How do I choose? It all depends.
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For those with multiple cookers: how do you choose?
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Club Member
- Jun 2017
- 1050
- Spokane Valley, Wa.
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Grills/Smokers
Blaze 32" 4-Burner Gas Grill w/infrared rear rotisserie burner
Weber Jumbo Joe
Weber 22" Master-Touch Kettle w/rotisserie
Pit Barrel Cooker
Great Outdoors Smoky Mountain Series 36" Vertical Gas Smoker
Traeger Timberline 850 w/BBQ Hack griddle and Pizza oven attachment
Thermometers
Thermoworks Smoke
Maverick ET-733
Thermapen Mk4, Red
Sous Vide
Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker, Bluetooth, 800W
Anova Precision Cooker Insulated Container
Lipavi C15 container and lid
Lipavi L15 Rack
Accessories
SNS
BBQ Guru DigiQ (for PBC and 22" Weber Kettle)
BBQ Dragon
BBQ Dragon Grill Table for 22" Weber Kettle
Fire Butler (for Weber 22")
Grill Grates for Jumbo Joe and Blaze grill
Hovergrill
About me
Name: Jim
Nick name: Bear
Location: Spokane Valley, Wa.
Born at a very young age at Egland AFB, Ft. Walton Beach, FL.
USAF vet, ECM (F4 & B52)/B52 Crew Chief, Computer Systems NCO, disabled
Former Computer Tech/Admin
Campus Manager/Lead Tech/Tech (IT) for The Kemtah Group contracted to Intel, Rio Rancho, NM.
Short Term Missionary to the Marshall Islands with MAPS of DFM of AOG
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Charter Member
- Oct 2014
- 7420
- NEPA
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Large Big Green Egg, Weber Performer Deluxe, Weber Smokey Joe Silver, Maverick 732, DigiQ, and too much other stuff to mention.
Just so’s you know, I don’t want anyone to think I’m dissing them. It’s a genuine question. I’m enjoying the education. It won’t change me, but I’m not looking to change anyone either. I want to understand.
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I didn't take it as a diss but as you said a real question. Which sometimes is a difficult question. But, I will forbid you from talking to my wife! She thinks I am done. But I haven't won the grand prize yet and there must be new smokers/grills out there that I haven't seen yet. So, I kinda am in Troutman 's corner.
- 2 likes
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Club Member
- Jun 2018
- 4877
- Brentwood CA
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LSG large insulated cabinet
Yoder YS640
LSG 48" Santa Maria Gill
SNS travel kettle
FireBoard controller and PitBull fan
FireBoard 2 Drive
Thermapen Mk4
Thermapen One
Avid Armor USV32 Vacuum Sealer
KWS 10" slicer
To me it's like with more horsepower...........if you have to ask you won't understand.............just because is a good answer.
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I have a Weber Genesis gasser, Weber Performer 26" and a Cabela's 24" pellet cooker. I like the convenience of the gasser for fast cooks and the pellet cooker for slow cooks.
I got the Performer when I needed some extra capacity for a large cook a few years ago. I enjoy using it for either slow or fast cooks when I have the time and just want to change things up. Wife doesn't care for grilled foods over charcoal, so it's rare I'm doing that. I keep the Performer around for those times when I need more cook space.
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Club Member
- Feb 2019
- 1554
- Salado, Tx
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Summerset TRL44 gas grill and side sear
Weber Performer
Weber 70th Anniversary kettle, Hot Rod Yellow
Camp Chef Somerset IV 4 burner propane stove
Camp Chef FTG600
OT QOMOTOP 23-inch Gas Griddle
Pit Boss Ultimate 4 burner griddle
Oklahoma Joe's HD orange Bronco
Oklahoma Joe's Bronco Pro
Oklahoma Joe's Judge
Oklahoma Joe's Rambler
Golden's Cast Iron Grill
Ooni Koda 16
Halo Versa 16
Everdure rotisserie grill
Titan Santa Maria grill
Coyote Pellet grill
Hasty Bake Roughneck smoker
LSG 48" Texas Edition offset
Hi, my name is Bob. (HI Bob). And I'm a gizmoholic. Thank God my fellow Texan, Troutman broke that log jam of sensible thinking earlier. Hey, if it interests you, and you can get it without raiding the rent money...…...…..GO FOR IT!!!!! Patio too small? Great, another reason to build a bigger one! Come on people, this is the UNITED STATES of AMERICA (and friends)..…......……..look up the translation of E Pluribus Unum! I'm pretty sure it translates to, "More is gooder, and more still is gooder still", or something like that.
BTW, anybody out there in the market for a well kept Kamado Joe, or a couple of barrel cookers? I'm asking for a friend...……….you know.Last edited by Uncle Bob; May 13, 2020, 05:30 PM.
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I’ve got a KJ, a Weber performer and a WSM. I started off with an Akorn and when that rusted out got the KJ. I love it but picked up the Weber kettle off the Book of Faces pretty cheap and have found it much more versatile than the KJ. I got the WSM cheap at a yard sale and haven’t really played with it too much but I can see it being extra cooking capacity for ribs, etc.
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Charter Member
- Oct 2014
- 7420
- NEPA
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Large Big Green Egg, Weber Performer Deluxe, Weber Smokey Joe Silver, Maverick 732, DigiQ, and too much other stuff to mention.
The one I really had to talk myself out of was one of those old cast iron kamado looking things. I can't think of the name now. It was really cool, and pretty cheap used. I had to remind myself that it wouldn't be worth having to explain.
Edit: It was called a Cook 'n Kettle. $200 with many of the accessories.Last edited by Mosca; May 13, 2020, 06:36 PM.
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Club Member
- Jul 2016
- 1406
- Bacliff, TX
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Motovlogging for the freedom of old Hippies...
https://www.youtube.com/c/LonnieMac
Home of Brutus Ten!
http://www.alenuts.com/Alenuts/Alenuts.html
Pits:
Weber Performer Deluxe W/ SNS, Craycort CI grates
WSCGC (Weber Summit Charcoal Grill Center W/ SNS Plus, DNG
Texas Original Pits Offset Smoker
RecTec 590
WSM 18" W/ Upside-down door mod
Camp Chief Flattop, The big one...
Weber Genesis II S-335
Texas Fire Pit
Thermos:
Maveric's Most all of em...
FireBoard W/ Fan Control, GURU Fan
ThermoWorks, most all of em...
Meater
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Club Member
- Jun 2018
- 342
- Centreville, VA
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GMG Daniel Boone
Weber Spirit E-310
GrillGrates
Weber Performer Premium 22"
Vortex
Slow 'N Sear 2.0
Drip 'N Griddle Deluxe
EasySpin Grate
Cajun Bandit Rotisserie
Weber 26" Kettle
XL Slow 'N Sear
FireBoard
Maverick XR-50
Thermoworks Thermapen
Instant Pot Accu Slim Sous Vide Circulator
I have a GMG pellet grill, a Weber gasser, and 2 Performers. I got the pellet first, then added the gasser for short cooks. I added a Performer later because I wanted to switch from gas to charcoal (except when I wanted/needed the convenience of the gasser) and added the 2nd one because I found it for $20 on Craig's List. If I had a Performer and SnS first I probably would not own the pellet grill. If I hadn't caught the 2nd Performer so cheap before anyone else claimed it, I wouldn't have that one either. So I have four cookers when I should probably only have two, but it's due to the timing and circumstances of the purchases.
As far as deciding what to use, the gasser has it's obvious use - quick and easy and it is on my deck and not my patio, which means no stairs to deal with from the kitchen. The GMG gets used if I need more space than a Performer with SnS allows or for the convenience of it since it is also on the deck and starting it requires flipping a switch vs lighting up coals and trying to regulate the temp.
The Performers are my preferred cookers. I guess I should the the Performer since I have yet to fire both up at the same time and I don't see the need anytime soon with no large gathering in the near future. I prefer the smoke profile when smoking vs the GMG and I prefer charcoal grilling over the gasser. I have a Slow n Sear, a Vortex, and a rotisserie for the kettles which adds some versatility and also allows me to cook a few different ways if I was to light 'em both up. But they are on my patio and I have to wheel them out from under the deck, off the patio and onto the grass when I want to use them and there are stairs between them and my kitchen, so if I feel like being lazy or for any of the reasons mentioned earlier, one of the other grills gets the call.
So I am set at four grills and at four I shall remain. Any new grill would require sending an old one off to a new home and the only ways I see that happening would be either winning the Pit "Great Giveaway", finding a 26" inch kettle at a cheap price to replace one of the Performers (I've always got an eye out for one), or stumbling upon another crazy deal online like I did with my 2nd Performer.
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Club Member
- Dec 2017
- 3863
- New Mexico
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Smokin-It 3D
Weber Kettle with an SNS
Masterbuilt kettle that I call the $30 wonder grill
Bullet by Bull Grills gasser
Anova WiFi sous vide machine
Thermoworks Thermapen and Chef Alarm
I have a gasser, the Weber Kettle and my Smokin-it smoker. Also have a WSM style smoker but I don’t use it.
The gasser gets the "need to get dinner on the table" duties, the kettle gets the "I have time to have fun" duties and the smoker gets the majority of the long cooks because I don’t have to baby sit it.
That’s how I choose....I guess there’s some method to that madness!
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Charter Member
- Oct 2014
- 7420
- NEPA
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Large Big Green Egg, Weber Performer Deluxe, Weber Smokey Joe Silver, Maverick 732, DigiQ, and too much other stuff to mention.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!Last edited by BBQPhil; May 13, 2020, 11:08 PM.
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Founding Member - Moderator Emeritus
- Jul 2014
- 5025
- Stockholm, Sweden
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Author of the book Barbecue, fire and smoke
Manufacturer of:
Hank's Bonafide Beef Rub
Hank's KC Royale Pork 'n Poultry Rub
Hank's Signature Steak Rub
Grills
Big Green Egg (M)
Weber 22" kettle (lime green)
PK TX
8 noname 22" kettles (black)
"Rude Boy" - my own custom built offset smoker
Thermometers
iGrill 2
Thermapen
Fireboard
Accessories
BBQ Dragon
Slow n' Sear
All my recipes, photos and information can be found at
https://hankstruebbq.com
YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/c/Hankstruebbq
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.
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