A Subjective comparison of injectors:
I Just purchased the Spit Jack injector for my smoking arsenal and already owned a Cajun injector and an off brand stainless injector. I thought it might be useful to compare the three and make a few subjective notes. First of all, injectors are built to basically do one thing: deliver marinades, cures, and spices deep within the meat.
I will focus on how they each accomplish this task and each injectors ease of use vs. price.
Dads always said keep it simple and nothing could be simpler than the Cajun injector and the other syringe injectors. The Cajun injector was my first and still will do the job after several years service. The construction of the Cajun injector is all plastic with a polycarbonate barrel. The needles are stainless. One needle has several small holes along the length and the other has a larger opening about 3-4 mm oval. It is very affordable at 12 bucks at the high end. My complaint about this injector is even with the larger opening needle, rubs and spices clog. The problem seems to be with the exit orifice from the barrel and the entrance orifice of the needle. They both are significantly small than the needle ejection opening. Its propensity to clog has at times been a great source of frustration to me. A less significant complaint is it will only hold about an ounce of liquid regardless of the advertising. Just take the barrel off and fill it with water and measure and you will see. Overall this injector’s best asset is its price and will inject liquids and very fine ground spices in liquid well. If all you do is a butt or bird now and then and inject it may well be for you. They can be found at about any business that has charcoal in the store.
The second injector I have is all stainless and holds 4 ounces of liquid. It also has both the perforated needle and the slant end opening needle sometimes called an arterial injecting needle. 4 ounces is a good bit of liquid but it has the same draw back as far as injecting spices and herbs in liquid that the Cajun injector does but at a price tag of about 37 bucks. The stainless construction with FDA certified O rings and plunger make it a step up but I personally don’t feel it justifies the 37 dollar price tag. It is as easy to take apart and clean as the Cajun injector. I sent it to my son in Missouri who wanted to try injecting so that tells you I was not going to miss it. Overall performance was as good as the Cajun injector and its best asset was the larger volume it held. I have not found the units with 2 needles local. They can be found at Kenco and Ebay. I am sure there are some local businesses that carry them but I have not ran across them.
Now for the SpitJack Magnum injector: They are not cheap! I gave 47 bucks for mine and it comes with 2 needles. A third even larger diameter needle can be added as an option for pushing larger bits of spice and herb into the meat for about 12 bucks bringing the total to 59 bucks. I did not purchase the larger needle as the slant end needle seems adequate for my use. It brandishes a pistol grip action that can be metered to deliver 1-5 ml of injection at each trigger pull. It will hold about 2 ounces of liquid. I find this adequate but wish it held 4 ounces. The construction seems quality with outer die cast aluminum frame, polycarbonate barrel and stainless push rod and needles. The threaded fittings holding it all together are stainless also. The O rungs and plunger are FDA food contact certified. The opening from the barrel to the needle and the needle opening itself is huge in comparison to the other injectors mentioned above. Surprisingly, the take down of the SpitJack is as simple as the other injectors above as you only need clean the business sections and the action itself can be wiped down and dried with ease. It handles all the injections I use with ease including my rubs mixed with apple juice or whatever I want to put them in as a carrier. To meter the injection quantity you simply rotate a stainless, graduated ring at the back of the barrel. There is a threaded Allen screw that should be set to prevent over travel of the trigger which could damage the polycarbonate barrel as the torque generated seems substantial. This injector is available at Kenco and SpitJacks web sites. A cheaper version manufactured for animal husbandry can be found at farm and home supply stores but I was unable to locate one that said on the package FDA food certified. This may not be a problem for you and you must decide if this is important. I am glad I purchased it. Can I justify the price? Probably not but it makes me happy! LOL
I Just purchased the Spit Jack injector for my smoking arsenal and already owned a Cajun injector and an off brand stainless injector. I thought it might be useful to compare the three and make a few subjective notes. First of all, injectors are built to basically do one thing: deliver marinades, cures, and spices deep within the meat.
I will focus on how they each accomplish this task and each injectors ease of use vs. price.
Dads always said keep it simple and nothing could be simpler than the Cajun injector and the other syringe injectors. The Cajun injector was my first and still will do the job after several years service. The construction of the Cajun injector is all plastic with a polycarbonate barrel. The needles are stainless. One needle has several small holes along the length and the other has a larger opening about 3-4 mm oval. It is very affordable at 12 bucks at the high end. My complaint about this injector is even with the larger opening needle, rubs and spices clog. The problem seems to be with the exit orifice from the barrel and the entrance orifice of the needle. They both are significantly small than the needle ejection opening. Its propensity to clog has at times been a great source of frustration to me. A less significant complaint is it will only hold about an ounce of liquid regardless of the advertising. Just take the barrel off and fill it with water and measure and you will see. Overall this injector’s best asset is its price and will inject liquids and very fine ground spices in liquid well. If all you do is a butt or bird now and then and inject it may well be for you. They can be found at about any business that has charcoal in the store.
The second injector I have is all stainless and holds 4 ounces of liquid. It also has both the perforated needle and the slant end opening needle sometimes called an arterial injecting needle. 4 ounces is a good bit of liquid but it has the same draw back as far as injecting spices and herbs in liquid that the Cajun injector does but at a price tag of about 37 bucks. The stainless construction with FDA certified O rings and plunger make it a step up but I personally don’t feel it justifies the 37 dollar price tag. It is as easy to take apart and clean as the Cajun injector. I sent it to my son in Missouri who wanted to try injecting so that tells you I was not going to miss it. Overall performance was as good as the Cajun injector and its best asset was the larger volume it held. I have not found the units with 2 needles local. They can be found at Kenco and Ebay. I am sure there are some local businesses that carry them but I have not ran across them.
Now for the SpitJack Magnum injector: They are not cheap! I gave 47 bucks for mine and it comes with 2 needles. A third even larger diameter needle can be added as an option for pushing larger bits of spice and herb into the meat for about 12 bucks bringing the total to 59 bucks. I did not purchase the larger needle as the slant end needle seems adequate for my use. It brandishes a pistol grip action that can be metered to deliver 1-5 ml of injection at each trigger pull. It will hold about 2 ounces of liquid. I find this adequate but wish it held 4 ounces. The construction seems quality with outer die cast aluminum frame, polycarbonate barrel and stainless push rod and needles. The threaded fittings holding it all together are stainless also. The O rungs and plunger are FDA food contact certified. The opening from the barrel to the needle and the needle opening itself is huge in comparison to the other injectors mentioned above. Surprisingly, the take down of the SpitJack is as simple as the other injectors above as you only need clean the business sections and the action itself can be wiped down and dried with ease. It handles all the injections I use with ease including my rubs mixed with apple juice or whatever I want to put them in as a carrier. To meter the injection quantity you simply rotate a stainless, graduated ring at the back of the barrel. There is a threaded Allen screw that should be set to prevent over travel of the trigger which could damage the polycarbonate barrel as the torque generated seems substantial. This injector is available at Kenco and SpitJacks web sites. A cheaper version manufactured for animal husbandry can be found at farm and home supply stores but I was unable to locate one that said on the package FDA food certified. This may not be a problem for you and you must decide if this is important. I am glad I purchased it. Can I justify the price? Probably not but it makes me happy! LOL
