# ORION SMOKERS ???



## uhmgood

hey guys , anybody know anything about these smokers , my buddy told me about them today and if you read their website they sound almost too good to be true , let me know what you think , thanks


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## frosty

Not really  a smoker, per se.  It apparently uses lots of charcoal, mostly cooks by convection.  I got a friend that has one, and likes it.


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## SmokinAl

Do you have a link?


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## frosty

Here ya go Al!

http://www.theorioncooker.com/


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## ecto1

Frosty said:


> Not really  a smoker, per se.  It apparently uses lots of charcoal, mostly cooks by convection.  I got a friend that has one, and likes it.




Emeril also has a simular marketed device.  This is more a convection cooker like a Cajun Microwave or a Caja China.  Thay make great food just like an oven would.  as a mater of fact it is just a big dutch oven that you can add chips to if you want.


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## SmokinAl

It looks kinda cool! MMMM, new toy?


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## uhmgood

after i posted i went on youtube to see what was there , they had several videos to watch , kinda interesting , it seems this might work. its hard to believe you can cook ribs in 1 hour and 15 min that are actually tender but it seems to be true . once my buddy gets his and we try it out i will give a full report


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## coffee_junkie

My brother has one, it is definitely cheating if you are a low and slow smoker, however it is a really neat lil toy and produces some amazing food! On one load of charcoal we cooked two decent sized turkeys, they each took under 2 hours and where very juicy and smokey.


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## dward51

I bought one at Home Depot when they had them on clearance for $50 a few years back.  Hard to pass up at that price even if it was a novelty item.  That being said, I think we have used it 2 or 3 times.  I had to try the "ribs in an hour" to see if it will actually do it.  Yes it will make 6 racks of baby back ribs in about a hour, but if you are used to "real" smoked ribs done low and slow the texture and taste is not the same.  I've also done chicken and the results were similar.  It's just not the same.  So my shiny stainless Orion cooker now just sits as a side decoration to the rest of my cooking gear (the rest actually gets used regularly).

It does not use a great amount of charcoal as it cooks so fast.  The directions say to use a 15lb bag of match light (or similar instant light charcoal, or I guess you could hose your own down with lighter fluid - I can't believe I even said that).  You load the meat, close up the chamber , light it & forget it until you hit the time mark.  The "cooking chamber" is sealed and it acts more like a convection oven.  It works the same way that a cast iron dutch oven does (the old style camping type).  The coals on the top stimulate the convection action in the cooking chamber.  You just put some match light coals on the top and spread the rest around the outside of the cooking chamber.  There is no direct smoke action from the coals, but if you put chips or pellets inside against the outer shell of the smoke chamber, it will smolder from the heat which comes through the chamber wall and give you smoke.  It is 100% stainless, but with the open flames licking the outside of the cook chamber you will get discoloration after the first cook.  Also with the sealed cooking chamber there is no way to put a meat probe inside.  You cook by time alone and there is no way to make any heat adjustment so a pit probe would not help either.

That being said, if you get it for the right price, it would have it's uses.  I could see it being handy on a tailgate outing where time was an issue or even on a RV, camping trip or day at the beach, but it is not ever going to compete head to head with low and slow.  It's definitely a niche item IMO.  I just can't seem to decide to get rid of mine, as I still see it having uses under certain circumstances.  But for me, I would much rather fire up the WSM and the BBQ Guru and do it the right way over real wood smoke and coals.

Here is a link to the Orion users manual on Home Depot's web site.

http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/pdfImages/e5/e5c88df4-69c6-499c-b77f-04b98c9d30ea.pdf

Not my photo but it should give anyone not familiar with the Orion and idea of what I'm talking about...


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## uhmgood

my follow-up report : well, my buddy finally got to use his orion and he said it really worked , he did a batch of ribs and it took about 1 hr and 15 min. he said they were very moist and tender , he was impressed . hes not going to give up his green egg but he says this deal definately has its place . probably best for tailgating and places where you just can't do a 4 or 6 hr smoke


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## uhmgood

one more update . i got to taste test a 10# pork butt that was done in 3hrs and 15 min . excellent !!!!!


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## mossymo

I purchase one last summer and it is my go to rib machine now, especially when I do not have 5 to 7 hours for smoking. Ribs is all I have made it it so far, but if I can light it, and forget it... they are that trustworthy. Just think about getting done with work and having ribs that are delicious in 2 hours; or maybe have the wife light the grill an hour and a half before you get home... this is a huge selling point for me!


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## harleysmoker

This was my first "smoker". I cooked all kind of things on it and have to say I never had a bad meal on it.

It cooks fast, you can do a 5lb butt in 3 1/2 hours, ribs in an hour and 15 minutes. All you have to do is throw some wood chips inside, fill it with charcoal, light it and forget it.

They say to use Matchlight charcoal for better results but I used regular charcoal with light fluid also. Still it cost about $10 to fire it up each time.

When I mad ribs I would cook them in the Orion then throw on the gas grill with BBQ sauce to crisp them up a little.

I have many pictures of food I cooked on it if anyone is interested.

I have since bought a Master Forge gas but i still have the Orion.


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## uhmgood

sure harley , lets see some pics


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## sprky

Interesting. never used one never seen 1 used. You can always smoke ahead and reheat for tale gates, I have done that several times. seams like it takes a bunch of charcoal to me, and I HATE the instant light stuff as well as lighter fluid. With that being said if I could pick 1 up cheap I may play around with it.


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## mossymo

sprky said:


> seams like it takes a bunch of charcoal to me, and I HATE the instant light stuff as well as lighter fluid. With that being said if I could pick 1 up cheap I may play around with it.


Orion's are not bragged about when it comes to charcoal use...

As far as what charcoal to use, typically I agree with you sprky; but in this case the insta light works best and it does not matter what brand you use because the brand of charcoal or if you use lighter fluid or not does not affect the taste of food off an Orion. Food is seal inside the Orion's canister, charcoal only provides the heat, does not affect the taste.


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## harleysmoker

Here are some pictures of things I cooked on it.


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## texas bbq

it looks sooo great. Damn, we here in Germany can´t get much less BBQ stuff like in US.


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## uhmgood

hey harley , those pics look great , thanks for posting


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## uhmgood

yo harley , i just noticed a temp probe , is that your own modification ? i thought these cooked by time and weight only .


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## shoneyboy




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## harleysmoker

I always check my meat before I eat. I ran the probe in there just to make sure the cook times in the book were right, and I didn't want to open it until I knew it was done.


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## uhmgood

well my buddy was at it again over the weekend , he did an 8 # prime rib in 1 hr 30 min using the instructions that came with the smoker. he checked the internal temp when it came off at 135 degrees , said it was perfect for his taste , juicy , tender , med rareish , not bloody. he said his friend is the final word , he eats it without his false teeth and had no problem


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## captden

I've had an Orion for a couple of years. I like to do my pork butts and briskets in them. I can do two 8lb butts in four hours and one load of coal if it's not windy. They are a great little tool to have in your line up. Almost impossible to mess up a cook. Sometimes 6 racks of babby backs in 1hr 15min fits right in to my time schedule. They take 13 1/2 lbs of coal. 9 or 10 briquettes in the top the rest in the bottom. I have had them last 5hrs and still cooking.


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## dward51

> I've had an Orion for a couple of years. I like to do my pork butts and briskets in them. I can do two 8lb butts in four hours and one load of coal if it's not windy. They are a great little tool to have in your line up. Almost impossible to mess up a cook. Sometimes 6 racks of babby backs in 1hr 15min fits right in to my time schedule. They take 13 1/2 lbs of coal. 9 or 10 briquettes in the top the rest in the bottom. I have had them last 5hrs and still cooking.


We are having a pot luck at the office this week and I was just sitting here wondering how I was going to smoke some shoulders for brunswick stew.  With work, I just don't have time for an overnighter between now and Thursday morning.  Then I saw this post and well I do have an Orion on the deck......   And a bag of matchlight in the garage!

Never tried shoulders in the Orion, but it might be time to try it.

Might just work out after all (now I just need two whole smoked chickens, tomatoes etc.... and gotta find the 20 quart pot in the basement).


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## tugboattravis

The Orion Smoker is the best item I have ever bought. I have a huge smoker and I would use it when my cousins would come do some barn sitting and working on my old bronco. Once I'd get involved with something else I'd have flame ups or the fire would be to low, smoke in my eyes and stink like smoke all day.. With the Orion, you just set it and then relax.. All you watch is the clock. You can't mess your food up. The more wood chips the more smoke.. Food taste excellent and very ,moist! I use mine every weekend and also bring it to work! Going to do chicken tomorrow and ribs on Sunday

Just my opinion..

   Travis


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## mossymo

Did a 14 lb. turkey for the family Christmas dinner this year and instead of wood chips I used wood pellets, very successful holiday meal, the Orion shines when you try poultry!


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## kcroe164

Has anyone tried to build one using the same principals?


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## chillerdude

Have had chicken and ribs from my buddy's Orion, ordering one today ! Ace Hardware on line best price


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## bonzbbq

I have to agree with some here, it has its place in the arsenal, I love my stickburner and gravity feed but if I dont have time for a long smoke and it is not a big cook, I drag out the orion, go by the times and you cannot go wrong, with chips or pellets it is pretty good bbq, I dont use mine a lot but when I need it, cant beat it. Bonz


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## daddyo

Nice. I'll get mine today!! Thanks!


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## dutch oven

Great pics.  Thanks for posting.  I have to agree with a lot of the posts on this thread that i was a little reluctant with the Orion at first but have found that it does a great job.  Relatively inexpensive too.  I would recommend this as a good barbecue investment.


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