Good morning

[malique]

Hey everyone, 

I am semi-new to smoking, I have smoked a few shoulders in a gas grill using a smoker box.  For an anniversary present, my wife is going to be purchasing me a "real" smoker.  We are going to just start me off small to make sure it is a hobby that I am going to keep, plus the community we live in is very picky about the stuff we can keep out.  We are looking at $75-$150 range. 

Looking for the pros and cons between a "bullet" smoker and a Vertical Box smoker

 

[noboundaries]

Welcome to SMF Malique.  Glad you are here and looking for a way to start your new hobby. 

If you are handy with tools you can make a great bullet smoker for less than $100.  Use the search bar for Mini-WSM and lots of threads come up.  Or you could buy a new 14.5" Weber Smokey Mountain (aka WSM) for twice as much.  Great little smokers that don't take up much room and both deliver great smoked meat.

Have fun!   

 

[bluewhisper]

Welcome to the board! Yes the Weber bullets are probably your best bet, and some say you can find them used for cheap.

Heh, I wonder how many are sold off with a comment like "George tried that once."

 

[letthemeatrest]

I started off with the weber bullet too and i'm glad i did. its a simple, high quality smoker with an entry level price. try to avoid the cheapo offset style smokers, i hear those are very frustrating to use as a beginner because they don't even work correctly due to poor seals

the only downside i can think of with bullet style smokers is less cooking space on the grate, but if this is your initiation/test run into the hobby, don't let this stop you 

 

[malique]

Thank you all

I was looking at a Char-Broil Vertical Charcoal Smoker  as a starter.  Is there a huge difference between the bullets and a box like this one?

 

[gary s]

  Good afternoon and welcome to the forum, from another hot day in East Texas and the best site on the web. Lots of great people with tons of information on just about  everything.

Gary

 

[letthemeatrest]

 
Thank you all

I was looking at a Char-Broil Vertical Charcoal Smoker  as a starter.  Is there a huge difference between the bullets and a box like this one?

read through some of these threads:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/newsearch?search=Char+Broil+Vertical+Charcoal

can't really comment because i do not have experience with that style smoker. i quickly skimmed the threads out of curiosity and i'm seeing that it leaks air around the door. there are ways to seal it, but its more work for someone just starting out and experimenting.

if it leaks then it makes controlling the temperature more difficult

the bullet style smokers fit together like push fittings, so it creates a better seal than a square door would