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OT- bbq smokers

Kritter

Kritter

Well-known member
Anyone own one?

Was going to buy one this summer and then proceeded to price them, read reviews on them....etc
Faaak

I saw on "Good Eats" once, Alton Brown made one with basically $50 worth of stuff you can go out and buy in half an hour. Seen them sold at retail anywhere from $189-$1500.

As far as the reviews go, doesnt matter the price or the make, there are always people that claim the product sucks. And usually for a range of different reasons.

I am under the belief that, for the most part, people just don't have a fuking clue how to use one properly regardless of instructions etc.
I do understand the process of prep leading to the actual cooking is hugely important and also of such varying opinions its ridiculous. I am sure it is as 'trial and error' as it comes to cooking.

All that aside, does anyone own one, knows someone that owns one?
 
One friend who uses it quite a bit. I think he has a Napoleon now, used to have a small one that worked fine but he wanted more space and the like.
I will remember to ask him some questions this weekend, odds are I'll be there eating ribs anyways.
 
http://www.louisiana-grills.com/lg1100.html

I was hoping someone was going to say they either had one of these (or something from this company) or knew someone that did.
This falls under the max price range I would be willing to spend. Its digital so it takes stupid out of the equation.

Canadian Tire sells LGs so I can likely get one ordered........


BBW, I just read up on the Napoleon and they seem to have a good product and good reviews.
$350 for the 300 series.... 570 square inch surface, the LG has over 1000..
Ask your buddy how many people he can cook for with his Napoleon.

Ray, that weber is freaking awesome.. I got a Weber last summer and absolutely love it. Not this one mind you. Would be a hard sell to the wife to buy a $3000 bbq.
Bought a Cuisinart 4 years ago from CT, had to get rid of it last year, it had deteriorated that much. Mind you the first 2 summers I had it, I likely bbq'd as much as in the previous 5 years combined.

Might check this bad boy out.. Couldnt find a price on the site but one reviewer said it was around $500
http://www.weber.com/grills/series/smokers/smc-smoker-22
 
Oh nice, I've been drooling over Webers for awhile. Would love to get one. I just can't justify the price while the one I currently have works just fine. When this one kicks the bucket someday, I'll try to convince the wife that we need a Weber.
 
My suggestion - buy one that is reasonably prices and learn how to use the hell out of it. You can do alot with those little Webers, just most people don't take the time to figure it all out.

If you find yourself thinking that you want to upgrade then do it. So many people buy smokers, use it 3 times then leave it to collect dust every year. Don't be that guy.
 
Great thread.

I agree with Corks. We have a nice grill, we use it a fair amount and we're tried all varieties of methods and food stuffs (including use of a very inexpensive cast iron smoker box).

I love BBQ smokers, but it doesn't really fit the a life style dictated by busy kids. Maybe one day...
 
Nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's) will kill you...don't be that guy.


Of course, I'm being ridiculous, as I eat my weight in grilled meat on a weekly basis.
 
I know he loves using different fruit trees when it comes to burning, apple and pear being the easiest to get our hands on( I happen to have a pear tree), he really does use it all the time so I will quiz him this Sunday.


Don't know where you live kritter, but Elvis Fest is just a week away in Collingwood, and there are some incredible Rib-guys there...the kind with the 20 foot long bbq's and smokers...best ribs I've ever had were there.
They probably know all there is to know about Smokers.

I'm not even an Elvis fan, but I was there one year for soccer, found the area where they were selling smoked ribs and I've been going back 4 of the last 6 years at least just for the food.
The Elvii just add to the experience.
 
SundinsTooth said:
Nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's) will kill you...don't be that guy.


Of course, I'm being ridiculous, as I eat my weight in grilled meat on a weekly basis.
Click to expand...

Ditto. My wife says I have a "meat issue".

Last summer found a dude at the saturday market that sells organically feed blah blah hormone free yadda yadda no antibiotics, naturally fed so on and so forth, meats..... Everything that I have ever bought from him turned out to be as good or better quality then anything I bought anywhere else (usually Costco).
Didnt realize how much of a difference that was going to make.
 
Bleedsblue&white said:
I know he loves using different fruit trees when it comes to burning, apple and pear being the easiest to get our hands on( I happen to have a pear tree), he really does use it all the time so I will quiz him this Sunday.


Don't know where you live kritter, but Elvis Fest is just a week away in Collingwood, and there are some incredible Rib-guys there...the kind with the 20 foot long bbq's and smokers...best ribs I've ever had were there.
They probably know all there is to know about Smokers.

I'm not even an Elvis fan, but I was there one year for soccer, found the area where they were selling smoked ribs and I've been going back 4 of the last 6 years at least just for the food.
The Elvii just add to the experience.
Click to expand...

Live on the East Coast BBW.
They recently had a rib fest here. Half a dozen big groups were here, all displaying the trophy's they've won at competitions. I got ribs that were done dry and my wife and daughter got some that were sauce'd. I wasn't overly impressed with either, don't get me wrong they were quite yummy, but it was the first time I had eaten ribs from people that do competitions and , meh. Expectations were probably too high. I am confident I can do better. Mind you, I was after a smoked brisket which was sold out at every station. And also saw someone had beef ribs after we ate, wish I would have seen that before but oh well.
Your buddy that has the Masterbuilt, does he have the digital one or the cold smoker?


:) @ Elvii
 
BBQ ribs are tricky as hell. A higher end BBQ would probably be very useful.

You need to either boil them first or what I do is put them in the oven at 300 for like 3 hours before putting them on the BBQ for a half hour or more... no direct heat. That's where a better and bigger BBQ would be handy.
 
And that goes to my point earlier "the process of prep leading to the actual cooking is hugely important and also of such varying opinions its ridiculous"

For every person that says to boil them, you can find someone to tell you that's the last thing to do :)
the best ribs i've ever made, were boiled for like 30 minutes, then in the oven, like you say, for 2-3 hours, with the sauce on them, but i put them at 225 degrees.

If you ever watch the food network, you would be hard pressed to find anyone on there that says they boil there ribs first. Mind you, most of those guys are smoking and not boiling/braising.


All this rib talk... I think I am going to have to go and fetch me some ribs for supper tonight.
 
I know the first 2 things I am going to smoke when I do get a smoker are ribs and brisket !!!

Here, a brisket is a special order meat believe it or not. It isn't a standard cut you find in the grocery store. I thought a brisket was just something that had a different name to it on the shelf. It's the breast meat of the cow. It's an awesome cut to braise in the oven.
 
lecoqsportif said:
Great thread.

I agree with Corks. We have a nice grill, we use it a fair amount and we're tried all varieties of methods and food stuffs (including use of a very inexpensive cast iron smoker box).

I love BBQ smokers, but it doesn't really fit the a life style dictated by busy kids. Maybe one day...
Click to expand...

Smokers are very forgiving. Set it and forget it man. Set a pork shoulder, or brisket in the smoker in the morning, let the kids run you ragged through out the day. You know your time per pound (1-1.5hrs/lb) and you only have turn it once, maybe twice to ensure even cooking.
 
Oh...baste when you turn and you're probably good as well. A lot of recipes suggest basting every 2 hours, but a cut with sufficient fat content will self baste to a degree.
 
Bleedsblue&white said:
I don't boil them, but I do slow cook in them in the oven before the BBQ and the sauce.
Click to expand...

Boiling takes the taste away from the meat. Room temp an hour before cooking, 4 hrs in the oven at 160C then 20 mins (10 per side) on the grill with sauce on the top rack.
 
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