For those with multiple cookers: how do you choose?

[Mosca]

I have a BGE and a Weber Kettle. The BGE does all the low/slow, the Kettle gets all the grilling.
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I can't imagine needing anything else. I can imagine wanting other things: a WSM, a PBC, a nice gasser, a PK, etc. But that would only create another issue. If I had a WSM (for example), why would I choose to do ribs there instead of the BGE? If I also had a PK, why do steaks there instead of the Kettle?

Believe me, I understand wanting cool new toys. I just don't understand actually having them.

[Jfrosty27]

I have 5 cookers and use them all. Each one has a specific use. No overlap. My primary cooker is my Rec Tec RT700 pellet cooker. I have a small gasser for quick sear of brats, burgers, reverse sear of steak and the like. Weber Genesis 2 for rotisserie cooking. Smokin-It electric smoker for fish only. Lastly, The Orion Cooker for fast cooks of lots of meat. (20lb turkey in 2.5 hrs, 3 pork buts in 5 hr, 6 racks of ribs in 1.5 hrs,etc) so choosing is not an issue.

[jfmorris]

I have a Genesis II 4 burner, and the rotisserie is the worst thing I ever spent money on. So little clearance, even a 5 pound bird is slapping the flavorizer bars unless I truss very tightly. I feel like Weber had an epic fail on the design of the Genesis II over the Summit or original Genesis when it comes to the rotisserie mounting points.

[Jfrosty27]

I agree that the Genesis rotisserie leaves room for improvement. This grill was my only grill to start. The spinner is all I can justify using for.

[jfmorris]

Mosca I am with you on this one. I have a Weber Performer with SNS, a big Weber gas grill, and an offset that doubles as a charcoal grill for large events with its 24x36 grate. I would LIKE some other cookers, but have trouble justifying it.

For me, if I have TIME, and it will FIT, my Performer kettle is my preferred cooker for both grilling and smoking, as I love the flavor from cooking over charcoal, and for smoking, it uses about 1/5 the fuel of the offset. If I don't have time for charcoal or am grilling more than the kettle will hold, I'll fire up the gas grill for grilling. If I am smoking, I will only fire up the offset if it won't fit the kettle.

I imagine if I had a WSM 22 like I keep saying I want, I would use it for smoking if smoking more than the kettle will hold using the SNS. It would effectively replace my offset, which is old, leaky and inefficient. As far as steaks go - I don't think the PK would taste any different than the kettle.

[crazytown3]

Agree about the Performer. I have used it for WAY more stuff than I ever expected. It took a lot of thinking and overthinking before I added another cooker.

[Steve R.]

Right now I have a Weber 26" and a Ranch kettle, along with a Ducane gas grill my FIL gifted us when they were downsizing a couple of years ago. The Ducane sits on the deck right outside the kitchen, so it gets used for quick grilling jobs during the week, and that's about it for me. The two kettles are both outfitted with PartyQ's for smoking, so choosing one is a matter of how large a quantity I need to cook.

[Dan Deter]

I also am of the same mindset. Right now its easy-peasy, as I only have my Weber Summit gasser (whose rotisserie does not have the problem that jfmorris Genesis II does). What I want to add don't overlap particularly, being a good pellet rig (Grilla Silverbac or better) for smoking (none of us are fond of real heavy smoke), and a griddle or better something like the camp-chef 3 burner systems with attachments for versatility. If I wound up finding myself with some other type of smoker unexpectedly then I probably wouldn't also get the pellet rig. The only change to those desires would be if I started doing large cooks for some reason and needed capacity. Or if I can someday convince work to buy a big offset for me to play with....

[troymeister]

What governs my MCS is my postage stamp size yard... I still say, "One cannot have too many grills."

[Craigar]

The correct amount of smokers/grills is the current amount you own plus one more.

[troymeister]

Craigar That's a good way to look at MCS...Now to convince my wife..lol..

[jfmorris]

I understand the space issue. This time last year I had 6 cookers lined up at the end of the house, as I was storing two cookers for my son and son in law. Made for an impressive line up, but I am glad two are now gone, after they got into their own houses. I’m giving a Weber Genesis to my daughter who gets married tomorrow, and that will get me down to three for the first time in 3-4 years. I wouldn’t mind getting rid of another so I have space for something new...

[LA Pork Butt]

I have a BGE, a MiniMax, a CharBroil Gaser, and a Jumbo Joe. I have acquired each for different reasons. I use them for different situations, and they were all part of the cooking learning curve and a little MCS. With social distancing The cooks are much smaller, so the larger capacity cookers are used less frequently. Knowing what I know now I would probably do things differently. That’s not to say I am uhappy with any of the cookers. It simply means I have learned a lot. I could part with a cooker or two and accomplish everything I want to, but since I have the space why.

[Greygoose]

I luv my Jumbo Joe
Use it more than anything else
I have no friends 🤣😂🤣😂

[TripleB]

You are 100% correct in regards to functionality, but not in collectability. BBQing to me is a hobby, a love. I have a neighbor down the street that collects cars. He has four ford mustangs, a challenger and a Chevy truck. I am sure they all can get him from point A to point B.

I have 10 separte pieces of grilling/smoking equipment. And yes there is a redundancy, but they are each unique to me and I would not give them up. I like trying doing different things on each one.

Using my neighbor as an example, sometimes he likes to drive the challenger and sometimes one of his mustangs. Me, sometimes I feel like using my PK360 and sometimes my Weber kettle. Sometimes I like using my WSM and sometimes my PBC. It's fun.

And would I buy more?? Absolutely. Looking someday to add a hasty bake and a Santa Maria style grill to my collection. Maybe even a pellet pooper, but that I would have to pick up for free.

Do what you love, love what you do.....

[CaptainMike]

My brother from another mother!

[SmokingPat]

I have a propane grill, a charcoal kettle, and a WSM. I have all the toys I need. I just want time to cook and enjoy everything!

[CaptainMike]

I have 6 on my deck and use them all regularly. Some overlap (Traeger, WSCG, W22) and I utilize them by time, convenience and flavor profile I'm looking for. The other 3 (Weber Genesis, Santa Maria grill, and Blackstone) are pretty much for searing and grilling. I will use them sequentially, such as putting a nice smoke on with the Traeger at low temp then searing on one of the latter 3. Again, depending on time, convenience, and flavor profile.

My faves, in no particular order: Traeger, WSCG, and SMG. If I could only have 1: WSCG, hands down.

[FireMan]

Who says ya have to unnerstand it or anything fer that matter. I won’t get into the functionality or the specificality, to many calities fer me. Why have just one or two when ya can have 3 or more. They all will do one thing better than the others. You can become a maestro in conducting yer cookers. Plus Mosca, you do some mighty nice cookin. I would imagine ya rustling up a new specialty or two to dazzle us with. 🕶

[Troutman]

Alright here is the mantra I want all of you to adhere to....ready? If you have a certain kind of cooker and your neighbor has another, go buy what the neighbor has. If you see a third kind of cooker on the internet, go buy that cooker as well. And if your cousin buys a fourth type of cooker, go buy that cooker as well. And if you visit a bbq fabricator and he has a fifth kind of cooker, buy that one as well. And if you're at Home Depot and they have a sixth different type of cooker, buy that one as well.

Repeat each step over and over again, without hesitation until you are either broke, or your wife plans to divorce you. In that case reverse the process until you have reached equilibrium financially or your wife agrees not to leave you.

Let a year go by, exactly to the day, then begin the process of buying where you left off selling. Yea, you get it now, there is no end to this infinite predicament. Just accept it, be happy and you will reach inner peace and bbq nirvana, like Dave Grohl of Nirvana.....

[GolfGeezer]

+1! Limited by debt limit (I can't print money yet darn it), size of yard, number of meals per day, wife's lawyer's fees and size of refrigerator/freezer(s).

[au4stree]

I have 3 on my deck that I use regularly. Generally speaking, I use them based on how long it's been or a profile I'm after. I tend to cook chicken and brisket on my PBC, pork butts on my PK360 and ribs on my Primo XL. There are times I want to experiment and go to a different cooker, i.e. brisket on PK360. My everyday quickie cooker is my PK. I do have a Jumbo Joe for travel if it is a situation that can handle it, but if I need my 360 I've got it.

I do *want* other cookers, but right now I'm pretty happy with my setup.

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

How do you decide between the microwave and your oven? Just depends what ya wanna do and what you got time for In my ideal world I'd have a large patio and about 5 different cookers outside, but right now I only have 2 and the pellet grill gets the most use of any household cooking device, because it tastes better... but sometimes it's the oven or the gas grill because of time.

[58limited]

I have a kamado, a KBQ, a PK-O, and a rather large (for residential use) offset stick burner. The stick burner, obviously, isn't used much - just when I cook multiple briskets or pork butts. I'll usually cook some chicken and/or pork belly too if I go to the trouble of firing it up.

The kamado does a lot of my single brisket/pork butt/pork belly/rib cooks as well as most sausage cooks. I also use it for pizza.

The KBQ now does most of my ribs and smoked chicken. I haven't done a pork belly burnt end cook on it yet but suspect it will be the go-to cooker for that. It did a great job smoking my summer sausage.

The PK-O is now my go-to for all things grilling: burgers over direct heat, most marinated chicken cooks (with a 2 zone set up), or doing steaks and other red meats (usually 2 zone reverse sear).

Would like a Santa Maria grill too but I can get by without one for now.