Recomended Smoker

[lee909]

Hi
Just joined the forum as im trying to learn how to smoke some food for the upcoming FIFA world cup.
I have found 3 smokers on amazon and am hoping somebody could point me in the right way as which one could be the best for me.
the 3 i am looking at cost around £90 sterling and are on this following link
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/qid=127230...71&sort=-price

Thank you very much for any replies
Lee

 

[bill in mn]

Lee that is a hard question to answer. I think I would look on the site and see what might interest you.Charcoal great flavor very portable.Electric very easy to use but needs power.Gas portable but needs refilling and should have a back up lp cylinder just in case. so look around get some ideas and then maybe ask some questions you might have on a specific type.
And A big hello to the site and you'll be a great pit master in no time.Bill

 

[rgacat]

Lee
Welcome to SMF.
I still new here also so take my ramblings for what they are just that, I started with the electric because it is easy and somewhat fool proof(I hope) I understand here if I read right the charcoal give you a better smoke. Someday I'm sure I will give one of them a try also.

 

[mballi3011]

First off welcome Lee to SMF. You will like it here cause there are alot of good folks here that would just love to help you with just about anything to do with smoking. Now for your smoker delimma I'm a gasser and I think that they are the best for the money and If I were to recommend one it would have to be the smoke vault 24" by camp chef or browning.

 

[coronaca92879]

Lee one of my questions would be their was one bullet style and two offset smoker's. I personally have a bullet. But its rather large. If u are gonna cook ribs u may wanna go offset. If ur doing smaller items maybe the bullet. Bullet is easily transported. Offset generally u need a truck for. So if u wanna keep in back yard and little larger cooking area grab one of those offsets. If u wanna transport and smaller items get the bullet. Or u could do what I did and get the Wsm but a little higher price range

 

[beer-b-q]

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[treegje]

Welcome to the SMF Lee, We are glad to have you onboard

 

[seajams]

Welcome Lee and as others have stated, it really depends on what you are wanting to cook, how many you are cooking for and how much time you have to get the best results.

The bottom line on smoking meat is "its done when its done, not when it reaches temp". Fortunatly my wife understands that so we eat when its done!

 

[ralphster]

Hi Lee!

I joined these forums in the same state you are right now: Hungry to make some great smoked food yet casting about for how to do it right.

After a lengthy search (internet, specialty bbq stores, big box retailers) I settled on the 22/5" Weber Smokey Mountain.

http://www.amazon.com/Weber-731001-S.../dp/B001I8ZTJA

I don't know conversion rates to your currency. I paid $400 USD for mine and they threw in 20 lbs of pecan for free.

Thus far I have been VERY satisfied with my results on ribs, chicken, brisket and pork shoulder. I have a small backyard behind our building, and the smoker sits on a little pad I made out of old patio tiles and aquarium rock. I don't know what kind of space you have or what your preference is for smokers though, so I can only offer my own experience.

If you've got the space and access to a ready supply of lump charcoal the WSM or bullet type smokers can give you great results. Not saying that gas or electric won't do just as good though - it's up to the individual. Based on information I found here I went with the WSM. Best of luck to you and to Spain in FIFA!

 

[indyadmin1974]

Knowing what I know now, I probably would have gone with a charcoal smoker such as the WSM.

I love my LP smoker, but it does need to be watched and having a spare LP tank is a must.

 

[etcher1]

Welcome to the SMF forum, You came to the right place. Good people and good info.

 

[etcher1]

Welcome to the SMF forum, You came to the right place. Good people and good info.

 

[leosmith78]

Welcome Lee!

I'll give ya my take on the different smokers I've used. I've used charcoal/wood offsets, propane masterbuilt (http://www.amazon.com/Masterbuilt-M7.../dp/B000A09SQW), and now I use the MES.

I would probably still have the charcoal, but I've moved to a condo and my deck isn't large enough. Plus, the condo assn doesn't let us have open flames on the deck. I liked it because it imparted a great flavor and it felt as though you were really BBQing cuz you had to keep an eye on it a lot. It is also more susceptible wind and cold because they aren't insulated. well, I've never seen an insulated offset, there are probably some out there. So, IMHO, they are great if you don't mind tending to them, which to me, is half of the fun.

I used the propane smoker (this was 5 yrs ago) because it gave me a little more freedom by not having to keep putting charcoal on, etc. I was able to maintain a set temp a little better, which at least for me, was a bit difficult on the offset. Don't get me wrong, there are guys on here that can keep a steady temp in the offset, but i had some probs. I got rid of it, because it fell apart from so much use. It had a water pan. there are two smoke racks on it, but the area is small. I bought some rib racks (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...equestid=50399) and was able to wrap the ribs or "weave" them through the racks. I could then put 2 racks of ribs on each grill rack without having to cut them, but there was little room for anything else, besides maybe the rib flaps or some chicken parts.

Now I use the MES and I love it! The condo assn doesn't mind cuz it's electric and it has a small footprint on my small deck. It is incredibly easy to make delicious bbq on the MES. I don't have to constantly check it; I just set the temp on the controller and put chips in every few hours. It has a water pan and ample space. It's especially nice for all day smokes when because you can do other things around the house while it does the work. It is also insulated. I've smoked with the mes in pretty much all weather: freezing temps, rain, snow and it continues to maintain it's temps. I'm very happy with it.

Well, these are my reasons for using what I do. No, I'm not affiliated with Masterbuilt, either! :-)

Leo

 

[caveman]

Welcome to SMF Lee. I hope you enjoy your stay & have lot's of fun while you are here. We are glad to have you.

Like all of the previous members have pointed out their preferences on what type of smoker YOU should purchase, it all really comes down to, "How much can you afford?". You can not buy more than what is in your pocket, today. What ever choice you make, the fun will be in the learning curve. There is a plethera of information here along with experienced & humourous minds working, so once you ask a question, you will recieve multiple answers as a solution to your problem or inquiry. So go for whatever you can afford, learn the smoker well & start your smoking.

Now, if your budget is truly limited, then my suggestion would be to save up some more money & do just a little bit more research before making your purchase. Good luck.