Need advice on grill/smoker purchase

[tstalafuse]

If your gas grill is still functional to be used as a grill, I would consider a pellet smoker. A lot of good ones can be had for under $1k and are as easy as they get to operate. The new Traeger Westwood are their entry models and while not full of the bells and whistles they seem to be getting good reviews. If you want some of the bells/whistles, the Wood Ridge Pro is under $1k (by a penny!) but has the super smoke for a better smoke profile. Plus, they both come with wifi control.

If you want just one and can spend up a bit, my go to above all the others (charcoal, wood, or pellet) is the Weber Summit Kamado with a fan controller (already has a port so no mods required). Charcoal with the ease of a pellet smoker, so grilling and smoking are super easy, plus large enough to feed a crowd.

[realdocBBQ]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and differ a bit.

You say there are only 2 people in your house, but... then you also cooked brisket for 100 people??? Soooo... that tells me you have a larger circle around you and you not only have people looking to you for such things, you also are willing to do them. Some of us will go to lengths to provide great food for others... sound like you may be one of them. Nothing wrong with that - food is my love language, 100%.

Anyways, a Weber kettle with a S'n'S is not a bad option, but you might also look into something like a gravity feed. Masterbuilt, maybe, or something?

A little more capacity, a little easier to set up, no need to refill charcoal during a long cook or something, pretty flexible for how you want do things, can use some wood chunks in with your charcoal and/or add a pellet tube with some wood chips in it (yes this works), etc.

Just something to explore, if you haven't already. I think the Smokin' Dad channel on YouTube does a lot of coverage on some of these (and ceramic/kamado-style). Just throwing it out there.

I didn't see any discussion of your planned budget?

[Panhead John]

Janet, I might not be the brightest bulb in the parking lot, but I’m ok with offering a little advice for you. I’ve owned in the past….. 2 gas grills, a couple of cheap offset smokers, a cheap electric smoker, 2 Weber kettles, 2 of the 4 legged SNS kettles and numerous Old Smokey’s. I’ve also had an OKJ Bronco [which I loved!] I currently own the SNS Master Kettle and have had it for about a year and a half now. If I could only have one cooker it would be a kettle grill, and preferably the SNS Master Kettle. In addition to having more features than a Weber Kettle [the 3 legged style] I really like the addition of the larger shelf and storage space underneath. I also find it’s a little easier to maneuver than the others. With the addition of an SNS insert you’ll find it easy to manage a low and slow cook, even for a charcoal novice.

There’s not much you can’t do with this combo and maybe a few accessories. I’ve never had a problem with my smoke profile either, using a few wood chunks in the mix. The problem with some of the dedicated smokers is the difficulty of grilling on them, with a kettle you have the best of both worlds. I’ve also found that my Master Kettle is really good at maintaining temps once you’ve got it dialed in. I think you’d be very happy with the SNS Master Kettle and the Slow N Sear insert.

[fzxdoc]

I think you should look into a Pit Barrel Cooker. Watch the Father's Day sale or get one from Facebook Marketplace, etc. Maybe someone here would sell you theirs at a great price.

Why a PBC?

• Because you already have a gasser, which is great for short grilling cooks and of course for searing.
• Because you enjoy a smokey flavor.
• Because, managing its charcoal is no more difficult than lighting it up (using a good lighting routine) and hanging the meat or setting it on the grate.
• Because cleanup usually takes no more than about 10 minutes since you'll be hanging most of the meat you add to it. Honestly. No grate to clean. Just dump the ash and you're good to go for the next cook. If you use the grate, it will fit into your standard kitchen sink for soaking and cleanup, which is nice.
• And finally because it makes wonderful chicken, ribs, brisket, etc. It holds a whole lot, as in 3 chickens along with two hangers with 6 sausages each (ask me how I know), 6 racks of ribs, a couple of briskets, etc.. And you can just as easily cook lesser amounts for two.

I have a 22" Weber with SnS, a Weber Summit (WSCGS) kettle/kamado with SnS), a 6 burner Weber Summit gasser and a few other toys in addition to the PBC and for a great cook with little mess, I go to the PBC more times than not, especially for weeknight meals.

Also, FWIW, I'm a stickler for cooking on a clean grate, not just heating up a grate and scrubbing off what comes off before adding the food, (like some in my extended family do ). So for me, the (often grateless) meals from the PBC make smoking something delicious with quick-as-a-whistle cleanup a real plus.

Kathryn

[Uncle Bob]

Since Bill (aka @Purc) threw the ball to me I'll jump in, though like the two posts above me I'm confused about what target you're actually aiming at. As the videos Bill posted pointed out many of the worthy features of the Huntsman I won't have to unless you want more specifics.

That said there are a bunch of ways to get to any solution, I know, I've had more than 30 different outdoor cooking devices over the past 10 or so years. Folks tend to recommend what they've enjoyed or committed to without benefit of knowing much about the alternatives. They mean well, but what they value may not fit what you want/need. I'd encourage you to give us a tighter definition of what you do the most of as well as other functions you'd like to be able to do on occasion. Also some idea of ambient conditions, such as what caused the rust out of your gasser. Was it a low quality unit not suited for the environment, or is your environment particularly harsh (e.g. ocean frontage property though not limited to that). The more we know the better the feedback we can give.

[SheilaAnn]

Team Kettle here as well. I have a 22” Weber with SnS insert and a vortex. 💗💗💗
We are also a party of two, and it really is the perfect size. So much versatility, too.