Help Me Spend More Money: Holding Oven or Cabinet Pellet Smoker?

[radiodome21]

I too wouldn’t adding something similar. I use a small Yeti cooler I got through work. It’s really the thing it’s good at but it’s small and a PITA to clean when juices spill out, which they always do. Using the oven works but in the summer it heats up the house and around the holidays those are primo real estate. I agree with David and get the mammoth from grilla so we can see how it works. If anything donut for the children 🤪

[wrgilb]

Jim, I'm really enjoying using my Copperhead 7. Check some of my posts on CH7 cooks. It works well for a holding oven also, when I need the inside oven for something else. I haven't had any problems so far.

[Jim White]

Great to hear! Thanks.

[Bob K]

Great thread. Been debating this exact scenario- cabinet pellet smoker vs. electric. Want to use as a holding/warming oven and have the option to smoke.

The Grilla looks nice, but their site says 180 is minimum temp, which for me is a bit too much as a holding temp. The Copperhead looks great, and the min temp is a much-better 150, but I think I'm thinking I don't want to be required to produce smoke when I just want a warming oven. (Holiday sides come to mind.)

So that brings me to something like the Smokin-It, most likely the 3D (thanks to a similar MCS thread I think Troutman started a month or so ago). I like that its range is 0-325 degrees, with +/- 3 precision. Only have to burn chips or pellets if I want to use it as a smoker. And we're close to salt water here so 18g 304 stainless is appealing too. Also comes with heavy duty casters, and I'd need it to be mobile in my setup.

Also considered regular warming ovens like those cheaper Vevors and searching CL for used Alto-Shaams. But those aren't as versatile...no smoke.

Only issue is those Smokin-It models ain't cheap. Anyone know of something similar that I haven't noticed yet?

[barelfly]

I’ve had my 3D for 7 years. It’s excellent. I see you have that big ol LSG, but for a set it and forget it cooker, you can’t go wrong. I’ve burned chunks and chips, never tried pellets. And the casters are nice. Mine is on the patio with flagstone, it rolls nicely even over the seams. My dad as the #2 analog on one of their carts. Even that rolls nicely. If you have questions on them, let me know. Happy to help.

[Bob K]

barelfly - thanks for the added info. 7 years without complaints might just push me over the line. Yes, love the offset and I use it a lot (way more than wife "predicted" haha). But set and forget, and basically having an extra oven, are very appealing. Thanks for mention the casters too. Our surface is not quite as rough as flagstone, so that's great to know.

[DaveD]

Hey, thanks for the shoutout! I remain extremely happy with my Pit Boss Copperhead 5. Rock solid stability and reproducibility, next to no temp gradient, super easy to operate, super easy to clean. What's not to like? Use the low-temp "smoke" setting for the first hour and you get very respectable smoky profile in your meat. No pellet rig will reproduce real wood smoke but that approach gets pretty darned close. And I'm compelled to add, in order to attain the smooth thermal profile one MUST use the water pan, the thermal mass of the ~gallon of water is essential to making that possible.

And the holding aspect has really been useful, especially when the indoor oven is bespoke (which it almost always is). Combo cooks, starting on the SnS kettle with charcoal and wood and moving to the Copperhead, has become my SOP. Being able to be 100% hands-free for those last hours is very liberating.

I am all in favor!

[cooperhud]

Upgraded my smoker to a KBQ and this left me with a 22" WSM that was not being used. Ordered a electric element (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and mounted it in the bottom of the WSM. Works great for a holding oven and gives the option to add moisture using the WSM water pan. $35 and an hour of time was well spent.

Dan

[Smoker_Boy]

cooperhud - That's pretty cool.

[Huskee]

Smart!

[Jim White]

Okay. The decision is made. I will wait until after lunch to place the order, but I'm going to go ahead with the Pit Boss Copperhead 7.

Reasons:

1. It's the least expensive viable option. (I just learned this week I need to replace my hearing aids. I'll go with the premium option there, as it affects all waking hours.)

2. With a low temp of 150 instead of 180, that opens more options. I'll probably hold beef and pork at 170, but there's the option to hold poultry a while at 150 (think Thanksgiving and timing changing due to kids/traffic).

3. Outrageous capacity.

4. I hadn't discussed it, but I love the glass front. I think it will be fun to be holding meat in there while folks gather for a meal and they can peek in without disturbing anything.

5. Satisfied users here in the Pit vouch for it.

[Huskee]

Enjoy! Always fun ordering a new toy. Almost as fun as firing it up the first time.

[wrgilb]

You'll really like it. Watching stuff cooking through the glass door is very enjoyable and relaxing for me. It has the same effect as watching a cook over an open fire for me.

[barelfly]

Ugh. These hearing aids aren’t cheap….but they sure do change life!

Congrats on the new cooker!

[Santamarina]

I started using my kitchen oven for long holds in 2018. The “warm” setting on my oven is ~170°F, with the typical wiggle room and accuracy issues of an oven.

Started looking into the “cheap Amazon” options after reading the thread you mentioned and found this one:

https://a.co/d/4uj7jJa

Holds four hotel pans and goes as low as 70°F. Obviously a lot lower than we’d hold meat for extended periods, but makes me think it’d be more stable at keeping food above the 140° danger zone without overheating.

It’s not as flexible as the Copperhead, but for me it seems as if it’d do the job I’m looking for…stable low hold and freeing up my indoor oven. Quality? Probably not high, but for $300 if it does its job for a few years I’d be happy.

[Jim White]

Yes that’s an interesting one for sure.

[Jim White]

So there was a little delay before Pit Boss finally shipped the Copperhead, but today was the big day. Excellent service from the FedEx Freight guy. He called with a 45 minute heads-up, so I was able to confine the dogs to the back yard and make space in the garage.



Cashew and Bean were not thrilled that they couldn't provide a proper greeting to the driver.

It looks like they packed this on its side, so I may try to get my friend John here this afternoon to help with uncrating it, getting it upright and rolling it through the house to the outdoor kitchen.



As a side note, that "Bigger, Hotter, Heavier" would work well on a tshirt for most of us here in the Pit.

[jfmorris]

Haha. Bigger, Hotter, Heavier for sure! Yvonne always says it is impossible to lose weight when I am smoking/grilling/stir-frying all the time.

[Jfrosty27]

Well I’m definitely bigger and heavier, but hotter? Not according to my wife. 🙄

[Jim White]

R2D2 voice : "Help me Obi Wan Kenobe!"

Joking aside, they did a super job on engineering the packing and the parts labeling. Each internal box is labeled with what should be inside it. And the legs are marked to show where each one goes.





My time for this is divided today, so I'm sure it won't be fully assembled before tomorrow afternoon.

[Duanessmokedmeats]

I bought the large Masterbuilt electric smoker. I use it for finishing meats that are foiled/covered to reach the ideal IT, and for holding at 160 for hours.

[Jim White]

We are now fully assembled and in place!



Because I'm a nerd, photos of the first priming and first flame.



Burn-in is underway!



Being totally new to pellet rigs, I was a bit unnerved by the fan continuing after powering off but finally realized and then confirmed it's just the cool down cycle.

[Panhead John]

Very nice! Good looking rig!

[Sid P]

It all looks great, Jim! Is the Pit Boss the final piece of the puzzle?

[Jim White]

Oh, come on Sid P! Are we ever really finished buying new cookers and accessories?

<Marital harmony, though, would have me point out that any other new equipment out there won't turn up for a loooong time.>

[DaveD]

Yeah man!!! Congratulations, and you got the big kahuna too! Really looking forward to seeing your cooks on that bad boy.

I have a vague recollection that the manual recommends cranking up the temp to that 400F setting after a cook, which I'd advise against unless you're cleaning the interior no less frequently than every second or third cook. Had me a grease fire doing that on mine early on, learned the hard way... If one's going to clean the interior regularly anyway, there is no need for a "burn off" step at the end.

[Jim White]

Thanks. When using it as a holding oven (there just happens to be the first those events underway right now, stay tuned) the food always will be in a pan. And, thinking about the risk of grease fires, I already decided any other cook will happen with a drip pan under the meat. So, other than wiping up ash, I'm thinking I won't need much clean up anyway other than pulling out a rack and scrubbing it down if it had meat directly on it. I'm loving the ease of operation so far.

[DaveD]

Having the water pan in there is essential in maintaining that small thermal gradient, it needs that thermal mass present. So a pan is a given. There will still be what plates out on the interior walls to contend with - but at holding temps that's minimal of course, I'm talking only about bona fide cooking temps. Wishing you many long years of happy use!

[Smoker_Boy]

I wrapped a couple of bricks with foil for thermal mass.

[DavidNorcross]

Looks great Jim and fits well in that spot. Good job!

[Jim White]

Thanks, David. I'm very happy with it and see it making everything more versatile, as well as being the go-to on lazy days.

[DaveD]

And your space is looking fabulous too!

[Jim White]

Okay, here are a couple of shots of some beef back ribs in their drippings, thinned with beef broth, going in for a four hour hold at 175.



I am very happy with the result.



For plated pics and more detail, see SUWYC and the memorial thread.