Let's Talk BBQ
General => General Discussion & Topics => Product Reviews => Topic started by: aliengriller on December 15, 2015, 05:54:07 PM
-
USUALLY get a fair size check for Christmas from my father in law. Been seriously considering an electric smoker after over 50 yrs of using my CB charcoal grill with the SMK (smoker) attachment. No problems there, EXCEPT, I'm now in my late 70's and getting lazy! Have looked at Masterbuilt, Bradley (Jeff Phillips favorite) and the new CharBroil one. Anyone have any advice on which one? Leaning to the new CB, but, therin is the problem. It's fairly new. Lots of good reviews, with a few bad ones. Would like to hear from any one with experience on any of them. Thanks.
-
might want to check out the Smokin-it website, I've had their #2 for over a year and it does a good job smoking about anything, very reasonable and good customer service
-
smoking-it is on the top of my list for my next electric smoker.
-
I have one of the original test units from Char-Broil. I see they have made some "improvements" based on the testers' comments. The improvements look good. but, frankly, I would have bought the original unit for the price they are asking. Yes, I am "lazy." Mostly, I am harried - girls in various sports, coaching fast pitch softball, serving on boards, and, oh yeah, trying to earn an living....
This is great. I can add some chips or pellets, fill the water tray, set the temp - and there it goes. Maybe not sexy or lumber-jackish, but it makes seriously good food without a ton of attention. And it holds the temp very well. The door seals well and everything just works. The only other comparable smoker I have used was the original CB electric smoker - I still have it. But, the door has never sealed well and the analogue control is a bit of a pain to get dialed in. I am looking to recycle that unit to my younger brother.
Someday when my daughters are in college, I might buy a stick burner and sit on the deck and play with it. But for now, this is perfect for me.
-
For me here is a distinct difference in the flavor of wood smoke vs charcoal smoke- even with some wood added.
When I add that into the long term concerns about reliability, only the Smokin' It or Smokin' Tex are simple enough (they only have a rheostat knob for adjusting temperature, and a heating element). That is all that all that can fail. And - you can keep both of these parts on hand cheap enough. They are made of heavy grade commercial stainless and industrial insulation.
They are both imitations - sort of .... of the Cook Shack products - in my opinion and form examination. Not cheaper in quality - but a heck of a lot less expensive.
Those are the things that separate them from the Bradley which also uses a wood "puck" that ONLY Bradley makes - so it is not available everywhere. As well - the moving parts that push the puck into the cooker, and the electronics on the digital model are not robustly made. There are a number of folks here that have owned them, and some currently do own a Bradley. Not knocking it - but it is not as durable a design or construction as the Smoking' It or Smoking' Tex.
I have also owned the Masterbuilt box smoker ( not the current model) and- it and the Char-Broil, and Cajun Injector are very similar in their construction and use of lightweight materials. Both in the construction of the box, and the electronics. This is because we as consumers constantly beat companies for more features for less money - so they have to make compromises somewhere. Common to all of them including the Bradley is the use of spray foam insulation - not industrial "mineral wool" as in the Smoking' It and Smokin' Tex.
But - I want to tell you that I have seen and eaten food from the Red Box Smoker. And - while it uses charcoal - you can run it for 8 hours on one load. That is usually enough for most things, and it is easy to reload when you need. Here is a link to the manufacturer's website:
http://ssomd.com/red-box-smoker
ACW3 - a member her - has one, and likes it a lot. It is a little smaller than the bigger Bradley's and Masterbuilts, etc...but - how often will you need to fill up one of those completely? And - you can use it - or any of these mentioned as a great cold smoker with eh addition of the Amazen Smoker as well.
One other advantage that it has over all of the others is no electricity required. And - there nothing to short out, weather and go bad. Well made. Heavily insulated.
Hope this helps!
T
-
Now living up in the mountains, I can't sit outside for 12 hours like a maniac like where I used to live.
There is something about loading up a big butt or a brisket in my smoker at 9 at night when is is in the 20's and going back inside and crawling into a nice warm bed.
Get a Smokin-It. Cry once. This sucker will be in your will. It will last that long. Get the #3. Tons of room for full slabs of ribs and packers. I like the old school turn knob. They have a new digital line up coming up real soon.
Now I don't want you leaving us. They have a nice Mfg owned and ran forum.
-
I cut my teeth on a Bradley, and have since moved on.. (pellet grills in the back yard, and big insulated monsters at our BBQ shop)
-
Smokin it would be my choice if I were going electric. I'm on the lazy side myself.....that's why I se the PBC. Set and forget and clean up is easy. Oh did I forget to say...about the best bbq I have ever turned out.
-
Like you I'm lazy. I've had a Masterbilt for years and couldn't be happier with if. I liked it so much I gave one to my son-in-law as a gift. It is a set-it-and-forget-it product. If I'm doing a butt I put in on around 5or 6 pm. Check it around 10 or 11 pm prior to going to bed and it's ready the next morning.
If I were going to buy a new one I'd got to Academy Sports where they have the new double-glass door Cajun Injector model on sale for $299 and that thing is finnnnneeee lookin'.
The new one from Char-Broil also looks great but I have no experience with it even though I've got four CB cookers.
There is a difference, I reckon, as to the taste of wood vs gas vs 'lectricity but by the time one gets my age the taste buds are so screwed up they couldn't tell the difference if the food was cooked over cow patties.
Dee
-
Like dee i love my MES 30 it is a drop and go (drop the meat and go to sleep ).
it is great for brisket and pastrami .
-
Many folks on the Smokin-it forum were ex Masterbuilt owners. They just got tired of replacing em every so often (I think they were their main cookers) so they went with the insulated Stainless Steel Smokin -It.
You can not tell the difference in the grub that comes off of them. If this is to be your main smoker that is going to do all your heavy lifting...move up to the Smokin It for a lifetime smoker...................if you have other cookers you still will us....the MES will do you proper..... :)
-
FINALLY did it. Read countless reviews, sought advice from some pros other than on this site, first the CharBroil new one, but not really enough reviews, IMHO, to be sure. Checked out the Bradley also, some not so good reviews, and living out here in the sticks figured I would have to order the "bisquettes," and after reading all 2,500+ reviews on the Masterbuilt 30" with window and R/F probe. Found a repackaged new one for under $250. Had one a few bucks cheaper, but had cosmetic damage, and I want it to look bright and shiny new so I can be the one to mess it up. Should be here Wednesday--both Wednesday and Thursday are gonna be nice days here, so may just have to break it in and try it out. Thanks for all the tips. BTW, check from FIL was NOT as much as in past years, hence a little more searching and price watching.
-
FINALLY did it. Read countless reviews, sought advice from some pros other than on this site, first the CharBroil new one, but not really enough reviews, IMHO, to be sure. Checked out the Bradley also, some not so good reviews, and living out here in the sticks figured I would have to order the "bisquettes," and after reading all 2,500+ reviews on the Masterbuilt 30" with window and R/F probe. Found a repackaged new one for under $250. Had one a few bucks cheaper, but had cosmetic damage, and I want it to look bright and shiny new so I can be the one to mess it up. Should be here Wednesday--both Wednesday and Thursday are gonna be nice days here, so may just have to break it in and try it out. Thanks for all the tips. BTW, check from FIL was NOT as much as in past years, hence a little more searching and price watching.
You will love working with this smoker . let me rephrase it . relaxing with this smoke . it smokes great food without a lot of effort .
[attachment deleted by admin]