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Advice on a pellet smoker as a gift?

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    Advice on a pellet smoker as a gift?

    All - For the last seventy-four days (but, really, who is counting?), I have been living in my parents' basement (don't worry, I quarantined for two weeks first). My home city of NYC has been largely shut down by the pandemic, my home has been "under" construction for going on one year now and the thought of waiting this one out while paying for the privilege of renting a tiny one bedroom sardine can in a fifty story high rise sounded about as appealing as a hole in my head.

    It has been a blessing to spend this much time with my parents and I have been very grateful to have been taken in, rent free, where my only obligation is to fire up my father's sparsely used 20 year old Brinkman and smoke meat for the week. My father in particular has enjoyed many of the fruits of my labor -- in particular bo ssam, bacon, baby back ribs and brisket -- and tells me I need to help him figure out how to replicate what I cook after I move back to NYC.

    As a birthday present/early Father's Day present/thank you gift for the hospitality (and particularly the free rent), I want to buy my father a pellet smoker. Here are the important factors: (i) I don't need to break the bank because he may not use it a ton, (ii) he needs something small because he will not cook for more than a half dozen people and I doubt he will cook more than one meal at a time, (iii) he needs something easy to operate because technology is not his friend, and (iv) he needs something that is durable because he is about as handy as Tim "the Toolman" Taylor (sadly, I take after him in this regard). His outdoor cooking is currently limited to a Weber Kettle.

    Thoughts? I'm leaning towards what I know, Rec-Tec, and looking at their RT-340 but before I pulled the trigger, wanted to test that against the collective wisdom of this group.


    #2
    Gotta recommend the Original Grilla (OG):

    Click image for larger version  Name:	57F91C47-861B-4EAC-990F-B740CD61532A.jpeg Views:	0 Size:	1.55 MB ID:	853464

    Great smoke flavor for a pellet rig, small footprint (yet, up to 630 sq. In. cooking area), and possibly the best customer service on Planet Earth.
    Last edited by MBMorgan; May 28, 2020, 10:48 PM.

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    • Nate
      Nate commented
      Editing a comment
      +1 on this

    #3
    That will be by next smoker. For single chunks. Save the other for the big cooks.

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      #4
      If you go with any of the highly rated ones on the free side of the site, you will have a pellet pooper that will cook well. As for specific brands, I have a Camp Chef DLX 24 and I'm very happy with it.
      One thing you need to be aware of is that even in pellet poopers there is a learning curve. Not a real steep one, but if you expect to just plug it in, fill the hopper, and wait for the smokey goodness to pop out, you will be disappointed. if it were me, I'd be sure to add a membership to the Pit to go along with the smoker, that way he will have all the help and encouragement he needs when you move back to NYC.

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      • Skip
        Skip commented
        Editing a comment
        Great idea willxfmr . Or at least get him Meatheads Book. Would he use The Pit?

      • Bumby
        Bumby commented
        Editing a comment
        I can certainly try!

      #5
      If I was getting in pellets I'd go with that Grilla. Seems to work and looks cool. Bogy has one also I believe.

      Comment


        #6
        As HawkerXP said, I have a Grilla. I was reminded again how much I like that cooker over the past 2 weeks. I have a larger Blaz'n Grid Iron pellet burner at 'home' because I do some cooks for the churches I pastor. I would also recommend Blaz'n, but the Grand Slam would probably be more the size you would be looking at. But I love cooking on the Grilla. Heats up fast and produces smoke throughout the cook.

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