In a couple of threads I mention that my barbecue grill is a Weber kettle style. (Thanks, needscoffee! ) I love Weber kettle grills. Aside from the kamado we had when I was a kid, we’ve always had Webers. Now I’m thinking of looking for something more versatile.
I like cooking with charcoal, so I want a charcoal grill. I’ve just started doing the low, indirect heat thing (as opposed to grilling over coals), and I’d like to try smoking some of the great salmon we get up here. Cost is an issue. I’d love a kamado cooker, but I don’t have $800 to spend on one.
One grill I’m thinking of is the Weber Performer Platinum Charcoal Grill. I like the work table, and it has little boxes for putting wood chips in. The downside is that it’s the same size I already have. OTOH, there are only two of us so I don’t have to go crazy with quantity.
Dedicated smoker? Space is at a premium. So I’ll need something that will let me barbecue, smoke, and grill.
Johnny, I would suggest you get one of the barrel smokers available at the big box stores at reasonable prices. They have some for under $200, and functionally they are about the same as similar ones costing much more.
These are horizontal barrel smokers with an offset, attached smoke box, and are good sized charcoal grills as well. I have a New Braunfels smoker that’s about 15 years old and it still serves well as both smoker and grill. I’m still in the building process for my outdoor kitchen where I’ll have something that is effectively a larger version of that. If I was opening a restaurant, catering service, or becoming a food processor I’d want a large vertical smoker with thermostatic control, but for cooking at home I’ve had all I’ve ever needed. Well almost all, for cold smoking I have a small metal smoke box attached connected with aluminum duct so I don’t have to monitor the temperature that closely all the time.
Totally depends on how you want to use it. I also have a Weber kettle grill and I love it, but I use my propane grill 10 times more often. It is just so easy in our busy household to turn it on 15 minutes before cooking and then turn it off as soon as I’m done. I slightly prefer the taste of charcoal but it isn’t a big difference and adding some wood chips also makes a big difference. The fact that I use the propane probably 4 times per week in the summer compared to once a month for charcoal and also use propane all through the winter makes that my primary grill. It also makes indirect cooking a piece of cake with multiple burners. For two of you I would recommend a Weber Genesis. Quality that will last you 10 years or so.
I doubt I’ll convince someone who already is convinced charcoal is the way to go, but for my life propane is so much more convenient and 99% of the taste (IMHO). Plus you still have the kettle for other times. Consider it like having a motorcycle and a convertible instead of two motorcycles. They each have their pros and cons.
I also love my smokers, but that is a different beast as you have to devote at least a few and more likely several hours to the meal.
There’s not a whole lot of space for too much stuff. We still have the wood pile on the patio, the SO wanted a table, a couple of chairs, and a chaise longue, and there’s the kettle grill and a Smokey Joe grill.
If a horizontal smoker can be used as a grill, that might work.
That Weber Smokey Mountain looks like it will fit the bill. A bit pricey, but so is the one I linked to in the OP.
I prefer the taste of food cooked over charcoal. If I’m going to go to the trouble of grilling or barbecuing, waiting ten minutes for the coals to be ready isn’t a problem.
Have you tried one since the days of the lava rocks? I would bet you a growler of beer you couldn’t tell the difference between a good steak made on either using the more modern flavorizor bars or similar things used to vaporize the juices and fat that drip down.
I remember the propane grills of old… they aren’t even in the same ballpark as the current ones.
The WSM is good for smoking, but not really made for grilling, so it depends on what you want to do with it. For grilling, I would just go with a standard Weber kettle grill, like a One Touch Gold, or the one you linked to.
For smoking, the WSM is great, and I wouldn’t go for anything cheaper than that in a vertical smoker. I had a cheapie Brinkman vertical smoker, and it sucked. It didn’t even have a vent on the lid! (So all your meat ended up tasting creosote-y. A smoker requires ventilation, not just choking your food in smoke.)
I thought the point was to have one device, no? The offset smoker can do everything. For smoking and slow-and-low BBQing you put the fuel in the side drum, and for regular grilling, you just put the charcoal in the main barrel.
If you do decide to get an offset, do read through this. They’re also worth paying a little extra for. The cheapie offsets leak heat like crazy and are a bit of a pain in the ass to manage.
You won’t regret this. I bought a cheap-o offeset smoker from Walmart. It lasted me ten years before I had to throw it out. It probably would have lasted longer if I didn’t let the damn thing set out in the rain so much. (It got all rusted and became a giant eye sore. So I threw it out.)
One of these days when I stop procrastinating, I plan to buy another one just like it.
He’s being a touch hyperbolic there. His general points are correct, you do have to make modifications to some of the real cheap models, but they’re simple mods, and not likely needed anymore because even the extra cheap models have the popular design features now. The main disadvantages will be the thinner metal which won’t hold up as well over time, and cheap racks and fire grates. Leaks can be sealed in a variety of ways. Aluminum foil can be used to redirect smoke in a variety of ways. However, none of that changes the basic precept, you get what you pay for.
My problem with the shoddy thin metal is heat retention, not how long it lasts. Of course, you can make those work. I’ve cooked on the cheapie offsets. I’ve jerry rigged even shittier smokers. But it is absolutely worth spending a couple hundred extra dollars to get the basics rights for relatively stress-free cooking. The cheapie offsets, in my experience, chew through coal and require regular fire management. Something well-built and efficient requires minimal baby sitting.
I have a Brinkmann “Smoke’N Pit Pro” that I bought off a friend for a hundred bucks, but apparently my specific model is discontinued and replaced with an inferior one.
I’ve heard decent things about the Char-Broil “Oklahoma Joe” (about $400 - $500 at Home Depot or Lowe’s).
Costco had some Komodo cookers about a month back. Not sure if they still do and I don’t remember the price but IIRC ~$500…
I’ve only used a BGE a few times, but should be essentially the same. Best thing I did was a big brined turkey that came out really nicely. If you grew up with a Komodo, then you’ve got an idea of the versatility that it provides. It’s reputably a helluva smoker too.
Before completely dedicating to switching out your gear, I’d recommend looking into a Smokenator. It’s a removeable insert you put into your Weber that gives you a bunch of flexibility for more indirect smoking. Amazing Ribs link.
) I love Weber kettle grills. Aside from the kamado we had when I was a kid, we’ve always had Webers. Now I’m thinking of looking for something more versatile.