So here is the situation... I am moving into a new house with a huge deck, and I have budgeted $1500 for a grill(s). I've only ever grilled with charcoal, but it might be time to try gas. I'm not sure what to get... but it seems like a gas grill with a infrared section might be good?
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Founding Member
- Jul 2014
- 9698
- Smiths Grove, Ky
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Hi, my name is Darrell. I'm an OTR truck driver for over 25 years. During my off time I love doing backyard cooks. I have a 48" Lang Deluxe smoker, Rec-Tec pellet smoker,1 Weber Genesis 330, 1 Weber Performer (blue), 2 Weber kettles (1 black and 1 Copper), 1 26" Weber kettle, a WSM, 8 Maverick Redi Chek thermometers, a PartyQ, 2 SnS, Grill Grates, Cast Iron grates, 1 ThermoPop (orange) and 2 ThermoPens (pink and orange) and planning on adding more cooking accessories. Now I have an Anova sous vide, the Dragon blower and 2 Chef alarms from Thermoworks.
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Founding Member & Owner of SnS Grills
- May 2014
- 4904
- Charlotte, NC
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- Slow 'N Sear Kamado
- Slow 'N Sear Kettle
- Lots of grills that work with Slow 'N Sear
- LOTS of digital thermometers
- LOTS of accessories
- Favorite Beer - Fat Tire
- Favorite Bourbon - Woodford Reserve
- Favorite White Wine - Cakebread Chardonnay
- Favorite Red Wine - Yes, Please
- President/Owner - SnS Grills
Welcome kevin_frisch! We're glad you're here. Charcoal beats gas so think about keeping a charcoal option handy.
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Administrator
- May 2014
- 19026
- Clare, Michigan area
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Follow me on Instagram, huskeesbarbecue
Smokers / Grills- Yoder loaded Wichita offset smoker
- PBC
- Grilla Silverbac pellet grill
- Slow 'N Sear Deluxe Kamado (SnSK)
- Masterbuilt Gravity 560
- Masterbuilt Digital Charcoal Cabinet
- Weber 22" Original Kettle Premium (copper)
- Weber 26" Original Kettle Premium (light blue)
- Weber Jumbo Joe Gold (18.5")
- Weber Smokey Joe Silver (14.5")
- Brinkmann cabinet charcoal smoker (repurposed)
Thermometers- SnS 500 4-probe wireless
- (3) Maverick XR-50 4-probe Wireless Thermometers
- A few straggler Maverick ET-732s
- Maverick ET-735 Bluetooth (in box)
- Smoke X4 by ThermoWorks
- Thermapen MkII, orange & purple
- ThermoPop, yellow, plus a few more in a drawer for gifts
- ThermoWorks ChefAlarm (wife's)
- Morpilot 6-probe wireless
- ThermoWorks Infrared IRK2
- ThermoWorks fridge & freezer therms as well
Accessories- Instant Pot 6qt
- Anova Bluetooth SV
- Kitchen Aide mixer & meat grinder attachment
- Kindling Cracker King (XL)
- a couple BBQ Dragons
- Weber full & half chimneys, Char-Broil Half Time chimney
- Weber grill topper
- Slow 'N Sear Original, XL, and SnS Charcoal Basket (for Jumbo Joe)
- Drip 'N Griddle Pans, 22' Easy Spin Grate, and Elevated Cooking grate, by SnSGrills
- Pittsburgh Digital Moisture Meter
Beverages- Favorite summer beers: Leinenkugels Summer & Grapefruit Shandy, Hamm's, Michelob Ultra Pure Gold
- Fav other beers: Zombie Dust (an IPA by 3 Floyd's Brewing), Austin Bros IPA, DAB, Sam Adams regular, Third Shift amber or Coors Batch 19, Stella Artois
- Fav cheap beers: Pabst, High Life, Hamm's & Stroh's
- Most favorite beer: The one in your fridge
- Wine: Red- big, bold, tannic & peppery- Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauv, Sangiovese, Syrah, etc
- Whiskey: Buffalo Trace, E.H. Taylor, Blanton's, Old Forester 1870, Elijah Craig Toasted, Basil Hayden's. Neat please.
- Scotch: Current favorite- The Arran (anything by them), Glenmorangie 12yr Lasanta, sherry cask finished. The Balvenie Double Wood, also like Oban 18yr, and The Glenlivet Nadurra (Oloroso sherry cask finished) among others. Neat please.
About me
Real name: Aaron
Location: Farwell, Michigan- near Clare. (dead center of lower peninsula)
Occupation:- Healthcare- Licensed & Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) at MyMichigan Health, a University of Michigan Health System.
Welcome to The Pit kevin_frisch! Tough choice, since there are so many options. Charcoal is arguably the tastier option, but gas is clearly the cleanest/most convenient.
Since this is your first post, please check out our homework assignment post for new members, it contains a few how-tos and please-dos. This will help you learn your way around so you can get the best experience from our forum.
Also, it's very important that you add the domain AmazingRibs.com to your email safe list in case you are ever drawn as our monthly Gold Medal Giveaway winner!
Hope to hear & see more from you!
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Founding Member
- Jul 2014
- 9698
- Smiths Grove, Ky
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Hi, my name is Darrell. I'm an OTR truck driver for over 25 years. During my off time I love doing backyard cooks. I have a 48" Lang Deluxe smoker, Rec-Tec pellet smoker,1 Weber Genesis 330, 1 Weber Performer (blue), 2 Weber kettles (1 black and 1 Copper), 1 26" Weber kettle, a WSM, 8 Maverick Redi Chek thermometers, a PartyQ, 2 SnS, Grill Grates, Cast Iron grates, 1 ThermoPop (orange) and 2 ThermoPens (pink and orange) and planning on adding more cooking accessories. Now I have an Anova sous vide, the Dragon blower and 2 Chef alarms from Thermoworks.
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Club Member
- Sep 2015
- 8064
- Colorado
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> Weber Genesis EP-330
> Grilla Grills Original Grilla (OG) pellet smoker with Alpha/Connect
> Pit Barrel Cooker (gone to a new home)
> WeberQ 2000 (on "loan" to a relative (I'll never see it again))
> Old Smokey Electric (for chickens mostly - when it's too nasty out
to fiddle with a more capable cooker)
> Luhr Jensen Little Chief Electric - Top Loader circa 1990 (smoked fish & jerky)
> Thermoworks Smoke
> 3 Thermoworks Chef Alarms
> Thermoworks Thermapen One
> Thermoworks Thermapen Classic
> Thermoworks Thermopop
> Thermoworks IR-GUN-S
> Anova sous vide circulator
> Searzall torch
> BBQ Guru Rib Ring
> WÜSTHOF, Dalstrong, and Buck knives
> Paprika App on Mac and iOS
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Charter Member
- Jun 2015
- 533
- Clayton, CA
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Cookers
- 18" Weber Smokey Mountain (2000)
- Weber Genesis EP-310 (2013-2015)
- 22.5" Weber Master Touch (2015)
- Traeger Pro Tailgater (2015)
- Mak 1 Star General w/ wi-fi (2016)
Thermostats
- ThermaQ
- Thermapen
- ChefAlarm
- DOT
- iGrill2
For a couple hundred more dollars you could get a new Mak wood pellet grill with the new FlashFire Igniter. I would argue that it gets up to temp about as fast as a gas grill & matches one for convenience. That being said, I also love my Weber Genesis EP310 gas grill. There are lots of good choices out there. Check out the grill reviews on AmazingRibs... I found them to be very helpful.
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A few people have suggested pellet... I had not even know that category existed. I'm going to try and learn more about it! What do you like it over charcoal or gas?
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I own charcoal, gas & pellet grills. I'd lean towards a Webber kettle for grilling & a pellet for smoking while away at the office. Even if you don't go w/ MAK, a Rec Tec, Camp Chef or Green Mountain pellet would get the job done. You could buy both & stay within your budget.
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For pellet, I think a remote control and integrated meat probe seem useful. Thinking MAK1 or Green Mountain.... Any thoughts on why one is $1000 more than the other?
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Founding Member
- Jul 2014
- 3248
- Halethorpe, MD
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Weber Summit Kamado with SnS and Vortex.. Broil King Baron, Primo Oval Junior. Primo XL. Love grilling steaks, ribs, and chicken. Need to master smoked salmon. Absolutely love anything to do with baking bread. Favorite cool weather beer: Sam Adams Octoberfest Favorite warm weather beer: Yuengling Traditional Lager. All-time favorite drink: Single Malt Scotch
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Club Member
- Apr 2016
- 18141
- Near Richmond VA
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Weber Performer Deluxe
SNS
Pizza insert
Rotisserie
Cookshack Smokette Elite
2 Thermapens
Chefalarm
Dot
lots of probes.
Fireboard
Welcome. You say charcoal only, but on what? And what do you think you want to do? Do you want to "just" grill burgers and dogs for family, or smoke brisket for 50? Are you the type of person who wants convenience, or do you mind tending a fire all night long? How you answer these questions will affect what gear you need.
If you are not sure, don't spend any more than absolutely necessary until you do know. Assuming you are not totally sure yet, I'd suggest a Weber 22.5" kettle and a Slow N Sear. (I have the Performer Deluxe similar to the one pictured above and love it.) If you think you will be cooking for more than family, the 26" Weber with Slow N Sear might make more sense. The combo of kettle and SnS will allow you to both grill and smoke, and to do them very well with a little help from AR and the fine folks on this forum.
If you can answer any of these questions, let us know and you will get lots of great advice.
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Thanks for your input. I like the "start out with something, and then figure out what you need" approach. Sometimes I get so excited about getting everything right initially that I take 6 months to buy something.
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I'd like
- quick steak for two people (small gas grill with an infrared burner?).
- Large charcoal grill -- party of 6- 20 people with. (is being able to adjust distance important?)
- smoker (no, not a brisket for 50 - yet). Needs to be OK to leave for several hours at a time.
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Welcome! I also am a new member, this site rocks. I went through the grill buying process last month. When I looked at all the things I wanted to do with my grill (smoke, slow cook, sear, get things on and off quickly on occasion) I determined that one grill really couldn't do it all and I went with two--the Weber 26" kettle with slow and sear xl and a propane Weber genesis 310 professional with stainless steel grates. Although I use the kettle 90% of the time the propane one is nice to have when time is tight or when I have two cooks going simultaneously. All in, the total cost was under your $1500 price point and I couldn't be happier with my choices. Also there are plenty of add ons like rotissiere, grill grates, etc that you can add on for fun as time goes on, although the 22.5 kettle has way more toys available from weber and aftermarket than the 26". Anyways, have fun with the buy process and more fun cooking after!
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Welcome from Indiana...
Kevin...
To answer your question about gas grills.... I would look at Weber options before I would look at anything else.
I prefer charcoal but sometimes the convenience of gas is just too handy so I keep a little Weber Q that gets some use for the me and the misses.
If you are looking for various grills (since your post had a (s) after grill)... Then depending on capacity here are some recommendations:
Charcoal: Weber 22.5 performer delux with Slow'N'Sear plus with GrillGrates. With the S'n'S option it will give you the most versatility... Smoking, Grilling, Searing, convenient place for drip pan under neath to catch juices... etc.. plus you will get the convenience of the gas start.
If you need larger capacity then get the Weber 26.5 w/ S'n'S.
Pellet: I would seriously give RecTec a consideration. They are a quality pellet cooker with great features and options, customer service, and a lot of versatility... Again I would consider getting GrillGrates for them. Personally I love the two tone color they have on their original... however they did just come out with an all black option which looks sharp too.
Gas grill and Smoker option: I would still look at the Weber for a Gas grill then go and spend $300 on a Pit Barrel Cooker (PBC).
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I was looking at teh RecTec and it seems to be missing two things -- remote control (I'm planning on leaving it unattended when I go to work), and an integrated meat probe. What do you think about the Green Mountain?
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kevin_frisch I'm not as up to speed on the green mountains but I know they have a good review on here. I bet if you really are interested & called RecTec & said this is what I'm looking for can it be done? that they would give you a straight up answer or may even have solution for you.
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kevin_frisch - welcome to The Pit and welcome to The Obsession!
As for getting a new cooker, I would urge you to consider a kamado style cooker. Kamados are the most versatile cookers you can purchase. Kamados are charcoal burners that can be used as a smoker, grill, roaster, and an oven for baking pizzas, desserts, cobblers, pies, cakes, etc. Any thing you can cook in your kitchen can be easily done on a kamado and because it uses lump charcoal, the flavor is superior to anything cooked indoors. For the $1,500 you have budgeted you can get into an excellent kamado cooker. I would heartily recommend you examine the Kamado Joe Big Joe with its Divide and Conquer cooking system. That sized kamado will provide you with the size and flexibility to cook for 1 to big parties of 40 or more without breaking a sweat. It's a very versatile cooker.
So, again, welcome to The Pit and welcome to The Obsession!
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Club Member
- Nov 2014
- 5032
- Near The Villages, FL
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Cookers:
Weber Kettle (used/fair condition; a gift).
Grilla OG.
Pit Boss 3-Burner Ultimate Lift-Off Griddle.
SnS Kettle.
Everything Else:
Sous Vide equipment.
Instant read and leave-in thermometers.
Grill Grates.
Kingsford Blue Bag, Royal Oak Lump Charcoal, Weber lighter cubes, Weber charcoal chimneys.
BBQr's Delight Hickory & Apple flavor pellets, propane torch, 6" smoke tube.
Grilla apple & hickory pellets, Royal Oak charcoal pellets.
Rubs with salt: Meat Church, Meathead.
Rubs without salt: SnS Grills Rocky's Rub and Not Just for Beef.
Rubs home-mixed: None at this time.
Spices: Lots of 'em.
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Moderator
- Nov 2014
- 13686
- Land of Tonka
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John "J R"
Instagram: JRBowlsby
Smokin' Hound Que
Minnesota/ United States of America
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Grills/Smokers/Fryers
Big Green Egg (Large) X3
Blackstone 36" Outdoor Griddle 4-Burner
Burch Barrel V-1
Karubeque C-60
Kamado Joe Jr. (Black)
Lodge L410 Hibachi
Pit Barrel Cooker
Pit Barrel Cooker 2.0
Pit Barrel PBX
R&V Works FF2-R-ST 4-Gallon Fryer
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Thermometers
FireBoard (Base Package)
Thermoworks ThermaPen (Red)
Thermoworks MK4 (Orange)
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Accessories
Big Green Egg Plate Setter
Benzomatic TS4000 Torch X 2
Benzomatic TS800 High Temp Torch X 2
Bayou Classic 44 qt Stainless Stock Pot
Bayou Classic 35K BTU Burner
Digi Q DX2 (Medium Pit Viper Fan)
Dragon VT 2-23 C Torch
Eggspander Kit X2
Field Skillet No. 8,10,12
Finex Cat Iron Line
FireBoard Drive
Lots and Lots of Griswold Cast Iron
Grill Grates
Joule Water Circulator
KBQ Fire Grate
Kick Ash Basket (KAB) X4
Lots of Lodge Cast Iron
Husky 6 Drawer BBQ Equipment Cabinet
Large Vortex
Marlin 1894 .44 Magnum
Marquette Castings No. 13 (First Run)
Smithey No. 12
Smokeware Chimney Cap X 3
Stargazer No.10, 12
Tool Wizard BBQ Tongs
Univex Duro 10" Meat Slicer
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Fuel
FOGO Priemium Lump Charcoal
Kingsford Blue and White
B&B Charcoal
Apple, Cherry & Oak Log splits for the C-60
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Cutlery
Buck 119 Special
Cuda 7' Fillet Knife
Dexter 12" Brisket Sword
Global
Shun
Wusthof
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Next Major Purchase
Lone Star Grillz 24 X 48 Offset
kevin_frisch I would look at a Broil King Keg, Kamado Joe or a Primo Oval XL. As Ceramic Chef mentions, they are very versatile. Don't get anything gas, especially if your trying to smoke on it too. A Hasty Bake is also an awesome option. Just my two cents.
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It seems clear that I am getting a least two grills... that said, are there charcoal/kamado cookers that I can use for smoking that I can leave on some sort of auto pilot while I go to the office? or do they all need to be tended to?
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The all will, with the right accessories. Digi que. BBQ guru are just a few set and forget accessories out there. kevin_frisch You may also want to look at pellet rigs.
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At your price point the new Weber Summit Charcoal Grill seems to hit those marks. It can sear, low and slow, smoke, and is double wall insulated akin to the thick ceramic of the kamado so can do several hours unattended. IMHO
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