Char-Griller offset smoker

[jim79]

that was my very first smoker. I did like it but after awhile it got a bit small for all my smoking wants and needs

 

[alelover]

I have a chargriller duo. I haven't done any mods yet but after reading a bunch on the net I will be doing it soon. Even without the mods I have smoked a few things and they came out well.

 

[jirodriguez]

I had the Char-griller smokin' Pro for about 8 months or so and with the mods it was a good decent first smoker. Here are some pro's and con's:

Pros:

• Under $200
• Lots of room
• Work decent with mod's

Cons:

• Need mod's to work decent
• Thin metal
• Are very affected by wind, even light to moderate wind. Especially if combined with lower temperatures.
• Have to tend them every 1-2 hrs. depending on weather, size of charcoal basket, ect. ect.
• I never trusted mine enough to do a long 10+ hour smoke, like brisket.

Now don't get me wrong they are a good entry smoker...... BUT if you can swing an extra $75-$100 you can get a 18" Weber Smokey Mountain. I ended up getting the 22.5" WSM and it was amazing how much better it was over the Char-griller. It is super simple to set up, I can run for 16+ hours on one load of charcoal and not have to mess with it more than once or twice, runs well in all kinds of weather. Now when I start a brisket at 1:00 AM I know I can sleep for 5 or 6 hrs, and not have to worry about my smoker loosing temps!

I can honestly say having had both smokers that I wish I had known how good the WSM was before I bought my Char-griller, because I would have spent the money on the WSM to begin with. If it is primarily just you and your family the $300 18" WSM is a great smoker, or if you have the $400 for a 22.5" then you will have ton's of room for large smokes. Watch the sales and you can usually get $20-$40 off of the price and still get free shipping.