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    Need your help

    I have been addicted to this site for years. My wife bought me Meathead's book and before the forum started I used to email him a bunch. The cheapskate in me kept me with an inexpensive Landmann Grill that I need to retire/kill/throw away. Time to graduate!

    I am ready and have been researching grills for a while without finding the one I want. I have gone through every review for Charcoal Grills that Max Good has reviewed at least 10 times and find myself without a solution.

    I LOVE to grill. My wife and I live in Los Angeles, CA and grill probably 4-5 nights a week. Every week. Rain/shine/we don't have snow...so we grill a lot. I do use a Landmann 36" vertical smoker as well (mostly for pork butts, ribs and Schmancy Smoked Salmon) but grilling is our preferred method of cooking.

    Here is where i send this call for help, perhaps Max or Meathead will be able to help? I believe that I have several needs in a grill based on my experience and meats of choice. I want a charcoal grill and possibly a grill/smoker combo but since i have a smoker that works, its not necessary?!? The grills i have been looking at are the M1 & the Yoder 24x36 grill. I like these two as they are made of heavy gauge steel AND have the ability to raise and lower the fire so that I can cook a tri-tip, sear a steak, slow cook anything...in reading all of the reviews i have concerns about both. The Yoder has a very shallow cover so covering the cook (dancing chicken etc) will be difficult to let the ash pan to be troublesome. We grill so much that this seems off putting. I dont want to be dropping the kind of cash on a gill to be frustrated with either of these perceived flaws. Max? Meathead? Fellow Amazingribs.com kin...help?

    Gil

    #2
    Welcome from Indiana

    Comment


      #3
      Welcome to fun and learning! This is the place to find answers to as many grills as you can possibly purchase!

      Personally, I own and love my Weber 22" grill now that I have the SnS! Not too expensive and proves a very capable smoker as well as a grill with 2-zone capability! A 26" Weber with the SnS XL would give more surface area. There are other grilling accessories for the Weber kettles that seem interesting to me -- the Arteflame, for example.

      There are several fans of the PK grills -- they will last a lifetime and, like the Weber, can be set up for 2-zone cooking very easily.

      I have not looked for an additional charcoal grill since I've got my Weber going, so I don't have any recommendations concerning the M1 and the Yoder 24x36 other than Yoder makes high quality stuff in general.

      Enjoy the search and again, Welcome!

      Comment


        #4
        I don't own a Hasty-Bake, but what you are describing seems to be the very things the HB is good at. Maybe ecowper will chime in.
        Last edited by Steve R.; May 26, 2017, 08:50 PM.

        Comment


        • GilBandel
          GilBandel commented
          Editing a comment
          I looked at that but they are so damn UGLY!!!
          Last edited by GilBandel; May 26, 2017, 08:58 PM.

        • Steve R.
          Steve R. commented
          Editing a comment
          Functionality and beauty? I got nothin'.

        • JGo37
          JGo37 commented
          Editing a comment
          Steve R. Functionality AND beauty - I'm thinking a blonde and John Deere green.

        #5
        Welcome to The Pit. Have you looked at the Weber Summit Charcoal Grill? That might fit your needs.

        Comment


          #6
          Welcome to the Pit, Gil.

          Comment


            #7
            Welcome to The Pit GilBandel! Thank you for you support here! The Yoder & MAKs do not "raise & lower the fire", at least if you're referring to the grate's distance from the fire? Or are you referring to the ability to easily raise & lower the grill/fire's temp? If the latter, yes, pellet cookers are pretty easy with temp adjustments.

            If the former, the Hasty Bake, M Grills "M1", Pitmaker "Grill-Miesters", or a Santa Maria-style grill (popular in your neck of the woods with tri-tip) such as Engelbrecht, Grillworks, or Arizona Outfitters' "Scottsdale" would be what you're looking for.

            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:
            1. Give us an email address you actually use. You can check the email we have on file for you by clicking your name in the upper-right, then User Settings, then the Notifications tab. You currently cannot change your email on file with us since it’s tied to your Pitmaster Club account as well as our payment processor, Stripe. Don’t worry though, we’d be happy to change it for you. PM (private message) me with your email change request, or via email at huskee[at]AmazingRibs[dot]com.
            2. Add the domain AmazingRibs.com to your email safe list. We NEVER spam! This is important to receive notices about your account, such as if you’re up for renewal or are ever drawn as our monthly Gold Medal Giveaway winner, which is open to all USA members or those with a USA delivery address (we’d hate to have to pick another person because you don’t answer us)!


            Hope to hear & see more from you!

            Comment


              #8
              Welcome GilBandel

              Comment


                #9
                Welcome GilBandel. Like Steve R. says, I have a Hasty-Bake Gourmet 256 dual finish. One of the greatest grills I've ever had my hands on. I can smoke four pork butts on it, grill 36 chicken thighs for chicken teriyaki, or throw a couple ribeyes on. I grill rain, shine, or snow (I live near Seattle). In the summer, probably 2-4 times a week, depending on work travel. At least once a week in the winter. I have done a 22 lb turkey on it and a full pork leg for ham.

                I can keep the firebox down low and keep the grill at 225, or raise it up to 1" below the grill and get 800+ degrees to put the sear on my steaks.

                And yes, you could easily put an upright chicken in there. I actually have two rotisseries for it and can cook 6 chickens on a spit that way.

                Here's a few pics for you ....

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                Comment


                • Mr. Bones
                  Mr. Bones commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Smokin, Brother! I especially like th Youngun's photo, classic, timeless moment, right there!

                #10
                Hey Gil, Johnny from Santa Monica here. I'm looking for a charcoal grill that I can also smoke with. I've been looking at the M Grills B2, which is the M1 without the offset firebox. I thought of the Hasty Bake, but want something where I can control the airflow better, and that's more thickly built.

                There doesn’t seem to be anyone online yet who's posted about the B2. I called Travis, the owner of M Grills, and he said he's shipping some grills next week to a new dealer of theirs in Simi Valley, BBQ Headquarters. I may drive out there and look at them. I like the B2 for the adjustable charcoal grate and its solid build. I would use it for a two zone fire like I can do now with my Weber 18" One Touch, and also direct grill fish and veggies. I assume I can smoke ribs with it if I set up the coals right. I wouldn't use the stick burning function of the M1, and the B2 is cheaper and has 1-2" more travel in the charcoal grate. Travis said it has about 12" of height adjustability.

                Comment


                • kmhfive
                  kmhfive commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Welcome to the Pit. Good luck as you find your next cooker!

                #11
                I don't have a hasty Bake but I think that will satisfy your needs. Keep in mind though every grill will have some annoying flaw. Except of course The KBQ.

                It probably comes down to how many times do yo cook for a crowd?
                A weber 26 with an SnS will probably satisfy your daily needs

                Comment


                • ecowper
                  ecowper commented
                  Editing a comment
                  If I didn't cook really big summer shindigs, I would say that the Weber 26 with SnS XL would be perfect. Since I do 4-6 big summer BBQ's (50+ people) I really do need the Hasty-Bake and WSM.

                • ecowper
                  ecowper commented
                  Editing a comment
                  I'd also point out that for a california guy who wants to cook Tri-Tip as close to Santa Maria authentic as possible, the Hasty-Bake is the way to go unless you want to spend $3-4K on a real Santa Maria grill.

                #12
                Johnny, my man! I have been talking with Eric at BBQ Headquarters and he is getting the M1 shortly. They only open on the weekends by appointment. Been meaning to go out to see them. Let me know if you have an appointment. Never heard of the B2 and would love to see more about it.

                I have also been looking at the Engelbrecht Braten 1000. Anyone have experience with this grill/smoker?

                Comment


                  #13
                  Gil and Johnny - I can recommend the Weber Summit Charcoal Grill (Center) as I've been using mine for about a year now. I've done a couple of briskets, tons of ribs, pizza, trout fillets in oil (high-sided iron skillet to avoid grease fires), chicken breasts, veggies, etc., in all kinds of weather. But then, I do live in a climate that deals with temps below 50F, rain, and wind (mid-Atlantic temps where I am sometimes hit -5F).

                  Check out Max's review of the WSCG. My experience matches his down to how to set the vents. My previous cookers were a standard Weber kettle with a Smoke'n'Sear (which replaced a Smokenator which worked just fine but . . .). Prior to that, all my smoking was done in a heavily modified Brinkman with grilling done on a series of kettle-style cookers going back about 50 years. The WSCGC extended the cooking season (because my wife refuses to let me stand out in rain and snow fanning the vents to drive air into the oldm uninsulated cooker(s) so the rain and snow doesn't drop the internal cooker temp too much).

                  I guess what I'm saying (I was born in Coronado, and my grandmother lived in LA County so I know the weather out there) is: A standard Weber kettle with a Smokenator or an SNS likely will work if you can have only one "unit". If you can have two, a standard kettle and a Weber Smokey Mountain (or comparable combo) would work. BUT, I love my WSCG, and if you grill more than smoke but do not cook for thousands, I think it is worth the price.

                  Comment


                    #14
                    Thanks, kmhfive!

                    ​​Gil, you can find the B2 on the M Grills website. What do you think compared to the M1? The prices are cheaper from his Internet distributor Big Poppa Smokers. I'll let you know if I go to Simi.
                    ​​​
                    Harry, thank you for the suggestion. What's the smoke flavor like on the Summit Charcoal when doing long cooks?

                    Comment


                      #15
                      Weber Summit Charcoal (which I own) or a Hasty Bake...for versatility & performance. And as ecowper stated, the Hasty Bake is as close to a Santa Maria style without going overboard.

                      Comment

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