Recommend a good smoker?

N

Northslope Nimrod

New member
I want a good smoker that I can SET IT AND FORGET IT.

I like the idea of the indirect heat smokers with the firebox off to the side, but you guys tell me, what are the best smokers for the money. I am not looking to spend a fortune. I have an electric Little Chief but you have to tend it constantly.

So, list those smokers!
 
Have a buddy that uses the Big Green Egg, and he produces some amazing food on it. It isn't as indirect as what you are talking about and it isn't really cheap. However he is able to leave food on there for up to 24hrs and says that the temp will not change more than a couple of degrees. I'm still trying to convince the other half that we need one of these grill/smokers.
 
May not be the best but it works !!

Kind of depends on how much meat you want to smoke but here is what I started doing this year and it has worked out very well for me. Remember that a little smoke goes a long way and I mostly use a dry rub.

I have a three burner gas grill that I use as a smoker. I took a large coffee can and cut it down to fit under my cooking grill. I soak my hickory and fill the can with as much as will fit. I put this can on top of one of the far burners and set the gas as low as it will go on just that burner. There is little, if any direct heat onto my meat. I try to go a for long cooking times and low heat, usually try to target at 250DEGF. I also plug as many small holes at the bottom, with foil. Later, I just empty the can of the ashes so my grill stays fairly clean. This works for me and working on a brine recipe, using apple cidar.

Understand that I have limited space and as a conservative would say; I'm cheap. ... :eek:

Be Safe !!!
 
Big Green Egg

There is no other smoker. Come over to the green side.....

Three racks of baby backs (cut in half)
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16lb turkey (This is on a medium Egg, I once cooked a 22lb'er on my large)
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Planked salmon
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I've had the large and the mini for about twelve years now and I can't say enough good things about them. I can maintain 220° for 24+ hours for low and slow, or sear steaks at 1000° and everything between. I cook just about every meal I eat at home on the Egg, I would gladly trade my stove for another Egg!

Pizzas, bread, steaks, anything... The Egg cooks it all.
 
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I use a traeger pellet smoker and have really good luck with it. They are kind of high but I don't know what your looking at spending. I use the oak hardwood pellets from menard's and it gives a great flavor. Plus a 40 lb bag of those pellet only cost $3.50 and two or three bags will get me through the whole summer and I smoke a lot of rib, butts, roast, loins, and pretty much any other kind of meat I get my hands on. Oh yeah and my dad uses the Green egg and loves it, had some good ribs off of it.
 
I can SET IT AND FORGET IT.
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Traeger makes a good smoker uses pellets and a timer. Expensive tho.

Best one is the one I built, got 50.00 in it and can do 2 hogs at once or 1 tiny steak, it is versital :) Bass Pro has electrics with timers and such, set it and come back everything is done.

Had a large webber for many years, it could cook anything, I even did pizza on that one.

Look at what you want to cook as in how much at a time, then go look at what is out there. There are some small smokers at menards have separate fire boxes etc for under 200.00
 
You could also consider to make one! We have one made out of a old transformer box gutted out with a turkey burner under it for heat! can make it for pretty cheap and have great results but you wont be able to forget it! for the best smoke results use corn cobs and you will have a great flavor and a great smokey taste! and they are easy to come by.
 
I picked up a Char Griller Duo back when we bought our house. I'm still working on getting the kinks worked out and learning how it works. I'm about to the point where I can set it and leave it for close to an hour before I feel the need to check on it.

A lot of the "set and forget" is weather dependent. If it's gusty, the temps will float a lot. If the sun's intermittent, it'll change the temps.
 
Big Green Egg

I highly recommend BGE. Excellent smoker and excellent grill, and the food tastes amazing. I've used it for a number of years and have never been disappointed.

Charcoal selection is important if you'd like to take full advantage of it, I use Weekend Warrior Blend from http://www.wickedgoodcharcoal.com/. You can find a lot of good information and charcoal reviews at this site. Make sure you use lump, not briquettes.
 
Why would you want to set it and forget it? The fun of smoking a brisket is hanging around outside, tinkering with the vents and dozing in the shade. Some people even add adult beverages. If you smoke the turkey at Thanksgiving, you have a ready excuse to stay out of the house and skip the rest of the work.

For 4th of July, my street has a brisket contest. We start up the fires after the poker game breaks up (midnight to 2ish, depending). Washers tournament and pool party during the day. Judging is around 5 PM. For this event, you have to hang around outside as a defensive measure. If you don't, you may become the topic of conversation.

I met a guy who told a story about his brother-in-law, an engineer with a Big Green Egg. He rigged it with actuators and thermometers that were web-enabled. He could monitor the temperature and adjust the airflow from work. If you do that, it shouldn't be hard to program it to maintain whatever temp you want without you having to make the adjustments yourself.

Good luck!
Tom
 
I have noticed that ebay has the Amigo model of the Pro Q for about $130 shipped, which is similar to the WSM. Would anyone recommend that model?

What is a good price for the WSM and where to buy?
 
I once saw an episode of Good Eats (Food network) where Alton brown smoked a fish in a big cardboard box with a hot plate, a cast iron skillet full of sawdust, an old oven rack and a small electric fan. Don't recall how long a skillet full of sawdust lasted, but it seemed like it could set for a good while without intervention. YouTube video of the set up here.

Regards,
Tom
 
That box smoker was a cold smoker.

If you want to go on the cheap, look for his clay pot smoker that he used a hot plate as the heat source.
 
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