking for less than 6 people.

Having just proffread all this, I feel like my inner salesman is coming out, so I'll throw in this disclaimer:

*I have no personal or financial interest in any of the companies mentioned. All opinions expressed are just the ramblings of some random interweb nut*

Except maybe a personal interest in the stuff mgaretz makes, but that's just because he's a heck of a nice guy and gave us Blasphemy Ribs. T-shirt available here.

[Troutman]

Good write up 👍

[Nannylori]

Wow. Great explanation. Yes, limited space does limit my options . But I knew you all would whittle down my choices to the best ones.Thanks so much !!!!