I was interested in adding a Pellet Smoker to my outdoor cooking pavilion.
I do not think of this as my primary cooker so I felt I could look at entry level options; you can always upgrade later! A pellet smoker for me, is about managing long cooks and holding. I was originally drawn to RecTeq but the footprint compared to capacity and the lack of internal clearance was a concern (7 inches on the new Patio version)
My Requirements:
- Small Footprint
- Ability to handle large cuts
- Capacity
- Hopper Purge
- Easy to use
Took a hard look at the Pro Series from Pit Boss, the rack are not really adjustable and I did not see a hopper purge. (also hard to find in stock!!)
The Oakford 1400 appears to meet my requirements, basically a 2 ft. square. Weighing 161 lbs, with a stack height of 52 inches. Hinges, latches, casters and construction feels like a well made rig. I have a slate patio (a little bumpy) and it was easy to roll from my drive way and around the patio. Grease trap is bottom center and is pulled without opening the smoker; the internal bottom is graded toward the drip hole.
Home Depot did the assembly- but it appears the leg assembly is where the work would be. The Door is on a pin Hinge and can be lifted off, the single latch has a set screw to adjust tension on the closed door-nicely designed.
Racks: Rack slides work like peg board-super easy to adjust, 5 Porcelain enamel cooking grids are sturdy, water pan seems small. A simple bend of the ends on a full tin pan makes it fit …would have been nice if the chamber was 1 inch wider!!
Electronics: (This is all new to me!!)
Easy and straight forward operation. 4 ports for temp probes (2 are included). The integrated chamber temp was about 50 degrees hotter than my Therm Pro, probes inserted into the food were closer but the NexGrill still ran about 10 degrees hotter. (Always now your Rig!). Temp control is a dial that turns for 5 degree increments (1st cook was over 3 hours; maybe the full tin of water interfered with performance????)…did not attempt to use the App
Hopper: 80lbs capacity and it has a side viewing window. However, there are at least 5lbs in the hopper and the level is below the lowest point in the viewing window. Super easy to open the top of the hopper and see the level. Purge door worked but not great…2 fingers scooping is required to aid in the draining of un-used pellets. The Top lid does not snap or latch shut it just lifts open and closes …would have thought a gasket or something for a secure close…and why 80lbs?
Clean up was not complicated…I see a small mini-vac in my future
Note: Cooking at 300 on the dial I could hold my hand on the side for 2-3 seconds before it was uncomfortable, more like 8 seconds on top, hopper door was hardly warm. I did not want to worry about someone accidently “brushing up against a pot belly stove”.
1st cook was REALLY slow (Results posted in SUWYC ) due to the inaccuracies of the on temp gauges, over 3 hours for chicken thighs! (food was good-timing was off…glad I was not hosting anything!). Less than 5lb of Pelltes were used for the Burn Off (1 Hour) , Seasoning (1 Hour) and cook (3 Hours).
(BBQ’rs Delight -Contest Mix)
Overall, this is a good addition for me. I think it will be fun to learn on and help with big and long cooks ,,,,but it aint Delilah (my Rocket Grillz Off-Set)!
Next cook, I will use the issued water pan to see if temps are more consistent with instant reads and Therm Pro
I would love to see a comparison/competition between the Oakford 1400 and the Black Label Vertical from Louisiana Grills…specs are similar but NexGrill is ½ of the cost.
I am assuming the temp stuff is similar if not the same in a vertical setup but I honestly don't have much experience with them
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