# Looking for a smoker



## FlipFlop425 (Mar 25, 2020)

I am interested in purchasing a smoker. A quick little info. I have a family of 5 and if I have siblings/spices over I easily reach 15 people.

I have been researching for a couple weeks now and still feel a little lost. At first I was all set on the Pit Boss Copperhead 5 due to its "set it and forget it" ability with electric pellet. Then after reading more I got turned away from electric due to not being able to get a solid smoke ring.  

Then I was leaning towards Cuisinart COS-244 but am afraid it will be too small for larger groups. 

Which put me towards the Masterbuilt MB20051316 MPS 340g XL.  I read kn the forums about the older model 340g XL about adding gaskets to the door, changing smoke pan to a 10 inch cast iron skillet, sealing it with RTV and adding wheels. I dont see much info about the new models that the doors open the other way has wheels and looks different.

I haven't been able to go to the store to really check any out except for the PB pro 4 at lowes which looks like quality but it is electric. I would love some input from all of you with experience on these units or ones that you would reccomend.  TIA I appreciate it.


----------



## Blues1 (Mar 25, 2020)

Lots of good smokers out there. Many opinions. I have a Rec Tec and love it. "Set it and forget it" and get great smoke rings. All stainless steel, great customer service and a 6 yr warranty. At least check them out...


----------



## FlipFlop425 (Mar 25, 2020)

Blues1 said:


> Lots of good smokers out there. Many opinions. I have a Rec Tec and love it. "Set it and forget it" and get great smoke rings. All stainless steel, great customer service and a 6 yr warranty. At least check them out...



I have seen them. I am looking more for a vertical smoker due to the size factor.


----------



## nomad_archer (Mar 25, 2020)

A WSM and a bbqguru temp controller is pretty much set it and forget it.   I have one and really like it.   I also have an inexpensive pellet popper and it does some things really well but you still need to keep an eye on it.  This week during a cook the auger jammed up and I had to pull my chicken and finish it in the oven which was pretty inconvenient.  Another option to consider is the Masterbuilt Gravity Feed 560 or 1050 (when it comes out).  I prefer charcoal and wood over pellets but the pellet grill does ok with an AMZNPS tube.   Good luck with your decision.  No matter what you choose it will have its nuances that once you learn them, you will be kicking out good Q in no time.


----------



## FlipFlop425 (Mar 25, 2020)

nomad_archer said:


> A WSM and a bbqguru temp controller is pretty much set it and forget it.   I have one and really like it.   I also have an inexpensive pellet popper and it does some things really well but you still need to keep an eye on it.  This week during a cook the auger jammed up and I had to pull my chicken and finish it in the oven which was pretty inconvenient.  Another option to consider is the Masterbuilt Gravity Feed 560 or 1050 (when it comes out).  I prefer charcoal and wood over pellets but the pellet grill does ok with an AMZNPS tube.   Good luck with your decision.  No matter what you choose it will have its nuances that once you learn them, you will be kicking out good Q in no time.



They are nice but charcoal will be too much for me to deal with that's why I was trying to find the middle ground with a good quality propane one.


----------



## sandyut (Mar 25, 2020)

Rec Tec has all sizes.  I love my RT 700!  give them a look.


----------



## bregent (Mar 25, 2020)

FlipFlop425 said:


> At first I was all set on the Pit Boss Copperhead 5 due to its "set it and forget it" ability with electric pellet. Then after reading more I got turned away from electric due to not being able to get a solid smoke ring.



You are confusing electric smokers with pellet smokers.  Electric smokers use an electric heating element as a heat source, pellet smokers using burning pellets. Pellet smokers give great smoke rings, electrics not so much. The Pit Boss Copperhead is a pellet smoker.


----------



## FlipFlop425 (Mar 25, 2020)

bregent said:


> You are confusing electric smokers with pellet smokers.  Electric smokers use an electric heating element as a heat source, pellet smokers using burning pellets. Pellet smokers give great smoke rings, electrics not so much. The Pit Boss Copperhead is a pellet smoker.



The Copperhead uses pellets which I understand which is why it needs to be plugged in for the feeder. But what is the heating element that burns the pellets? I feel like the more I look and read the more confused I become. 

As far as Rec-tec they are a little out of my budget right now.


----------



## SecondHandSmoker (Mar 25, 2020)

FlipFlop425 said:


> The Copperhead uses pellets which I understand which is why it needs to be plugged in for the feeder. But what is the heating element that burns the pellets? I feel like the more I look and read the more confused I become.
> 
> As far as Rec-tec they are a little out of my budget right now.



The series 5 uses an electric hot rod to ignite the pellets in the burn pot as do most all pellet type cookers.  So, you still have the fundamentals of wood combustion going on there.

As for smoke rings, yeah they're nice, but not necessary for good Que.


----------



## bregent (Mar 25, 2020)

FlipFlop425 said:


> But what is the heating element that burns the pellets?



As SecondHandSmoker indicates, pellet cookers use an electric hot rod to initially ignite the pellets. Once the pellets have ignited, the hot rod turns off and is no longer needed as the pellets will burn on their own with the help of a fan.


----------



## FlipFlop425 (Mar 25, 2020)

SecondHandSmoker said:


> The series 5 uses an electric hot rod to ignite the pellets in the burn pot as do most all pellet type cookers.  So, you still have the fundamentals of wood combustion going on there.
> 
> As for smoke rings, yeah they're nice, but not necessary for good Que.



Ok thanks for the clarification.  Do you have any recommendations on vertical type pellet smokers for a fam of 5 but easily have 15 in no time with siblings? I have seen alot about Copperheads having electrical issues.  Or is propane the way to go?


----------



## FlipFlop425 (Mar 25, 2020)

bregent said:


> As SecondHandSmoker indicates, pellet cookers use an electric hot rod to initially ignite the pellets. Once the pellets have ignited, the hot rod turns off and is no longer needed as the pellets will burn on their own with the help of a fan.



Thanks. Do you have any vertical pellet recommendations or should I go propane?


----------



## smokngun (Mar 25, 2020)

FlipFlop425 said:


> Thanks. Do you have any vertical pellet recommendations or should I go propane?


I have had both types of vertical smokers. I currently have a pit boss 7 series and like it, and I also gave away a Smoke Hollow propane vertical smoker. If you want "set it and forget it" go with the pit boss, if you want to add chucks or chips every few hours go with propane.  As far as smoke ring goes  unless your cooking for a competition  nobody cares. It's all about finished product and I had great results on both.


----------



## schlotz (Mar 26, 2020)

There are plenty of pellets smokers to choose from and like many things, they come in a variety of sizes, features and prices so it comes down to individual preferences and what priority details (specs) will drive the decision making.  Personally, I subscribe to the buy-once-cry-once scenario otherwise you end up spending more money going the upgrade path.  Do your homework before you buy.


----------



## FlipFlop425 (Mar 26, 2020)

schlotz said:


> There are plenty of pellets smokers to choose from and like many things, they come in a variety of sizes, features and prices so it comes down to individual preferences and what priority details (specs) will drive the decision making.  Personally, I subscribe to the buy-once-cry-once scenario otherwise you end up spending more money going the upgrade path.  Do your homework before you buy.



I'm the same way I am willing to spend the money on a good product I just dont have 1200 for a rec tec. I have been doing tons of research like when I buy anything else. I like the idea of a vertical more plus they are a little cheaper. I do like the Copperheads but keep seeing on groups about then going on fire which makes me a little nervous. Cant really make up my mind on another solid pellet smoker. The propane ones I have seen are decent but have some mixed reviews. I just donr want to make a poor choice. The more I read the more confused on which type or product is better


----------



## schlotz (Mar 26, 2020)

If finances are the driving point then more compromise usually comes into the buying equation.  Understand wanting a good solution but also remember 'good' is a relative or subjective term.  IMO propane isn't needed as long as there is an outlet available.  Many here are using one version or another of the MES with pellets in a separate tray as the smoke source so the constant hourly chip feeding is eliminated.  JMTC


----------



## flagriller (Mar 26, 2020)

Rec-Tec Bull


----------



## bregent (Mar 26, 2020)

FlipFlop425 said:


> Thanks. Do you have any vertical pellet recommendations or should I go propane?



First of all, what is the reason you are leaning towards a vertical smoker? You mentioned size; is that capacity or footprint?

With pellets, the only verticals I know of are made by Pit Boss, Camp Chef and Masterbuilt.  I had a vertical propane for many years that I converted to natural gas that worked well. But the problem with most gas smokers is temperature control.  Many people end up retrofitting them with needle valves to get finer regulation, but you still end up with drift unless you have one that is thermostatically controlled.


----------



## bregent (Mar 26, 2020)

FlipFlop425 said:


> They are nice but charcoal will be too much for me to deal with



What about charcoal do you think will be too much to deal with, compared to pellets or gas?


----------



## FlipFlop425 (Mar 26, 2020)

bregent said:


> First of all, what is the reason you are leaning towards a vertical smoker? You mentioned size; is that capacity or footprint?
> 
> With pellets, the only verticals I know of are made by Pit Boss, Camp Chef and Masterbuilt.  I had a vertical propane for many years that I converted to natural gas that worked well. But the problem with most gas smokers is temperature control.  Many people end up retrofitting them with needle valves to get finer regulation, but you still end up with drift unless you have one that is thermostatically controlled.



Vertical due to both the size and capacity. Horizontal large pellet ones are very expensive and just starting out I donr want to spend that much money.

As far as pellet brands yes that's all I've seen. I do like the copperheads but I do see alot of issues with the controller going g bad and then going on fire.


----------



## FlipFlop425 (Mar 26, 2020)

bregent said:


> What about charcoal do you think will be too much to deal with, compared to pellets or gas?



The charcoal its having to clean it up and adjustments to regulate temperature. Am I mistaken about having to keep adjusting venting for it?


----------



## ofelles (Mar 26, 2020)

I know the charcoal cabinets are more expensive.  However they will provide the stickburner taste with much less attending to.   I wanted step up the flavor profile without the required wood sourcing and handling of a stickburner.  I have a Yoder pellet and love the flavor and ease of use.
I have a Lone Star Grillz large cabinet on order and hopefully with get it next month.  To me the added extra cost is made up for in build  quality and durability. 
But I have been accused of going overboard on purchases before.

Edit:  here is the link to what I'm getting.





						New smoker coming
					

After doing a lot of research I decided a charcoal cabinet smoker would work better for me than a stick burner.  I pulled the trigger yesterday on a LSG large insulated cabinet.  Now comes the hard part about 10 weeks wait!  Really looking forward to getting and cooking on this beast.




					www.smokingmeatforums.com


----------



## bregent (Mar 26, 2020)

FlipFlop425 said:


> The charcoal its having to clean it up and adjustments to regulate temperature. Am I mistaken about having to keep adjusting venting for it?



As far as temperature regulation, that's not an issue with either of the smokers that nomad_archer suggested. Both the Masterbuilt gravity feed,  and WSM with BBQ Guru are thermostatically controlled.  Cleaning up ash is going to be about the same for any smoker that uses wood  (sticks, pellets, charcoal) as a fuel source.


----------



## RiversideSm0ker (Mar 26, 2020)

I'd like to chime in on clean up. I don't have a pellet grill but my understanding is that there is a safety requirement for very good maintenance. Which will require a vacuum in many cases and that is to much for me to even consider. Dumping the spent ash from charcoal is pretty simplified in most smokers. I don't own one, but have already heard a ton of positive feedback about the Masterbuilt 560 gravity feed. That this is about $500 and has electronic control that will make it a snap to cook at whatever temp you need. You still get the great taste of charcoal and wood and the ash all goes into a single pale that is easy to remove and dump. If that is in your price range, I would seriously consider it. I'm stoked about my Weber Kettle and OKJ Highland combo myself. If I decide to replace my OKJ at some point I know that my first consideration is going to be one of those gravity fed Masterbuilt grills. Just my two cents.

G


----------



## bregent (Mar 26, 2020)

RiversideSm0ker said:


> Which will require a vacuum in many cases and that is to much for me to even consider



Although some folks might use them, you certainly don't need a vacuum and I've never used one on my pellet grills. On my CampChef I just used a handheld dustpan and broom. On the Memphis, ash drops into an ash pan.  I probably clean ash and grease out of the Memphis every 5 or 6 cooks and it takes about 5-10 minutes.  

But I agree, the Masterbuilt Gravity feed would be something to seriously consider.  I've already got 3 charcoal cookers or I would order one right now myself.


----------



## EdP (Mar 26, 2020)

FlipFlop425 said:


> Vertical due to both the size and capacity. Horizontal large pellet ones are very expensive and just starting out I donr want to spend that much money.
> 
> As far as pellet brands yes that's all I've seen. I do like the copperheads but I do see alot of issues with the controller going g bad and then going on fire.



I converted a wsm18 to propane and it works great. https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/heres-my-rig.287752/#post-1964518

It was a gift so no complaints, but I would rather have the 22.


----------



## nomad_archer (Mar 27, 2020)

EdP
 I have an 18 wsm and also wish I had the 22 but mine was new "used"  and $100 so I'm not complaining.  I am waiting on the masterbuilt gravity 1050 as I would love more capacity.


----------



## Buttah Butts (Mar 27, 2020)

FlipFlop425 said:


> I'm the same way I am willing to spend the money on a good product I just dont have 1200 for a rec tec. I have been doing tons of research like when I buy anything else. I like the idea of a vertical more plus they are a little cheaper. I do like the Copperheads but keep seeing on groups about then going on fire which makes me a little nervous. Cant really make up my mind on another solid pellet smoker. The propane ones I have seen are decent but have some mixed reviews. I just donr want to make a poor choice. The more I read the more confused on which type or product is better



I said the same thing when I was looking for a pellet smoker. I wish I would have spent the money on the Rec Tec Bull to begin with. Instead I bought a Traeger (it was a POS) then bought a GMG (much better than a Traeger but still had issues) Then finally the Rec Tec. I believe that Rec Tec offers some type of financing with low interest rate. Good Luck with you decision


----------



## FlipFlop425 (Mar 27, 2020)

Buttah Butts said:


> I said the same thing when I was looking for a pellet smoker. I wish I would have spent the money on the Rec Tec Bull to begin with. Instead I bought a Traeger (it was a POS) then bought a GMG (much better than a Traeger but still had issues) Then finally the Rec Tec. I believe that Rec Tec offers some type of financing with low interest rate. Good Luck with you decision



If my local costco still had any I am really leaning towards the Louisiana Grill 7 since it's the same as the Pit Boss 7 and for $479 I thinks it's a fair price with not too many issues.


----------



## SecondHandSmoker (Mar 29, 2020)

FlipFlop425 said:


> Ok thanks for the clarification.  Do you have any recommendations on vertical type pellet smokers for a fam of 5 but easily have 15 in no time with siblings? I have seen alot about Copperheads having electrical issues.  Or is propane the way to go?



The 5 series would be fine for your needs. 
And as other posters have said, the temps on LPG smokers can be difficult to control.  
As for the Copperheads having electrical issues and catching fire, I know of only one instance reported here on the forums which really wasn't caused by an electrical issue and was more than likely due to improper shutdown.
Any smoker will require due diligence.


----------

