# vertical vs horizontal



## bigal80ak (May 20, 2020)

why does everyone seem to pick up or recommend the horizontal over the vertical?
it seems you get much more room for smoking meat for the price with vertical?


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## TNJAKE (May 20, 2020)

Because on the horizontal you can grill and sear as well as smoke. Also some vertical wont hold large cuts of meat like a full packer brisket without cutting it in half


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## bill1 (May 20, 2020)

Horizontals were first to market as well.   Traeger pretty much established the pellet grill market and never brought out a vertical model to my knowledge.   

I'd also add that a horizontal puts your work at a standard bench height.  Cleaning and tending a vertical is harder on your back...and this is supposed to be relaxing, right?  

Plus pulling out racks on a vertical (compared to just lifing a lid) creates a mess with fats/sauces on your shoes and concrete.


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## Inscrutable (May 20, 2020)

Yeah ... while I like my (electric) vertical for some things, cant fit a full rack of ribs or packer on one grate..
Even my BGE is too small for that as the edges extend past the deflector and dry/overcook.

Been on the verge/fence to add a 590 or 700 to my herd (That would then need to be thinned). Just nowhere to put it until I either reorganize garage or add onto the deck ... planning both ... too damn many projects.


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## drunkenmeatfist (May 20, 2020)

I have a Pit Boss cabinet and I like it. As others have said it would not function well as a grill, but I have grills that I use for grilling.


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## meskc (May 20, 2020)

Have a vertical well. Use the kettle to sear.  It holds a ton . I would agree about the mess. Going to get some grill  mats this weekend.


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## Inscrutable (May 20, 2020)

The upside is the lower racks are basted by the uppers


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## bigfurmn (May 20, 2020)

I have a MES40 and a Pit Boss 1000SC. I prefer the Pit Boss personally as the fuel is wood. ( Not the argument here but hang with me) I like it for the space sideways for larger smokes. Still love the MES40 for other smokes.


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## bigal80ak (May 21, 2020)

every time i ask a question i feel more confused on which to get.
so if i am just interested in making good smoked meat and having some decent room. Not interested really in grilling. 
do you think a vertical or horizontal would be a better choice? 

thanks for all the good replys i really do read and consider them.


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## Inscrutable (May 21, 2020)

I can appreciate that. As a recovering engineer, I drive my wife nuts with all the analysis machinations I go thru on most of our big purchases.

Just like cars, boats, tools, speakers, etc ... there is no perfect jack of all trades. It’s why most of us have multiple cookers, or you make intelligent compromises.

You can/will make good smoked meat on either (let alone all the other styles/fuels - electric, propane, charcoal, kamados, Offsets, etc etc). Since you seem to have settled on pellet one way or the other, it does simplify the pro/con list.

You will not fit a whole packer brisket on a vertical, maybe not even an uncut rack of ribs depending on the model ... if that’s important you go horizontal.
You will not sear or grill in a vertical ... if that’s important you go horizontal.
Usually think you will get more space for the money with a vertical.
A vertical might be somewhat more fuel efficient (though maybe not by much, not sure)
Others may weigh in with any other factors I’ve missed.

Good luck ... at some point you just close your eyes, throw the dart, and go with it. You’ll be happy.


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## drunkenmeatfist (May 21, 2020)

I could fit multiple full packer briskets on my Pit Boss Copperhead 5


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## meskc (May 21, 2020)

The pitboss series 5 and series 7 are  large enough to put a full packer in it. The louisiana vertical I have (same as the pitboss series 7) you can get one on each shelf.


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## bigal80ak (May 25, 2020)

Thanks for the replys. I think I narrowed it down the horizontals seem to have less problems. 
I am looking at z-grills 7002b. 407$
Z-grills 6002b 345$
Pit boss pro 500$
Pit boss classic 400$
Cuisinart woodcreek 497$$
Any opinions?


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## meskc (May 25, 2020)

I would make sure these have a pellet  dump. I don't think the zgril does. Also make sure to compare warranties.


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## bill1 (May 26, 2020)

"Pellet dump"is an easy way to remove all remaining pellets in the hopper (excepting those already in the auger).  I use it every time, because I always purge out the auger before putting it away.  (I've removed the finger guard to make it even easier.)  But I get the impression most people just leave the pellets in the auger when storing their cookers?  If you're one of them I'm not sure the pellet dump is a real positive feature?  
Unless you like to use different pellets in each cook so you want an easy way to remove the previous, now undesired, flavor.   E.g. in my other smokers, I strongly prefer apple for fowl, exp turkey.  But in the pellet grill I stick to the stronger woods for everything and really don't mind if the Traeger Hickory gets mixed with the Pit Boss Competition Blend.   
I guess my point is, what's important to others might not be important to you.  
I'd add that just good general Customer Service, in addition to Warranties, can be very important too.  That's something it pays to study threads like this to get a feel for.


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## bigal80ak (May 27, 2020)

i have also been reading and watching videos most seem to say there is more smoke flavor with vertical? 
and that horizontal are more for getting some smoke flavor while grilling and not quite as good at smoking as vertical?


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## JWFokker (May 27, 2020)

Vertical smokers are where it's at. Smoke and heat doesn't want to move horizontally. If your grates aren't big enough, hang the meat. Ribs especially are better when you hang them anyway.


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## Inscrutable (May 27, 2020)

JWFokker said:


> Vertical smokers are where it's at. Smoke and heat doesn't want to move horizontally. If your grates aren't big enough, hang the meat. Ribs especially are better when you hang them anyway.


Oh ... that’s a new one to me, not sure I’ve seen (m)any threads about hanging ribs. That’s an issue I have with my electric, so far, just halving and using 2 grates.
There is a vertical temp differential In the vertical (department of redundancy department) so think i might need to flip it over at least once(?). And obviously need to stop well short off FOTB tenderness 

Others doing/trying this?


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## JWFokker (May 27, 2020)

Lots of drum smokers and WSM owners hang ribs. You do have to pull them before they fall apart. I have a vertical offset and I prefer to hang them.


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## bigal80ak (May 27, 2020)

Anyone got a recommendation for a vertical pellet smoker? I can only find 2 and the pit boss series verticals have a lot of bad complaints about the electrical board throwing constant errors and being unusable


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## JWFokker (May 27, 2020)

Camp Chef and Smoke Daddy make higher end cabinet smokers, but the Pit Boss verticals are very popular, which is probably why you see complaints. You're hard pressed to even find owners of the CC or SD vertical pellet smokers.


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## Buckeye02 (May 28, 2020)

I have the pitt boss 5 series from Walmart. I've smoked 6 slabs of bb,a couple pork butts, chicken quarters and a brisket point. Ive had no issues with the smoker. But like you I was hesitant to buy it with reading the reviews. But like with most things people will yell at the top of their lungs if they don't like something. But say nothing if it works like its supposed to.  The one thing I'm not crazy about is the big temperature swings. This is my first pellet smoker. I have a MES that I've used the last few years. But everything has turned out well and I'm happy with the smoker so far. Hope that helps


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## drunkenmeatfist (May 28, 2020)

I bought the PB Copperhead 5 on clearance from Walmart for $109. If it did crap out on me I wouldn't have been upset considering the price. It has worked fine, but I could probably use it more often. Really like the capacity for jerky


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## Inscrutable (May 28, 2020)

drunkenmeatfist said:


> I bought the PB Copperhead 5 on clearance from Walmart for $109. If it did crap out on me I wouldn't have been upset considering the price. It has worked fine, but I could probably use it more often. Really like the capacity for jerky


Wow ... that was a nice steal


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