Best BBQ Smoker Recommendations

[davevv]

I use a Pit Boss pellet smoker and love it.  Excellent quality and consistent temperature control.  Also less expensive than Traeger.  Does a fabulous job on turkeys, ham, brisket, ribs, etc.  Great for pizza too.

 I still keep my Char-Griller for steaks, burgers, and so forth.

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

If a good sear is really important to you, get a handheld propane torch for the finishing touches.

I like my Searzall

[twowheeladdict]

Not sure I understand searing at the end of the cooking cycle. 
I was always told to sear the meat first to lock in the juices and then cook to the level of required for the internal temperature wanted. 

Have I been looking at the wrong cooking shows?

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

Not sure I understand searing at the end of the cooking cycle. 
I was always told to sear the meat first to lock in the juices and then cook to the level of required for the internal temperature wanted. 

Have I been looking at the wrong cooking shows?

Give 'reverse sear' a look on the ol' google. 
I think that searing 'to lock in juices' has become one of those debunked conventional wisdom things.  But most people searing at the end are doing it because they cooked the item via sous vide or braising or a long slow cook (overnight T-Bone in a 120deg oven) ...  all those methods give you even cooking throughout with perfect internal temp, but destroy any crust you would have formed if you seared it first.

[TN Mark]

IMHO, the external or handheld searing devices have come forth because pellet stoves and smokers typically (not always) can't sear the food. The Weber Sear Station on my new (delivered today) Genesis SE-335 works perfectly. After the initial burn in of all burners on high for 30 minutes I grilled a 1.25" bone-in ribeye. About 8 minutes of actual cooking time to achieve the best Med-Rare steak house ribeye you'll get anywhere. 50 seconds four times over the sear station then 4 minutes on the other side of the grill without the burner on. Perfect searing, perfectly cooked through, no need for a hand held torch etc.

When you want to go the Low & Slow route, then you'll typically need the 'reverse sear' method to get the grill marks so many people like. Of course the cook time lengthens considerably. Spices/rubs/wood for smoking and cooking methods are as varied as the cooks performing them.

Next up on the gas grill: bacon for breakfast then burgers for dinner.

Pretty sure I'll have a Slow & Sear and a medium Vortex inbound for my 22" Weber kettle soon.

Experimenting on the grills is a lot of fun.

[LowRyter]

The "reverse sear" option seems to work for me when cooking extra thick pieces of meat or any meat I want well done.  I want to make sure it's done enough, so I'll put it on the top rack to get a little smoke and heat in it.  Then I'll put it on the grill and finish it with a sear.

I don't think it works with thinner cuts that I want rare or medium rare.  OTOH, I like to use it with pork steaks that I prefer done.  The reverse sear seems to keep the meat from drying out and then I can still sear it and get the right juiciness.  My go to steaks are "Chuck Eye", inexpensive, well marbled and very think.  I'll put them on the top rack to get started and then sear them for medium rare- I don't like my steaks to be raw in the middle.  I don't use this for a ribeye, strip or T-bone, just put 'em on the fire & cook 'em.

[kingoffleece]

Spot on.

[LowRyter]

Well, I finally got a "smoker".  I'm in it for about $25. 

It's a mesh stainless tube that you fill with wood pellets.  You start the pellets with a propane torch, let it burn for 10 minutes, blow it out and put it in your grill, close the lid.  BOOM

Now I can even cold smoke if I want because the heat is controlled by my gas grill.  The smoke with go from 2-6 hours on it's own depending on the amount of wood pellets that I put in the cylinder.  The pellets are much cheaper than wood chips ($15 for 20lb).  I can start the smoker, set my grill for the temp I want and walk away. 

https://www.lowes.com/pd/A-MAZE-N-1-Adjustable-Length-Stainless-Steel/1001294708?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-sol-_-ggl-_-LIA_SOL_119_Grills-_-1001294708-_-local-_-0-_-0&ds_rl=1286981&gclid=Cj0KCQiAxc6PBhCEARIsAH8Hff2XPcOSfmM1sPak0Qj3S_rIkaR3ae2nT61qmC_k6l9dlbg8LuiwmbcaAqlIEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Redrider]

Our neighbor got a pellet smoker for Christmas. Stank up the entire hood with a most god awful, putrid chemical stench that lasted throughout the cook. I cannot imagine the taste of the food. Just to be sure of his method, he did the same thing a week later. Has not used it since. What chemical binders are used to make the pellets?
 Wifey bought me a side box NEXT grill/smoker from Home Depot. Works well enough for us and the July 4 pool crowd using charcoal and wood.

[Bulldog9]

Our neighbor got a pellet smoker for Christmas. Stank up the entire hood with a most god awful, putrid chemical stench that lasted throughout the cook. I cannot imagine the taste of the food. Just to be sure of his method, he did the same thing a week later. Has not used it since. What chemical binders are used to make the pellets?
 Wifey bought me a side box NEXT grill/smoker from Home Depot. Works well enough for us and the July 4 pool crowd using charcoal and wood.

Unlikely the pellets, but could be from the grill, etc.  I use RecTec or Weber Pellets, not tried any other, but anything is possible.  It's been 6 years or so since I bought mine, but I seem to remember I ran the smoker at 500 for a couple hours and let it cool before I did my first cook.

[kingoffleece]

Food grade pellets have no chemicals, binders, or flavored added.  It's simply compressed "sawdust" formed into a rod then cut into pellet size.
Hope your neighbor didn't use heating pellets.  All new grills of any type need to be seasoned prior to use.

Some new style pellets use a mix of wood and charcoal, but again, zero additives are used.  Compression only. That is a reason to be sure to store them in low humidity.  When exposed to water for any length of time you end up with a big pile of wet sawdust good for nothing!.

[LowRyter]

Our neighbor got a pellet smoker for Christmas. Stank up the entire hood with a most god awful, putrid chemical stench that lasted throughout the cook. I cannot imagine the taste of the food. Just to be sure of his method, he did the same thing a week later. Has not used it since. What chemical binders are used to make the pellets?
 Wifey bought me a side box NEXT grill/smoker from Home Depot. Works well enough for us and the July 4 pool crowd using charcoal and wood.

I'd say your neighbor got a bad batch of pellets.  And I'll admit, I had the same concern although have never read a complaint until now.  I picked up a bag of hickory pellets and it was really good, the smoke smelled great, more intense than wood chips.   (IMO hickory is the best BBQ.  I use nothing else at the house.)

I was looking at those NEXT grills.  Luckily, I've got all I want for $20 <Guzzi Content>  Wish I'd never purchased that electric smoker in the first place now.

Going to smoke St Louis BBQ ribs tomorrow.  Would like to experiment with cold smoking soon.

[9fingers]

You guys have made my hungry! And I have decided to get one of those perforated tubes and some hickory pellets, though I am a total beginner at smoking meats. However, i do LOVE smoked meats!
Scott

[Redrider]

Did some research on wood pellets and they are mostly benign. Sorry for the confusion. As for the smell, I cannot imagine how a second use could stink so much after a 6 hour first burn in.

[sidmonsters]

I've had a Pit Barrel Cooker for 3 years now and for the $300 it's been great.  I've fed 20+ family at Thanksgivings and Christmas on turkeys, briskets, and tenderloins without a fail.  There is a learning curve, and I do wish it could hold a lower temperature longer (it burns most consistently in my hands at 275+, whereas I would like to hold at 225 or so for 6-8 hours prior to re-stoking).  I use a bluetooth multiprobe thermometer to monitor the cooker temp and the meat, so there is some babysitting (good chance to sneak out with a beer--I did mention the extended family coming down for the holidays, right?). Anyhow, another option that will fill the bill inexpensively--Guzzi content, though I can't beat a cardboard box and foil-- for some.  My parents have a Traeger but never use it, though I can see the beauty of setting a low temp and leaving it alone for 10-12 hours.  Only problem is when I drive to New Mexico from Ohio to see them, my truck and trailer are already full of motorcycles and no room to haul the beast home! 
Steve

[LowRyter]

Since I recently purchased a pellet smoking tube, I wanted to cold smoke something. After I smoked and grilled some chicken, I had a couple of hours of smoking left in the tube, so I cold smoked a block of Cheddar. The instructions state to smoke it for a couple of hours, wrap it in paper for a day or two and then wrap it air tight in saran wrap for a couple of weeks.

I completed the paper wrap and my goodness, the stink was awful. I had to put the cheese in the fridge in the garage. Very rank stuff. I'll take it out of saran wrap in a couple of weeks and try it (or throw it out :eek:).

[AMGeneral]

I have had my Green Mountain pelet grill at Cedar vale and Ok camp. Its in that price you like. Works great. Easy to travel with. Its great for low and slow. Planning to keep bringing it to camps.

[LowRyter]

 

[kingoffleece]

For the Superbowl I had 15 over to watch.  13 hour bone-in Boston Butt smoke.  Fantastic.  Used the Diva Q method for the first time to try something different.  Worked a treat.

[LowRyter]

Just a follow up.  I've been using a pellet smoke tube with my gas grill.  This allows for the smoke and heat to be controlled separately.

Lately I've been using a new technique.  This works well for chickens, pork, anything you want well done or a big piece of meat cooked slower.  First, I can light the tube cold smoke, I might do this an hour before I start the fire.  The advantage with the gas grill is that I can start it anytime- it doesn't have to be preheated.  And when I cold start the BBQ, the meat can warm up and warm the center as the grill heats.  I can sear as I cook it, the meat is done, smokey, tender and juice-y.

anyway, if have a gas grill, a couple of ideas.  Gas does have the advantage of a cold start instead of preheating.