Hi Strecker25 and all...
I picked up the Bradley 4 rack Digital Smoker about 5 weeks ago. I really enjoy good BBQ as my belly will testify...
Anyway, I've actually been pretty impressed with the smoker and with the "pucks". The wood used is clean, so the resulting smoke is nothing but that - smoke. I sat down and did the math on the cost of smoking using the bisquettes, and while it was a little more, it wasn't that much - at least as far as I could tell.
If you buy the 120 pack from say
Amazon it will run you about $40 with shipping. Each bisquette will run you about 33 cents apiece. At 3 bisquettes per hour, that's only $1.00 per hour... for 6 hours of smoke that's only $6.00. If you calculate how much you spent on the wood, plus the time spent finding it and preparing it for the BBQ, I don't imagine the costs are that far apart. However, I also recognize that doing all of that is also part of the experience for some folks and that's cool too... But the whole bisquette thing is about convenience. I live in a suburban area, and I have no idea where I would go to pick up hickory, apple, cherry, oak and alder woods, so ordering it in manageable quantities that show up on my doorstep in 5 days is pretty cool too.
I also really like the control I have over the process. I can tell the digital smoke generator that I want smoke for 2 hours, set the timer on the cooker for 3.5 hours, plug in my digital thermometer then go watch the 49ers and have an absolutely awesome tri-tip at the end of the game! No having to tend the fire or add more chunks or chips or whatever...
I can't argue with you about the proprietary issue... If Bradley decides to stop making the bisquettes I'm screwed... so here's hoping there are lots of other lazy **ahem** I mean "convenience oriented" folks out there like me!
By the way, I picked up my Bradley 4 Rack Smoker at Cabela's in Reno on sale for $299...
What ever you decide, good luck and enjoy! There is nothing like it!
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