For those with multiple cookers: how do you choose?

[Dadof3Illinois]

I think everyone is different and they like different foods prepared different ways. I think its extremely interesting to see how everyone cooks the exact same piece of protein so many different ways and on so many different cookers!!! I think that's part of what brings us to this awesome hobby!!
For me, it all depends on how many I'm feeding and what protein I'm fixing. A single pork butt....that gets the 26" weber kettle. On the other hand if it's 4 pork butts....then that's the PBC.
If it's something hot and fast, then I have a choice between the kettle or the gas grill or even the camp chef 3 burner cook top.
If i'm needing something like beans, mac and cheese or cornbread made with a hint of smoke....then that's when I turn to the propane vertical box smoker.
Right now I have 5 different types of cookers......yea they can do pretty much the same thing, but they vary in the amount of food I can cook at once.
For me...I'm looking to add another cooker/smoker/grill to my small arsenal. Maybe a ceramic cooker...or a patio LSG stick burner??? Who knows but it will be something different than what I have now, something that will push me to learn a new way of cooking but also making some good Q!!

[Dadof3Illinois]

I have a 3 burner weber gasser and a 26" kettle. It take pretty close to the same amount of time to get each of these up on temp for doing hot and fast cooking. Now, the kettle takes a little more up front prep work but from the time I light the chimney or turn the gas knobs...it's pretty close to the same time. So If I'm cooking I use the kettle....if it's the wife doing the burgers then it's the gasser, and i'm not so sure she's the better cook on the gas grill.

[bbq_joe]

I own a kamado vision, charbroil infrared grill, a lodge sportsman hibachi, the camp chef double burner, the camp maid setup, a discada, and enough cast iron to open a small foundry hahaha. I love to cook, and I love being able to prepare food in multiple ways.
Sometimes it is merely a matter of what I want to use. There are days when I have the time, and instead of using the deep fryer, I would rather fire up a burner and use the discada or the Dutch oven as my deep frier. There have been days when I have opted to cook my soup beans outside over the fire instead of inside. Time is a huge factor, some methods take longer to use then others.
plus, it’s me carrying all that stuff outside. Lol.

[Mr. Bones]

Choppa-Choppa! Lookin Good, Brotherman!

[Henrik]

I like the diversity. I have (more than) a few cookers now. I choose based on two factors (which don't necessarily correlate, or coincide):
1. Time I have on my hands to babysit (i.e. convenience)
2. Flavor profile

Most of the time I use a kettle (not necessarily a Weber, just a kettle with an SnS), because the size is right, it's easy to fire up, and is very stable, meaning I don't have to tend to it.

If I have the time, I use either
- my Parrilla or Santa Maria accessory for the kettle for semi-direct grilling. Love it!
- my offset smoker for that top notch smoke flavor. Love it too!

The first grill I bought is the BGE. But to be honest I'm not that excited about it anymore. It's not great for direct grilling, and I can smoke just as well using the kettles or the offset. So I may just sell it. Don't get me wrong, it's a fine cooker, but pulling out the kettle+SnS gets my just as good results, if not better.

If I had to down-size I would only keep these three:
The Parrilla
A kettle + SnS
My offset

I didn't mention my PK original. It's the ultimate steak searing machine, but I can do that with the SnS in a kettle too since the meat gets close to the fire. And the PK has very little surface area. I can cook a brisket in a kettle, but it won't fit in the PK. On the other hand, the PK looks and feels much nicer, due to the cast aluminum.

[DesertRaider]

That was funny.

[BBQPhil]

Have a large BGE for direct high temp grilling and rotisserie cooking using a Joe accessory. Can do smoking on it, but much prefer my Yoder 480 that requires much less effort to maintain low temperatures. And when I want to grill one or two items quickly I might use the least expensive of all, a Weber Go. Also have a Weber gas grill but rarely ever use anymore. If price were no object and I didn't mind a divorce, I'd look at Aaron Franklin's new wood fired smokers!

[Andrrr]

It was simpler times when it was just my old 22 kettle and 22 WSM. 2 different cookers with two unique uses. Then came the SnS which created some overlap but then came the WSCG, only because of an incredible deal, and now there’s a TON of overlap. Sadly because the kettle and WSCG are so versatile the WSM almost never gets used anymore so I pick whatever one I feel like driving that day.

[Troutman]

Can I get an amen?

[CaptainMike]

Oh man, I LOVE girls and smokers!!!

[barelfly]

There are times I go freezer to grill, chicken and pork chops usually, it’s during that time that I am prepping other things. Or making sides.

I made hamburgers last week, frozen 1/3lb patties, straight to the gasser and during that time, I sliced the toppings, got the sides ready and within in 30 minutes I had everything ready and on the table to eat.

I’d love to cook on the kettle more often, but it’s all a matter of timing and time to get food on the table with two busy teens.

[Mosca]

I’m talking about the driver. It’s like rain at a track day... "It’s raining horsepower!", because now all the cars are at the limit of traction, and you have to know how to drive at the limit.

Freakin’ Chirons, man. Great cars.

[Andrrr]

I get the draw of gas but I don’t foresee myself ever buying one. Charcoal takes a little bit but for me it’s never been inhibitive. It helped when it finally dawned on my that I didn’t need to fill up the whole chimney and I generally don’t wait for every coal to be fully engaged.

[ofelles]

Mosca Fast? maybe not realistic on the everyday street but...................

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuS_bXJNync

[Mosca]

For those who say that gassers are quicker than kettles, I don’t think so. I start by lighting the chimney. By the time the food is prepped, the coals are hot. Even with burgers and steaks, there is more food to be cooked. Or even just a burger: by the time you slice the tomato, prep the buns, peel off the cheese, salt and pepper the patties, heat a can of baked beans and open a bag of chips, the coals are hot.

I would love to have a small gasser, but I think every time I reach decision point I would start the charcoal first.