I am here to claim the Grand Prize. I don’t know if I have ever won a chance drawing before. I was holding out for the lottery, but since I never buy a ticket I’ll take this as a major win. Now it is decisions, decisions, decisions!
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Okay Pit team I am looking to your insight and thoughtfulness in making a decision. Currently I am focused On the Hasty Bake Legacy 131 or 133 and the Weber Starwood 600XL Pellet Grill, but I am open to being nudged in a different direction. So, give me your best thoughts.
Here’s a little info on me and the cookers I own. It is just my wife and me that I cook for on a daily basis and once a week I cook for 6 and 4-6 times a year I cook for 10. Some times I grill volume food to freeze for future use. I have a Large Big Green Egg and a Mini-Max, a Weber Spirit and an 18” Weber Kettle.
I am attracted to the Hasty Bake for the raise and lower grate and the cooking area, and I wonder which finish to get, the 131 or the 133. I am attracted to the Weber because of the ease of smoking, but don’t know if I want to store another fuel source.
What say yea, pros and cons?Comment
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If I were to do it all over again, I would get the Legacy instead of the Gourmet. Now, as far as the powder coat (131) versus all stainless (133) ….. I really like my two tone 256. I think the powder coat + stainless look is striking. And the powder coat has stood up quite well over the 15 years I’ve had it in the Pacific Northwest.
If I was a grand prize winner today, and did not already have the Gourmet, knowing what I know, I’d go with the Legacy 131 :-)Last edited by ecowper; November 23, 2025, 08:56 PM. -
Well, the way I look at it, you certainly know your way around a charcoal grill, so the Hastybake - either one - has that going for it. The Searwood is more of an unknown, as it will have electronics and parts that can and will break down at some point. But it also might be fun to have something different and experiment with pellets.
I sure didn't help, did I?
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Yaay !!!!! This is great news!!! I love my HB that I won a few years ago. The HB is also easy with the sliding rack for indirect smoking.Comment
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bordercollie which one do I you have the 131 or the 133? Any thoughts ion the finish as to how it is holding up? -
I have the 131 black steel. I keep it out of the rain under our outdoor kitchen- sorta like a carport. The only part that didn't work for me was the diagonal, very little angle iron that was used as a grease drainer under the grates. It clogged up Everything else is holding up well. I do remove the ashes after cooled off. Usually the next day. I also line the ash tray with our old scratched up cookie sheets to keep the ashes off of that area. They are wonderful for that and fast to dump. -
bordercollie Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.
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This couldn’t have happened for a nicer guy. Congratulations, Sunny!
If you’re looking for more volume, look at the S&S bundle, too. But if I were you I’d go Hasty Bake, and stainless.
Edit: powder-coated, not stainless. I didn’t look at the choices, but I’m not a fan of corten steel. I was choosing away from that.Last edited by Mosca; November 24, 2025, 06:55 AM.Comment
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+1 on the stainless. I know people have different tastes, but I sure wouldn’t want that rusty look.Last edited by Panhead John; November 23, 2025, 06:26 PM. -
Panhead John the 131 is powder coated, not the steel intended to rust. That powder coating is warrantied for 5 years, but mine is 15 years in now with only a few hints of rust that I took care of pretty easily.
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I don’t have a clue what to advise you to get but I’m so glad you won. Way to go Sunny!Comment
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I bet I have looked at the grand prize a dozen or more times. I could not decide and don’t know how I can help. Sure am happy for you. Congratulations!Comment
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What great news! Glad you are sidling up to claim your price.
I would think that what you choose depends on what you already have. Since the one type of cooker you don't have is a pellet pooper, my vote is the Weber Searwood. It's sweet.
I can see why you're tempted by the Hasty Bake, though. It would be fun to play with.
KathrynLast edited by fzxdoc; November 23, 2025, 06:26 PM.Comment
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Since you clearly love cooking with charcoal the Hasty Bake seems an obvious choice, another new contraption to play with, but the food will taste the same...whereas the Searwood would open up new opportunities for things you likely do not cook outside currently. You can use a pellet cooker as an oven to give standard oven-baked goodies a new depth of flavor, like frozen pizzas, lasagna, apple pies, etc. Plus on days when you don't feel so well and might otherwise skip an outdoors cook, you simply push a button and still cook outside, even your ol' BBQ faves.
I can only help to make this harder on you!
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Congratulations, LA Pork Butt! I’d go with the Hasty Bake. Not only a great cooker, I think it’s made in Tulsa.Comment
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The powder coating and stainless both are holding up nicely after 15 years. A couple years ago, I had a bit of wear and rust on the powder coating around the air intake vents. I wire brushed, sanded lightly to blend, and repainted with high temp rustoleum. Looks good and holding up well.
FYI here is my Gourmet 256 about 10 years in
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Congrats LA Pork Butt. Since i didn't win, i guess i won't be as bitter as usual since you won. I am with Huskee on this one. I have a few charcoal grills/smokers, but I do a spatchcocked chicken on the chimp at least twice a month. Plug it in, check the hopper, hit the start button and set the temp. Every couple of cooks i shop vac out the burn pot. I store my pellets in one of those Kingsford charcoal caddies. You can't beat pellet grills for convience.Last edited by klflowers; November 23, 2025, 09:27 PM.Comment
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I vote the pellet pooper. The most versatile cooker I have. Except when the power goes out.Last edited by CaptainMike; November 24, 2025, 08:42 AM.Comment
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Would you have a use for the HB that you can't accomplish on one of your other charcoal cookers?
If no, I say get the pellet cooker.
If yes, which is more important to you, that or the benefits of pellet cooking that Kevin and Huskee described?
Have fun deciding.
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Congratulations LA Pork butt!Comment
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