Buying a first smoker for my husband for Christmas

[quiacato]

Hi. I want to buy my husband a smoker for Christmas. We have only had a small cheap smoker before so we are basically completely new to smoking. My husband thinks he wants to do wood and/or pellet and we will only be cooking for ourselves or when we have company so do not need anything to big. I only want to buy something made in the USA and be under $1,000...what would you recommend??? Thanks!

 

[browneyesvictim]

There is a lot of options for that kind of money! You can go electric with wood chunks or pellets such as a Smokin-It.
http://www.smokin-it.com/Smokers-s/5.htm

Or another popular and highly regarded option would be a charcoal & wood chunk smoker like a Webber Smokey Mountain. You pick the size!

A "pellet pooper" grill as they call them like the Treager, Rec-Tec etc. are convenient but have their own drawbacks.

A more hardcore smoker option is a real stick burner that has an offset firebox. But the good ones are going to start slightly above your price range such as: https://langbbqsmokers.com/lang36/lang36_original.html There are plenty of others like this that are not as well built that can be found for less of course.

So it comes down to what is important to you. Do you prefer a modern "set it and forget it" kind of smoker, or a more traditional one?

 

[troutman]

Browneyesvictim is right, your asking a very broad and general question. Kind of like I want to buy a car, which one would you suggest? You might want to do some research by reading some of the review articles written on the site. You have a good budget in mind and you only need to cook smaller meals. That's a start. Next you need to decide things like;

1) Do I like my food smoky or only slightly so?
2) Do I prefer to deal with throwing wood into a firebox and baby sitting the smoker?
3) Would a propane grill be an option?
4) What exactly are you going to cook generally speaking; smoked items or grilled items?

.....I could go on and on but you get the idea. Research a little then ask more specific questions. Plenty of folks to help with tons of opinions. I'm sure your husband will enjoy whatever you choose. Good luck !!

 

[smokinq13]

Electric smokers are the easiest IMO, I like to compare them to crockpots, set it and forget it( well except for adding wood chips). But at the same time, you have to have electric to run them, propane or charcoal or even just wood gives you freedom to go places without the need to have electric. like Troutman above said, researching is your best bet! there are more smokers than you can shake a stick at for your price point!

I got a Masterbuilt electric smoker 30in and it does a great job. The only thing I'd change about it is get the 40in model to have that extra room. this summer I smoked pulled pork for a surprise party for about 85 people and I could only fix 4 10-ish lb. pork butts in it at once. and they were squashed in there. My advice, go for a model size up from what you think would be good for you. when you need the space and don't have it, its not fun.

May I ask what you consider a "small cheap smoker"?

 

[paulr44]

Troutman and Browneyesvictim are dead on. Took the words right out of my keyboard. There are many, many options, depending on your willingness to tend to it, your budget, wood availability (and cost). Even outside ambient temp. can play a part if you cook in cold weather like myself - thin metal won't do, you need to maintain the temp. with minimal deviation for consistent results, and to avoid cooking stall. Moist smoking. Dry smoking. Charcoal, wood, pellet, 3/16" steel, 1/4" steel. A lot to think about!

 

[phatbac]

I recommend the Weber Smokey Mountain or WSM. get the 22.5 inch version (the biggest) and you wont go wrong. It going to run you about $400. if you have money left over and want to get fancy get a BBQ guru or a DigiQ temperature controller. they make it set and forget and its just a nice smoker and great value for your money. I highly recommend the WSM. it is on the left of my profile picture. now if you want to spend about 1300 + shipping i suggest getting a Lang reverse flow offset stick burner. I have one of those too and it is one of the best things i have ever purchased! I wrote a review on that here on the website if you want to check it out. Good luck getting your hubby a smoker!

Happy Smoking,
phatbac (Aaron)

 

[dave schiller]

I agree with Aaron; get a WSM 22.5" and enjoy it. You and use it as either a smoker or grill. With a BBQ Guru temp controller hooked up to it, you can maintain constant temperatures for long periods.

 

[quiacato]

There is a lot of options for that kind of money! You can go electric with wood chunks or pellets such as a Smokin-It.
http://www.smokin-it.com/Smokers-s/5.htm

Or another popular and highly regarded option would be a charcoal & wood chunk smoker like a Webber Smokey Mountain. You pick the size!

A "pellet pooper" grill as they call them like the Treager, Rec-Tec etc. are convenient but have their own drawbacks.

A more hardcore smoker option is a real stick burner that has an offset firebox. But the good ones are going to start slightly above your price range such as: https://langbbqsmokers.com/lang36/lang36_original.html There are plenty of others like this that are not as well built that can be found for less of course.

So it comes down to what is important to you. Do you prefer a modern "set it and forget it" kind of smoker, or a more traditional one?

My husband thinks he wants a traditional wood smoker, ...we both work from home so babysitting is not a problem, is there a big difference in the end result between all wood and pelllets/electric?

 

[quiacato]

Browneyesvictim is right, your asking a very broad and general question. Kind of like I want to buy a car, which one would you suggest? You might want to do some research by reading some of the review articles written on the site. You have a good budget in mind and you only need to cook smaller meals. That's a start. Next you need to decide things like;

1) Do I like my food smoky or only slightly so?
2) Do I prefer to deal with throwing wood into a firebox and baby sitting the smoker?
3) Would a propane grill be an option?
4) What exactly are you going to cook generally speaking; smoked items or grilled items?

.....I could go on and on but you get the idea. Research a little then ask more specific questions. Plenty of folks to help with tons of opinions. I'm sure your husband will enjoy whatever you choose. Good luck !!

To answer your questions, my husbands likes food smoky, I prefer less smoky but it is a gift for him and he is more of a meat eater then me, he likes veggies but is also happy having meat for dinner with a side of meat and a shot of tequila.

We both like the idea of babysitting and doing things the "old fashioned ways" , we both work from home so not a problem time wise.

We already have a propane grill, he wants the smoker for smoking and we would mostly use it for smoking big cuts of meat, ribs etc...but would also do things like jalepeno poppers in there etc.... Thanks for the help...I am so busy with work right now I am not finding the time to do the research like I want!

 

[quiacato]

Troutman and Browneyesvictim are dead on. Took the words right out of my keyboard. There are many, many options, depending on your willingness to tend to it, your budget, wood availability (and cost). Even outside ambient temp. can play a part if you cook in cold weather like myself - thin metal won't do, you need to maintain the temp. with minimal deviation for consistent results, and to avoid cooking stall. Moist smoking. Dry smoking. Charcoal, wood, pellet, 3/16" steel, 1/4" steel. A lot to think about!

We live in MT so will be cooking in minus 0 temperatures at times and the smoker will be on a covered patio area... I am guessing this will somewhat limit what I should be looking for??? ( I hope haha ) ,,,Thanks

 

[browneyesvictim]

is there a big difference in the end result between all wood and pelllets/electric?

That there is fighting words around here! :eek:
Just kidding... Bottom line answer is yes. However. everyone has their own comfort level, method, and of course lifestyle so there are really no wrong answers as to how achieve good BBQ on any of the smokers listed above. At least better than what restaurants pass off as BBQ! But there is a difference in flavor and end result between the same Q made on a pellet grill versus a charcoal grill and versus an offset. The ALL WOOD fired flavor attribute typically being the most desirable. Charcoal with a mix of wood chunks is a close second (better to some), and pellet smokers being last.

Now with that said, it is a whole lot easier to mess up a perfectly good hunk of meat on an offset. There is a learning curve, and takes some time (and sadly failures) to get the nuances of the smoker figured out so it can produce consistently good BBQ. Dare I go as far as to say MASTER it! But that is what everyone here on the forum is for! Tips, Tricks, recipes, methods, ideas, and so much more to shorten that learning curve. It's SO much better to learn from other peoples mistakes!:p

Now... The next level of questioning will come about the different kinds of offset smokers- Vertical/Horizontal, Reverse flow or standard, etc. Others with more offset experience than me will be along any minute to make recommendations.

 

[Rings Я Us]

Would have to vote for the Webber 22" Smokey Mountain. $399 and easy to use. Leaves $ for a nice digital dual probe or 4 probe thermometer. A bag of hickory and apple chunks. Couple bags of charcoal.

Lol.. just my .2¢

You have plenty of tips how to use those here whenever you want to come research for things.

 

[noboundaries]

Every smoker has a learning curve, from the simplest electric/pellet set-n-forget, to the most labor intensive, which is usually a cheap offset.

Your husband is new to smoking, so he needs a smoker that works straight out of the box with no modifications, but also teaches him the art of smoking. Two smokers perfectly fit that description: the Weber Smokey Mountain ($300 for the 18.5", $400 for the 22.5") and the Pit Barrel Cooker ($300 for the 18"). Both produce competition quality Q with relatively short learning curves. With the WSM you have grates on two levels. With the PBC you hang the meat and can have a grate on one level.

Both the WSM and the PBC use charcoal and wood chunks, not chips. Avoid buying Kingsford charcoal, which is formulated for a grill, not a smoker. Buy a quality lump or a dense briquette like Royal Oak Ridge, Weber, or Trader Joes.

I have an EXTREMELY analytical personality. I learned to smoke on a Weber Kettle grill. It required a lot of babysitting. After six months of constant use, that babysitting got a little old, especially for my wife. For Christmas one year she said "Buy any smoker you want, money is no object." I did my usual obsessive research and the decision came down to a $1300 cabinet type smoker, or the $400 22.5" Weber Smokey Mountain. I really couldn't justify the difference in cost and went with the Weber. It has been a year-round, 60+ uses per year smoker ever since. I use it for short smokes of 2-3 hours for tri tips, to long smokes of 20+ hours for pork shoulders, and everything in between from jerky to ribs to nuts.

Once your husband learns temp management, even without a digital temperature controller ($200), the WSM is close to a set-n-forget smoker. My wife is like you, she likes smoked meat, just not as much smoke flavor as I do. Dry smoking (no water in the water pan) in the WSM gives us both a flavor we love.

I too work from home now. With a wireless thermometer I can babysit the smoker from my computer, sip on some Tres Manos anejo, and work away while dinner is transforming in the smoker.

Whatever you get, he'll love it!

 

[quiacato]

Electric smokers are the easiest IMO, I like to compare them to crockpots, set it and forget it( well except for adding wood chips). But at the same time, you have to have electric to run them, propane or charcoal or even just wood gives you freedom to go places without the need to have electric. like Troutman above said, researching is your best bet! there are more smokers than you can shake a stick at for your price point!

I got a Masterbuilt electric smoker 30in and it does a great job. The only thing I'd change about it is get the 40in model to have that extra room. this summer I smoked pulled pork for a surprise party for about 85 people and I could only fix 4 10-ish lb. pork butts in it at once. and they were squashed in there. My advice, go for a model size up from what you think would be good for you. when you need the space and don't have it, its not fun.

May I ask what you consider a "small cheap smoker"?

It was something my parents had bought for my ex-husband many years ago, it was veriitcal, I think they paid about $100 for it. I brined and smoked a turkey on it once and it came out delicious but was a royal PITA, it was cold and windy that day so I had a heck of a time keeping it going and had to bring it into my garage, I know I do not want to deal with that again!

 

[quiacato]

Every smoker has a learning curve, from the simplest electric/pellet set-n-forget, to the most labor intensive, which is usually a cheap offset.

Your husband is new to smoking, so he needs a smoker that works straight out of the box with no modifications, but also teaches him the art of smoking. Two smokers perfectly fit that description: the Weber Smokey Mountain ($300 for the 18.5", $400 for the 22.5") and the Pit Barrel Cooker ($300 for the 18"). Both produce competition quality Q with relatively short learning curves. With the WSM you have grates on two levels. With the PBC you hang the meat and can have a grate on one level.

Both the WSM and the PBC use charcoal and wood chunks, not chips. Avoid buying Kingsford charcoal, which is formulated for a grill, not a smoker. Buy a quality lump or a dense briquette like Royal Oak Ridge, Weber, or Trader Joes.

I have an EXTREMELY analytical personality. I learned to smoke on a Weber Kettle grill. It required a lot of babysitting. After six months of constant use, that babysitting got a little old, especially for my wife. For Christmas one year she said "Buy any smoker you want, money is no object." I did my usual obsessive research and the decision came down to a $1300 cabinet type smoker, or the $400 22.5" Weber Smokey Mountain. I really couldn't justify the difference in cost and went with the Weber. It has been a year-round, 60+ uses per year smoker ever since. I use it for short smokes of 2-3 hours for tri tips, to long smokes of 20+ hours for pork shoulders, and everything in between from jerky to ribs to nuts.

Once your husband learns temp management, even without a digital temperature controller ($200), the WSM is close to a set-n-forget smoker. My wife is like you, she likes smoked meat, just not as much smoke flavor as I do. Dry smoking (no water in the water pan) in the WSM gives us both a flavor we love.

I too work from home now. With a wireless thermometer I can babysit the smoker from my computer, sip on some Tres Manos anejo, and work away while dinner is transforming in the smoker.

Whatever you get, he'll love it!

How well do these work in minus 0 temps? We live in MT so will be cooking in lots of cold temps. Also, how is the quality of welds/metal? My husband builds custom bikes for a living and goes mental over poor quality.

 

[phatbac]

The WSM is a high quality product and does pretty well in the cold. if you want to insulate the smoker wrap a welding blanket around it (sounds like he might have one of those) keeping the vents in the bottom and top uncovered. this will help it use less fuel in the cold and keeps temps more consistent.

WSMsmoker.jpg

• phatbac
• Feb 26, 2015

thats my bullet (WSM) in the snow.

If you go with an offset stick burner (my personal fav) I recommend the Lang as i mentioned before. you going to spend a little more than a grand on it but its worth it in my opinion. You will have to learn it and baby sit etc. but that is part of the fun. it will produce some of the best tasting food you have ever eaten and you will find yourself coming up with excuses to smoke with it, the metal is 1/4" rolled steel and the welds are outstanding (a lot better than i can do!).
there are comparable stick burners but i will put my mouth where my money is and recommend the Lang 36 patio. read some reviews and do some research if you are inclined for that kind of smoker.

IMG_20160214_103929915_HDR.jpg

• phatbac
• Mar 25, 2016
• 1

thats Black Betty!

Happy Smoking,
phatbac (Aaron)

 

[noboundaries]

I don't get minus 0 temps here in NorCal, but lots of folks use WSMs in the northern states. Just get a cheap welder's blanket and some clips to wrap the smoker, leaving room for intake and exhaust.

Webers are built to last for decades. It is stamped metal, no welds, ceramic coated. The cheap aluminum door is the only weak spot on the WSM. Aftermarket doors are available for less than $30. I sealed mine with nomex tape.

I'll search the forum and see if I can find pics of the WSM being used in the snow at low temps.

 

[gmc2003]

I live in VT. and use my WSM year round. I don't have a Guru or a blanket, and it works just fine. Colder temps means the fuel usage is a little higher, but not that much. Granted VT. doesn't get so cold that I can throw a hot cup of coffee and have it freeze before it hits the ground(like parts of MN.), but it does get cold. Heavy snow and winter winds are the only things that will stop my WSM(maybe not the WSM but they will stop me). It's the closest thing to set-it-and-forget-it while still feeling like your part of the process. Look for reviews on the WSM before you decide.

Chris

 

[paulr44]

I was trying to avoid pointing you to a specific method or brand. Reviewing various methods, brands, sizes, fuel type etc. will help you to understand what the differences, advantages and disadvantages are, etc. To best determine your purchase, first start by deciding on the what why and how type aspects.
I will say this about the 22" WSM: I don't use it, but my reason may be irrelevant in your case! It was a RECENT hand-me-down, so I bought new racks for it and tried it. Used it twice. I should mention, I cut my teeth on a Brinkman vertical decades ago. Loved it as it (smoking) was all new to me, but like the WSM has one rack right over the water pan which keeps the skin moist on chicken, while the upper rack tends cook the skin nicely. Yes, you can cycle the food between racks to even it out. Second, accessing the food on the lower rack is kind of a pain. Lastly, I clean my smoker racks every use, and the 22" racks don't fit well in my kitchen sink. The Brinkman size and experience led me to vertical smokers with multiple racks, all accessible easily, which FOR ME was much more satisfying. One example I had was the inexpensive Landmann 34" ($275?) vertical (moist), but thin metal no good breezy winter days, also thin metal requires a more watchful eye. But I could fit 5 spare rib racks (cut) in it (4 rack grates)! Yay!
See? Part of my opinion is driven by my sink size, while functionality drives another, thin metal drives another, etc.

These days I BBQ and grill almost exclusively on my Weber 22" kettle (only wire brush off the racks).
I smoke and indirect cook on my Lang 48" hybrid (the hybrid has a BBQ/grill section and a smoker section). I don't BBQ/grill on my Lang much (at home), here we go again...as that SECTION is harder to clean than my Weber. The smoker section is a breeze to clean. Good luck in deciding :)

 

[paulr44]

The WSM is a high quality product and does pretty well in the cold. if you want to insulate the smoker wrap a welding blanket around it (sounds like he might have one of those) keeping the vents in the bottom and top uncovered. this will help it use less fuel in the cold and keeps temps more consistent.

WSMsmoker.jpg

• phatbac
• Feb 26, 2015

thats my bullet (WSM) in the snow.

P.S. phatbac is quite convincing, and the WSM is in between in metal thickness. By thin, I meant like cheapie unit thin. I have always liked the quality of a Weber, the price is right, and if (unlike me) you cook for say 6 or less people and use only one rack it may be the cat's meow.