Having difficulty

[iTzNiK]

Hello everyone, I’m new to SMF but I have been lurking for a little bit. I have decided I want to purchase my first smoker but I’m having difficulty choosing one. I’ve been going back and forth between pellet grills and charcoal mainly looking at the GMG Daniel Boone, WSM, and a Kamado but I don’t know what I want. My budget is around $1000 and I live in Canada. If I got the WSM I’d get a DigiQ for it. I was leaning towards the GMG (buy once, cry once) but then I read a few things favouring REC TEC and Grilla over it which made me wonder if I should just wait if/when they distribute them to dealers in Ontario (but I don’t know if and when that’ll happen), seeing a lot of recommendations over the GMG made me have some cold feet. I don’t know if I have any preferences. Just wondering what other people on SMF think and suggest.

thanks in advance!

 

[smokngun]

Hi and welcome. Those are some tough choices you put out there, I will put my $.02 in. The first thing is, is how much smoke flavor do you want? With the charcoal smokers you will defiantly get more smoke flavor as you are burning hardwood (preferably lump) and wood chunks both producing smoke. And a WSM with a Digi-Q your set for hours of steady smoking. I personally have never owned one but I did have a UDS which is similar in concept. With pellet smokers they are super easy to use, I am on my 3rd pellet smoker and I love my new Rec Tec! I looked into GMG but after reading mixed reviews I went with a Rec Tec. But for me a pellet smoker doesn't put enough smoke on muscle meats such as shoulders or brisket (even using a smoke tube of pellets) but for ribs or chicken it kicks ass!! One other smoker to consider is the new Masterbuilt Gravity feed charcoal, I've read a lot of positive reviews and have seen some good videos on YouTube. 90% of this is personal preference. Hope this helps some.

 

[noboundaries]

Wow. All good choices. But it boils down to technology or old school.

You never read about failures with the WSM. Tech is wonderful, when it works as advertised. A WSM with a Guru is a mix of both.

As I type I've got two butts weighing 9.9 and 9.7 lbs on my WSM. Loaded them at 7 pm, and with the DigiQ Guru will breeze through the night at 225F while I sleep away. The WSM is practically set and forget without the Guru. If it were to fail, the smoker would keep chugging along because I use the Guru as a backup. I set my vents for the temp I want.

Folks love their pellet poopers, WSMs, offsets, electrics, grills used as smokers, UDS's, etc. I knew charcoal so that's the route I went. It really boils down to your preference.

 

[sawhorseray]

I'm not a pellet guy but if I was going to get one after all I've heard on this forum a Rec Tec would be the only one I'd consider. Maybe someday. RAY

 

[Wasi]

This is my recommendation if you are starting out. I think I am going to swap to this model after I move.

Robot or human?

 

[iTzNiK]

Thanks everyone! I noticed the master built gravity series last night and I am leaning towards it. I think it checks off all the boxes for me as far as versatility goes and “smokiness”. Now I have to decide which model is worth it. I found the 560 for 697 where I’m from and the 1050 for 1097. I’m just wondering if the only difference between the two is the size? I’m not able to go look at them in person at the moment due to everything going on in the world. I’m leaning towards the 560 but if build quality and component quality is better on the 1060 I might just buy once and cry once. Thoughts?

 

[Wasi]

This site has a video review compare of the 2.

Masterbuilt Gravity Series

www.kamadoguru.com

Thanks everyone! I noticed the master built gravity series last night and I am leaning towards it. I think it checks off all the boxes for me as far as versatility goes and “smokiness”. Now I have to decide which model is worth it. I found the 560 for 697 where I’m from and the 1050 for 1097. I’m just wondering if the only difference between the two is the size? I’m not able to go look at them in person at the moment due to everything going on in the world. I’m leaning towards the 560 but if build quality and component quality is better on the 1060 I might just buy once and cry once. Thoughts?

 

[iTzNiK]

Leaning towards the 1050 because it seems like it would outlast the 560. Just wondering how the 1050 compares vs the Kamado Joe? Do you still recommend the 1050 over the Kamado Joe?

 

[Wasi]

Leaning towards the 1050 because it seems like it would outlast the 560. Just wondering how the 1050 compares vs the Kamado Joe? Do you still recommend the 1050 over the Kamado Joe?

I currently do not have one but from another video I saw I believe the unit is made by komodo joe.