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, a WSM 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.

[BBQPhil]

I would consider a pellet smoker. It's been the most used of my 5 grills. Easy to do long cooks with minimal work and always great results. I've done briskets for 15 hours running overnight. Also smoked pork ribs, pork butts, and roasts. I have a Yoder that's now too costly, but there are many other brands for around $500-$700.

[TBoneJack]

I have a 22" Kettle with SNS and vortex. This combination will handle anything you want to cook, especially if there are just two in your household and your husband isn't much of a BBQ eater. If you are going to do large turkeys, briskets, or multiple butts, the 26" kettle would be a good investment (I'm about to buy one myself), but you probably won't need the extra capacity very often.

I also have a Pit Barrel Cooker and love it. I also have a Weber Smokey Mountain 18" and 22" and love them, although I've used them less and less since I got the Kettle and PBC. But I'm planning a pork butt cook on the 18" next weekend for old time's sake.

I, for one, am not a fan of pellet grills as I prefer a heavier smoke and char effect. But my best friend wouldn't trade his pellet grill for anything and he's a long time BBQer.

All in all, I recommend the Kettle 22", SNS, and vortex for your situation. And maybe the rotisserie (I'm looking at them myself).

[jayjordan]

From the Pitbarrel company there’s also the Badger, which in addition to cooking like a regular PBC, is sectional and allows using the bottom as a grill.

https://pitbarrelcooker.com/products/badger-porcelain

Also, for ease of use I recommend pellet cooker. I have Traeger Woodridge Pro.

[TripleB]

As glitchy said, a PK360 is great at grilling and for small BBQ cooks. Perfect for just you and your husband. It is a grill that you will pass on to someone else. Virtually indestructible. But it is a bit pricy.

Weber kettle with a Vortex is also a great combo. Grilling, roasting and BBQing. I am not a SNS proponent. Gave it away to my brother after using it twice. Personally, thought it was useless.

PBC is also very good. I use mine for BBQing butts. If I didn’t have other equipment, I’d probably use it more.

[mcook2201]

Masterbuilt Gravity series. Seems it fits what you are looking for and this is a versatile smoker/grill.

Will try to find my other post on MB.

[Sweaty Paul]

A pellet smoker would be another avenue to explore. Also, could consider a kamado style cooker they are fairly easy to dial in to a specific temp and they will hold that temperature. Add a Smobot or a Fireboard fan system and you have predictable temp control for hours using lump charcoal. The advantage of the kamado style cooker (I have a Primo XL) is that you can also use it as a charcoal grill for short hot and fast cooks too.

[bbqLuv]

I have a Traeger Timberline 850. So far so good.

But there are other pellets grills on the market that are just as good.
You may want to check out pellet grilling.

I hope you enjoy looking and evaluating BBQ/smokers.

Keep is posted

[dpearce]

Like others have mentioned, the budget is the deal-breaker. I love my Weber 22, and the SNS insert would work well. The options for the Weber are pretty deep (really enjoy my OnlyFire rotisserie and want to get a Santa Maria add-on). But I love having the smoking flexibility that my PBC allows me. There's always that weird, "should I use the Weber, or the PBC" moment when I cook things, but if I were to have to cook for a group, and it was a smoked option, I think the PBC would be my go-to. Unless, it was chicken wings. Or something I need to direct grill, like steak. Then it would be the weber and the vortex.

Disclaimer, I don't have a SNS for the weber (yet). It's probably my next purchase.

For about $600-$700 you could get both the weber (with a few add-ins) and the PBC.

Then the only thing you need to worry about is learning to work with Charcoal. I personally like using charcoal, and I feel like I get pretty consistent results without a lot of fuss. But I'm just a caveman.

PS: I love my new Blackstone griddle too. Just another rabbit hole for you to think about. Smash burgers/bacon/searing stuff!

I don't have a pellet grill, so I have no opinion about it.

[surfdog]

Knowing YOUR focus, wants, and needs can help us narrow things down quite a bit. Ease of use, convenience, versatility..?

Pellet cookers seem to be as close to set & forget as it gets…but, in my limited experience, lack the smokiness that many of us prefer. I don’t own one and have only used my father’s…but felt compelled to add a smoke tube to up that profile.

Gas can also be pretty close to set & forget depending on the grill and the setup being used…and I smoked quite a few things on my gas grill long before I ever got a smoker. Mine has a “smoke box & burner” but any secondary system could be used…smoke tubes, smoke boxes, even foil pouches for shorter cooks. As versatile as it is, these days it pretty much only gets used for short cooks when grilling or for some rotisserie items for longer cooks.

Charcoal obviously brings a lot to the party and something like a Weber kettle is not only versatile but the number of accessories is staggering. Two MUST HAVES, at least IMO, are a rotisserie and a Vortex. I like the Vortex that I purchased for my WSCGC so much, that I got a second one for the Performer that lives at my GF’s house.

If smoking is the main focus, then something like the WSM, PBC, or Bronco might be worth a look. I only have experience with the WSM. And while I loved it, I gave it away after getting my WSCGC. I sometimes miss it…but not enough that I’ve been compelled to replace it. FWIW, I would probably look at the Bronco if I decide that I need a dedicated smoker. My GF’s son has an electric smoker and while it works just fine…it’s mostly meh IMO. Almost set & forget but the wood chips need to be replenished regularly making it somewhat less set & forget than my other cookers.

As has been mentioned before…knowing your budget will help immensely. It’s all well and good to recommend various options, but if there’s a budget it can get out of hand real quick.

[Uncle Bob]

The Bronco can be much more than a dedicated smoker. See this old thread for some examples: https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...aying-about-it