Pick Your Favorite Cooker

[BriggsBBQ]

Best value kettle. Best all round daily use grill Kamado. Feed the big crowd WSM. Idiot proof pellet. Not had a stick burner or Santa Maria. I would guess for feeding a huge amount of people or running a restaurant would be stick burner.

[klflowers]

1 kettle with sns
2 18 wsm
3 Traeger scout
4 udc 55 gal drum custom made but I don’t use it much. Needs some tlc, leaks badly and is not very stable right now.

[Keiferr]

1. Large BGE
2. ABS Judge
3. COS

[BriggsBBQ]

The ABS Judge looks amazing.

[Keiferr]

#BriggsBBQ, the ABS Judge isn't mine. It was donated to a military nonprofit i volunteer with and I'm the only one that knows how to use it. It is pretty amazing!

[FireMan]

It’s like which one is yer favorite kid. Might be the one that’s acting the nicest at the moment. With cookers it’s sorta the same difference. When I light one up it’s goood & I’m glad I have it. If I haven’t had it burnin in awhile then light it up, I think I should use it more often.
I noticed you didn’t have the little can cooker as a choice or the cardboard smoker.

[CaptainMike]

Hahaha, I find myself occasionally using one cooker more than the others, then begin to feel sorry for the neglected ones and start using them. Pretty silly but they don't seem to mind.

[rodkeary]

1) Weber 22 inch kettle w S/S
2) Weber 3 burner propane
3) Bradley electric smoker

These are the only cookers I have ever used.

[Potkettleblack]

Very jealous of being able to use charcoal. If I were a bit more nuts than I am, I'd add a PBC in the parking lot... but triple fuel then becomes an issue.

[rodkeary]

I thought for sure it was a no-no until I reread our bylaws and lo and behold the following - "store or permit to be stored upon the Premises coal or any combustible, flammable or hazardous material, except for a small supply of fuel for an outdoor barbecue". I'm just waiting for a neighbour to see the smoke and think there is a fire.

[BriggsBBQ]

Our HOA didn't think of smokers so only have to deal with Dallas fire code 9 feet from the building (combustible material). I used to have my BGE on the balcony and ignored the fire department because it has to be an actual flame. My wife made me reconsider my outlaw behaviors.

[EdF]

It all depends on what you're trying to do and your mood. I'd pick any of these for a given occasion.

1. KBQ (= stick-burner)
2. BGE (= kamado)
3. TEC (= infrared gasser)
4. Ooni Pro (= mostly stick / with or without lump, gasser, maybe sometime I'll try the pellets)
5. Polyscience SV circulator (= the Tivo of cookers).
6. The danged inside range - plenty of versatility there, but I wish I had an induction top!

[Troutman]

If there was such a term as Esoteric Barbequer, I would assign that title to you EdF !!!

[EdF]

"Get around, get around, I get around ... woo-woo-woo-hoo..."!

My wife actually admires my shopping skills - and puts them to use!

[Troutman]

Beach Boys

[lemayp]

Any chance i can get a loaner of every model to test and better answer this? I'll send them on to next member when done, ala the traveling birthday hat...

[EdF]

We wish!

[Spinaker]

Talk to Max Good

[Skip]

This really hard but here goes===(Tomorrow the order could change)

Memphis Pellet Grill
Weber Performer
Large BGE
Weber3 Burner Gasser
Extra Weber Kettle
Avova Sous Vide
Flat Top Convection Oven (Indoors, sometimes wish it was Gas)

[Troutman]

Didn't know you had a Memphis Skip, how do you like her?

[Skip]

I've had this one since 2010. It might be one of the originals? I like it a lot, The insulation is good for winter cooking in Minnesota.

[Dadof3Illinois]

Well let’s see.

Weber 26 with SnS
Camp chef vertical gas smoker
GMG pellet pooper (sold it though)
Black stone (sold it also)
Insta Pot
Sous Vide wand

I liked the pellet grill but want to upgrade.
I loved the black stone, my buddy wanted one so he took mine and I’m going to get the new style with the grease hole in the rear.

[EBC]

Great reference. Thanks!

[BriggsBBQ]

I have learned two things recently with the polling here in the Pit. Everyone loves ribs "wibs" and nobody likes their electric smoker very much.

[Troutman]

Except in the other poll, steaks beat out ribs 2 to 1 !!!

[BriggsBBQ]

Troutman I think some of that has to do with preparation time. If you could throw ribs on the grill and sear both sides and be done.....might be more 50/50. There is something about a good dry aged ribeye.

[rwalters]

#1 MAK 2 Star (use it a LOT!)
#2 26.75 Weber kettle (fantastic charcoal grill!)
#3 36” Blackstone griddle. Looking to sell and move up to the 48” Camp Chef griddle. We use our griddle a lot and love to entertain. Can never have to much griddle surface

[Jon Liebers]

Large BGE
Weber performer with SNS
Napoleon prestige pro 500 gas

The big question is , what next? I want something with more capacity. Torn between lone star 20" offset and a high end pellet pooper like Mak #2 , Yoder 640 etc. ugh.

[Jon Liebers]

actually, I have never even eaten anything from a pellet pooper. Its attractive due to its ease of use. As for flavor I gotta believe the stick burners/lump win every time. But I like my Ceramic in so much as its load , set the guru and leave. also clean up is pretty easy. My concern with the stick burners is the effort required for a long cook, maintaining the fire.

[BriggsBBQ]

I am not a stick pro by any means. However I think it gives you more wood smoke flavor control than anything at the expense of having to tend a fire. I talked to a guy and his brisket was pretty deep in smoke flavor 80/20 post oak to pecan.

[Jon Liebers]

would love to compare a brisket on a lone star offset vs one on a pellet pooper like Mak 2star or Yoder.

[Buck Flicks]

I said my kettle/SnS because it's my only right now. I got rid of my gasser, and I only use my hibachi-style cooker for tailgates. I'll probably eventually replace that with a Smokey Joe.

I wouldn't might a WSM or a PBC as an alternate for higher capacity cooks, and I pine for a kamado style cooker, but in terms of bang-for-the-buck, versatility, and ease of use, the kettle checks more boxes than the others. I don't have MCS, but if it ever hits, I already have a couple pathways laid ahead of me.

[Beefchop]

My stickburner is the most fun to cook on if you have a day to kill, but nothing beats the convenience of a good charcoal kettle with some sort of smoker accessory (e.g. vortex, slow n' sear, smokenator). I recently bought a BGE so we'll see if that becomes my new fave.

[BriggsBBQ]

Beefchop EdF is correct. Kamados can do a lot of different things. One example is sear a steak on both sides over hot coals then close the vents and let the steak cook like being in the oven till it is medium rare or however you like it.

[Beefchop]

Thanks EdF and BriggsBBQ! Will do. I'll fire it up this weekend and will be here with any questions. : )

[EdF]

If you don't mind buying and reading books, this one will tell you ways to use that BGE you'd have never thought of. Did to me anyway, after owning one for 15+ years. The recipes are thin, but the methods are great. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1