Beginner Cooker

Kevin in OK · Joined: 05 Jun 2008 Posts: 7 Location: Oklahoma City, OK

I'm new around here, and am looking to buy my first smoker/cooker. I am looking at a couple of different smokers, mainly in the el cheapo cost range as I don't want to sink a whole lot of dollars into this and find out it isn't for me.

1. Brinkmann Smoke and Grill. Very tempting at a cost of 40 bucks, and so I've read has 3 different cooking heights for the fire pan. The sheet metal container is a little bit lacking.

2. New Braunfel's Hondo Junior. I've also read a little bit and think these are also sold as a Chargriller, or Char something. At a glance, it looked like a decent, however small, off set smoker. One thing that concerns me with this is quality. It's about 85 bucks at Academy and after looking at it I'm having my doubts. Same very thin steel construction in both the firebox and the cooking chamber (let me know if I'm using incorrect terminology). The person at Academy when I looked at it said it would last a few (3-5) years, long enough for me to figure out how well I liked this, so long as I took good care of it.

3. There were also the sturdier looking ones, but those also came with the higher price tag.

Any help picking out a cheap beginner smoker would be much appreciated.

Kevin

Reggae Q · Posted: Jun 06 2008 Post subject:

First off...welcome!

Secondly, can you give us an idea of what you're looking for. Do you want something that is more "set it and forget it", how many people do you cook for, what you will be cooking.

Those questions usually point you in the right direction and then you can narrow it from there.

camdentom · Posted: Jun 06 2008 Post subject:

I got my nephew hooked on BBQ'n about a year ago. I talked him into getting a WSM. He's been very happy with it. It's inexpensive, very easy to use, and puts out some great Q.

Reggae Q · Posted: Jun 06 2008 Post subject:

Tom, that's kindof where I was going with it. If he's looking at something that works great, needs little attention and does things like chick, butts, etc... I would go the WSM or ProBBQ route.

However, if he's cooking for quite a few people, I'd go with the offset or the ProBBQ Frontier/Excel with a stacker.

If he does ribs often, I would go with an offset or the ProBBQ Excel. The Frontier makes it a bit too tight and I know the WSM has a slightly larger diameter but I think it would still have similar issues.

I HATE doing ribs on a vertical. I still do from time to time but would always prefer to use the offset.

Kevin in OK · Joined: 05 Jun 2008 Posts: 7 Location: Oklahoma City, OK

I want to do basically chicken, beef, and pork. Which cuts, I'm not entirely sure, but I want to at least try a lot of it.

I kind of enjoy tending a fire, and we have an almost never ending supply of pecan wood from our small orchard, which I've heard is an excellent wood.

At the moment, I don't really plan on cooking for more than six people, but will probably only cook for 2 or 3 most of the time.

I've got a little money to spend on this, not a lot. Cheaper cost is a positive, but if it significantly affects the product I am more than willing to listen to other suggestions. Let's say $200 is the very top dollar, but if I can get the same quality for cheaper I am more than willing to use it.

Reggae Q · Posted: Jun 06 2008 Post subject:

Well, for $200 you couldn't do the Excel but you could do the WSM or ProBBQ Frontier with stacker.

If you go with WSM you will have to add thermometer and would help to make a couple mods. (handles)

If it were me and I planned on doing ribs very often, I would go with an offset but would probably just wait to see one on craigslist cheap. There was someone who picked up a oklahoma joes for $50 and cleaned it up. Great little cooker. I bought my brother a New Braunfels off craigslist for $50 and it was in great condition.

I just really hate doing ribs on the verticals.

Cranky Buzzard · Posted: Jun 06 2008 Post subject:

Kevin in OK · Joined: 05 Jun 2008 Posts: 7 Location: Oklahoma City, OK

Buying used, are there any brands I should avoid, or things to check for in all cookers? Rust? Metal thickness?

I'm really tempted to try the Brinkmann, but I know it wouldn't last a really long time. Can anyone talk me out of one of these, or are they actually a halfway decent cooker?

Thanks

Alien BBQ · Posted: Jun 06 2008 Post subject:

If you have a never ending supply of pecan then you are looking at an offset. As good as the WSM is, it is a charcoal smoker and does not play well with logs. Because you have an academy sports there you have a number of choices. I would not by the $70 offset because it is a toy. A lady customer in a BBQ store once said it correctly when I was there looking for parts. She said "oh look, how cute is this". I will not suggest the Brinkman that Walmart sells because they agravated me by taking a model that worked and totally messed it up (but that is personal). If you can raise $300 then your options are the Oklahoma joes and the Chargrillers Duos with optional SFB. Either one would be great.
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nes_matt · BBQ Fan Joined: 04 Jun 2008 Posts: 266

ProBBQ · Posted: Jun 06 2008 Post subject:

necron 99 · Posted: Jun 08 2008 Post subject:

The BBQ Pro bullet smoker at Sears might be distantly related to this similar Meco unit.

http://www.americasbestbbq.com/detail.aspx?ID=10765

I haven't seen one of these Meco units in any of the stores I've been in. But just looking externally, for the price, the BBQ Pro bullet smoker at Sears looks to be a better deal than the Brinkmann Gourmet or similar Meco model.

I plan on my first cook on my BBQ Pro bullet I bought from Sears during their 20% off Memorial Day sale tomorrow. I've got 4 slabs of cry-o-vac'ed pork loin back ribs in the meat fridge alongside the brisket that's going in my Bar-B-Chef tomorrow.
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adolpho · Posted: Jun 08 2008 Post subject:

nes_matt · BBQ Fan Joined: 04 Jun 2008 Posts: 266

necron_99:

I'd say they are distant cousins, where as the ProBBQ is like the brother noone wants to talk about.

necron 99 · Posted: Jun 08 2008 Post subject:

BBQ Pro had another model, that looked like the Meco from the center section up, was taller like a ECB, and open at the bottom like a ECB. Here's one on eBay. (edited eBay auction link to eBay store link since first auction expired)

Link

This and the KMart BBQ Pro Dome Smoker Grill look a LOT like the Meco.
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SectorB · Posted: Jun 08 2008 Post subject:

Make it simple. Build a UDS, it can be done for under $100. There is a lot of info on here about them and the capacity would fit your needs. Happy smokin' which ever way you go.
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pekmez · Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 1

I'm new and mostly like to eat slow-smoked ribs, am stilll learning about smoking.

I'm looking at the KMart BBQ Pro Dome Smoker Grill and the Sears BBQ Pro Dome Smoker Deluxe. (The Kmart version is on sale for $35 this week.)

Either one as an entry level/upgrade from smoking ribs over indirect charcoal on a Weber kettle grill with a stick thermometer stuck through the top vent every so often, mainly to fit in more ribs and experiment with getting more addicted to smoking. Smile

If they both have 2 racks positioned ok to have 2 layers of ribs going for a few hours over indirect charcoal heat with a little bit of wet wood added for the smoke, I'm trying to figure out what the real difference between "deluxe" and "not deluxe" is (besides about $25 extra in price) if both are a cheap imitation of some other smokers.

Has anyone tried the KMart version successfully?

gpalasz · Posted: Jun 10 2008 Post subject:

Hey Kevin, welcome to the forum. I have a couple good sources for quality brisket, beef ribs in the city Starting off w/ quality meat is a bonus
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necron 99 · Posted: Jun 16 2008 Post subject: