If you were fixin' to buy

a new charcoal/wood burning smoker/grill, what would you get ?

Primo oval XL

Kamado joe

how big do you need one? i cannot say enough good things about my Weber kettle & Slow-n-Sear basket setup

Primo oxal xl .. mine is great

Depends on what you like.

Do you like the idea of just grillin old fashion style ... go charcoal grill

Do you like to just go outside and grill with no fuss... go gas.

Do you like to mess around with smoking stuff but aren't too serious about it .... go pellet

Do you want something that can do it all but will cost you a pile of money... Go Komodo

The further down the list you go, the more it costs.

I just looked them up...I about fell out when I saw the price.

Vision.

The quality is there and the price is right, plus you get a ton of "accessories" right out of the box that other's only sell separately for $$$$$.

See if Sam's is still selling them.

Buy a Vision Kamado thru Alabama Power and have ‘em finance it on your power bill every month. #AmericanDream

I know Academy sells Vision grills.

Google Komodo Kamado grills

Just make sure your sitting down.

Go to lowe's and get the kamado joe. Its where I got mine. They are $750 and are plenty to cook on.

If I had my choice, I’m getting one from TMG Pits in Knoxville TN.

Yep i agree. I have 2 Oklahoma Joe's (one at camp is a reverse flow) i don't want or care for the Egg or Kamado type cookers, but that's just me.......

You asked, I responded.

You can do everything you listed on a weber kettle, I did for years. You can find those on sale for $70.

my next one will be a pellet grill from Academy. Know a few folks with them that like them fine without spending what a Traeger costs. Theirs get plenty hot enough to sear steaks, and the ease of being able to set a temp like an oven for smoking things is hard to pass up.

truth. I looked HARD for one on sale this winter and never could find the $70 deal...bought 2 like that over the years, the upgraded one with the coal catcher pan built onto the kettle. I'm sure it was due to Wuhan proceedings and all....

got my Weber Premium for $90 from Home Depot - just have to watch & strike when they go on sale - it usually doesnt last long ... IMO the “critical” upgrade for a Weber is that Slow-n-Sear - it’s transformed my kettle from alright to amazing overnight

I've had an Egg for years. Love it. But I grill mostly on gas, cause I don't have any patience. I would buy the egg again for sure.

I have the Kamado Joe XL and I do like the Komodo style cooking. However both of these quotes have merit. It’s why I shared it. Some of the offsets allow both smoking and grilling. I went Kamado because it sits on a wooden deck.

Grab a Weber 26” with a Slow N Sear will do almost anything you want. For long smokes, add in a WSM 20 with a digi Q and have two REALLY good setups for a lot less than a Kamado Joe.

I’ve had a Kamado Big Joe, Yoder 640s (pellet) and a Lang Patio Deluxe. For me personally, the above mentioned is what I find to be the easiest and best value for the money hands down.

I just purchased a Louisiana Grills pellet grill from Costco. I was able to compare it to a Traeger and it seems to be of similar quality but 2/3 the price. So far I've cooked a butt, leg of lamb, chicken breasts, steaks, turkey breast, and zucchini on it. It's done a good job on all of them. Pretty easy to use, turn it on, set a temp, and cook. I would buy it again.

David

i endorse this message — if i had a bigger crowd to feed, i would’ve gone w/the 26’er ... but my 22’er is suitable for my needs ... a very good friend of mine got a Kamodo Joe & has had all sorts of problems with it 🤷🏻‍♂️

What is the WSM 20 ? And is this digi q you're talking about specific to the weber ?

I did a little research into the slow n sear but give me the nuts and bolts if you can

I'm interested in this setup and even more interested in the price.

i have a SnS - so i'll take a stab - imagine a much more efficient "snake" method - but in a basket that holds all your charcoal ... i'd personally recommend the Plus model w/a water reservoir ... it's very well constructed (16 ga 304 SS) & i've had mine now for 3+ years & it's still going strong ... i can fill my SnS all the way full with charcoal, throw a few chunks of hickory on top, & get anywhere (easily) from 12-16 hrs of smoke time w/it ... when i got mine (i ordered direct from the founder/owner) i went ahead & had him throw in the Maverick digital thermometer, as well -- it's got a grate probe & a meat probe ...

they have a YouTube channel so you can check it out & see how they recommend using it -- but it's brain dead simple to use, and IMO is a game changer (along w/using the digital thermometer) ... i thought i was doing great BBQ until i ate smoked meat w/the Weber & SnS ...

the Sear part of it works awesome, as well - i’ve done some fine reverse seared steaks with it ... & it makes making smoked wings a snap ... but mostly, i used it for slow smoking

i’ll also add that i have a heavy duty cover for my Weber, and it stays out of the weather - i’ve had zero issues with rust ...

This is what I'm looking for.

watch their videos, BPI - it works "as advertised" - and hey, call the owner, Dave Parrish - he's an Alabama boy & a really good guy

I got a chargriller acorn for free, and am considering a komodo if it works out, but .... you got my wheels turning and my wallet thinking now LOL !

i wouldn't trade my Weber Premium + SnS Plus for anything - every time i use it, my GF always comments on how simple & effortless it is to use - 9/10 it's a "set & forget" deal - i just eyeball the wireless monitor from time to time to make sure it's still idling on 225F & sit in my recliner in the AC & watch YouTube LOL i went w/the copper color -- you can see the wireless transmitter hanging on the handle on the front ... not in the pic - but i clamp down the lid w/big binder clips to make sure it's sealed good - but you can snake the wires into the grill & avoid all that, if you want to

compared to other options - this is a cheap setup (under $500, esp if you find the Weber on sale, which I did)

Just ordered the digi Q system for the Akorn. If it don't work out this will be my next option. Thanks for all the info.

smart - i'd try to make your "free" option work 1st too - good luck

Rec tec grill is what I’m getting next.

Get the cheapest charcoal grill they have. Seems like nowadays they are rotten junk in about a year

With a name brand you can buy parts.

I have a gass grill that is probably 30 years old. It's not it the greatest shape but still cooks. Its fell off the back of a truck, been put out to pasture a few times and has key way controll joints holding it together.

Not if you want to smoke anything. Just grillin ? Oh yeah. They work fine.

if you leave stuff out in the weather, it'll all rot to the ground - unless it's stainless steel ... i've got a barrel grill, covered, under my porch, that i've had since 2004 - still going strong, even though i don't use it much now (too big) ... getting a grill under a carport/porch/in your garage is step 1 for making one last a while

Got my digi q pack for the akorn in today. Gonna try and do a butt and ribs tomorrow and I'll give a report later.

The digi q works great. Butt and ribs turned out perfect.

Well my akorn bit the dust on me last week. Thinking about the Costco ceramic grill, or waiting on a used BGE to come up for a reasonable price.

They service every part on it for reasonable prices.

Are we talking Akorns here? The hinge screws pulled out of the bottom section, so I need a new bottom section, new hinge, new grates since they’re starting to rust. Replacement parts are going to be $200 or so at least. A new one is $320. Lasted me 4 years, so I’m pretty happy.

Yes. I see you already looked at prices.

awesome - good to hear! i'd never "cooked by #'s" until my Maverick; it does make a big difference

I was pretty impressed with it. Only 2 temp spikes in 11 hours. One was at the start because i let my preheat go too long, the other was when I took off the ribs ( got too much air ) and then left the house for about 3 hours. It still only jumped about 30 degrees. Turned out really well. Good thing about this setup is you can get adaptors for whatever other kind of grill you're using. Once it settles in and you don't touch the lid, it stays around 3 to 4 degrees of the set temp.

yup! as i said before, if it got any more simpler, you'd be dead! LOL the great thing about pork is that it's very tolerant of heat spikes ... no lie, i've filled my Slow-N-Sear with charcoal first thing in the morning, brought the Weber up to idle temp (225F), put the meat on it, and gone back to bed woke up a few hours later -- still idling at 225F ... it's a thing of beauty

Managed to get 4 racks of St Louis ribs ( Big racks ) on the Akorn Saturday. The digi q / Akorn combo nailed it again. Kept the temps right on the money and only had to open the lid to wrap in foil and once more to glaze with sauce. I'm liking the setup the more I use it.