Smoker reccomendations?

[Pro Stock John]

Any reccomendation for smokers, preferably gas or electric?

[Monty Mikho]

I have had a charcoal and electric. I like the electric as its much less maintenance. If you are a beginner I would just go to Home Depot and buy their $50.00 deal. If you are looking to step up I got my Bradley Digital Smoker around 1 month ago and like that thing a lot. But its priced at $550 also and uses briquettes instead of wood chips. Smoke Shack is a nice brand name but also very expensive ($800+). I kept my $50.00 (it was 80-90) for 10 years before buying the Bradley.

What kinds of things are you looking to smoke? Are you looking to cold smoke or just hot smoke?

[brianmag]

I have had a charcoal and electric. I like the electric as its much less maintenance. If you are a beginner I would just go to Home Depot and buy their $50.00 deal. If you are looking to step up I got my Bradley Digital Smoker around 1 month ago and like that thing a lot. But its priced at $550 also and uses briquettes instead of wood chips. Smoke Shack is a nice brand name but also very expensive ($800+). I kept my $50.00 (it was 80-90) for 10 years before buying the Bradley.

What kinds of things are you looking to smoke? Are you looking to cold smoke or just hot smoke?
I hear Monty is a hell of a smoker ( the pole variety)

[Pro Stock John]

I'm a beginner so I'll go check out Home Depot.

[seth]

I started with the Chargriller Smokin' Pro, I think you can get them at Lowe's or Home Depot.

It's a pretty good grill and I think smoker, although there is a technique to smoking with that thing. There are a few bbq forums that explain it in great detail but you will want to do a few modifications when smoking

1 - temperature gauge at grill grate level, the stock one sucks horribly
2 - extend the chimney down to grate level so the smoke doesnt just come into the main area and go right over the food and out
3 - turn the charcoal grate in the main area upside down to channel the smoke under all the food
4 - make a higher charcoal tray for the side firebox, so you can empty the ash during long smoking .. I just tacked in some bars across the firebox to hold a higher up tray

the pics of the mods I did are here http://www.ice8420.com/thumbnails.php?album=98

again there are bbq forums that explain chargriller mods in detail, search them, but feel free to PM me if you have more questions


then again if you already have a grill and want JUST a smoker than ignore what I said, the weber stand up cylinder-type smokers are great

[HotRodRyan]

I just bought the "Green Egg" It's a smoker type deal thats a ceramic housing ($$$$$), but can be used with charcoal, wood...or with wood briquetts (wood charcoal). It's a very slow cooker...but man oh man is it tasty. Takes about 30-40 minutes to heat up, and another 45 minutes to cook burgers, say 40 minutes for dogs (not that kind of dog monty), and at least an hour + 15 to do a steak.

But well worth the money spent and the time waiting for them to cook.

[HotRodRyan]

www.biggreenegg.com (http://www.biggreenegg.com) nuff' said!!!!

[Slow 69 SS]

If you're looking for a decent entry level smoker to learn all the ins and outs you can't beat this. Unlike alot of the small upright smokers, you can put a couple racks of ribs on this. Or you can use it as a chrcoal gril and not use the fire box also. If you keep it out of the elements it will last quite a while. Long enough for you to get good at cookin with smoke.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=100327576&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&PID=500871&cm_mmc=CJ-_-nextag-_-D28X-_-100327576&cpncode=19-8475826-2&URL=http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/BuildLinkToHomeDepot?linktype=product&id=100327576&cm_mmc=CJ-_-nextag-_-D28X-_-100327576&AID=10368321&cj=true&srccode=cii_9324560

[JunkBird69]

This is what i use and i got it at Home depot and it work great for just about anything, works good as a heater if your useing it as a grill use the firebox for a heater, for say like corn , buns.etc.http://www.charbroil.com/Consumer/product_detail_m.aspx?ProductSeriesID=16

[unholy1]

Never tried the electric or gas. I'd bit the bullet and buy a wood burner. You'll never regret it! It's not that hard to keep it at constant temp once you get use to where the vent openings need to be.

I have the Chargriller Super Pro with side box also. It's bad ass! Can either do direct or indirect smoking and also works as a regular charcoal grill.

http://www.chargriller.com/shop/grills/super-pro.html

I have an upright Brinkman smoker too. It's REALLY easy to use, but you can only do direct smoking.

http://www.brinkmann.net/Shop/Detail.aspx?category=Outdoor+Cooking&subcategory=Charcoal+Smokers+%26+Grills&sku=810-5500-0&series=OUT-1001-I&seriesname=Vertical&id=303

[wfo21]

I have a large green egg, It is the shit. use lump charcole and it will hold your heat all day with no messing around with it,
I have a small blower i use to stoke the coals ( saves a lot of time) and for steaks i have a smaller grate that fits in lower, closer to the coals that works great. 5min. for med.rare
Derek
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh61/wfo21/DSCN0509.jpg

[Greg2]

Marlboro. Oh wait, oops...

[mideastbusa]

Where do you get the green eggs?

[unholy1]

Where do you get the green eggs?

I know they sell them at Ace Hardware.

[Pro Stock John]

Hmm I do have a Weber 3 burner genesis.

[Shawn Morrell]

I have the little chief top loader, it works ok and is very easy to use.

http://www.bbq-smoker.co.uk/smoker/35858-Luhr-Jensen-Little-Chief-smoker-Top-Load.php

[72RS/SS]

Brinkman electric 'bullet' shaped smoker is the one for me. Put a cast iron skillet directly on the element that has the lava rock, and put your soaked wood on that, fill your pan with water and smoke away. Easy clean for the wood, turn it upside down in the woods for any leftover ashes. Lots of good smoked food came out of that, last week chicken quarters that were amazing. Put apple juice in the water pan and marinated the chicken that was seasoned already with apple juice every hour till it was done, fantastic.

[Steve Burger]

Chargriller, I use enough charcoal to get it started and swap over to chunks of wood. Works great and only cost 99.00 at Menards.

[BIG POPPA]

I use the red Brinkmann's upright electric one. I have used many others but that one is my favorite. It will not let you cook to fast just for the sake of getting it done, no dial for the temp. so it cooks evenly and plenty hot enough to keep the wood smoking. If you need to rush it finish in the oven or start it in the oven just long enough to knock the coolness out of the meat from the refirigerator. Great for a beginner cause it takes out alot of variables that you can mess up if you don't know what you are doing.

[THE0NE]

i heard once you have food from the egg you wont go back!!!! i am looking into getting one

[GTO48]

This is what i use and i got it at Home depot and it work great for just about anything, works good as a heater if your useing it as a grill use the firebox for a heater, for say like corn , buns.etc.http://www.charbroil.com/Consumer/product_detail_m.aspx?ProductSeriesID=16

That's the one I use... I've had 7 racks of beef ribs on there at one time on just the racks provided with it. I modified a smaller rack, drilled a couple of holes in the smoker and welded some tabs on so that I can have a second tier rack. Very nice if you're doing a big get together.

7 hours for ribs:
http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa188/gto4800/Personal/IMG_5737.jpg

13 hours for brisket:
http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa188/gto4800/Personal/IMG_5738.jpg