My WSM vs PBC head-to-head review!

[...Dave]

Cleaning the WSM isn't difficult, but between scrubbing the grill grates, emptying the coals, wiping out a water bowl (foiled or unfoiled), it's a 30 minute process for me.

Winner: PBC

i just cleaned, re-foiled and dumped new charcoal in under 4min

 

[Fwismoker]

This reminds me of the ole WSM vs UDS battles on here. Poor poor WSM is always battling with other cookers to keep it's place as the top of the vertical pile.

 

[STLBBQer]

i just cleaned, re-foiled and dumped new charcoal in under 4min

I cleaned my PBC today, dumped the ashes, and it was actually under 2 minutes. Even got my heart rate up a bit. Very impressed. :clap:

 

[Zin]

The OP did not even mention the best part of the PBC: the horseshoe handles. Good luck finding another cooker with those. See what I did there?

Drum $25 dollars, hanging rods $10 dollars, horseshoe handles $250.00:becky:

 

[jjjonz]

A great comparison. I have owned a couple of WSM and now own the PBC. I cooked on the WSM, PBC style years before the PBC came around. I did cooked at 300 to 350 degrees . I can pretty much cook the same with each with a little renigging. Both are quality cookers..with that being said and I didn't have either I would probably pick the WSM. jmo

 

[BBQLuver]

Great post, lots of detail. I've always wondered about how a UDS/PBC smoker would work in comparison to my WSM. Thanks

 

[STLBBQer]

A great comparison. I have owned a couple of WSM and now own the PBC. I cooked on the WSM, PBC style years before the PBC came around. I did cooked at 300 to 350 degrees . I can pretty much cook the same with each with a little renigging. Both are quality cookers..with that being said and I didn't have either I would probably pick the WSM. jmo

I'd have to agree with you. If I had to get rid of almost all of my smokers/grills, I'd keep the Performer and the WSM. Thank God I don't! I love having ALL of them. Variety is the spice of life! :becky:

 

[SGH]

This is the kind of post that I really enjoy. I like hearing other people's thoughts on different methods, cookers, rubs, etc, etc. It just proves that there is no one best way. We all like different things. I have never posted it, but I have done the same thing as you have but with my Shirley offset and my Vault. One weekend I will cook something on the Shirley and the next weekend cook it on the Vault and ask everyone's opinion. I have even done this with my BGE and PBC. To me it is a blast just cooking and experimenting with different cookers and hearing all of the opinions on which was the best. Thanks for sharing this brother. I enjoyed it.

 

[tb80]

So which one do you end up using more regularly? WSM or PBC? Have you found yourself gravitating to one or the other?

 

[robert-r]

So which one do you end up using more regularly? WSM or PBC? Have you found yourself gravitating to one or the other?

WSM for day to day. You just can't beat it for versatility.
However.... I'm REALLY LOVING MY CHEAP STICKBURNER!!!
The flavor is killer.

 

[STLBBQer]

So which one do you end up using more regularly? WSM or PBC? Have you found yourself gravitating to one or the other?

Realize this reply is two months late, but day-to-day I used my PBC 3x more than the WSM, simply because of the time savings and ease of start-up, clean-up.

If I'm just doing a couple racks of ribs, it's WSM 90% of the time. For butts, chicken, or turkeys right now, it's the PBC all the time. I love both.

I will say, I have gotten more people into BBQ cooking that were never even charcoal guys with the PBC. I have a friend who only owns a Weber gasser, but he bought the PBC after seeing my Thanksgiving turkey. He now uses it 3-4 times a month. He loves Mexican food and is constantly doing Carnitas and other specialities on it. I know him and he wouldn't have devoted the time to learning a WSM. He needed something that was light the charcoal, put on meat, wait, eat. Perfect for him.

 

[AClarke44]

I have a friend who has a PBC and a 22" WSM. He likes them for different things too. Funny thing is he's backwards from you with ribs. Loves them in the PBC and prefers it over the wsm For ribs. But prefers brisket in the WSM.....He basically likes to use the WSM when he wants to go pretty low. He's a believer that 225° is THE brisket temp. Flavor wise he'll tell you the same thing most people who actually have experience with both will tell you. Flavors are different on each but equally as good. Oh and another thing he says. He wouldn't get rid of either and loves both. .....

 

[sam3]

Thanks for the time experimenting with both and posting a great thread. I have both as well, and use them often.
Excellent thread for a new person doing some research.

 

[Happy Hapgood]

I too have enjoyed the thread. I plan on passing my WSM to another generation. It would be cool to take the longevity factor into consideration.

Maybe we can time capsule this thread and see what condition the PBC's, UDS's and WSM's are in, in 10 years.

 

[thepinched]

Sorry super old thread - but I would be interested in seeing where you can get the parts to build something similar.