If it weren’t for pellet grills, I would probably have not smoked much food when my kids were young. It’s a bummer that yours has been problematic. I can probably guess the brand based on finding it on sale and having problems, but I won’t. You could give a different brand a shot. Camp Chef can sometimes be found for a decent price and I have had two that worked great. While I’m not a huge fan of Z-Grills personally, they have very affordable options and I don’t see a lot of complaints about them. My neighbor has had one for 2-3 years and I see him using it a couple times a week. I believe they used to be a manufacturer for Traeger and started selling their own grills when Traeger gave the contract to someone else.
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It was a Members Mark Pellet Grill, knockoff of the Coleman Campout sold in Canada. From reading reviews online, it seems like most others have had better luck. I have no complaints about customer service really, they sent out the first control with minimum fuss, it is just a thing where I don't want to worry about it failing every two or three cooks.
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Hello all - this is Joe - first time posting I believe. My 2 cents: Recently switched from a cheap offset grill / smoker to a Pit Boss Pellet grill/smoker from Lowes. I got pretty good with the cheap offset smoker but it was a lot of work. Now the pellet smoker is awesome - but mostly I can set it and forget it - which did happen once. But it had power and fuel so it did not care! So again, not an expensive smoker but works for my wife and I. I am smoking a Pork butt tomorrow while doing chores at the house.
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I'll jump in and say that if you are on a budget, and want something that does not need a lot of babysitting, either a pellet smoker or a propane smoker like the Smoke Vault that someone else mentioned are good ways to go. As is a Weber or SNS kettle with the SNS insert for smoking and searing. Personally I am a charcoal fan. However, you said you've had a WSM and a Bronco, and both of those are pretty easy to use smokers, so the question is really, what are you looking for, and what did you NOT like about the WSM and the Bronco. A kettle + SNS is not going to be much different in effort than the WSM or the Bronco, although it will certainly double as a great grill. As far as automation in charcoal smokers, you either add a controller and fan to a kettle, WSM or Bronco, or you go a route like the Masterbuilt Gravity fed, but as you point out - those have had some quality issues, at least in the first generation. And they are not cheap.
I see some low cost Pit Boss smokers at Lowe's that might fit the bill, and know a few folks on here have and like that brand. I hate you had trouble with the Sam's Club smoker, but I've always been a little leary of the grills at Sam's Club myself, as I felt I could never be sure of parts and such being available - so I've always stayed with name brand grills - I have Weber gas and charcoal grills, a SNS Kamado, and a Camp Chef flat top, along with a custom offset my dad build in 1984.
Good luck, and again - it will help to know what your budget is, and why you didn't like the WSM or Bronco, and what grills you have now that might double for smoking...Comment
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Mostly, I did not like how long it took to get them up to temp. Bronco seemed to be more hands off / I would get it set much quicker. I think I my best bet would be looking at a controller to make the start up process a bit more hands off.
I came across the Masterbuilt 40 Inch Charcoal -- good reviews on here, but low reviews online (3.2 stars). I wonder if that is more quality control than anything else, kind of like their electric smokers.
Ideally, I would stay under $400. -
ghost_smoker I was not aware of that particular Masterbuilt offering - i.e. a digitally controlled cabinet charcoal smoker. I see that my local Academy has it for $349 with pickup today, so the price is decent too.
Masterbuilt seems hit or miss with quality control, and you have to also consider how many folks may have bought these who have no prior charcoal or smoker experience, and who don't have realistic expectations.
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Question for the OP: You talk about grilling but ask about smokers ... so ... are you wanting primarily a grill or a smoker? Knowing the answer to that would be helpful.Comment
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I think rickgregory ‘s advice is on point. Some variation in temps is perfectly okay.
For sheer ease of temperature management and charcoal smoking though, it is hard to beat the Masterbuilt Gravity series.
They have a nice cabinet version too.
https://www.masterbuilt.com/products...harcoal-smoker
AR Cabinet review:
https://amazingribs.com/ratings-revi...ital-charcoal/
My thoughts:
https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...going-thoughts​
Beyond the MB, the kamados are far more easier to manage and require less refilling than a kettle. The Akorms can be had for $200 used and a new one with a controller is just $224 right now.
https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...er-auto-kamadoComment
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ghost_smoker MB has upgraded the switches, hopper build, and paint on the hopper lid with all new MBs. So unless you are buying one that is 2 years old, they have addressed the initial quality issues.
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ghost_smoker mentioned this specific smoker he found, and a budget of $400.
My local Academy has this specific smoker for $349 for pickup today.
I would say that this offers some of the functionality of the Masterbuilt gravity series, i.e. wifi control of a charcoal smoker, without some of the failure points we've seen (switches, etc). Huskee seems to give a favorable review of it as well.
To me the main concern is charcoal usage. It cannot be sealed off, so even when you are done cooking, any remaining charcoal will burn up before the unit fully cools down. My Weber kettle with Slow 'N Sear or Vortex shuts down pretty quickly, and unburned charcoal is useful in the next cook once I knock the ashes off. And I can smoke for 8 to 12 hours (depending on type and brand of charcoal) on 7-8 pounds of charcoal in the Slow 'N Sear insert in my 22" kettle, versus 12-16 pounds in this smoker. However, automation is the tradeoff, and you won't get a kettle and a temp controller for $349.Comment
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As someone who owns both a WSM and a new, 22 SNS kettle, I would look at those two or something similar. I suppose it really comes down to what you really want to do. My WSM is the 18.5 and to be honest I can cook a lot of food but it’s a little small when it comes to grate space.
However, it does have the ability or rather I should say the capacity for a lot more food than a kettle, though I have to say that I’ve never really cooked a whole lot on there at one time. I usually do one meat at a time such as maybe ribs, or a pork butt or brisket. Though, if I wanted to do more or a lot of those different cuts at the same time, I probably could. That’s not something I could do on a kettle.
However, the last three times I’ve wanted to use my WSM I didn’t because I realized there was a lot more prep work and cleaning that needed to be done before I could even use it. Right now I have two racks of ribs on my SNS kettle. I was planning on doing them on the WSM but I just had to clean out the WSM and then rearrange the coals blah blah blah whereas my SNS kettle was ready to go.
So I guess what I’m trying to say is depends on when you want to cook. I think the kettle and a WSM can do a lot of the same things, however a WSM can only really be used for smoking. A kettle you can smoke and you can grill.
but I’m a Bears fan so my credibility can be questionable 🤨
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There are some mighty fine pellet grills. I have a Traeger. One of the advantages less attending. Set it and forget it so to speak.
I am of the opinion they are a bit safer too.
Hello from NW Oregon. Happy smoking to you.Comment
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I have to say the basic building block is a 22" weber or SNS, with a slow N sear. I love my Bronco, but rarely rearrange it for grilling even though it does a good job at it. It is harder to get a two zone fire.
It does not take me that much longer to get a kettle fired up than it did to get the gasser up to temp, and the results are so much better.
The kettle is like the Ruger 10/22, everybody needs one.
I also have a Weber EX6 that is fired up once in a blue moon when I need the volume, and have given away my gassers.
Now that I think of it I have a mid-range offset that NEVER gets touched. Need to sell that thing.Comment
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On a $400(ish) budget, I wouldn't try to get too fancy. To me, it sounds like the Pit Barrel Cooker (PBC) would be exactly what you need for a minimal-effort charcoal smoker. It would require you to learn how to light it properly ... but after that, it's effortless clear sailing.Comment
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@ghost_smoker: Everybody's got an opinion. Mine is: Get on-line and get you a Pit Barrel Cooker, my friend. Here's why:
1. Ease of use--Yes, it is essentially "set it and forget it." You will need to learn a little about approx cook times and you will need to observe your smoke and fire on your first couple cooks. But the PBC is as close to a sure thing as exists in the BBQ world.
2. Quality of the food it cooks is great. There are actually competition teams that use the PBC and it wins prizes. Will never forget hearing Malcolm Reid talk about how drum smokers are his favorite for ribs because of the smoke fog.
3. Long term value. If you someday win the lottery and buy a half dozen of the best smokers on the planet, your PBC will always be an option for cooking because it is a solid, credible cooker. Many posting here have a PBC and other cookers, but my observation is that they usually seem to keep the PBC in their repertoire.
4. Major strong suits are chicken and ribs. Many here over the years call the PBC simply the best chicken cooker ever. Maybe so, maybe not, but it is hands down in anyone's top 3 for chicken, and same for ribs. It will also handle chuck steaks, briskets, pork butts, pork loin, turkeys and chicken parts, (especially wings) and do an awesome job on all of these. (If you see yourself as a cook who will use this cooker for burgers and steaks more than 50% of the time, then maybe you should consider one of the Weber kettles--they are clearly better at outright grilling.) But if you want to experience smoker-type cooking for your middle of the plate proteins with great tasting results, the PBC is a home run.
5. Upgrades and add-ons not really necessary. Unlike many others, the PBC is ready to roll and doesn't need a second major investment to deliver big time results. The two best accessories, imho, are the turkey hanger and the PBC all-weather cover. Buy the cover to protect your investment.
Turkey hangers are also great for whole chicken which makes for a beautiful presentation and one juicy chicken. Buy two of the hangers because if you are prepping one chicken, it saves time to prep and cook two. Of course, you can also spatchcock your chickens and would guess the Pit Barrel team would recommend you do so for your first half dozen cooks before trying the hangers with whole chickens. We cook our Thanksgiving turkey on the PBC and everyone loves the result. They have other accessories that are very useful, but for under an extra $100, the cover and two turkey hangers will provide something that will probably meet 80% of your cooking needs.
6. ROI: $400 bucks. Are you kidding? There is nothing you can buy brand new, fully-warranted with awesome customer service for which the PBC team is famous, for $400, that will be in the universe of a PBC. Also, there is nothing to assemble and it works out of the box.
7. Capacity: With grate space of only 18" the PBC may seem limited. That is, until you understand its hanging capacity that can cook more than you probably can store. Nothing matches the footprint of a PBC for its productivity in turning out lots of great food when comparing food output to space utilization.
8. Safety for the kiddies--The PBC has an internalized fire system, so once you light your starter cube or two and place the basket in the barrel, nobody needs to go near the flame. Human nature being what it is, i am sure you will warn your little ones, "don't ever touch the Pit Barrel." Which means, of course, you can likely expect they will give that a try someday.
But anyone touching the PBC in use won't leave their hand there very long, and the lesson will be learned. It is also heavy and stable in its footprint when cooking. Yes, it sits on its "horseshoe stand" but it is heavy and can't be moved easily unless the kids happen to be wrestling or playing tackle football nearby. (Mostly kidding here, ghost_smoker.)
9. It is a clean machine--No difficult cleaning is required. But if you work just a little to keep it cleaned out between cooks, your PBC will last a long time. Use a double layer of foil across the entire bottom of the cooker, under the charcoal basket and replace those every cook. Take a couple paper towels and wipe out the grease around the perimeter circle of the bottom of the cooker, clean your rebar hanging bars every couple cooks and the PBC is good to go. If you have leaks down the outside of the barrel at first, wipe those marks away with some alcohol based stuff (windex type stuff is fine) AFTER THE COOK, and keep the outside looking nice.
10. Cook with the best: Here at AR, you are surrounded by fine persons and great cooks. Clearly, two of the very best of those are Moderator Jerod Broussard and Ms. Kathryn, the fzxdoc. Without imputing their endorsement in any way, I will note that I have read their posts on their cooks on the PBC for years. They are both outright, inarguable All-Stars. So, if the PBC is good enough for Jerod and Kathryn, it's good enough for me. The PBC is one purchase i have made that I have never regretted in any way.
I have no business interest in the PBC whatever, but wanted you to know these facts as you consider your alternatives.
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Thanks for your reply. There is a Pit Barrel Junior used near me for under $150. Obviously, it is small, but I think it would probably work for us (one adult, two kids under 3). Or, do you think it would be too small? To me, it seems like it would be a cheap way to get into it.
I would smoke mostly pork butt and chicken, occasionally ribs or brisket. -
ghost_smoker I have a PBJ and mainly for me. No issues with capacity. Unless your kids eat a lot of food I'd say go for it.
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I'm in with Richie B's good advice on the PBJr. Richie B's (and many others here) experiences, along with your idea to get started at a more moderate price point, cimbined with the testing and quality of all the PBC products makes great sense, imho.Comment
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Why are people recommending pellet poopers when he does not want one, but a charcoal smoker instead
. Small budget, set and forget! No brainer….PBC all the way.
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