Which Cooker Is the Simplest to Use?

I haven't cooked with both so I don't think I'll vote.

PBC hands down light it hang your meat temps are preset don't get much simpler, add bonus no water pan to mess with. no leak worries. now that the PBC is Ceramic coated IMHO it's a better buy.

Thingfish said:

I haven't cooked with both so I don't think I'll vote.

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ill vote for the WSM and you can vote for the PBC, that way our inexperience will cancel each other out :becky:

Invalid poll since the mini wsm, and jimmy isn't included. I think Bob needs a mini because the mini RULES :heh:

Out of only those two? Let's see....both you light charcoal and cook so equally easy as any simple charcoal cooker. The WSM can fine tune temps much better but that isn't hard to do.

The WSM is my vote purely because of its uniformity. Each one is the "same". There is a wealth of knowledge available on them and their learning curve is quick and slight. The PBC has so many builds it is different from one to the next. Of course they are gaining uniformity as the construction goes from the backyard to production plant. They are both bullet proof cookers I just think the WSM has more to support it.

Skip said:

The WSM is my vote purely because of its uniformity. Each one is the "same". There is a wealth of knowledge available on them and their learning curve is quick and slight. The PBC has so many builds it is different from one to the next. Of course they are gaining uniformity as the construction goes from the backyard to production plant. They are both bullet proof cookers I just think the WSM has more to support it.

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I think you're confusing UDS's with PBC... simple mistake though because after all the PBC is a drum smoker but with rebar and horseshoes. All PBC's are the same though except the new ones have the porcelain.

Bob C Cue said:

which one would you recommend?

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Oh I forgot this part. Well i do like hanging meat sometimes now so If the WSM didn't have a hanging kit I would probably say PBC if they didn't want to build something.

Now that the WSM does have the hanging kit I'd say that because of the temp controls, shuts down easier by only closing vents, has a built in thermometer and easily low temp cook for fish, jerky, sausage etc...

Thingfish said:

I haven't cooked with both so I don't think I'll vote.

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Same here. I'll leave the advice to those who have cooked with both. :thumb:

WSM for sure. PBC has two fundamental faults:

1. It makes you believe that temps are preset
2. It perpetuates the completely false idea that you can cook BBQ by time

The PBC isn't bad per se and you can certainly turn out edible Q with it, but if you really want to learn the craft of smoking meats, get a WSM.

Simplest? PBC by a mile. There's no fiddling with thermometers, no changing or adding coals, it's less susceptible to environmental changes. Literally all you do is start fire, hang meat, and start checking your stuff after a few hours. There's no preset time or temp, just general ranges that produce great results. You still have to check and know how to tell if something is done.

If you're a control freak, it's not for you because the more you try and mess with it the more it gets thrown off.

If you firmly believe that BBQ cooked at temps greater than 250* or that any change in temp over the time of the cook ruins the food, the PBC is not for you.

If all you care about is the food coming off being super good, then the PBC is for you!!

Uds. Uds. Uds............ There's F'Tards making decent Q on UDS- just type UDS into YouTube and you will see what I mean.

i think they are both just as simple. other things need to be taken into consideration when purchasing.

Fwismoker said:

I think you're confusing UDS's with PBC... simple mistake though because after all the PBC is a drum smoker but with rebar and horseshoes. All PBC's are the same though except the new ones have the porcelain.

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That would be the case. I now need to do some research :becky:

I have never cooked on a PBC, but I can't imagine it's any easier to cook on than a WSM.

DaveAlvarado said:

WSM for sure. PBC has two fundamental faults:

1. It makes you believe that temps are preset
2. It perpetuates the completely false idea that you can cook BBQ by time

The PBC isn't bad per se and you can certainly turn out edible Q with it, but if you really want to learn the craft of smoking meats, get a WSM.

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I disagree with this. Nowhere have I read or heard Temps are preset. The PBC is built without a thermometer because the owner of the company has figured out how to get a temperature range with a set intake 275-325°. I own a PBC and have cooked on it enough to know that if you light it the same way every time and leave the intake set you WILL get a consistent temperature within 10-20 degrees. I use a maverick thermometer to monitor temps.

The owner also doesn't tell you to cook by time solely either. Rather just gives rough times to start checking meat for doneness. I will admit someone with zero smoking/grilling experience might confuse that though. Anyone with just a little experience knows the probe test, bend test and ITs for different meats to start checking for such things .

Edible Q?? You obviously haven't tasted anything cooked in a PBC :becky:


I voted for the PBC but only because of the things I've read from the WSM owners compared to my experience and what ive read from those who own a PBC. I know people who have NEVER smoked meat in their life who have turned out excellent brisket, ribs, pork butts, and other things from their first cook on a PBC. That tells me it's simple. I think the WSM is an awesome cooker but I think it has a bigger learning curve......

More people will vote for the WSM because more own it and it's got a great reputation. It deserves the respect people give it...

DaveAlvarado said:

...you can certainly turn out edible Q with it, but if you really want to learn the craft of smoking meats, get a WSM.

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Seriously?? Just edible?

If you want to learn the "craft" get a stick burner is more like it. :becky:

To me this is all rather silly. You have a basket full of charcoal in both, both have air intake(s) and exhaust (what you need in any charcoal cooker).

One primarily hangs, one primarily grate cooks (exception the hanging kit) This isn't rocket science by no means...charcoal/wood chunks with meat above it. The only differences are things like multiple grates, one is or can be a water smoker depending how you use it and one has finer temp controls for a wider range of cooking options.


When i hear this cooker is the best or that cooker is the best I want to :frusty: Get both..one is more of a true smoker and the other more of a simple charcoal cooker with built in hangers.

Get both or do what i did and make simple cookers that have all the options and attributes of both and also grill/sear.

I don't think this is silly. It encourages forum participation and that's a good thing for me. I'm on some other forums where things are pretty stale and the traffic just tales of to nothing. Now as for the cookers, I'm a big PBC fan. I love mine. I don't know what temperature it's running and I used the videos as a starting reference point. It's taking me 3 months and about 10 cooks to figure it out but it is a set-it and foget-it cooker and, I think, makes really good Q. Wouldn't trade it for anything and when it burns out, I'll buy another.