Jambo Backyard vs. Insulated Vertical

if you do go with a offset pit you will be feeding it every 40-45 mins.you cant leave it and run off for too long.they do also make a lot of ash on long cooks.i clean my pit as soon as the ash is cool or first thing the next day.offsets do require some work but to me its worth it.

Sounds like you already have "set it and forget it" rigs so maybe a stick burner for a good excuse to "keep an eye on the smoker"(a.k.a. drink beer).

I put a piece of expanded metal in the bottom of my offset so that a drip pan can be under the cooking grate and the meat is still up on the grate, works good for me and kind of acts like a diverter or tuning plate to spread the heat out a little.

1. The Jambo will need a stick about every 45 mins. And IMO you will enjoy having this change of operation if you like to cook and be involved. You will also enjoy a slightly different flavor and IMO stickburners give off the best perfume in the WORLD! The neighbors will be knocking down your door.

2. You can cook in pans, but I recommend that you put a roasting rack of some sort so air can flow under the meat.



Now, as far as keeping a super clean rig goes. There's a lot to be said for a well seasoned pit and its grease. But, if I had to guess, I'd say you won't be cooking every other day or even every week with your offset. So, the positives of a squeaky clean pit may very well outweigh the positives of a heavily seasoned pit via drippings.


My vote goes to Jambo. Why? Because it's different from what ya got. And different equals fun in this game.:-D

I love my Jambo backyard. The temps are rock solid steady and cleaning is easy.
You can't go wrong with this pit.

Not sure about the others, but that Kamado Joe Big Joe is really good at smoking.

Jambos are supposed to be really good but they probably have the longest build times out of any that I have seen. You did not mention capacity. How much do you cook at a time? My cookers keep getting bigger every year or so. The last one may last me a long time since it will fit so much meat and it takes up such little space. My cabinet takes up 1/3rd of the space of my offset but will hold 3 times as much meat. If you are struggling between offset and cabinet then maybe a vertical offset is what you are looking for. Oldbill should be chiming in any minute now...:-D Don't get me wrong, offsets are great. They are fun to cook on and produce a better wood/smoke flavor. I will always have an offset but most of the time I am vertical kind of guy as you can see by my list of cookers.

Do you have a dollar amount in mind?

Both.


http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=201467

I agree with Smitty ^^^^. Get both. Buy the one you NEED first then after a little time buy the other. I bought the insulated vertical first because I NEEDED to do a number of long cooks around the holidays for family, work and freinds and couldn't do the commitment of time / dedication for the offset. Four months later, I got an offset (would have preferred a Jamboree or Shirley). I enjoy having both. The offset is a great weekend stress relief for me. The vertical is a great weekday stress relief for me. Good Luck to You!

I love my backyard. As others have said, it's a different style, and more hands-on. But I actually like it (until about 6 AM at the comps!). I feed it every 35-45 minutes to keep her at 275, but I also use smaller splits.

It's all about how you want to cook. I have friends that absolutely don't want to have to work that hard to maintain temps, and have gone with different styles of cookers. But I bet you'd be happy either way.

Cheers.