Good Afternoon... I started about 5 years ago with the Char Broil gas smoker. As in the review said, it is a great smoker to begin with and learn from. It is close to the end of it's usefullness, and I am looking for suggestions on a new smoker. I have smoked the usual - pork butts, brisket, hamburger, turkey, chicken, salmon, talipia, and even eggs all with great success. I enjoy having to tend to the fire so I am not really interested in a pellet. All my life I have used either propane or natural gas to grill or smoke with. I live in the deserts of southern california so natural wood is non exsistance expect for mesquite. Any suggestions would be helpful. There seems a lot of different choices out there. Thanks!
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Welcome to the posting side of The Pit. I can't help, but someone will be along shortly who can. It would help if we knew how many you want to be ready to cook for, and your budget.Last edited by RonB; September 15, 2019, 02:53 PM. -
How much do you want to spend?
Two that ive looked at that are really nice - an M1 grill as well as a Lonestar Grillz offset. But those are pricey.
Or, a Weber kettle!Comment
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Sounds like you are looking for just charcoal units. Small budget options are Weber 22" or 26", Pit Barrel Cooker. Medium to large budget can be kamado style like Slow ‘N Sear Deluxe Kamado from Adrenaline BBQ Company and others similar to it. The thing is, offsets can be used with charcoal and just have chunk wood for the smoke.
Here are some options and write ups on AmazingRibs.Comment
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Welcome from Indiana.
Based on your OP I would say your best choice is probably to join the ranks of team charcoal.
Now that you have figured that out you need to decide budget, use, functionality, and a few other things.
Best low cost but high value options:
-Weber Kettle with some accessories like the Slow’n’Sear. This option probably gives you the most diverse functionality between smoke and grill.
-Weber Smokey Mountain which is a great dedicated smoker.
-Pit Barrel Cooker - in a magical league of its own.
From there you start going up in price but have some wonderful options like the Weber Summit Charcoal Grill, Adrenaline BBQ companies kamado style cooker, gateway drums, kamados, etc...Comment
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I don't have one, but I think if I were in your situation I would consider a PBC.Comment
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Hmmm. When you say you enjoy tending to a live fire, that puts you into a certain category. But the fact that you say real/natural wood is nonexistent in your area puts you into a different one.
A stick burner like an LSG would be an awesome choice. But you would need a really good wood supplier.
I’m thinking you should look at the different Kamado cookers out there. They are extremely versatile. Next to my stick burner they are my favorite cookers.
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If you have the budget, I'd go with the Primo Oval XL. After that, the PBC.Comment
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Huntington Beach welcomes you and I am partial to kettles. The Slow n sear is a must.
For my Kettles I also have a billows fan and a rotisserie still in the box I have not got around to opening yet.
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It looks like you have good recommendations. But, I would factor into my decision the size and frequency of my cooks.Comment
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thereseanddavid if wood is hard to come by, it sounds like a stick burner is out of the question, sure - smaller offsets can smoke with charcoal, but having one - they use a TON of charcoal, mine uses 4 times the charcoal a smoker meant for charcoal uses.
You say you're used to propane or natural gas - one gas smoker to consider is the Camp Chef Smoke Vault 24 - it comes setup for propane by default, but can be converted to natural gas.
If you want a little more smoke and fire tending, look to charcoal smokers. The Pit Barrel Cooker and Weber Smokey Mountain are great ways to go. If you want to grill and smoke, a 22" Weber kettle can do double duty, especially with a Slow 'N Sear. I get as many as 10 to 12 hours of smoking on 7 to 8 ponds of charcoal in my kettle, using the Slow 'N Sear. On the kettle I can smoke a 14 to 16 pound brisket, 5 racks of ribs (using a rib rack) or 2 boston butts. A dedicated smoker can do more, but that is enough for most of my cooks, and if it isn't, I fire up the offset (and get prepared to use a lot more fuel).Last edited by jfmorris; September 15, 2019, 07:19 PM.Comment
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Welcome aboard...even if you’ve been here for a while.
Being from SoCal myself I fully understand the lack of wood supplies.
There’s a great shop in OC but that can get expensive ordering wood...and kinda rules out spur of the moment cooks.
Ive never used a gas smoker but along with the reviews here, I’m sure you’ll get a few models recommended.
As for charcoal...I think the Weber Smoky Mountain is hard to beat. And it won’t break the bank.
I would have one now but moved over to the Weber Summit Charcoal Grill Center. (What a pretentious mouthful. LOL) The beauty of that beast is the versatility. But it does come at a price. But for many, the cost of a kamado is offset by that versatility.
While I don’t own either a PBC or a Weber Kettle...they’re both highly regarded and much loved around here...especially when adding the S-N-S to the kettle.
Have fun in your search and feel free to ask all the questions you want.Last edited by surfdog; September 15, 2019, 08:43 PM.Comment
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If you have a truck I'd go with this one.
Welcome to the Pit!
I am not an expert but most charcoal smokers are very close to set it and forget it once you dial them in. They"re more like set it and "oh goodie I get to fool with it once in a while". I'd concentrate on how many you want to cook for to determine the smoker of choice. Choose a good smoker that fits your needs. You can't go wrong with the recommendations on the free site.
As far as wood goes, good stuff can be found online.
Most of us have more that one so if your buget is flexible maybe you should think in terms of one smoker/grill for a little (Weber Kettle), and one for alot like a Lang, or another recommended offset depending on need.
In any event I hope your phone has a good camera 'cause we want to see pics! 😁
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