Advice for a new cooker toy?

[Inscrutable]

Loving my new Smokin-It and have my low-and-slow cooks covered well now. Space/size were my chief complaints about my BGE and moving that to a friend. I have sear or hot-and-fast covered with Blackstone and gasser, but neither imparts any flavor beyond ingredients themselves, and I hate to give up charcoal and/or wood flavoring.

So I want to add a new different cooker.
My objectives are, in order of frequency and importance:

1. Retain hot and fast capability with charcoal and/or wood flavoring
2. Add pizza capability
3. Add rotisserie

I think there are three major contenders that can satisfy the first intrinsically, and have accessories that address the second and third (with one exception) albeit likely to varying degrees of ease or quality.

1. Masterbuilt Gravity, MB rotisserie, may be ok with just a pizza stone, or may need a ‘shell’ to minimize temp differential between pizza top and bottom
2. RecTeq RT380 Bullseye, greatest ease of use, shallow lid probably does pizza well on its own, so covers 1 &2 most economically, but with hinged lid don’t think adaptable for a rotisserie
3. Weber kettle, Swiss Army knife adaptability to anything, probably the most user attention/intervention (aside from the potential MB quality issues/glitches)

I am leaning toward the Bullseye and sacrifice the rotisserie (maybe can modify/adapt the hinge to work), the Weber is a close second ... would like to see if your experiences and advice/opinions would agree, or favor an alternate.

Thanks!

 

[cansmoke]

They are not TOYS. Sheesh! :D
Enjoy the shopping.

 

[912smoker]

I have the Masterbuilt GF 1050 and absolutely love it! I like having the capability to cook a steak at 225 until it reaches the desired IT and then Crank It Up to 700 for a perfect sear. And you can add your favorite flavor of wood chunks to get the desired amount of smoke. I have had zero issues and using it three or four times a week since January. I also know that recteq offers a fine product. I was leaning that way myself and even visited their facility. Great people but then I discovered the 1050 and that was the best option from me and my needs. Good luck in your search

 

[IMAVGAN]

I would love to be able to cook my steak at 2225 degrees, lol....

 

[jcam222]

I’m very surprised you don’t have a nice Kamado listed based on your qualifications.

 

[sawhorseray]

A Weber can be outfitted with a rotisserie, pizza cover, Vortex, and SnS, and you get some real smoke. What's not to like? RAY

 

[912smoker]

I would love to be able to cook my steak at 2225 degrees, lol....

Oops fixed it. Talk to text . But wouldn't take long lol

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

If it were me, I'd go for the Weber Kettle as Ray outlined above. Plus the kettle fills the bill for your top three objectives.

 

[jcam222]

I think the kettle would be a fine solution with the add ons. Pretty much in line with my Kamado suggestion just made of different materials. You can get Kamado shot enough for high temp pizza or even use as a tandoor oven.

 

[RiversideSm0ker]

I would lean towards a weber kettle. Of course I have one but my thinking is this. The only moving parts would be with your rotisserie.
RecTech RT-340 roughly $820
On Amazon Weber Kettle Master touch includes the gourmet grill grate with the removable center insert $219
Rotisserie runs from $110-$180 depending on brand
pizza kit that does it all is about $200

Total for the best kettle available with all of those accessories to do what you want is about $600 from Amazon. Perhaps less from some other sources. I would say add the vortex insert for another $30-$50 depending on brand and size. For $650 you can do everything you want and not require power unless you are using the rotisserie. For another $100 you can even add a Santa Maria grill kit and have even more cooking options. The RecTec I'm sure is an awesome pellet grill but it is still a pellet grill. If you prefer charcoal and wood then the Kettle gets you everything you want in a very flexible and portable solution. So that's just my .50 cents worth.

G

 

[tropics]

A Weber can be outfitted with a rotisserie, pizza cover, Vortex, and SnS, and you get some real smoke. What's not to like? RAY

This is your answer I have the 22" & the 18" my Vortex fits both, the Rotisserie fits the 18" Just did a turkey on the Rotisserie last weekend.

Turkey Spinning

Weather finely gave a nice enough day to cook outside. Small 10 pound bird for Sunday family dinner Rubbed with a Touch of Cherry available at Lowes Fixed up with my Inkbird IBT 6XS This worked out better then I thought Held around 375 °F Waiting for our kids to join us Left overs for...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Richie

 

[IMAVGAN]

Quite frankly, giving up the BGE because of space & size then getting another piece that takes the same amount of space does not make sense.

I would think it makes more sense to keep the Smokin-It, BGE & the Blackstone then get rid of the gasser. Sounds like this would cover more bases.


Apologies,... I just saw your signature & I probably would not get rid of that Gasser....

 

[Gonna Smoke]

A Weber can be outfitted with a rotisserie, pizza cover, Vortex, and SnS, and you get some real smoke. What's not to like? RAY

This is your answer I have the 22" & the 18" my Vortex fits both, the Rotisserie fits the 18" Just did a turkey on the Rotisserie last weekend.

Turkey Spinning

Weather finely gave a nice enough day to cook outside. Small 10 pound bird for Sunday family dinner Rubbed with a Touch of Cherry available at Lowes Fixed up with my Inkbird IBT 6XS This worked out better then I thought Held around 375 °F Waiting for our kids to join us Left overs for...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Richie

Yes, a Weber. I have 2 that serve different purposes and would not relinquish either one....

 

[Inscrutable]

Thanks for everyone weighing in ...
SS

They are not TOYS. Sheesh! :D

My wife disagrees

I have the Masterbuilt GF 1050 and absolutely love it! I like having the capability to cook a steak at 225 until it reaches the desired IT and then Crank It Up to 700 for a perfect sear. And you can add your favorite flavor of wood chunks to get the desired amount of smoke. I have had zero issues and using it three or four times a week since January. I also know that recteq offers a fine product. I was leaning that way myself and even visited their facility. Great people but then I discovered the 1050 and that was the best option from me and my needs. Good luck in your search

Yeah, these have intrigued me for a while ... been a bit recalcitrant due to seemingly QA issues, though you can probably find that with most things.

I’m very surprised you don’t have a nice Kamado listed based on your qualifications.

I‘ve had my egg for a long time but the L was a bit small (18” dia) and looking to bump up, but now the bigger ones are a lot more than I want to spend

A Weber can be outfitted with a rotisserie, pizza cover, Vortex, and SnS, and you get some real smoke. What's not to like? RAY

Yeah, that was my first intention until I looked closer at the Bullseye, but still may be the winner.

If it were me, I'd go for the Weber Kettle as Ray outlined above. Plus the kettle fills the bill for your top three objectives.

Yeah, think that one does the best job with all three.

I think the kettle would be a fine solution with the add ons. Pretty much in line with my Kamado suggestion just made of different materials. You can get Kamado shot enough for high temp pizza or even use as a tandoor oven.

Yeah, again, we probably aren’t having this conversation if I had the XL instead of my L

I would lean towards a weber kettle. Of course I have one but my thinking is this. The only moving parts would be with your rotisserie.
RecTech RT-340 roughly $820
On Amazon Weber Kettle Master touch includes the gourmet grill grate with the removable center insert $219
Rotisserie runs from $110-$180 depending on brand
pizza kit that does it all is about $200

Total for the best kettle available with all of those accessories to do what you want is about $600 from Amazon. Perhaps less from some other sources. I would say add the vortex insert for another $30-$50 depending on brand and size. For $650 you can do everything you want and not require power unless you are using the rotisserie. For another $100 you can even add a Santa Maria grill kit and have even more cooking options. The RecTec I'm sure is an awesome pellet grill but it is still a pellet grill. If you prefer charcoal and wood then the Kettle gets you everything you want in a very flexible and portable solution. So that's just my .50 cents worth.

G

Yes and no.
Looking at the RT380 Bullseye, not the 340 Trailblazer. The Bullseye essentially is a pellet fired kettle, and can get to 750* ... and it just looks so damn easy. Just like with my cars, convenience seems to overtake performance as I get older
If I did the Performer instead of the master touch, and got the KettlePizza kit with the stainless top plate, it’s closer to about 900 all in. But yeah, can go quite a bit lower, and phase into it.

This is your answer I have the 22" & the 18" my Vortex fits both, the Rotisserie fits the 18" Just did a turkey on the Rotisserie last weekend.

Turkey Spinning

Weather finely gave a nice enough day to cook outside. Small 10 pound bird for Sunday family dinner Rubbed with a Touch of Cherry available at Lowes Fixed up with my Inkbird IBT 6XS This worked out better then I thought Held around 375 °F Waiting for our kids to join us Left overs for...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Richie

Quite frankly, giving up the BGE because of space & size then getting another piece that takes the same amount of space does not make sense.

I would think it makes more sense to keep the Smokin-It, BGE & the Blackstone then get rid of the gasser. Sounds like this would cover more bases.

Moving on from it has been a tough decision. I did think about adding more accessories to the egg, but the proceeds will more than pay for any of these options (already have a lot of accessories going with this, like an UltraQ). And the ‘space’ I refer to is cooking space on the 18”dia grate ... have plenty of floorspace on the patio.

Yes, a Weber. I have 2 that serve different purposes and would not relinquish either one....

Yes, not the first person saying that. Who knows ... thought my egg would be my cremation urn, maybe it will be the Weber

 

[Inscrutable]

And yeah, as much as I’ve liked my Vidalia and it’s indirect and water bath flexibility, I suspect adding one of these, and adding the Bella cold smoke generator to the Smokin-It, may be the last nail in its coffin.

 

[RiversideSm0ker]

Oops I got dyslexia with the numbers there. Well then it's not nearly as expensive as I thought for the Rec Tec. I suppose it depends on the availability of accessories for this Rec Tec. If you can use some of the same principle accessories it may be a close choice for cost. My own experience with how great my kettle performs is still leaning towards the low tech Weber solution. Kind of hilarious considering that I am in IT.

G

 

[gmc2003]

If size matters: This is my 26" and 22". I don't think they're are any accessories available for the 22" that aren't available for the 26" but I may be wrong.

 

[Steve H]

I'm still setting up my Weber 22" performer deluxe.

And here it is with the rotisserie attachment. I also have the vortex. And working on the slow and sear attachment.

 

[Inscrutable]

If size matters: This is my 26" and 22". I don't think they're are any accessories available for the 22" that aren't available for the 26" but I may be wrong.

I don’t think you can get the KettlePizza for the 26 ... maybe a different vendor.

I'm still setting up my Weber 22" performer deluxe.

And here it is with the rotisserie attachment. I also have the vortex. And working on the slow and sear attachment.

If I go Weber, most likely the MasterTouch ... double price for Performer DLX ... looks great, but I already have large work tables, plastic charcoal bin, and TS8000 torch to light pretty easily.

 

[gmc2003]