Best smoke flavor: Weber Smokey Mountain vs Kettle vs Kamado?

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Smoker4x4

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Original poster
Dec 12, 2023
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Do any of you have any experience with the Weber Smokey Mountain, Weber Kettle and Kamado Joe and if so, which is the best at smoking, creates the best, strongest smoke flavor and the closest to authentic Texas style BBQ offset smoker? Do any of them come close to the smoke flavor of a offset smoker?
 
Offsets have their own distinct flavor as they (in general) only use wood (splits)... The ones you mention use charcoal with wood chunks for smoke... For that reason the three you mention will be very similar in the amount of smoke flavor produced.... If you want really strong smoke flavor with any one of those you would want to use Mesquite wood chunks...
Of those three I would choose the Kettle as it is very versatile in it's use... Meaning you can grill/sear/indirect/smoke with it...
 
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IMHO, none of them can even approach off set stick burner smoke flavor.
I've tried eacn and all, none of them came close.
The closest I ever got was a Masterbuilt gravity rig burning briquettes and oak mini-sticks.
Now I'm back to a cheap offset smoker, which takes much more time and attention, but the meat comes out like I want flavor profile wise AND I get to play with fire for hours and hours and hours.
 
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Hello and good question! I have and use both the Weber Smokey Mountain (WSM) and Weber Kettle. I do not have any experience on the Kamado Joe. My opinion is that the WSM is the closest thing to an offset smoker. Again, my opinion. The WSM is simple to use and can smoke a 14lb packer with no problem.
what he said (I)
I've got WSM, MB gravity, and egg. recently sold OK joe offset reverse flow. WSM "smokes" the others. IMHO
 
WSM is a great smoker, some great food has come off of mine. Kettle is probably the most versatile outdoor cooker out there. Zero experience with a KJ.
 
IMHO, none of them can even approach off set stick burner smoke flavor.
I've tried eacn and all, none of them came close.
The closest I ever got was a Masterbuilt gravity rig burning briquettes and oak mini-sticks.
Now I'm back to a cheap offset smoker, which takes much more time and attention, but the meat comes out like I want flavor profile wise AND I get to play with fire for hours and hours and hours.
Does a cheap offset smoker still produce better smoke flavor than the Weber's and Kamado's?

Any good cheap offsets out there that are bigger than the Oklahoma Joe's? Of all the videos I've seen on YT of the Oklahoma Joe offset is it requires small wood sticks and needs to be fed around every 15 minutes where as a 500 gallon offset can manage 1 large piece of wood every 45 minutes.

I personally would rather have a Weber kettle vs a small offset smoker but, if I can find a cheaper 500 gallon offset I definitely would take the 500 gallon. The price of the Weber's are very temping and all the features that can be added to the 22" inch is pretty good.
 
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Here's what I drive, decent quality, burns sticks and with a lava lock tuner plate installed runs good.
 

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