I'd like to hear your opinions on the various smoker/grills.

I would really like one of those Green Egg (Kamado Style) ceramics. But got sticker shock when I looked at how much they cost!

I'm not sure I would use it enough to justify the cost.

the green egg/ceramic smoker/grills are great....however, as you saw, they can be expensive.

what sort of budget do you have for this, and what are your goals? it's been my experience that a person can spend almost any amount and if it's on the right equipment and used correctly, they will be able to use it effectively and produce some truly good food.

addendum:

my first recommendation is to settle on a fuel type. i strongly recommend charcoal (and, by extension, wood), because with gas, propane or electric, you might as well be cooking in an oven. charcoal gives the best end product and has the best flavour, so to me, it's the way to go. but, it takes a little learning to use effectively and well, whereas the other fuel types are more convenient.

those are my thoughts - after choosing the fuel type the budget considerations mentioned above can be applied.

I'm switching over from a Weber gas grill (which I recently got rid of).

I like the convenience of gas..... but it was really just a convenient way to cook on the deck..... I don't think it provided the flavor of traditional charcoal.

So I'm more than willing to go to charcoal.

I would like to be able to smoke/grill/slow cook/and bake.

Large enough to smoke a 20-24 pound whole domestic turkey.

I would also consider a dedicated grill and seperate smoker.

ok - some of this you may already know, so it will probably be a review, but it does go to helping to make a decision.

for sheer versatility, it's hard to beat the time-honoured weber kettle. simply by the amount of charcoal you use and the way you arrange it, you can

a) grill (fast cooking for "small" stuff such as steaks, burgers, pork chops, chicken breasts, fish, vegetables etc.)

and b) barbecue (long, slow cooking and roasting "large" food such as whole poultry, ribs, roasts, brisket etc)

with both methods, you can add smoke flavour by using charcoal infused with smoking wood (such as kingsford briquettes with hickory chunks infused) or you can use wood chips or chunks.

the kettle holds heat amazingly well for covered cooking or can of course serve as an uncovered brazier/hibachi-type set-up. plus it needs no real modifications or improvements to work effectively. with it's design, you can manage the two most important factors for grilling or smoking: heat and airflow.

to me, it really is versatile, well-designed and can last for-almost ever, and i'd recommend that to start. i'd recommend one that's actually from weber, rather than a "pick-your-mart" knock-off, because the design and materials seem perfectly suited for making the most of the fuel and heat.

price is modest, and if you look around craigslist, etc) you can probably get one really cheap from someone who decided to switch to gas. this is how i got mine, which was actually free - and only a month old. it's an 18.5-inch, where i would have preferred 22.5, but the price was right ~

to start, this is the best thing i can honestly think of, and then if you want a dedicated smoker for slow cooking, the kettle will still be one of the best tools available for grilling, so it won't languish in the back of your garage or shed.

speaking of a dedicated smoker, that takes a little more commitment, but good grief, it is a whole new, wonderful world. i've traveled the globe with mine, and never had to leave my yard. we can head in that direction if you want but to sum it up, i am a huge fan of the brinkmann smoke'n pit, which is the same as the char-griller 40-inch off-set smoker. with a few easy modifications, you could easily feed the family better food than you could ever buy at a bbq place or restaurant, and even win any local cook-off, if you want. and it's not just for southern bbq, even though that's a great use for it.

more details, if you want them.....

The BGE's are nice but they're expensive and not very portable, they're also not a water smoker.

The Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker/Smoker is a nice unit,



But it was pricey so I bought a used Weber kettle at a yard sale for like $10, barely ever used. And then found a 3' section of stainless steel tube that was about the same diameter at the scrap metals yard and copied the smoker grill, with shorter, heavier legs on casters, made a couple more grill grates and a thermometer.

Works great, and total cost was maybe $50.

You can get an "Old Smokey"---in 3 different sizes. Tha large one is big enough to violate chickens w/ a beer can and get enough smoke in them. Pretty cheap too.

Build your own "ugly drum smoker". Google uds or ugly drum smoker and you'll get a lot of plans and pics. Built mine complete for less than $100 with a brand new 55 gallon drum. Fits 4 pork butts at once and will maintain smoking temps for 20 hours on 10 pounds of charcoal. Plus check out deejayssmokepit.net for tons of smoking info.

I see that Costco has a Kamodo BBQ now very like the BGE and a whole lot cheaper.

I'm looking for something fairly small! I appreciate the recomendations..... but the 55 gal. things are probably extreme OVERKILL for my needs.

quote:

Originally posted by calgarychef1:
I see that Costco has a Kamodo BBQ now very like the BGE and a whole lot cheaper.

This is kind of what I had in mind. Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by aliveincc:
You can get an "Old Smokey"---in 3 different sizes. Tha large one is big enough to violate chickens w/ a beer can and get enough smoke in them. Pretty cheap too.

I only need to violate one or two chickens at at time and one nice plump turkey hen usually satisfies my needs.

Have you been lookin' in my windows, aliveincc?

quote:

Costco has a Kamodo BBQ now very like the BGE and a whole lot cheaper.

thatmight be just the ticket - best of both worlds ~

Just a little insight into cooking with charcoal & dangers that are posed.

http://environment.about.com/o.../charcoal_grills.htm

So select the right fuel & should be alright. For myself, LPG all the way.....r in w.

To start, I'd definitely go with the Weber Kettle. The versatility is amazing. Get the larger size. You'll be very glad you did. Oftentimes, the local Craigslist will have a barely used for cheap if you'll go pick it up. Weber also has some handy accessories on their website. For mine I bought charcoal rails to hold the charcoal to the side when I'm indirect cooking. I'd also recommend avoiding off-brands. The construction won't be as good or the design won't be the same or both. The cheaper ones tend to be less deep and function only as a grill; you can't indirect cook in them because they aren't deep enough---above or below the grate.

If you want to smoke, read the reviews of the products. Many of the cheap smokers just don't draw well. And that's usually because they were cheaply/poorly designed. A UDS is a very good way to get a cheap smoker that actually works well.

LWD

yup green eggs are expensive and worth every penny

quote:

Originally posted by rdharma:
I'd like to hear your opinions on the various smoker/grills.

I would really like one of those Green Egg (Kamado Style) ceramics. But got sticker shock when I looked at how much they cost!

I'm not sure I would use it enough to justify the cost.

RD,

You needn't bother with a BGE smoker, just Google 'Alton Brown flower pot smoker', it costs 50-55$ to build and does the job exactly like the Big Green Egg, I built one myself and can tell you that results have put a big smile on my mug

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Treagger grills. I have one and absolutely love it! It can make a chef outta anybody.

They can be had in several sizes, use different flavors of wood pellets,( onion, maple, hickory, mesquite,etc.) Temp can be turned down to actually smoke things, or turned up to sear or grill burgers. I added a digital thermo/controller which works great. They are not really any more expensive than a good reagular gas grill but the food is phenominal.

My two cents : You could easily find something less expensive . I've done it over 30 + years.. Most will last a few years before rusting out ( Charcoal & Propane ).

I gave my buddy my old " Big Green Egg " after selling my house ( Divorce ). He has been using it for the last five years, & I put fifteen years of weekly grilling & smoking.

Yup the " Big Green Egg " are expensive.. But it will last a lifetime with some minor care !

I picked-up a propane Stainless Steel Grill/ Smoker, from " Cabelas ".
http://www.cabelas.com/product...BSearch-All+Products


Roasted Chicken, using a " Turkey Cannon ".

http://www.campchef.com/infusi...r-turkey-cannon.html




But, I really missed my " Big Green Egg ".. and picked up another one.
My only complaint .. I should have gotten the " Extra Large "..


Smoking mode

Checkout the below links .. lots of great info on Ceramic Cookers / Grills / Smokers / & Charcoal Test/Reviews !!
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramic.htm

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramicfaq.htm

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lump.htm


PAPI

Thanks.I have the mfg.concepts now.Not for sale but for personal use.Great design.

I still lust after a Big Green Egg, but the price issue has also put me off. We have a classic Webber kettle for high-heat grilling, but I find I use our pellet-fired Traeger for 80 percent of our needs. It can go low and slow for all-day pulled pork shoulder or medium high for smoked/roasted pork tenderloin with garlic and basil. It will not get hot enough to sear, but when my wife and I want steak, we pan-sear and oven-finish filets on the stove.

I am a fan of the old fashioned indirect heat smokers. I cook steaks/burgers with charcoal and some small chunks of pecan or mesquite on the firebox. When I want to smoke meat longer I use 10-12" pieces of pecan with mesquite and hickory in the firebox with the meat in the barrel.

You can find a descent one for about $250-300. Just pay attention to the grates inside. Some of the cheap ones have wire grates on the bottom and the top. Mine has heavy cast iron grates for both.

I also had a weber gas grill fall into my lap that I use for vegetables and sometimes chicken. I argree with you though, I won't let red meat near it.

It's Thanksgiving week, my buddy & I exchange invitations. He insist that we go over to his house, & wants to cook the Turkey.



I think it's his way of showing " Me " , he can do a better job , using the " EGG " I gave him


16 lbs Turkey, dry rubbed seasonings & cooked for 3 hrs.


Rested & plated on the Table for serving.

Just a photo of a well used, 20 year old " Big Green Egg ".



PAPI


p.s.: I personally like to soak my birds ( Turkey / Chickens ) in a " Brine/Seasoning Solution " overnight (Fridge), which helps keep them moist, with added flavor, & then onto the grill for cooking

didn't use the egg for turkey for thanksgiving, but instead did about a 10# prime rib. with a few pieces of oak for smoke = yum yum

I use a trager pellet grill. There are other brands. Smoke foods at 180, cook burgers, bake pizza or pies, sear steaks at 500. I like it

What did you end up buying?

If you want something for slow cooking at low temps, the Traeger is THE only option. I have two.

I also have the egg xl. Love it for steaks and high temp cooking.

Will for sure, the egg is the best way to cook a steak. Crank it up to 700-800, put o the steak and then shut the draft off on bottom, perfect sear.
You might look into memphis grill by heartland when it comes time to replace a trager. Nicer digital controls, you can put two different flavor pellets in, and built much better. It is what we use when building outdoor kitchens.

Do not rule out the Primo grill. It is similiar in price to the BGE, except that they have two models that have oval shaped cooking surfaces rather than round. They are also black rather that puke green color of the BGE and they are made in America.

Another one to look at is a Vision, kamado, this grill comes as a package, stand, cover etc. I sell this unit for around 799.95 / 899.95 . It is good value for the money.

quote:

Originally posted by safari-lawyer:
If you want something for slow cooking at low temps, the Traeger is THE only option. I have two.

I also have the egg xl. Love it for steaks and high temp cooking.

My neighbor has a Traeger and I have a BGE and he now kicks himself for not getting an egg just because of the versatility. The Traeger is great but it's no egg, even for "low and slow"

Add me to the Green Egg list, although I've never owned one.

I've never met anyone, from Australia to the U.S., that didn't think the Green Egg was worth every penny they paid for it. Every item I've ever eaten off one, was perfect.