opinions on first smoker

Big Poppa Kit for UDS. Get barrel off Craigslst or at Farm n Ag Store.

http://westernmass.craigslist.org/for/4979775308.html

For $300 you can do a lot with a CharGriller offset (and have lots of money leftover for meat) or get one of their Akorn kamado style grills. The offset is gonna require you to babysit it and be more active in the cook. The kamado is an easier cook.

If you shop around at Costco & Sams you can often find killer deals on ceramic kamados from Vision grills. ($399 and up).


If you can stretch it, I highly recommend the ceramic kamado grills.....especially ones that offer a lifetime warranty.

Those kamados are capable of grilling, baking, searing, smoking anything that you'd be able to dream of throwing in there. They run very stable temps and deliver great moist food without much involvement from you....once you figure out the vent settings.

You can get a nice wood flavor buy adding various types of smoking wood or you can just run it with lump alone.

They snuff out the fire once the vents are closed and you'll be able to reuse the leftover lump charcoal and/or wood. I normally get 3+ cooks out of every firebox full. No kidding.

Age old design that's stood the test of time is super simple and super easy.



The downside of the ceramic kamado is the weight. They are heavy and cumbersome and not the type of grill that you'd load up in the bed of your pickup truck and take over to friends houses to cook.

The real estate under the dome of a kamado is different, too. Multi level rack systems like Kamado Joe's Divide & Conquer rack system really make the absolute best use of the available space.

The swing out upper rack on the Akorn is nice, too.

X2 like SmittyJonz said , or source your own parts and bild a UDS for less than $100.00

Go with the WSM and you will never be disappointed. There is so little learning curve in getting it dialed in, it will hold temps extremely well, all you have to do it put it together, and you have Weber's stellar customer service to fall back on if there is any kind of problem (which is very rare).

If you plan on grilling and smoking the kettle or big poppa are the best bets. If your gonna still use the gasser for grilling (boo) looking for a more dedicated smoker id say the wsm, pcb, or big poppa.

the akorn is in your price range and does both well too.


Personally if i had a $300 budget and no charcoal cooker to begin with i would buy a weber 26 inch kettle.

Built my BPS UDS a year ago and absolutely love it. The kit makes the build super easy. Cooks great. Two rack positions so it can smoke or grill/sear. Good luck on your decision.

do you want a set and forget or do you want to babysit?

sounds like set and forget which would eliminate any of the cheap stick burners.

EricD said:

Hey all Brethren!
I'm in the market for a smoker. I've been grilling on a Weber gasser for years and love Weber. Done some low and slow cooks on her too. But, I want to add to my backyard grilling repertoire. I've never had a charcoal cooker or a smoker before. I've been doing some research on my own as well as the invaluable reviews on Amazing Ribs .com (I love that site too) I think I have it narrowed down to a few smokers around the $300 range.
My question(s) to you are: 1) do you think I should get a charcoal cooker first? (It would be a Weber kettle)
2) What you would suggest for a first time smoker?

If your curious, I've narrowed it down to a PBC, Char-broil vertical gas smoker, WSM, Napolean Apollo AS200k (WSM rip off), Camp Chef smoke rack, or a Big Poppa Kit-though I have no idea where to get the barrel.
Thank you in advance for your responses!
Hope your smoke is blue and your protein juicy!!

Click to expand...

IMHO, I would go with charcoal and leave the gas for grilling. :becky:

The PBC is a solid option and it is easy to setup and use. You can literally take it out of the box and cook with it right away. It does a great job with ribs and you can get quite a bit in it by hanging them. You won't have a reliable way of controlling your temperature. If that is important to you, the PBC won't be what you want.

The WSM is a solid option as well. It is a bit more of a learning curve but judging from what I've seen it can do, it is well worth it. Plus, there are all sorts of gizmos that you can get to make your life easier and there are many people who are more than willing to give friendly advice.

You can also consider a Weber kettle as an option. Not only can you grill on it, you can use it to smoke. I use mine for things that don't take long to smoke (meat loaf and pork tenderloins being the most common). If you use it for smoking, go with as large as you can afford.

Well.. that's my $0.02.

If you're wanting something mainly for smoking you could go with a WSM. If you're wanting something that can do several types of cooks on one grill, go with the Akorn.

WSM is my vote.

I agree with Ron. For just starting out, I would say the WSM. Its super easy to operate right out of the box with a very fast learning curve. PBC would be a close second, but you really can't go wrong with a weber product.

I'd go for the WSM. I got the 18.5 as my first charcoal smoker. It's almost too easy. I can focus on the meat and the flavor rather than babysitting the fire and temps. No down side so far (about 20 cooks in)

My first smoker was a WSM. It was easy to use and easy to learn on. That said, I quickly upgraded to a offset because I wanted to burn logs and to get some more space. After I accumulated a BGE and a huge offset (must be pulled behind a truck) I gave the WSM to a friend because it didn't get any use.

Kettles are well under $300 new, used market is strong. For $300 you can have a preformer (weber with cart, way more handy than you would think) model or like i stated the 26. If you get a 26 you will be the envy of kettle heads coast to coast. I find my 22 kettle lacking for space all the time and that's on cooks for 2 and 3 people. I hear the 26 isnt bad on fuel which is a thing to consider.

No experience with the napoleon but im sure its good, meathead is as trusted sourcecascany in the bbq world. I will say a 22 inch wsm (or napoleon) burns way more fuel than an 18. The 18 handles quit a bit of food for its size so consider your needs and buy accordingly.

Sounds like your leaning pretty hard towards the PBC. I say quit dilly-dallying and pull the trigger !! Have em' put your ARMY logo on it and your off and running. Happy smokin brother ! :thumb: Now get out that credit card!!

Good luck with your choice bub. Pickin out a new smoker is a blessing and a curse,.. especially if you have alot of time to think about it... LOL...