Smokers, what do you have? what do you like?

[bikerider]

I have my eyes on the Traeger Pro 575. This will be my first pellet smoker.

HTTPS://www.traegergrills.com/pellet-grills/pro/575

That looks nice, but that price.. :shock: lol

 

[bikerider]

I have a couple Pit Boss Tailgater smokers. My local Walmart had 4 of them on clearance, marked down from $300 to $199. I have several co-workers who have Pit Boss smokers and I couldn't find anyone who had anything bad to say about the brand, and with a 5 year warranty, I decided to buy one. Well, I loved it so much I bought a second one for my cabin.
I've tried a few different pellets and so far my favorite is Pit Boss's Competition blend, which is Apple, Maple, and Hickory.
The thing I like about it (other than the price) was that I can slide the firebox open and sear meat, too.

I'm looking forward to the next weekend's opening weekend for trout, and I'll be smoking several.

That's a nice looking smoker. Come the think of it, I've walked past these style of smokers at Lowe's dozens of times and didn't realize they aren't a barbecue. Is there some advantage to this design over the vertical ones like pictured above, the little chief etc.?

 

[bikerider]

I just threw away a Charbroil vertical smoker. It was 2 years old and kept under a cover under overhanging eaves set on top of a raised stone platform and it rusted EVERYWHERE! Every rack, handle, tray and even the feet were trashed.

It's good this thread turned up, I'm shopping for another

I used to have that same problem with the barbecue sitting on the patio under a cover. Had to just bring it inside to preserve it.

 

[Jim]

I have my eyes on the Traeger Pro 575. This will be my first pellet smoker.

HTTPS://www.traegergrills.com/pellet-grills/pro/575

That looks nice, but that price.. :shock: lol

Exactly why I don't have it. I don't want to spend the money on it. :LOL2:

 

[bikerider]

I have my eyes on the Traeger Pro 575. This will be my first pellet smoker.

HTTPS://www.traegergrills.com/pellet-grills/pro/575

That looks nice, but that price.. :shock: lol

Exactly why I don't have it. I don't want to spend the money on it. :LOL2:

Haha, I know the feeling

 

[Jim]

Thanks paper! The Tajin is on it's way to my house.

 

[paper]

My stepson claims it tastes like a Mexican candy..

He's weird.. :LOL2:

 

[Jim]

I just told my daughter about it, thinking I was going to educate her on this "new" spice mix we are going to try. She responded "no way! I wanted to try that for a long time on my fruits and veggies"

Have I been living under a rock? :LOL2:

 

[bikerider]

I'm considering buying either the mini chief (https://www.amazon.com/Smokehouse-Products-Mini-Chief-Smoker/dp/B001NZRLTO/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=mini+chief&qid=1589815064&sr=8-2) electric smoker or the little chief electric smoker (https://www.amazon.com/Smokehouse-Products-Little-Chief-Smoker/dp/B000ZKZJMY/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2CG257LYB3XJY&dchild=1&keywords=little+chief+smoker&qid=1589815118&sprefix=little+chief%2Caps%2C299&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExNTlQN1RRTElIN0ZQJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzkyNzIxM1JHMUhLTVlaOUc5TCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNjUxOTE3MzBaS1VDR1pBVUY0NyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=) Since I'm a complete noob to smoking these seem like little investment for me to cut my teeth on. Besides the size difference and the negligible price difference is there a good reason to go with one over the other? I would probably be smoking a few rainbow trout at a time for now.

 

[redbug]

I have my eyes on the Traeger Pro 575. This will be my first pellet smoker.

HTTPS://www.traegergrills.com/pellet-grills/pro/575

check out the pit boss pellet smokers. the guys around me all seem to love theirs a few have switched fro the pricerier Traegers

 

[paper]

I have my eyes on the Traeger Pro 575. This will be my first pellet smoker.

HTTPS://www.traegergrills.com/pellet-grills/pro/575

check out the pit boss pellet smokers. the guys around me all seem to love theirs a few have switched fro the pricerier Traegers

=D>

Absolutely !!!!! Couldn't be happier with Pit Boss products!!!!

 

[wmk0002]

A bit expensive but the Big Green Egg (along with Primo and Komado Joe) is probably the most versatile in terms of the temp range. With my Egg, I can hold temps as low as 170 degrees and I can get it up to probably 1000 deg, if not more. With the extreme high heat ranges it is the best option for steaks and searing whatever. It also does well with anything else over direct heat. I will say that the smoking aspect leaves a little to be desired. It does a fine job, however, in my opinion it doesn't produce a classic smoke taste. It somewhat difficult to keep drippings from burning and producing some off tasting smoke. Although the Egg is super easy, especially for long smokes, I prefer meat smoked on my basic Weber kettle....the Weber just requires tending every 80 min or so.

Back to Big Green Egg steaks - I can cook a 2" thick NY Strip (my personal Fav) indirect heat at 250 deg until it hits internal temp of 115 deg, remove it and cover (temp may rise a bit more) and bring the Egg up to 6-700 deg with cast iron griddle right on top of coals, and then sear the steak to perfection every time. I also sear on a grate over the coals but grate vs cast iron griddle is determined by how fatty the steak is. Too much fat and I go griddle to avoid any kind of rancid taste from the fat burning too much from the flames. The perfect steak, which is well marbled and not large clusters of fat, is better finished directly over fire.

 

[redbug]

If I was looking for the green egg style cooker I would check out BBQ Guru Monolith BBQ
Guru Edition I have seen these in action and they are built to last and come standard with many of the things the green egg consider options

A bit expensive but the Big Green Egg (along with Primo and Komado Joe) is probably the most versatile in terms of the temp range. With my Egg, I can hold temps as low as 170 degrees and I can get it up to probably 1000 deg, if not more. With the extreme high heat ranges it is the best option for steaks and searing whatever. It also does well with anything else over direct heat. I will say that the smoking aspect leaves a little to be desired. It does a fine job, however, in my opinion it doesn't produce a classic smoke taste. It somewhat difficult to keep drippings from burning and producing some off tasting smoke. Although the Egg is super easy, especially for long smokes, I prefer meat smoked on my basic Weber kettle....the Weber just requires tending every 80 min or so.

Back to Big Green Egg steaks - I can cook a 2" thick NY Strip (my personal Fav) indirect heat at 250 deg until it hits internal temp of 115 deg, remove it and cover (temp may rise a bit more) and bring the Egg up to 6-700 deg with cast iron griddle right on top of coals, and then sear the steak to perfection every time. I also sear on a grate over the coals but grate vs cast iron griddle is determined by how fatty the steak is. Too much fat and I go griddle to avoid any kind of rancid taste from the fat burning too much from the flames. The perfect steak, which is well marbled and not large clusters of fat, is better finished directly over fire.