Hit me with your favorite COS

[JCAP]

Greetings all,
I'm looking to procure a cheap offset smoker that I can fool around with. Any favorites that will be okay between 200-300? I don't need it to last a long time and I'll take care of it. Just curious to see what folks have that's not top of the line. Thanks!

 

[tbern]

Will be following along to see what replies you receive!

 

[pit 4 brains]

I wouldn't walk past a Char-Griller with the cast iron grates and a side fire box. I wore one out and made some fine Q in it.

First competition..

Injected Friday night, on the smoke today at 1330. It's a brisket only gag, but my first comp either way... Shoulder surgery be damned!, I'm pulling an all-nighter with a 15 lb'er. Wish me luck fellas.. I'm launching the Pit 4 Brains BBQ Team as of Sunday High Noon at the comp...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Looks like they are around $200 and available everywhere. And on a plus note, you can do some easy mods to make it a little more efficient.

 

[chopsaw]

I wouldn't walk past a Char-Griller with the cast iron grates and a side fire box. I wore one out and made some fine Q in it.

Beat me to it . I bought one back in the late 90's . It would wear you out chasing temps , but the food was darn good . A steak cooking beast too . Charcoal grate at the highest adjustment and red oak coals . I took care of it and it lasted a good while . I just kept some high temp paint close buy and made sure the charcoal got emptied . Leaving coal and ash in it is the fastest way to kill it .
I actually repurposed the frame into a stand for my MES and used the stack .

 

[JCAP]

Great to hear about the Char Griller ones...I'm thinking of going that route!

 

[chopsaw]

I'll just add this . I can do pretty good with my Kettles and even the SmokeFire makes great food .
There is nothing that compares to cooking with all wood in an offset . Even a cheaper one .

Char griller smokin pro is the one I had . Like said above has the cast iron grates with the lifting tool . Wood shelves on the front and left side .

 

[SmokyMose]

I had a CharGriller "Competition Pro" ($300) for 5 years before the firebox hinges rusted tight and it worked well for me. I think you can still get one for that. I got an Oklahoma Joe's Highland to replace it this spring ($450) and kind of wish I'd just gotten another CharGriller like the one I had....

 

[sawhorseray]

Keep your eyes peeled for a used one that has a little rust and could use some paint, you just might find a little more smoker for your dollar. RAY

 

[chopsaw]

Ray has a good point . People can't run them , and get tired of it . The money has been spent and they just want it gone .

 

[SmokinEdge]

Greetings all,
I'm looking to procure a cheap offset smoker that I can fool around with. Any favorites that will be okay between 200-300? I don't need it to last a long time and I'll take care of it. Just curious to see what folks have that's not top of the line. Thanks!

I wouldn’t go real cheap just because the air leaks and thin skin will drive you crazy chasing temps and the firebox on those is a joke.

I have a New braunfels offset that was cheap but kinda quality, did some mods and basically happy, maybe a Oklahoma Joe’s would be about right?

 

[pit 4 brains]

Great to hear about the Char Griller ones...I'm thinking of going that route!

I'm searching like mad for my pics but I used some clay roofing tiles for "tuning plates" and they worked well. You can also get a rotisserie for it and burn your coals / wood in the smoke chamber while spinning large meats like prime rib, a suckling pig, or a turkey. There's five or six grate sections (can't recall)so you can remove them easily and adjust them for whatever you are doing.

 

[gmc2003]

I had a Char Griller Duo w/side fire box when I first started out. I didn't use splits. Just charcoal and wood chunks. To be honest it did put out some really good food once I got the hang of it, BUT it also used a whole bag of charcoal briquettes for one pork butt. Not to mention that I had to sit outside and babysit the smoker the whole time. There are many modes that can be applied to the cooker to make it more efficient, but your still going to have to pay attention to whats going on in the firebox. Outside of sealing the doors, the best mode that I found was flipping the ash pan upside down and sliding it over to cover the opening between the cook chamber and firebox. This helped with distributing the heat a little more evenly. Also extending the smoke stack down to grate level helped with preventing the heat/smoke from flying thru the stack. It's a learning experience that can be very enjoyable, but also very frustrating at the same time.

Just my two cents
Chris

 

[JCAP]

I'll keep my eyes open for a used one too. I don't need anything ASAP. I've been looking for used ones for a bit but they don't pop up often in my area. Fingers crossed!

 

[JCAP]

And thanks all for the comments and suggestions.

 

[chp]

Oklahoma Joe’s are solid stick burner offsets often out there for a reasonable price. The three questions I always ask are….Is it welded together or bolted together? How thick is the steel in the firebox? Any areas that are rusted through?
So many people like the options of modern pellet poopers that very quality offset smokers get sold for a very reasonable price.

 

[JCAP]

Anyone know anything about the DynaGlo vertical offsets?

 

[avidbow]

Its a shame we don't live closer. I have an oklahoma joes combo for sale. I just dont use the propane part of the unit. I want a dedicated offset smoker , not with a propane grill aside of it. 300.00

 

[Brokenhandle]

I had to read the thread to found out what a COS was ! Now I know!

Ryan

 

[Marknmd]

I'll also suggest the OK Joe Highland although the price has gone up and it's now around $450 new so I would look for a used one that's in good shape. BUT be prepared to spend some more money on mods. :-D