Help me pick my cookers for the new kitchen

[DVal]

Hi all! I'm building a new outdoor kitchen and I'm going to make some changes to my grill layout. Currently I have a grilla primate (griddle that converts to gas grill), a grilla og pellet smoker and Kamado Joe classic II. I'm probably going to get rid of the pellet smoker. Now that I've gotten my Kamado skills down I've found that I'm not saving an appreciable amount of time that offsets the loss of flavor in pellets and it usually ends up being a backup oven for sides. The classic II is too small for me now and I will definitely be upgrading to either a Weber Kamado summit or a big Joe III. I also have an ooni koda 16 for pizza.

So ultimately I will have three cookers. A gas griddle/grill, a large Kamado, and one of the following:

1. Santa Maria style grill
2. Masterbuilt gravity feed
3. Kamado Joe classic ii (if I keep the one I have now)

I tend to lean towards the Santa Maria because it's a different style of cooking from the other two cookers and so will be the least redundant. The medium kamado would give me extra space to cook or smoke stuff. The gravity charcoal would somewhat replace the convenience of the pellet smoker but add the flavor that pellets are missing.

Any suggestions or recommendations? I'd love to hear them! Thanks.

[Alan Brice]

There are many more here with way more experience. I would say with the griddle, a Lg Kamado and a Santa Maria, you have pretty much got things covered. Cannot wait to see your finished space.

[LA Pork Butt]

If I understand you correctly your new kitchen will have a gas griddle/grill and a Kamado. The question is which of the three listed should be your third cooker. While I am a Kamado guy, I would vote for the Santa Maria for adding versatility to your cooker threesome, and it should excel at the grilling components of your cooking.

[barelfly]

The Santa Maria, no doubt! What a cool cooker that is for one. A few guys on here have them or will be getting one soon. If I were to get a cooker, that would be it. Just think it would add an element of cooking that I don’t currently have.

yep. That’s my say in this. A SM cooker! Enjoy the build out and shopping of whichever you go with!

[RonB]

Why compromise - get one of each. Come on people - ya know someone was gonna say it.

[bbqLuv]

Pellet Grill
May I suggest a pellet grill

[Panhead John]

He has a pellet grill already and mentions he’s probably going to get rid of it.

[bbqLuv]

Panhead John
He said, "pellet smoker"
Out with the old in with the new.

[STEbbq]

Rarely have I come across such an easy decision! The Santa Maria for sure. The only reason I’d keep the KJ is if cost became an issue but surely any sale proceeds can help fund the project.

[ofelles]

The Santa Maria for sure. I love mine. Cooking with live fire is fun and produces great flavor.

[mnavarre]

I'd go with something like an Argentine Brasero, like this one. I'm pretty sure they offer expended metal grates also, so it's basically a Santa Maria grill and a brasero.

[Bad Hat BBQ]

Just picked up my Santa Maria.....I started with an Gaby's Grill insert for a weber and have upgraded.
I know a few custom shops in NC and VA if you are in this part of the country. Out west there are a bunch of really good choices.

[glitchy]

I love my WSCG, the real estate versus a 22” kettle is pretty surprising. IMO from everything I’ve seen the MB Gravity aren’t outdoor kitchen quality. I personally wouldn’t define a space around one unless your just leaving an area open for freestanding cookers.

Have you thought at all about a Hasty Bake? Seems like it would compete with both a larger Kamado and a Santa Maria grill. ecowper could elaborate a lot more. You could keep the KJ for smaller smokes and use the HB for SM, grilling, and large smokes.

[STEbbq]

As a former MB560 owner, I would definitely not make it part of an outdoor kitchen set up.

[DVal]

Have you thought at all about a Hasty Bake? Seems like it would compete with both a larger Kamado and a Santa Maria grill.

That is a really interesting idea. I don't know much about hastybakes but I understand that they are very well regarded by those who own them. I'll definitely put some time into researching them.

[DVal]

Thanks for the suggestions! It's pretty clear that most people on here really like the Santa Maria. I have to say that the idea of real open fire cooking does sound pretty appealing.

My new deck and patio are getting installed the first couple weeks of September, and then I start building the kitchen. I'll keep you all posted!

[ecowper]

I am assuming, based on what you have described, that your cookers will be free standing rather than built-in. With that in mind, my current setup is:

SnS 22 with Insert - this is my daily go to since I’m normally just cooking for my wife and I
Hasty-Bake Gourmet - this is where I go for heavy duty cooking and rotisserie
WSM 22 - will if you’re gonna cook for a rodeo FireMan, this is it
Blackstone Pizza Oven

The thing about the Hasty-Bake is that it can cook low and slow or hot and fast and it can cook a lot of food. I’ve done 6 racks of ribs, 4 pork butts, 35 chicken thighs as examples of big cooks. It’s sort of Santa Maria style since the firebox is adjustable, but not true Santa Maria. I’ve had mine 13 years now and really enjoy every time I cook on it.

The thing about the SnS is that it can also cook low and slow or hot and fast. But it can’t cook a lot of food like the Hasty-Bake. Even with the extra riser rack, I can’t get close to the amount of food the HB can do. I’ve had mine about 18 months now and it’s a joy to cook on, but lacks the space the HB has.

Now, if you want to cook for a crowd, and I do sometimes, the WSM 22 a beast. I’ve done 6 racks of ribs without a hassle and could have done 12. 3 pork butts and a brisket? No problem. 22 lb turkey plus gravy? Looks small in that sucker.

The one big change I could see myself making is to get rid of the WSM and add a Santa Maria