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smoker grilles

WV-FAN

WV-FAN

Platinum Buffalo
Feb 12, 2007
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anybody have one? i've grilled on my walmart special gas/charcoal combo for 15+ years and ready to upgrade to a smoker. have one friend with a $1400 traeger, another with a $700 pitboss. my sis has a $500 pitboss. all are electronically temp controlled pellet feeders. i know my sis' pitboss has electronic meat probes, i.e. when your meat gets to desired internal temp, alarms and shit, grille shuts down. the $700 pitboss is a gas grille/smoker combo. has smoker on left side, gas grille with flat iron on right side. electronic heat control on smoker. not sure if it has meat probe option. my buddy with the traeger seems to have issues with keeping it at temp all the time. he's trying to sell me one (owns a lumber/hardware store, sort of like a lowes but a bit smaller), but i'm not biting because of 1) the price (even though he'll sell it to me at cost) and 2) the issues he's had with his.

what you got? features? like it or spike it?
 
I have a masterbuilt, and fired it up right after my post about clothes. It's so so, but does the work. Making a couple racks of ribs. Friends all go with the big green egg, and they all love it. It's good at making pizzas, and pretty much everything else, but will cost you a small fortune with all the accessories you'll end up buying. I'll probably get one myself when I retire and have more time to spend on it.
 
I have a $600 Traeger from Costco. Works well holds temp well too. Just keep it clean and the pellets dry.
 
Had a Weber kettle for decades. Never owned a gas grill. My son bought me a Slow N Sear for my Weber last Christmas. It's about $100.
https://snsgrills.com/products/slow-n-sear-deluxe

It does a great job of creating a hot and cooler zones for the grill which is great for thick cuts of meat like a London broil or a bone-in tomahawk ribeye. Sear on hot side for 2-3 mins per side and then move it to the cooler side, put on the lid and have it cook the rest of the way.

I also purchased a Bluetooth meat thermometer with 6 probes - love that gadget. Throw six steaks on and know when each one is at the desired temp.... takes all the guess work out of medium and medium rare. I got a chugod from Amazon.

Back to the slow and sear, im having a difficult time keeping the temp low enough to smoke via their directions... primarily due to my old Weber having air leaks which I haven't corrected, but the brisket I smoked was delicious nonetheless. There are plenty of "how to" vids on YouTube for SNS. I'm sure after I get Weber replacement parts, the grill will perform better. However, I'm not sure the smoke and sear would be better than a dedicated smoker. I just didn't want two pieces of grilling equipment in the patio.
 
Big Green Egg. Really like it. So much better tasting that the regular gas grills. I don't have all the electronic stuff like you mention. I don't do a lot of slow cooking like the folks do down here with the boston butts a 220 degrees for hours upon hours. We do everything from steak, burgers, pork chops, fish, and even done some breakfast foods on it.

Really enjoy it.
 
I have the XL Big Green Egg. Will never own any other grill/smoker
 
i am herdman said:
Big Green Egg. Really like it. So much better tasting that the regular gas grills. I don't have all the electronic stuff like you mention. I don't do a lot of slow cooking like the folks do down here with the boston butts a 220 degrees for hours upon hours. We do everything from steak, burgers, pork chops, fish, and even done some breakfast foods on it.

Really enjoy it.
Click to expand...

19MU88 said:
I have the XL Big Green Egg. Will never own any other grill/smoker
Click to expand...
i'm not a fan of the BGE for some reason. it seems the flavored wood pellets of the pellet smokers would be so much easier; you can get various flavored pellets, less ash mess. and, setting the temp of the pellet smokers electronically seems as though it would be much simpler and more precise than the charcoal and venting the BGE. finally, the price. a person could have over $2K in a BGE and cabinet/holder whereas you can pick up a pellet smoker/gas combo for under a grand. on the flip side, i love the taste of charcoal flavored foods.

i'm not looking to go on barbecue masters, just looking to smoke some meats at the house.
 
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I don’t doubt you can smoke some tasty meat in much less expensive smokers. Same for grilling.

The temp adjustments take time getting used to, but for long smokes I use a smobot to automatically adjust vents for temp. But again that’s more money.

what I like?
Something about the moisture in meat provided by that thick ceramic egg.
For grilling - you can get it super hot for great searing and char on steak.
Makes awesome brick oven pizzas.
The lump charcoal burns very clean with little ash and great flavor.
It is so versatile for direct or indirect cooking, slow cooks or smokes, high eat grilling etc etc
 
19MU88 said:
I don’t doubt you can smoke some tasty meat in much less expensive smokers. Same for grilling.

The temp adjustments take time getting used to, but for long smokes I use a smobot to automatically adjust vents for temp. But again that’s more money.

what I like?
Something about the moisture in meat provided by that thick ceramic egg.
For grilling - you can get it super hot for great searing and char on steak.
Makes awesome brick oven pizzas.
The lump charcoal burns very clean with little ash and great flavor.
It is so versatile for direct or indirect cooking, slow cooks or smokes, high eat grilling etc etc
Click to expand...
i've read the moisture retention in the BGE is unreal. searing would definitely be a plus for the BGE as it seems as though it'd be a bit tougher in the pellet smokers. however, the dual smoker/gas with a flat iron would make searing on the pellet smoker much easier (not easier than a BGE just easier than a regular pellet smoker).
MichiganHerd said:
To be honest, you should find a decent barrel and turn it into a smoker. Find a redneck that likes to use a torch and welder.
Click to expand...
i've actually seen old refrigerators converted to smokers by some redneck buddies. they work great for smoking meat. my bro is a welder connoisseur and could easily build something out of a barrel. hell, i've buddies that have made pig cookers out of old oil drums.

maxresdefault.jpg
 
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We cook a lot and are “foodie” people , but never got into smoking for what it’s worth. I discovered I liked my steaks in cast iron and have a couple of different methods I like for that.

my friends have big green eggs, primo, and traegers. All like them a lot. I just can’t commit that much time to grilling right now.

Would like to dive in later when kids are older.
 
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WV-FAN said:
finally, the price
Click to expand...

That's really what it comes down to. We have a
Char-Broil The Big Easy TRU-Infrared Smoker Roaster & Grill
that was a wedding gift, it is OK for our needs and just the two of us, but it ain't great. Almost $2k in for a BGE? Fvck that. Yes they are really, really nice. There's a sweet spot in the middle for sure, and I am sure in a year or two I'll blow some money and find it.

MichiganHerd said:
To be honest, you should find a decent barrel and turn it into a smoker.
Click to expand...

Might as well. The best barbecue around here are a couple of black guys with a food truck, they pop up here and there. They have big ass homemade smokers.

Edit: Goddamn Amazon make it impossible to link. Fvckers.
 
Last edited:
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How long does it take to do a steak on one of these?

seems like a big time commitment for a typical workday meal but I 100% get the weekend thing.
 
-CarlHungus- said:
How long does it take to do a steak on one of these?

seems like a big time commitment for a typical workday meal but I 100% get the weekend thing.
Click to expand...
It depends on what you’re going for I’ve smoked them for 1 1/2 hours and I’ve cooked them in 15 min on my Traeger.
 
Raoul Duke MU said:
The better question is why would you want to? I think the cast iron method is both the best and easiest.
Click to expand...
Cast iron method definitely produces damn good steak, is quick and simple. I prefer the taste of a charcoal or wood fire grilled steak, though. Another great thing about cast iron is the sear you can get on a steak; Pittsburgh style, nice crust on the outside, rare in the middle.

Im leaning toward the Pit Boss smoker gas combo with griddle for a couple reasons: price point and the obvious combo. sear steaks on griddle then finish over smoker.
 
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WV-FAN said:
Cast iron method definitely produces damn good steak, is quick and simple. I prefer the taste of a charcoal or wood fire grilled steak, though. Another great thing about cast iron is the sear you can get on a steak; Pittsburgh style, nice crust on the outside, rare in the middle.

Im leaning toward the Pit Boss smoker gas combo with griddle for a couple reasons: price point and the obvious combo. sear steaks on griddle then finish over smoker.
Click to expand...
Exactly it all depends on taste. I enjoy a high quality seared steak just as much as anyone, but there’s something about a steak on the grill. I can reverse sear on my Traeger sure it takes a little more time but I enjoy being outside at the grill
 
Raoul Duke MU said:
The better question is why would you want to? I think the cast iron method is both the best and easiest.
Click to expand...

yeah, I’ll never go back I doubt it. Can do both a quick Alton brown/Pittsburgh style or sometimes I’ve done a cast iron /stove rack combo method finished back in the cast iron with fresh rosemary, garlic, and bay leaf in butter I learned from *name drop a chef*.

Id like the smoker for wings or Boston butt
 
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-CarlHungus- said:
How long does it take to do a steak on one of these?

seems like a big time commitment for a typical workday meal but I 100% get the weekend thing.
Click to expand...
I use my Weber for normal cooking, but if you're going to cook a whole roast or something like that, it all depends on temperature. For example, I cooked two racks of ribs earlier, and cooked them at about 195 to 215 for three hours, after soaking them in some cider and applying a local meat shops dry rub. Then after three hours, I added some Stubbs sweet heat barbecue sauce and allowed the babies to get ultra happy for an hour. The real key is to use the right wood for whatever meat you happen to be smoking, as well as not go overboard with the smoke, or you'll end up feeling like you're eating a carcass that died in a house fire the night before.
 
If you want a good smoker for a good price get the steel CharGriller Akorn. Starting out this is a perfect grill to own. You'll need to learn how to control the temps but that's part of the fun. My wife bought mine for me about 4 years ago and I'm getting ready to upgrade but I'm glad I started with a cheaper one.
 
I’ve had meat three times in the last four months: once at my partner’s house who insisted that I eat the steak from Costco since he said they had some of the best cuts of steak he’s ever found at a store, another time was two bites of my girlfriend’s steak at a restaurant, and the last was chicken that I didn’t know was in a soup until I ate some as leftovers the next day.

Besides it being the ethical and healthy thing to do, it also does this to you (you’re welcome, @MichiganHerd)
b27kFST.jpg
 
I three some steaks on the Egg tonight with some veggies and some sweet potato slices that were soaked in bourbon glaze.

Dang that was good.
 
ThunderCat98 said:
I've been thinking about buying one of these, but don't know anyone that has one. Reviews seem pretty good from what I've read and they're a little cheaper than a Traeger.

https://zgrills.com/collections/700...nP6Xns8P3mAaVyjShQVmte_sU48rPabxoCgRkQAvD_BwE
Click to expand...
My kids got me a Z Grill for Father's Day. I cooked my first thing on it this past weekend. It’s very good at maintaining a constant temp. I did a couple of racks of ribs and some chicken wings on it. The ribs were “fall off the bone” tender. Pork butt is next!
 
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riflearm2 said:
I’ve had meat three times in the last four months: once at my partner’s house who insisted that I eat the steak from Costco since he said they had some of the best cuts of steak he’s ever found at a store, another time was two bites of my girlfriend’s steak at a restaurant, and the last was chicken that I didn’t know was in a soup until I ate some as leftovers the next day.

Besides it being the ethical and healthy thing to do, it also does this to you (you’re welcome, @MichiganHerd)
b27kFST.jpg
Click to expand...

And just like that, all hopes of getting the "old" Rifle back were dashed to bits. Please leave your man card on the table on your way out the door.
 
Curious to know how these pellet grills perform with normal grilling - hamburgers, steaks, pork chops etc. Does it get as hot as a charcoal grill?
 
Chevy1 said:
Curious to know how these pellet grills perform with normal grilling - hamburgers, steaks, pork chops etc. Does it get as hot as a charcoal grill?
Click to expand...
I can get my pellet up to 500 and it’s a cheaper model. I’m sure more expensive ones can get hotter but there’s not really a need for how I use it
 
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Chevy1 said:
Curious to know how these pellet grills perform with normal grilling - hamburgers, steaks, pork chops etc. Does it get as hot as a charcoal grill?
Click to expand...
obviously, i've done nothing on mine as of yet (just got it last evening) but the guy i bought it from has one just like it. had a burger at his house the other evening and it was simply one of the best cooked/textured burgers i've ever had. it has a sear option to do steaks or whatever else. as 429 indicated, the temp can get up to 500 (i had mine at ~530 last evening when seasoning it). mine also has a "seer" option, not sure how it works yet. my thoughts on doing a good pittsburgh style steak is to throw the steaks in a cast iron skillet set on high for a minute on each side then transfer to smoker to finish them out. also, mine has a meat probe thermometer which is read by the onboard computer so finishing a steak, or any meat, to the desired internal temp should be extremely easy.
 
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WV-FAN said:
anybody have one? i've grilled on my walmart special gas/charcoal combo for 15+ years and ready to upgrade to a smoker. have one friend with a $1400 traeger, another with a $700 pitboss. my sis has a $500 pitboss. all are electronically temp controlled pellet feeders. i know my sis' pitboss has electronic meat probes, i.e. when your meat gets to desired internal temp, alarms and shit, grille shuts down. the $700 pitboss is a gas grille/smoker combo. has smoker on left side, gas grille with flat iron on right side. electronic heat control on smoker. not sure if it has meat probe option. my buddy with the traeger seems to have issues with keeping it at temp all the time. he's trying to sell me one (owns a lumber/hardware store, sort of like a lowes but a bit smaller), but i'm not biting because of 1) the price (even though he'll sell it to me at cost) and 2) the issues he's had with his.

what you got? features? like it or spike it?
Click to expand...

Find an Old School Oklahoma Joe.......Not one you can buy in a store.
 
MichiganHerd said:
I've never understood why grown men shave their upper arms. Of course, I also don't understand the men in tights thing.
Click to expand...

Oh, you're going the same route as Big Dummy's beautiful wife and claiming that I shave my arms. Like my back, my upper arms don't really grow hair. Maybe there is some light hair right above the elbow, but there isn't enough to see in a picture. If you keep studying all of my pictures, you may be able to find something that you have better.

ThunderCat98 said:
And just like that, all hopes of getting the "old" Rifle back were dashed to bits. Please leave your man card on the table on your way out the door.
Click to expand...

Yes, doing the right thing ethically by caring for the environment, caring for animals, helping your own health, and helping society and others definitely is not the manly thing to do. Don't worry, I said this while adjusting my balls in public and hacking up a loogie.
 
The data (and pretty much 99% of nutritional dietary/epidemiology data) is incredibly weak that a diet without animal protein is in any way “healthier” than one with animal protein/fat.

John Iannidis once said “nutritional epidemiology is a scandal.”

If you want to do low meat or no meat then go ahead, especially if you feel better or perform better without...but I’m not sure I’d consider it “healthier.”

Now - if MichiganHerd is cooking the meat over a metal barrel filled with tires, cannabis ashes, and motor oil - that may not be healthy....but I’m not convinced that a piece of chicken with your salad is less healthy than a salad with whatever veggie protein you add in.
 
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