Looking for a new smoker

[jeremiah_h]

Currently have an Akorn. Looking to upgrade, though I really like my Akorn. I'm willing to venture out into other smokers but I really don't know which way to go. I think I want to stick with charcoal or stick burning though, know a lot of folks with Tragers and they have good results but I like the taste better with mine. Any suggestions?

[bmillin]

How much volume do you need? I'm a Bronco fan but you don't get a lot of grill space.

[jeremiah_h]

The Akorn is typically big enough unless I'm doing a larger brisket. I can't really do more than one rack of ribs, so I almost never do ribs. I could do with some more capacity I guess, certainly not less.

[Allon]

I have a Bronco as well...

The accessory grill grate is only $19.99 and it will double your grate area.

[STEbbq]

What are your requirements other than charcoal or stick? Also budget?

[jeremiah_h]

At the very least, a better top damper; I hate this one with a fire passion. I can use the cyber Q for getting things better. Needs to be on wheels. Not sure if I want to try something other than kammado. My only other smoker experience was a brinkman smoker and it was a CHORE to get a good result.

[bbqLuv]

Pellet Grills I suggest. I got a Traeger pellet grill, no complaints. Easy to use, and you can produce great food.

[Jfrosty27]

Oh geez. Here we go…..
Good luck and have fun shopping.

[CHNeal]

Ssshhhh don’t tell anyone. I have been secretly lusting after a Lang 36 deluxe patio model for a dozen years or more!

[Hulagn1971]

Uh oh, here we go lol.
I have a couple Weber Smokey Mountain 22's that I use when I want to smoke pork butts, briskets etc. The WSM uses charcoal briquettes or lump as the fuel source (I prefer briquettes due to longer burn times) and wood chunks for smoke. The cool thing is you can use different woods and even mix them up like hickory and cherry for instance. The flavor profile is more robust and closer to what you are used to. It is very easy to operate and control temps once you get the hang of it. You can use an external fan to help control the temp but I've found once you learn the cooker, overnight cooks are a breeze without one.
Brisket off the WSM for Thanksgiving.

[Beefchop]

That's gorgeous. Hard to beat the WSM. I have the 18 but have often thought about picking up a 22". Like I need another cooker! : )

[fracmeister]

I know I want a karubecue.

[Donw]

Look at the Smoke Vault 24 from Camp Chief. Good capacity, won’t set you out a lot price wise, propane burner for easy control, but it will burn wood. While I have other top line smokers I still use the Smoke Vault quite a bit, and it makes a great holding oven or baking oven to boot.

[Finster]

I have both a PBC and a Bronco Pro.
both are great for my needs. Both have the ability to hang meat so there is plenty of capacity. I prefer the flavor I get from the PBC, but the Bronco is a little easier to use...imo.
I use briquettes with wood chunks as my fuel/smoke source. Both certainly capable of running on lump as well.
Good luck in your search, and let us know what you get

[Oak Smoke]

I’m a kamado fan. I have 2 Kamado Joe’s, A big joe and an 18 inch classic. They retain moisture and use a very small amount of charcoal. I can fill mine and either will run well over 24 hours at 250F. With a Smobot to control the temps they are incredible. The Smobot doesn’t even use a fan. The whole set up is simple and turns out great food.

[nunyaz]

Since you already have an Akorn, may I suggest the Akorn Auto-Kamado? Same style and size as your Akorn (except this has a really cool swing away 'warming rack' which increases total cooking capacity from 314 sq inches to 445!, same fuel - tho the manuf. suggests lump ... has a blower with the same interface as the Char-Griller 960 Gravity. Last week WalMart had them for mid-200's which is a CRAZY low price!

Here's a Tom Horsman review video for your viewing pleasure 😉😀

https://youtu.be/mjm-W2XCPKk

Enjoy your search to scratch that elusive MCS itch LOL

Peace,
Nunyaz



THREE racks of Baby Backs on the Auto Kamado

[rickgregory]

Budget will matter, as well as capacity. The easy approach is the Bronco or PBC. Since you can hang things, there's plenty of capacity for things like ribs and others (paging Uncle Bob ) like theirs a lot. fzxdoc did a great post that's stickied in the PBC forum. Both are in the $500-ish range.

Things like the Weber Smokey Mountain etc are also in the running in that rough range as is the SNS kettle. The kettle also takes accessories (though, irritatingly, the SNS is slightly different than the Weber 22 so can't use its accessories). Things like the Vortex and various rotisseries can be nice if you think you'll use them.

On the higher end, the Karubecue stick burner seems to turn out amazing food, but it's a) a stick burner meaning you need to tend it and b) it's $1700.

[STEbbq]

The Akorns are the best bang for the buck in the kamado world. You can upgrade to the auto one as mentioned for $200 or on sale or they have a ceramic option for around $600. The design is the same as the cheaper one you already have though so you’ll still be stuck with the features you are not fond of right now.

If your budget supports 1k+, I would look at the Primos and Kamado Joes which are much better designed. You may also be able to find some cost-effective used ones on FB Marketplace or Craigslist.

[DaveD]

I went through this exercise myself earlier this year and settled on the SnS Deluxe kettle (already have pellet & gas cookers). It's even more versatile than I'd expected, I'm still exploring the capabilities. It's not fully wheeled, but has two back wheels and two rigid front legs (four points of ground contact instead of the traditional three for a kettle). I'll be using it for a 2-zone reverse sear thang on a couple of strip steaks in just a few hours, as it happens... good luck!