I post this in an attempt to help our newbies (to which I once was a short time ago) not feel so overwhelmed on the topic of selecting a cooker that is right for them. There are a lot of "looking for advice on a cooker" posts from newbies and seasoned vets looking to expand their arsenal.
Obviously, the choices and opinions vary greatly. One that I personally believe can satisfy most needs is the kettle/fan combo. That can be A LOT of research to do and potentially discourage someone from pursuing their BBQ interest. So, the following is what I did that I think can address most if not all check boxes for anyone starting out or looking to expand. I do not take credit as this set up is used by several here in The Pit. I don’t know who was the first. I’m just trying to put it all in one location to hopefully make it easier to find all you need in one topic. Huskee said he would make it a sticky (provided I put it together worthy enough). So here goes…
Weber 22†Performer ($250). It doesn’t have to be a Performer. The standard 22†Weber kettle is the same thing, just without the cart. This also works for the Weber 26†kettle.

SnS Grills bundle ($260). The Easyspin grate is not needed for this set up if one wants to be budget conscious. You probably don’t really need any of these. You could maybe just push the coals to the opposite side of the fan and it would work. It’s just the SnS and DnG makes everything much easier and efficient. I personally have never tried it without these fine accessories. One could try it if the funds aren’t available and then add them later on.

BBQ Guru’s Pit Viper fan ($44) and Weber charcoal grill adapter ($20).


Fireboard Thermometer ($189) and fan control cable ($79).


Step bit to drill a hole for the above fan adapter ($10). Obviously it doesn’t have to be this exact one. It just needs to be big enough to drill a 1" hole. It’s a cheapy but it worked for me. To date, I don’t know how many uses you can get out of it. I was definitely apprehensive to say the least about doing this. I didn’t use any cutting oil. I just gave the bit several rests and tried not to apply too much pressure. You will most likely have to file off some burrs when done drilling.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The kettle in the video link below appears to be on a 26â€. On the 22†the adapter will go between the fins of the ash sweep (scroll down for photos of my actual kettle).
I have a really good pellet cooker and this set up is far superior in every way except for capacity, in my opinion. I started out with a pellet cooker because I wanted something that would hold temps consistently without having to fuss with vents as well as not being tied down an entire Saturday. If I would have started out with just a kettle as is, I probably would have gotten frustrated and gave up. Now having been here on The Pit and absorbing the wealth of knowledge it has to offer, it gave me the confidence to branch out. Hence, this particular set up.
This is my pellet cooker as graphed with the Fireboard.

Kettle/Fireboard/Pit Viper fan. Large spikes are due to removing lid for various reasons (wrap, rotate food, add fuel etc).

Although the pellet cooker maintains great temp control, the kettle/fan is even better. Every time I see this I just can’t believe how constant the temp is held!!
Miscellaneous points:
The location of the fan should be opposite of where the coals will be. On a 22†kettle you have to place it below the charcoal grate and between the fins of the ash sweep. You can see in the pic below that you still maintain full travel of the sweep by the ash residue left on the bowl where the deflector plate is. On the 26†you can place it anywhere around the bowl as there is enough space between the charcoal grate and the top of the fins all the way around.





Once I get my coals going and dump them in with all vents wide open, I close the bottom vents completely and position the top vent to ½ open when I’m about 20 degrees from my target temp. Then I power on the fan. It only takes about 20 minutes to level out and I’m ready to cook. I haven’t played around too much with this timing. So I’m sure it can be refined to maybe shorten the time it takes to level out.
The Fireboard powers the fan. So therefore you don’t even need to plug anything in. I haven’t actually done a long cook solely on battery power, but I know a full charge can easily last an entire brisket or pork butt cook for the temp probes. Just not sure how long with the addition of a fan. Or you can just have it plugged in to an outlet the whole time. It’s just nice to have the option to cook anywhere there isn’t power.
The Fireboard also allows you to adjust the set point from anywhere (provided it has access to wi-fi). So not only can you monitor the cook from your phone, but you can also adjust the temperature. It’s also a great way to record cooks and add notes to refer back to when needed.
So for $842 you can have it all. It can be done cheaper as mentioned above with other equipment or slowly piece it together if the budget is tight. You can also wait until some of these companies have their sales.
Again, this is exactly what I did. There are other brands of cookers, thermometers and fans. I just can’t speak to them with experience. This site has fantastic ratings and reviews page. I’m sure others with the same or similar set ups can chime in with their respective knowledge to answer any questions this post does not address.
I also want to be clear that I am not trying to discourage anyone from buying anything different. I also have a Pit Barrel cooker, a Rec Tec pellet cooker and a Weber gas grill. And I use them all.
If you are new there’s a little thing here called MCS. Which stands for More Cooker Syndrome. This post represents the effects of this tormenting condition. Though there is seemingly no cure, making good BBQ and sharing this passion with others here, you can manage it quite well and lead a somewhat normal life.
Above pricing is as of the date of this original post.
Obviously, the choices and opinions vary greatly. One that I personally believe can satisfy most needs is the kettle/fan combo. That can be A LOT of research to do and potentially discourage someone from pursuing their BBQ interest. So, the following is what I did that I think can address most if not all check boxes for anyone starting out or looking to expand. I do not take credit as this set up is used by several here in The Pit. I don’t know who was the first. I’m just trying to put it all in one location to hopefully make it easier to find all you need in one topic. Huskee said he would make it a sticky (provided I put it together worthy enough). So here goes…
Weber 22†Performer ($250). It doesn’t have to be a Performer. The standard 22†Weber kettle is the same thing, just without the cart. This also works for the Weber 26†kettle.
SnS Grills bundle ($260). The Easyspin grate is not needed for this set up if one wants to be budget conscious. You probably don’t really need any of these. You could maybe just push the coals to the opposite side of the fan and it would work. It’s just the SnS and DnG makes everything much easier and efficient. I personally have never tried it without these fine accessories. One could try it if the funds aren’t available and then add them later on.
BBQ Guru’s Pit Viper fan ($44) and Weber charcoal grill adapter ($20).
Fireboard Thermometer ($189) and fan control cable ($79).
Step bit to drill a hole for the above fan adapter ($10). Obviously it doesn’t have to be this exact one. It just needs to be big enough to drill a 1" hole. It’s a cheapy but it worked for me. To date, I don’t know how many uses you can get out of it. I was definitely apprehensive to say the least about doing this. I didn’t use any cutting oil. I just gave the bit several rests and tried not to apply too much pressure. You will most likely have to file off some burrs when done drilling.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The kettle in the video link below appears to be on a 26â€. On the 22†the adapter will go between the fins of the ash sweep (scroll down for photos of my actual kettle).
I have a really good pellet cooker and this set up is far superior in every way except for capacity, in my opinion. I started out with a pellet cooker because I wanted something that would hold temps consistently without having to fuss with vents as well as not being tied down an entire Saturday. If I would have started out with just a kettle as is, I probably would have gotten frustrated and gave up. Now having been here on The Pit and absorbing the wealth of knowledge it has to offer, it gave me the confidence to branch out. Hence, this particular set up.
This is my pellet cooker as graphed with the Fireboard.
Kettle/Fireboard/Pit Viper fan. Large spikes are due to removing lid for various reasons (wrap, rotate food, add fuel etc).
Although the pellet cooker maintains great temp control, the kettle/fan is even better. Every time I see this I just can’t believe how constant the temp is held!!
Miscellaneous points:
The location of the fan should be opposite of where the coals will be. On a 22†kettle you have to place it below the charcoal grate and between the fins of the ash sweep. You can see in the pic below that you still maintain full travel of the sweep by the ash residue left on the bowl where the deflector plate is. On the 26†you can place it anywhere around the bowl as there is enough space between the charcoal grate and the top of the fins all the way around.
Once I get my coals going and dump them in with all vents wide open, I close the bottom vents completely and position the top vent to ½ open when I’m about 20 degrees from my target temp. Then I power on the fan. It only takes about 20 minutes to level out and I’m ready to cook. I haven’t played around too much with this timing. So I’m sure it can be refined to maybe shorten the time it takes to level out.
The Fireboard powers the fan. So therefore you don’t even need to plug anything in. I haven’t actually done a long cook solely on battery power, but I know a full charge can easily last an entire brisket or pork butt cook for the temp probes. Just not sure how long with the addition of a fan. Or you can just have it plugged in to an outlet the whole time. It’s just nice to have the option to cook anywhere there isn’t power.
The Fireboard also allows you to adjust the set point from anywhere (provided it has access to wi-fi). So not only can you monitor the cook from your phone, but you can also adjust the temperature. It’s also a great way to record cooks and add notes to refer back to when needed.
So for $842 you can have it all. It can be done cheaper as mentioned above with other equipment or slowly piece it together if the budget is tight. You can also wait until some of these companies have their sales.
Again, this is exactly what I did. There are other brands of cookers, thermometers and fans. I just can’t speak to them with experience. This site has fantastic ratings and reviews page. I’m sure others with the same or similar set ups can chime in with their respective knowledge to answer any questions this post does not address.
I also want to be clear that I am not trying to discourage anyone from buying anything different. I also have a Pit Barrel cooker, a Rec Tec pellet cooker and a Weber gas grill. And I use them all.
If you are new there’s a little thing here called MCS. Which stands for More Cooker Syndrome. This post represents the effects of this tormenting condition. Though there is seemingly no cure, making good BBQ and sharing this passion with others here, you can manage it quite well and lead a somewhat normal life.
Above pricing is as of the date of this original post.
Comment