hello all-

it is finally spring....after a long, cold winter, we bbq'd atlead 1 time a week, all i have been thinking about is getting a smoker. i am not looking to spend to much. i seen some cheap ones at the Home depot for around 69 bucks... i think my intital budget is going to be $125.

everyone was so helpful with my kirkland signature grill from 2 years ago....

thanks in advance.

You can smoke food in any smoker once you learn to use it.

For set it and forgett it smaoking, though, stretch your budget a bit and..

http://www.bbqsource-forums.com/invboard/i...p?showforum=100

Shelly

For me, I started a custom smoker a couple of years ago, started, procrastinated, started again, let it go.... etc. Then I bought a Kenmore electric for about $120, give or take. Haven't looked back! Cheap is fine with me. Today, six racks of ribs will be smoking within the next hour for company coming from out of State. Someday, I may finish mine. Or.. buy another, more expensive one. Whatever - I'll never be without a smoker again, regardless of the cost! Take the plunge now, buy whichever you can afford. The cost is really negligible for the return, and you'll enjoy hundreds of hours of good smoked meat while pondering whether to invest more on a higher priced model. But don't hesitate - NOTHING beats good smoked meat!

Mike

+1 - I agree with this poster... I'm on my second smoker. My first was a charcoal bullet, around $25 or so at one of the big boxes, and
I was able to turn out some pretty amazing briskets with it. It finally met it's maker after around 4 years of use, so I sprung for a gas
from masterbuild (7in1), again rather inexpensive for what I got. But Iv'e done whole turkeys, chickens large slabs of beef and pork
briskets, never looked back. The best thing to do is to get one and get started, you will build your own style of spices / rubs etc for
what works best for you over time...

Art

Right on! Smoking at any level in a dedicated smoker on a bad day is better than the best attempts on a grill on a good day!

Mike

I'm possibly days away from getting one of the new Weber Smokey Mountains (18 incher).

Cannot wait. If I get it as soon as I hope I'll post some pics.

I have been very happy with the WSM.

thanks.. so i am going to get a smoker. i might have to increase my budget. i ewant to certainly get an electric one. i like the kenmore...

I'm very happy with mine! The electric is much better than their propane because of the double wall thickness. And whenever it breaks, I'll just chuck it and buy another. But the only thing that can really break is the element, and I'm sure that is easily replaced.

Mike

I've had several smokers and like the Texas style smoker. I'm on my second Chargriller "Smokin Pro Model #1224 ($179.00)" smoker, since 1999. http://www.chargriller.com/store/product_i...66dd46d33ec8183

I live in FL and don't cover my smoker as recommended, so I guess I'll need to replace this one in 5-8 yrs.
Several things to look at when selecting a smoker,
* The lid should have a high dome & open completely. A 3/4 lid looks great but limits the size of what your smoking.

* The Fire Box gets extremely hot, so you want a large door to add wood (chunks), having to use heavy gloves is a pain in the --- and impratical.

* The Fire Box grate allows air to flow under the fire, maintaining a constant heat. Although the grate is shallow, I can open the side door and clean it every couple of hours. I've had trouble with the ash build-up with other models.

* I generally put a disposable loaf pan of water/wine mix in the main cooker, near the fire box, to keep the meat moist. On past models that I've owned, the pan was small and needed to be refilled constantly.

* To ease clean-up, I place a drip pan under the meat, especially when smoking a bird (Turkey, Roasting Hens, Brisquet, etc). Will the smoker you choose give you room for a Drip Pan & Water Pan?

* Surface area, what will you be smoking and how much. On the Smoking Pro, I've smoked a 25 lb Turkey & a racks of ribs at the same time, photo attached. A couple of yrs ago I smoked 2 20+ lb turkeys, side by side.

* Fish, I don't do fish but a friend loves smoked fish and recommends a vertical chamber to hang the fish. Most come with racks to divide the area for your meats.


Good Luck and have Fun.

Grilling

I have to agree with Grilling on this one. I have had my CG Pro for about 6 or 7 years and this thing just gets better with age. Here' some pictures of a BBQ for a large B-day party.

This smoker will maintain a 225 degree temperature for about 5 hrs or more without a fuel reload. It's a great balance between quality and affordability.

Here it is a Homedepot for 169.00. Hopefully the out of stock is temporary. http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores...03+90401+500439






Good Luck! Let's us know what you get.

I like having the side box type cooker myself. At Wally-World they have a so called cooker that looks close to mine but I would not buy it for smoking meats. The top lid is larger than the bottom of the cooking area. It has about 3/4 inch gap all the way around the lid, not much convection happening like that.

It's about 10 years old now and still going.

[quote name='Russell' date='Apr 10 2009, 10:16 PM' post='37972']
I have to agree with Grilling on this one. I have had my CG Pro for about 6 or 7 years and this thing just gets better with age. Here' some pictures of a BBQ for a large B-day party.

This smoker will maintain a 225 degree temperature for about 5 hrs or more without a fuel reload. It's a great balance between quality and affordability.

Here it is a Homedepot for 169.00. Hopefully the out of stock is temporary. http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores...03+90401+500439






Good Luck! Let's us know what you get.
[/quote
Russell
What do you think about the CG gas grill with the side firebox
I looked at the duo with firebox but it was to big for my space

Russell

I prefer rubs, generally I use Stubb's Bar-B-Q Spice Rub, just starting to experiment with making my own Rub.

The pepper corn spicing on the ribs in the photo looks interesting.
I would be interested in your combination of spices, if you're willing to share.

Grilling

So would I, doh!

That was two years ago and for some dumb reason I never write anything down. This I need to change because I have came up with some great rubs but I did not write any of them down.

If I come up with something new soon since it is BBQ weather, I will definitley share.

Happy Easter everyone! Happy grilling.

Well, here's my thought.....

If you already have a dedicated gas grill, then I would go with just a smoker. That is one thing I don't think should be mixed together.(IMO) Like when someone takes a car and tries to make it a 4x4 vehicle, but still use it as a daily driving car. Does that make since??

Consider the Old Smokey. It's right in your price range. It's simple, reliable and I can't imagine anything that can go wrong with for many years of use.

Old Smokey

You can get them on eBay from River Country for about $140 delivered. Get the $8.00 thermometer and install it on the lid. It's a must.