Let's Talk BBQ
General => General Discussion & Topics => Product Reviews => Topic started by: smokeasaurus on June 15, 2019, 11:13:46 AM
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Time for a product review. This will be a Manufactured Sponsored review so they will be checking in to see the ongoing review and to set me straight if needed 8)
How did this review come about? Just me simply scouring the internet for grills and smokers. Have been doing this for over 10 years and it might be safe to say there is not too much new under the sun. Then this cooker caught my eye on Amazon. 45 reviews on Amazon. All 5 stars. Impressive. Scoured the net for all reviews. Not one negative review. OK, The Smoke is now interested.
This is basically for all intents and purposes a trash can. It is not a galvanized model you pick up at your local hardware store. It is rolled steel and high heat painted with stainless steel internal components. But it is a trash can. Just can't hide that fact.
No dampers or spinners or thermometers or levels or on/off switches. This is back to the basics: heat/smoke/meat.
Now this really isn't a smoker or a grill. From what I have read and told is that this is a cooker that kind of smokes and grills simultaneously.
There is infrared involved and smoke from charcoal and juices burning off of a deflector plate.
Talked to the owners. A real nice husband and wife team. Wes and Emily are both very helpful and very passionate about this cooker. Wes told me he has cooked this way for years and years and after being bothered enough to make these for buddies, he decided to get these to market.
This cooker has made people stop using their expensive grills. Big Green Eggs just sit while the Po Man is cooking away.
I am intrigued, a little skeptical and ready to see what the hype is all about.
Lets all find out together.
Now there was a small consideration for my efforts for this review. The manufacturers are on board and we will be watched. As you know, The Smoke is a straight shooter. If there is something I do not like, we will all hear about it.
Most product reviews are unveiled after a product has been used and mastered so the reviews have a polished effect if you will.
Not this review. We are going to start with the unboxing (Monday) the break in and all the cooks. The cooks will be when we cook supper. There will be no set schedule. This on-going review will start with me following Po Man recipes and then me branching off and getting creative when I have an idea what this cooker can and cant do.
So lets all bumble and stumble together shall we?
I might need a helper for this review. Smoochy are you ready??
Yup, he's ready!!
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/320x240q90/924/41aFXI.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/po41aFXIj)
So the Po Man should be delivered Monday (very prompt shipping offered by the company) and we will get the review going.
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Here are some videos from the manufacturers site so we will all be on the same page when the review begins on Monday
https://youtu.be/jy6bn7ZnrOo
https://youtu.be/HZuXb67MPYA
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Watching .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.
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Oh sweet!!! I’ve seen this cooker online and have on more than one occasion wondered about it. Tuned in for this review!! :)
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Watching .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.
X2!
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Oh sweet!!! I’ve seen this cooker online and have on more than one occasion wondered about it. Tuned in for this review!! :)
Yup, a "novelty" item that claims to churn out championship Que!!!!
Stay tuned my friend :)
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Watching .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.
X2!
Me Too
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I would also like to add that the Po Man cooker is 139.00 with free shipping.
When first visiting their site if you sign up for updates you get a 10.00 off code.
So this cooker is for all of us "Po Men" either by choice or just the way things go :)
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It looks pretty much like a half-price, half-weight PBC (or is that just my poor eyesight?). If it's doable, please comment on other similarities and differences in your review.
Mahalo plenty.
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Looking forward to the review, Smoke.
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Looking forward to the review. Please take note of charcoal usage and temp control.
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Lets see how you do
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I've seen these online too. Watching and waiting for the review!
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Wu7YAqmUrRoPD3-4YARe2n2KgCg47OGNU8sxysEHVpMMQ5bwNMr5w4aO1qoiM4f3hnS-bxNCoAZmLPKuhvqe_LnGfg3W2Dchj6coTdjQX5Al-rfUlIczZW6SJtHCpU-cDJwQtnNUFo7VSPRDU6ktfx_OMiIkfew368R7rNcHIBpFN52kO8_tI8fpoX_4W3A7WsSA77_uaVxCLTeXpv2a9j9D3MXe9oU-CeFQjgX7gul6KRA3_7ajdm42kOaBUhj1mGT5w3ZE0Eah-_GtBIlFgG_q_EqG_1joxsrftYvPEFpFJm-_VVahy6RIYuhJOXgM4Bp1hl0n1Ru2p_D-9KnIue9h0laD-xJhOD-u4uQ0k-bIovvrakVvE3NdBRG2j2HT6n526D3LIBtVxwshdeJ6NhH4N5BzvRqlXniqB_3_QTg4Dla64AOFrgqZZTu0j6swMZnGB7a_Yqx3aoO2Zc_Auf7JeFds7eSt2NbVgSIEN0i5fcSNabTwAigWedY7514M7cjybMDkWncPst74UXSbEaw9H-0xIzDlJ2Q6k10cloiyzy7qg8WZt-Jtp6Fkt6UYiuZVxjbjTHHwQoclzD2ZigybD1gPvgvKIsc05klJ-KV9r34p-gPgfPAcQjJfpGY9hPqqnY6Z7e1r6F8fX4YuqcxNSWPDwlw=s64-no)
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It looks pretty much like a half-price, half-weight PBC (or is that just my poor eyesight?). If it's doable, please comment on other similarities and differences in your review.
Mahalo plenty.
Sure will Turtle. One difference I can tell you right off the bat is that you cant hang full racks of ribs in the Po Man. They have to be cut in half.
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Looking forward to the review. Please take note of charcoal usage and temp control.
Charcoal consumption is reported to be 3.5 hours for 5 lbs of charcoal. Unit can be refilled however for the real long cooks.
Kingsford has a slow burning blend that I will pick up for my longer cooks and will let everyone know about that as well.
Temp control is strictly how cracked you leave the lid. I will be playing around with that during the review.
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another big difference between the PBC and the Po Man will be the flavor profile the cooker produces.
The PBC has an open fire pit so the drippings from the meat can drip to the coals below and create that "grease fog" for that great "granpappy" flavor
The Po Man uses a deflector plate that covers the charcoal. More infrared heat and sizzlings of drippings hitting the deflector plate.
Wes told me you can hang small cuts of meats from the top with the deflector plate off for a sear.
The lid still must be on and cracked however. If left uncovered the flames will destroy your supper.
The box should be on my front porch tomorrow so we will get after it.
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I've got my eye on you, Smoke...
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Smoke is a straight shooter
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Is it there yet? .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.
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Is it there yet? .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.
Got it yesterday but our computer is acting up. Dowloading the pictures as I am typing. Hang in there :)
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Is it there yet? .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.
Got it yesterday but our computer is acting up. Dowloading the pictures as I am typing. Hang in there :)
Do NOT let that computer know your in a hurry..just sayin .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.
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The Po Man came yesterday in a very sturdy box.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/Vz6aUN.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmVz6aUNj)
Now they might call the cooker a Po Man but there is nothing Po about the packaging. Well protected and thought out for no wasted space
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/dwJPRL.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pndwJPRLj)
Lots of bubble wrap and packaging to prevent transit damage
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/z8OZrk.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnz8OZrkj)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/y6uKpS.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pny6uKpSj)
Here is everything that you need to get your Po Man assembled
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/921/vAOvnp.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/plvAOvnpj)
Next up will be the assembly.
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So you get your new cooker and now it is time to assemble.
Most pits have 15 page instruction books and you need all the tools you own to build it in 3 hours
Smoochy is ready
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/924/xJKL4u.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/poxJKL4uj)
Not with the Po Man!!!! 4 nuts and bolts for the lid handle and you are off and running
You can take your readers off Smooch, there is no instruction manual
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/921/Go6a0A.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/plGo6a0Aj)
Ah come on, that wasn't that bad!!! What did it take you? A couple of minutes
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/924/b1dtNN.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pob1dtNNj)
Good looking "can"
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/5X8eim.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pm5X8eimj)
Well that was so quick and easy lets burn the pit off.
followed the manufacturers instructions and got her fired up in no time
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/921/Sjozsj.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/plSjozsjj)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/RWawl7.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmRWawl7j)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/RGa3qH.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmRGa3qHj)
Stay tuned because it is time to cook in the Po Man Cooker!!
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Lets get cooking. Followed the Mfg directions. Did a full coal box (about 5 lbs).
Had some marinated chicken halves
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/924/GjnayA.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/poGjnayAj)
Skewered em and hung em
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/924/DmRf9E.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/poDmRf9Ej)
The only adjustment you have to make is the lid and since I was hanging poultry I went around 1/2 inch gap
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/TluC9S.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmTluC9Sj)
In one hour and 45 minutes I got this:
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/fvA7XN.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmfvA7XNj)
Just don't get prettier than this:
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/aSxPU7.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnaSxPU7j)
Oh wait, yes it does!!
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/bMAHpC.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnbMAHpCj)
Now I did this cook three days ago and I can safely say that this was hands down the best chicken I ever have.
Off of any cooker.
The ease of the cooking process is basically setting your lid for the gap you want and then coming back to the best chicken ever!!!!!!
More cooks to come. We are just getting started folks.
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Looks amazing. Now, I want one.
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Nice! Different end result than the PBC? How many chicken halves will the Po’ Man hold at one time?
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Nice! Different end result than the PBC? How many chicken halves will the Po’ Man hold at one time?
You can hang/skewer probably 3 split chickens and don't forget you can add the grate to a lower level and add another split chicken to it.
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The flavor profile is spot on. I was wondering about that since you use a deflector plate to "cover the charcoal" instead of letting the juices hit the coals and create the grease fog.
However, this cooker is more towards infrared type heat and the juices do sizzle on the deflector plate.
In fact you can hear the sizzling during the cook, pretty cool.
You are still getting charcoal flavor because you are still doing a minion method type cook under the deflector plate.
So if you do not like the heavy grease fog flavor from the open coals you will love this.
All the sizzling going on and the smoke after the first hour I had to open the lid and I was expecting burnt black yardbirds.
As from the pictures you just saw though, this cooker spits out the best chicken around IMHO.
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Looks amazing. Now, I want one.
hang in there and watch for all the cooks I got coming up.
Trust me, if things go the way I think they are, I will definitely recommend you adding one to your outdoor arsenal 8)
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Filling up the charcoal basket how long a cook can you get?
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However, this cooker is more towards infrared type heat...
Now you've done it! Tommy will probably go out and buy several of them and start modifying and forget to patent his mods and not get rich when he should.
And with the cooker's bad habit of not burning the chickens, Kimmie won't be happy either.
I hope you're satisfied.
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Looks amazing. Now, I want one.
hang in there and watch for all the cooks I got coming up.
Trust me, if things go the way I think they are, I will definitely recommend you adding one to your outdoor arsenal 8)
If only you had stayed in TX a little longer, we could have put it through the paces together.
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Filling up the charcoal basket how long a cook can you get?
Howdy Sparky, the charcoal basket if filled to the brim is a little over 5 lbs of briquettes. With the lid at 1/4 inch you should get a 3 1/2 hour burn.
I was skeptical about the "short" burn time but so far this has not been an issue. You will see with my upcoming cooks.
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However, this cooker is more towards infrared type heat...
Now you've done it! Tommy will probably go out and buy several of them and start modifying and forget to patent his mods and not get rich when he should.
And with the cooker's bad habit of not burning the chickens, Kimmie won't be happy either.
I hope you're satisfied.
You have me doing the "walk of shame" Turtle. At least I haven't soaked any wood chunks yet ;D
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Hi all, I have another cook post later but I would like to clear some things up that I reported incorrectly.
I mentioned stainless steel components for the internal parts of the Po-Man. The skewers and cooking grate are. The other components are rolled steel.
If and when you would like to order the PoMan please feel free to purchase off of pomangrill.com
Of course you are more than welcome to get your PoMan anywhere you like but the Mfg pointed out to me that you get a 10.00 customer code when purchasing direct and free shipping. Lets face it, 10.00 bucks gets you two chickens for your first PoMan cook. 8) You also get all the tips and videos and reviews from the Po Man himself on their site to get you on the right track of being a PoMan.
Also, I watched a video review from a while back and the reviewer mentioned that the PoMan logo on the "can" is a sticker and he wondered how long it would stay on.
I am pleased to report that the "sticker" is now metal and riveted to the PoMan. You do get a sticker in your instruction manual packet :thumbup:
I would also like to state that none of the internal components are for sale separately. In the world of drums and barrels and trash cans there are those that like to get the "innards" and then make their own to save money.
I was informed that to this day PoMan has not had to replace a charcoal basket or deflector plate due to burnout. They are both real stout!!
However one item is for sale: the fuel cup and skewers. The skewers is a no brainer. Here is what the Mfg says: Why cook 20 wings when you can cook 40? Get an extra set of skewers to increase your cooking capacity
Now I can see why the fuel cup is sold as well. Why would you need another fuel cup you say? Simple, my first clean up I removed the charcoal basket and folded up the foil with the charcoal ash and tossed it away.
Then I spent 30 minutes wandering around and scratching my head wondering where in the Sam Hill did I put the fuel cup.
It was in the charcoal ash in the foil I wadded up and tossed out :D
You don't see it when you remove the charcoal basket so just reach in the center of the dust and out she comes!!
Just wanted to get some things cleared up.
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That is some great looking chicken
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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We have been trying to eat salmon at least once a week. I had reservations doing salmon in the Po Man because of the higher temps but lets go for it.
Used the cooking grate on level 3 (which is just under the top level 4 where you use your skewers)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/gSpq8Z.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmgSpq8Zj)
The Po Man didn't let me down. 30 minutes later the salmon was at a perfect 142 degrees internal. Just perfect. Slightly smokey on the outside and moist on the inside.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/ULnUXX.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnULnUXXj)
Such an easy cooker to use. I wish I could comment more on how I tweaked this and rotated that and set the dial.......nope, this is set it and forget it at its best
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That salmon looks just about perfect. Nice job Smoke
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WOW! That came out great!
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Looks great! Lets see some ribs!
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Looks great! Lets see some ribs!
That is the next cook coming up :thumbup:
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I'm curious because I've got a PBC and love the flavor profile. I wonder if it will be the same with the grease dripping onto the plate versus directly onto the coals? Time will tell, and hats off to you for the great review on this intriguing cooker!
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I'm curious because I've got a PBC and love the flavor profile. I wonder if it will be the same with the grease dripping onto the plate versus directly onto the coals? Time will tell, and hats off to you for the great review on this intriguing cooker!
The flavor profile is different. You are getting charcoal flavor because you are minion method burning of the charcoal under the deflector plate. The deflector plate gets screaming hot and the drippings from the meat hit and it also smokes and sizzles back flavor to your meat.
More of an infrared cook like you would get in an offset with reverse flow plates
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Lets cook some ribs......or should I say "trash" em ;D
St Louis Style spares. Cut em in half. Po man recommends cutting full racks in half.
Used a marinade with no dry rub. Skewered em
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/921/P1aCYj.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/plP1aCYjj)
Filled the coal basket and had the deflector plate in place and away we go.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/l7lkUg.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnl7lkUgj)
Here were the ribs 1 hour and 45 minutes later
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/921/TfSAWu.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/plTfSAWuj)
I added some apple juice to the foil for the ribs.
While doing that I pulled out the cooking rack and added about 2-3 lbs of unlit charcoal to the firebasket. (more about this later)
When the new coal took off I added the cooking grate to the rack and back in the Po Man
Also added some bacon jalapeno cheesy bread
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/B1AH1z.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmB1AH1zj)
Ribs stayed in the foil for one hour and look at these
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/924/Mse4We.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/poMse4Wej)
Melted and gooey on the top and perfectly crispy on the bottom
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/l6PvST.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pml6PvSTj)
My plate for the evening (yes there was a second helping)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/921/cvChkL.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/plcvChkLj)
So you ask yourself Ribs in 3-3.5 hours?? Were they tender? shouldn't ribs be done at 225 degrees for 6 hours? What is wrong with The Smoke?
The ribs were perfect. Tender and juicy and a little tug off of the bone. I kid you not this Po Man can "trash" some ribs ladies and gents :thumbup: :thumbup:
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Those look excellent!!! You forgot to circle back to why you added some unlit charcoal… ;-)
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A "drawback" for some might be that for very long cooks the Po Man will need to be refilled.
Top time is 3.5 hours on the charcoal basket.
However the process is basically lifting out the cooking grate rack and pouring in unlit charcoal on top of the burning charcoal.
Now you have another three hours of cook time.
More than enough to finish off a brisket.
I found during my rib cook that I did not have to add coals but I wanted to see the process.
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How about trashing some chicken wangs??
As you can see capacity for wings is not an issue. I could have used the other two skewers and at 6 wings per skewer you got 24 wings getting cooked up
You could buy 4 more skewers and hang em off of the rack just below the top setting and cook a very impressive 48 wings at a time.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/5qCUPI.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pm5qCUPIj)
Wings were done in about 45 minutes so we removed em and foiled em and placed in the cooking grate and smoked up some mac and cheese
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/IDP2sL.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnIDP2sLj)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/PRwv5u.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmPRwv5uj)
Another great meal!!
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/924/SU1Jdy.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/poSU1Jdyj)
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How about trashing some chicken wangs??
As you can see capacity for wings is not an issue. I could have used the other two skewers and at 6 wings per skewer you got 24 wings getting cooked up
You could buy 4 more skewers and hang em off of the rack just below the top setting and cook a very impressive 48 wings at a time.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/5qCUPI.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pm5qCUPIj)
Wings were done in about 45 minutes so we removed em and foiled em and placed in the cooking grate and smoked up some mac and cheese
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/IDP2sL.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnIDP2sLj)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/PRwv5u.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmPRwv5uj)
Another great meal!!
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/924/SU1Jdy.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/poSU1Jdyj)
That's a meal fit for a king or me
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Could I ask youwhat you marinated the ribs in? I always use a dry rub but I'd love to give that a try! That's a very impressive little smoker I've gotta admit, alot of bang for the buck! How do you rate the build quality, is this thing gonna last awhile with regular use? Great for camping or picnics I reckon...
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Could I ask youwhat you marinated the ribs in? I always use a dry rub but I'd love to give that a try! That's a very impressive little smoker I've gotta admit, alot of bang for the buck! How do you rate the build quality, is this thing gonna last awhile with regular use? Great for camping or picnics I reckon...
I used Famous Daves Pork Marinade which was pretty darn good.
As for build quality, this cooker is solid. The fire box and cooking rack are stout cold rolled steel. If using foil to line the bottom and not let ashes build up and sit for any length of time the Po Man is going to be around for a very long while.
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Had to throw together a quick so I fired up the PoMan and made some burger patties. The PoMan is great at weeknight cooking.
Used the cooking grate
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/921/zE6ZfJ.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/plzE6ZfJj)
Now you do not flip your burgers in the Po Man, just let em ride for 45 minutes
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/N6GwG8.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnN6GwG8j)
Got some hard rolls (its a Midwest thang)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/x0eFfu.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnx0eFfuj)
The PoMan can cook up a good burger :thumbup:
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For the 4th of July yesterday we fired up the PoMan for lunch and supper.
Lets start with lunch: hot dogs and brats
I placed the cooking grate at a lower setting to set the brats on (I did not want to skewer them to loose all the juices) and I skewered up some hot doggies
They were all pre cooked in boiling beer and onion
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/lPaPtL.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnlPaPtLj)
In under 20 minutes the hot dogs were done
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/x10Oop.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmx10Oopj)
The brats are not ready but my doggies are done. What to do? What to do?
Simple, foil em up and set em back on top of the skewers to stay warm while the brats finish up!!
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/ewoulI.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnewoulIj)
About 15 minutes later and a turn or two, the brats are now ready
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/921/rc9Trf.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/plrc9Trfj)
a good lunch I must say
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/924/Vou44w.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/poVou44wj)
Now about my 4th lunch cook:
how nice to not have to flip hot dogs and have em running all over the grill, burning, splitting open, y'all know the routine
Talk about the capacity of the PoMan, I could have easily have gotten 10 hot dogs on each skewer. you could easily hang 80 hot dogs on skewers if using the next grate down. How about that for a weenie roast!!!!! 80 hot diggity dogs in under 20 minutes cooked perfectly and not burnt or split open :thumbup:
The brats I was a little worried about being set on the cooking grate at a lower setting. No worries as well. They cooked up perfectly!!
Well the 4th of July is moving along and it is almost supper time.
Had some small Angus Chuck eye steaks. Known as "Po Man ribeyes"
Sounds like a perfect fit for the PoMan cooker 8)
Went with my Central Texas rub and a pinch of garlic
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/921/YV5xmW.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/plYV5xmWj)
These were on the small side so I only had about 3 lbs of charcoal lit.
Now, the PoMan himself told me when he cooks steaks he does not use the flavor/deflector plate. So I tried that
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/924/UIWo1u.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/poUIWo1uj)
Not knowing about the results with the deflector plate out I had the cooking grate one notch below the top setting and they cooked up nice
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/ZQYW1N.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmZQYW1Nj)
I am very comfortable using the PoMan and I have some pretty cool cooks coming up so stay tuned 8)
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Man, it just keeps impressing! Keep em’ coming... we are watching :)
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Man, it’s just keeps impressing! Keep em’ coming... we are watching :)
Yes Sir, we try to cook on the PoMan everyday, it is that good and so much fun.
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I cooked next to the guy the Po' Man himself at a bbq competition in Alabama several years ago. I was cooking on my pull-behind offset stick burner and he had several Po' Mans cooking away. Really solid dude. There were about 15 teams in the backyard division that year and out of all of the teams, the Po'Man always had a crowd of people around because they're so interesting. Everybody loved everything that he pulled off of those cookers that day and I was so impressed that I bought one a couple days after that competition. I also bought my dad and my father in law one. Smoke is right, it doesn't get any easier than cooking on a Po'Man. My dad is not very good with grills and was intimidated, to say the least, about trying to smoke ribs, boston butts, or anything really. But he nows sends me pictures of different cooks every so often thanks to the Po'Man. My father in law is the exact opposite and even owned a bbq restaurant at one point in time, and he loves this little cooker. Cant say enough good things about these cookers and the Po'Man.
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I cooked next to the guy the Po' Man himself at a bbq competition in Alabama several years ago. I was cooking on my pull-behind offset stick burner and he had several Po' Mans cooking away. Really solid dude. There were about 15 teams in the backyard division that year and out of all of the teams, the Po'Man always had a crowd of people around because they're so interesting. Everybody loved everything that he pulled off of those cookers that day and I was so impressed that I bought one a couple days after that competition. I also bought my dad and my father in law one. Smoke is right, it doesn't get any easier than cooking on a Po'Man. My dad is not very good with grills and was intimidated, to say the least, about trying to smoke ribs, boston butts, or anything really. But he nows sends me pictures of different cooks every so often thanks to the Po'Man. My father in law is the exact opposite and even owned a bbq restaurant at one point in time, and he loves this little cooker. Cant say enough good things about these cookers and the Po'Man.
Thank you so much for adding to the review. Wes and Emily over at PoMan have got themselves something special going on, that's for sure.
How do you like the review? Have I been spot on?
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That Po' man should be called a Tired Man, cos you're sure giving that thing a work out! Best review i've read and any grilling product, I thank you for the good work. If you're like me, you gonna need to get to the gym after eating all that delicious grub.
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You are killing this thing Smoke. It all looks great.
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A great review (story) about you and the Po Boy.
I'm watchin' you as this progresses.
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Today is a big day for the PoMan!!
We were over at a co-workers last week where I got hornswaggled into manning the grill 8)
Wendy was telling everyone about the "trash can" we cook on.
Well pretty soon, they were on their cell phones and asking me questions.
So we got invited to a pretty big hoop-de-doo today and the PoMan will be going on the road to cook some grub for everyone.
You will all see how the PoMan is not only great on your back patio but it wants to go along with you wherever you go.
Getting ready to go:
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/rBbYNb.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnrBbYNbj)
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I cooked next to the guy the Po' Man himself at a bbq competition in Alabama several years ago. I was cooking on my pull-behind offset stick burner and he had several Po' Mans cooking away. Really solid dude. There were about 15 teams in the backyard division that year and out of all of the teams, the Po'Man always had a crowd of people around because they're so interesting. Everybody loved everything that he pulled off of those cookers that day and I was so impressed that I bought one a couple days after that competition. I also bought my dad and my father in law one. Smoke is right, it doesn't get any easier than cooking on a Po'Man. My dad is not very good with grills and was intimidated, to say the least, about trying to smoke ribs, boston butts, or anything really. But he nows sends me pictures of different cooks every so often thanks to the Po'Man. My father in law is the exact opposite and even owned a bbq restaurant at one point in time, and he loves this little cooker. Cant say enough good things about these cookers and the Po'Man.
Thank you so much for adding to the review. Wes and Emily over at PoMan have got themselves something special going on, that's for sure.
How do you like the review? Have I been spot on?
Absolutely! I’ve enjoyed getting to see how other folks are using this little grill. The fact that it’s so easy to use and the flavor that comes from this thing is insane. Looking forward to seeing more cooks from you.
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This whole post makes me want to do a trash can turkey, but they frown on such things in the 'burbs. I miss the country.
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The Po Man made a little road trip yesterday to feed around 30 hungry Wisconsinites.
We went to Two Rivers around 8 miles north of our town. Two Rivers is actually 7 miles into Lake Michigan so you really get the coastal/beach weather.
We set the PoMan out back by the charcoal grill (we also grilled up burgers and brats) for two reasons:
bunch of kids and dogs running around and we didn't want anyone "accidently" thinking it was for trash :D :D
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/921/Q0tjwg.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/plQ0tjwgj)
We grabbed some pavers and set PoMan in its final resting place for the day
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/924/rXP1GK.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/porXP1GKj)
Had two split chickens that were soaked in a Mexican marinade for two days and some poke back ribs that we mustarded and rubbed on site
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/924/GtoXUJ.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/poGtoXUJj)
Got em all in for a two hour ride
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/fiF2S0.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnfiF2S0j)
After two hours we removed the ribs and sauced em and foiled em and back in the Po Man they went
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/XUn3XA.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmXUn3XAj)
We removed the chickens 15 minutes later and carved em up and brought em out to the crowd out front
(the lab ran interference for me ;D )
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/921/JMp7Q9.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/plJMp7Q9j)
The chicken was so Purdy the owner of the house where we was at insisted on a picture first before the grubbing commenced
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/iEG4Gj.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmiEG4Gjj)
Ribs were up after the chicken was served (I should have gave them an extra 15 minutes but the natives were restless.......and hungry!! )
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/921/A68rnK.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/plA68rnKj)
Now I want to mention we had a good rain the first hour of the cook and the PoMan just cooked right through it.
I can not tell you how many people commented on the food, "Best ribs and chickens I have ever had" I heard quite a few times.
I had some wadded up HD foil that I place into the two bottom vent holes and the PoMan shuts down and cools off quickly.
When I carried it out back through the crowd to get to my car we had a nice little round of applause :)
The PoMan went on the road and delivered Championship BBQ to a very curious crowd :thumbup: :thumbup:
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I'm liking this little trash can. It sounds like fun to cook on. With my Weber mastertouch and PBC I can't see getting one. I can do anything with those two grills. It looks fun. And the price is cheap.
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I'm liking this little trash can. It sounds like fun to cook on. With my Weber mastertouch and PBC I can't see getting one. I can do anything with those two grills. It looks fun. And the price is cheap.
you are correct Spark, however you get a flavor profile very different from your cookers: it is more of an infrared cooker with charcoal involved.
Not a overly smokey profile.
Fun? Oh yeah, we use it darn near daily
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Really enjoying this thread. Great job smoke
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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This thread has been so good that I just ordered the Po' Man.
Thanks Smoke.
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I'm liking this little trash can. It sounds like fun to cook on. With my Weber mastertouch and PBC I can't see getting one. I can do anything with those two grills. It looks fun. And the price is cheap.
you are correct Spark, however you get a flavor profile very different from your cookers: it is more of an infrared cooker with charcoal involved.
Not a overly smokey profile.
Fun? Oh yeah, we use it darn near daily
Bbq and cooking outside is suppose to be fun and enjoyable. Anyone can cook on anything but the po man just looks like a lot of fun. One question?. Since there is nothing between the charcoal basket and the bottom of the po man how long will the bottom last?
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Good question Sparky. It will take quite a while to have the bottom burn out (if it ever does)
The reason is that lining the bottom with HD foil keeps most of the grease and ash from sitting on the bottom.
Occasionally some grease gets under the foil and a paper towel takes care of that.
Another thing I do is I wadded up some HD foil to stick in the bottom air vents to quicly shut the PoMan.
What this does is not only saves the charcoal for another cook, but you hardly have any ash to dump out.
So, I hardly ever now get ash on the bottom of my can and I can reuse the foil up to three times after giving it a little shake.
After I clean the Po Man today for tonights cook (it never gets a day off), I will show you some pictures of the bottom of the barrel.
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This thread has been so good that I just ordered the Po' Man.
Thanks Smoke.
Smart, very smart!! You are gonna love it.
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I have been watching this post and kicking around the idea - I have a Weber set up for indirect with the smokinator but this just appealed to me. Primary reason was the capacity. Sadly not much online in the way of reviews and information compared to more poplar models like the PBC. When this kicked off I ordered mine and it has been pretty amazing!
Everything said here is true, its a different kind of smoking- more of a hybrid grill/smoke. I did a small brisket Thursday which was done in 4.25 hours and was amazing. So tender and with a good smoke flavor.
I have tuned in daily, sometimes multiple times a day, looking for updates and this review has not disappointed! Thank you for taking one of the lesser known options and providing some feedback about it! I have greatly enjoyed mine and also look for any reason to use it, including a small chicken last night with roasted corn on the cobb. So far I have been able to provide really consistent results on a short period of time. I greatly enjoy the option now of being able to do ribs or a chicken during the week and not always having to wait for the weekend due to time to "smoke" something on the pit.
Keep up the great review! I joined the forum because of this!
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I have been watching this post and kicking around the idea - I have a Weber set up for indirect with the smokinator but this just appealed to me. Primary reason was the capacity. Sadly not much online in the way of reviews and information compared to more poplar models like the PBC. When this kicked off I ordered mine and it has been pretty amazing!
Everything said here is true, its a different kind of smoking- more of a hybrid grill/smoke. I did a small brisket Thursday which was done in 4.25 hours and was amazing. So tender and with a good smoke flavor.
I have tuned in daily, sometimes multiple times a day, looking for updates and this review has not disappointed! Thank you for taking one of the lesser known options and providing some feedback about it! I have greatly enjoyed mine and also look for any reason to use it, including a small chicken last night with roasted corn on the cobb. So far I have been able to provide really consistent results on a short period of time. I greatly enjoy the option now of being able to do ribs or a chicken during the week and not always having to wait for the weekend due to time to "smoke" something on the pit.
Keep up the great review! I joined the forum because of this!
Welcome to LTBBQ and congrats on your new Po’ Man :)
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Thank you! I have been lurking a bit and this seems like a great group. As it should be - interested in supporting people with similar interest vs fighting over lump charcoal vs kingsford blue bag. With all the great food photos here I think I have already gained 20 lb! No regrets
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Thank you! I have been lurking a bit and this seems like a great group. As it should be - interested in supporting people with similar interest vs fighting over lump charcoal vs kingsford blue bag. With all the great food photos here I think I have already gained 20 lb! No regrets
LOL!
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Sparky asked the question about durability. Well I am only a month into ownership and have used the PoMan darn near every day. Like anything, if it is taken care of it will last longer than if it is not.
Foiling the bottom of the can catches all the ash and most of the extra drippings. If cleaned regularly and not letting ash and grease sit in the bottom, this cooker should last a long time.
Here is what the bottom of the PoMan looks like after 30-40 cooks:
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/921/t3Xm0c.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/plt3Xm0cj)
With all this talk about durability and cleaning, lets talk about cleaning. How long does it take? Is it hard?
I would say cleaning takes maybe 5 minutes and it is a piece of cake. I also will throw in a couple of tricks and tips I am using.
Here we go step by step:
First off The Smokes back aint what it used to be so I set the PoMan on a patio bench to raise it off the ground a bit. I also set it in my Texas firepit
After removing the cooking rack assembly remove your flavor/heat deflector and change the foil
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/921/PnE8WH.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/plPnE8WHj)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/3KuASN.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pn3KuASNj)
Now remove your charcoal basket and dump it out: Note: notice how the briquettes did not burn down to ash? I wadded up some HD foil and stuff the air vents when I am done cooking to get the charcoal out. Less ash and you can use the coals for a cook that does not require new briquettes.
In fact you can see the foil still wedged into the two air vent holes
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/924/xxN5UG.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/poxxN5UGj)
Now Before dumping and rolling up your ash covered foil liner, remove the alcohol starter tray so it does not end up in the trash.
Here comes another little trick: I am using Weber starter cubes instead. So much easier, just set it on the bottom in the center on the coal, light it and you are on your way. Besides, I got shaky hands and it is hard to lower the alcohol tray full into the can without spilling, and if I try to fill the cup on the bottom I make a mess
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/921/8WxzAS.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pl8WxzASj)
so clean up is super easy. I also wear cheap disposable gloves when cleaning the PoMan.
I think all vertical style cookers do not let you get away with multiple cooks without cleaning. The PoMan really needs to be cleaned before every cook.
Heck, 5 minutes tops and you are on your way aint a bad deal.
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Wow, I have some catching up to do in terms of number of cooks!
The way you have the bottom beautifully foiled lets me know I am not doing a good job- what is your process for getting it so perfectly contoured to the bottom? I am using the thicker bbq aluminum foil and when I try to press one side flat against the corner the other side moves/lifts up. I get the bottom covered buts its not uncommon for me to have 1 of the legs, possible 2 outside of the foil when i set the racks in which kinda irks me. Maybe I just need to be more patient. I was considering trying to find a pizza pan that would fit the bottom and use that almost like the PBC does the ash catcher.
I too have used the weber starter cubes since day 1 - it really makes for a simple process and having used them regularly I have them in stock and I am familiar with how they work.
Last I found that by clocking the charcoal tray 90* from the actual vents I am able to lower the internal temperature by limiting the amount of charcoal that gets going and bringing in some unheated air. Nothing scientific but using a temperature probe I think I am able to keep it closer to 310 where as with the holes of the basket aligned with the holes in the can it seems to want to run closer to 375 for me.
I run a very tight lid gap, as in maybe 3/16" and if I need to drop the temperature a bit I close the lid completely and within 15-20 minutes it is usually down. Using this method I was able to eek out just over 4 hours on a fully loaded charcoal basket although the temps were certainly falling at the end. I like your idea about using foil to control the air inlets- I may play with this also.
The truly wild thing about this cooker is how accurate the cook times are provided with the cheat sheet. Everything cooked has been within 15-20 minutes of the suggested timeline which the Mrs loves, I cant tell you the number of times we have had to order pizza because the stubborn brisket or pork butt was not going to be ready in time for dinner on my Weber. I understand this is not a result of anything wrong with the Weber, but by cooking at a hotter temp this grill seems to push past long stalls and stubborn meat while still providing amazing results.
When I try to get people into smoking they usually share a story about bad results and expensive meat that was tough or dry. We all know this almost needs to be a passion to truly achieve solid results with consistency. This po' man really would make a great transition from grilling to smoking as it provides very reliable results at a limited cost. Sort of a hybrid product between grilling and smoking.
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I have thought of a pizza pan as well, but I sure like just wadding up the foil and not greasing up my knuckles while lifting the pizza pan out.
I can also get the foil up to the edges to help catch more grease.
This really is a special cooker and your testimonial to the cooker is a great asset to this review.
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So what I'm reading is that the po man likes to run around 370°?
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So what I'm reading is that the po man likes to run around 370°?
I have not checked internal cooking temperatures. I do believe it starts in the mid 300's.
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I think it is time to do a meatloaf on the PoMan. Not any kind of meatloaf, Bill Cannons Texas Meat Loaf.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/mUK3tJ.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnmUK3tJj)
Now I do not like cooking my meatloaf in a pan when it is cooked on a smoker/grill. I want the smoke/heat coverage all sides and top and bottom.
So, I put my meatloaf in the freezer 30 minutes before hitting the pit. This way it won't break up on me when placing it in the cooker
Foiled up some taters to along for the ride
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/imNBn6.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnimNBn6j)
Here it is after 40 minutes just about done
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/921/u8XR17.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/plu8XR17j)
Sauced the top and gave it 15 more minutes
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/FVXBBA.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnFVXBBAj)
Don't get much better than this
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/TX04hw.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmTX04hwj)
Plated with a tater all buttered up
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/924/UTamEh.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/poUTamEhj)
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Meat loaf and tators look great. The next time you cook on the po man could you put a thermomter on it?.
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Meat loaf and tators look great. The next time you cook on the po man could you put a thermomter on it?.
I actually did temp it Spark when I did the initial burn in. With a full coal basket I was at 358 degrees to start.
The great thing about this cooker is that there is nothing to think about. You just set your meat on the grate of hang from a skewer and in a relatively short time you have some of the best grub you have ever sunk your teeth into.
Tell you what, I will reach out to the owners and see if they have taken any temp studies.
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Thanks.
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I have thought of a pizza pan as well, but I sure like just wadding up the foil and not greasing up my knuckles while lifting the pizza pan out.
I can also get the foil up to the edges to help catch more grease.
This really is a special cooker and your testimonial to the cooker is a great asset to this review.
Great point about the issues removing the pan - I had not thought of that yet! Enjoying the review
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Thank you! I have been lurking a bit and this seems like a great group. As it should be - interested in supporting people with similar interest vs fighting over lump charcoal vs kingsford blue bag. With all the great food photos here I think I have already gained 20 lb! No regrets
You should have been around here for the never ending debate on patent pending Tendarub. That one will try a man's soul.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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... patent pending Tendarub...
Probably our most entertaining discussion ever from my perspective, especially after I found out that the God of the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) whispered the secret for cooking pork into the inventor's ear. I'm amazed that I (and a few of the rest of you - you know who you are) are still around after mocking that particular epiphany.
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Thank you! I have been lurking a bit and this seems like a great group. As it should be - interested in supporting people with similar interest vs fighting over lump charcoal vs kingsford blue bag. With all the great food photos here I think I have already gained 20 lb! No regrets
You should have been around here for the never ending debate on patent pending Tendarub. That one will try a man's soul.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
That is so funny. I was actually thinking about TendaRub yesterday. He does not have a web site anymore. The stuff actually worked in a creepy kind of way.
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I was told by PoMan that the cooker does run from 350-325.
Using less charcoal works great for hot dogs and brats and salmon.
Still going to be cooking in the 300's that way but you do not need a full basket to cook the above mentioned items.
Now, the PoMan is not a smoker and it is not a grill. It is more of a charcoal fired cooker.
Yes you can remove the flavor/deflector plate and grill over charcoal so it could be considered a grill if used that way.
It is no way a smoker because it is not designed to cook between 180-225.
If you are looking for a pit for long cooking sessions you will have to look elsewhere. The PoMan was not made for that purpose.
However, the Po Man lets you cook with charcoal 7 days a week if you prefer.
No more waiting for the weekend to use charcoal.
The PoMan lets you enjoy charcoal flavor and the flavor/heat deflector creates a infrared environment. You are getting added flavor from the drippings from the meat hitting the deflector. You are not getting a heavy grease fog flavor which not all care for. You do have charcoal doing a minion method burn so you are getting charcoal flavor like you would if slo cooking with briquettes in a different grill/smoker.
Let tell ya, when the PoMan is up and running you can hear the sizzling going on.
The PoMan was designed to just light the coal. Put in your meat and come back to some of the best tasting grub you ever had.
Just crack your lid and walk away. Just heat and meat.
Extremely basic but the end result is just phenomenal.
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Two inlets on the bottom right?. Would the temp come down if you plugged on of the holes with aluminum foil?. I only use one side of the charcoal basket on my PBC so I'm not getting the grease fog which I like. The po man sounds like a power cooker like the PBC. Not a grill or a smoker. I would love to cook on a po man. Still thinking about a 22 WSM. Just for pure smoking.
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You could plug one hole. Have not tried that yet.
I have also toyed with the idea of placing my lighter starter over at a corner under the charcoal basket instead of dead center.
I have not done this yet for the review because I am trying to follow the Mfg's instructions but later in the review I might just try this ;)
The PoMan does not produce a grease fog because of the flavor/heat deflector plate.
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You could plug one hole. Have not tried that yet.
I have also toyed with the idea of placing my lighter starter over at a corner under the charcoal basket instead of dead center.
Good ideas smoke.
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Thanks to smoke I ordered on July 7 and received today a July 11 was at the house when I got home from work within 20 minutes I had it together and charcoal lit to burn it off in 45 minutes later and wings on. I don't have pictures to send because I don't have a picture sending stuff I guess. But I can't say if you like charcoal cooking this is a must have! Thanks SMOKE!!!!!!!
The wings smell and look awesome!
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I do like cooking with charcoal.
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Thanks to smoke I ordered on July 7 and received today a July 11 was at the house when I got home from work within 20 minutes I had it together and charcoal lit to burn it off in 45 minutes later and wings on. I don't have pictures to send because I don't have a picture sending stuff I guess. But I can't say if you like charcoal cooking this is a must have! Thanks SMOKE!!!!!!!
The wings smell and look awesome!
You are very welcome.
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Well, summertime here in the Midwest and all the grocery stores have shishkabobs for sale.
Heck with that, Wendy grabbed a London Broil and we made our own.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/OW0v2U.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnOW0v2Uj)
If you like kabobs the PoMan is for you. You can use the skewers that comes with it for perfect kabobs everytime
If you have an extra set of skewers you could probably do 10 at a time.
What I used to hate about kabobs is trying to turn and flip them to get everything to cook evenly.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/nztlG1.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnnztlG1j)
no flipping or turning 30 minutes later
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/cUMeOe.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pncUMeOej)
This one is mine
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/5ajrkQ.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pn5ajrkQj)
This is so easy we might just start making them in the winter as well 8)
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Them look delicious! I cooked on mine again last night did two pork tenderloins and added oak wood chunks for smoke it turned out great!
Had some buddies over last night and they were like why are you cooking in a trashcan LOL.
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Them look delicious! I cooked on mine again last night did two pork tenderloins and added oak wood chunks for smoke it turned out great!
Had some buddies over last night and they were like why are you cooking in a trashcan LOL.
Bet your buddies were impressed with the grub that trashcan churns out 8)
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I just paid all my credit cards off but am thinking real hard about this po man. I love cooking with charcoal.
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I just paid all my credit cards off but am thinking real hard about this po man. I love cooking with charcoal.
I know this is a review and I shouldn't do this............................
..................but I am gonna do it anyways 8)
Get one Sparky. You will absolutely love it. :-*
do not forget to purchase off of the PoMan site where you will prompted to register your e-mail and you get a 10.00 off code with free shipping.
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I just want to make it clear that I am not in cahoots with PoMan grills.
I was very intrigued about their cooker.
I did reach out to them to see if they would like to go on board for a Mfg review.
I am not using the review to help drive up sales.
However, what are the purpose of my reviews?
They are to educate you if you are interested and if you do purchase the reviewed item, hopefully you are spending your dollars in a more informed way.
Yes, I do urge you to purchase your PoMan direct so you can save 10.00 and get free shipping.
The PoMan himself wanted this mentioned in the review.
If someone is on the fence, heck yeah I will offer my opinion.
This whole review ( so far ) has is basically my "opinion" based on my learning curve with the cooker.
The Smoke loves you all and wants you to save money when buying your PoMan. 8)
do you have to buy one? no
Should you buy one? I think y'all know what I would say :) :thumbup:
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Just a hunch, but I think I'm seeing a PoMan in Sparky's future.
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Did some beef ribs tonight, lid closed or almost closed and charcoal basket 70% for a 4 hour cook and amazing smokey ribs!
Lots of versatility with this grill/smoker, I was able to keep temps around 300-325
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Nice job.
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Aren't you tired of waiting until the weekend to cook ribs?
Doesn't it stink when you get home from work during the week and see that beautiful rack of ribs sitting in your fridge and you have to wait?
I really think it is our God Given right as Americans to eat ribs any day of the week that we want to.
But how?
Gotta do the 3-2-1. Gotta do the 3-1-1, Gotta smoke straight for 7 hours at 225.
Please smoke help us.
OK
Now the PoMan will let you make delicious tender ribs in under 3 hours but if you are getting off to a late start after work supper is going to be too late.
Thanks to "the kitchen wife" website and the PoMan Cooker we can do ribs in under 1.5 hours!!!!!
Smoke how can this be?
Well, living outside of Los Angeles for 50+ years I saw many an Angelino grilling their ribs on large barrels right over charcoal.
With various results........not all that good most of the time. Pretty burnt if you ask me.
Now this recipe/technique will not give you slow smoked ribs.
But that is OK, not everything has to be smoked..............oh my, did I just really say that ???
We tried this method and we got delicious slightly charred and saucy ribs that were tender and had that slight tug to pull cleanly off the bone.
There was no smoke ring. No big deal with the results we had.
To get your ribs on the table from start to finish you are going to use a charcoal grill or a gas grill.
The PoMan really excelled at this because I like the distance I have from the cooking grate to the coals for the charring part.
Now when I mention charring, I am not talking about burning the ribs up the way we used to do when we all got started.
Ok, here we go:
Note: we used baby back ribs. If doing spares or country style or beef ribs, I think I would let em go another 15-30 minutes in the foil
Simply remove the silver from the ribs (optional) and cut the rib rack in half.
Cover both sides of ribs in cheap yellow mustard and season liberally all sides with your favorite rub/seasoning.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/924/6qYkJf.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/po6qYkJfj)
Take two large sheets of hd foil and lay the ribs next to each other on the foil. Spray the bottom of the foil with cooking spray first.
Carefully fold up the ribs and then take that second sheet and wrap the foil covered ribs in a second layer.
We set the PoMan up with a full box of coals and left out the heat deflector.
When the PoMan was ready we set the foil packaged ribs and some sweet potaters on the cooking grate and cracked our lid about 1-4 inch and we were all set
See the coals uncovered below?
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/1KZIod.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pm1KZIodj)
Come back 1 hour later (that is the 1 hour portion of the 1.5 hour cook ;D ) Do not flip them, just let em ride.
Remove your ribs and carefully cut the foil package open. Watch out for steam.
Now I was not happy with the rub I used from the recipe and at first I did not like the way the ribs looked
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/GvX3fI.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmGvX3fIj)
Set your ribs back on the cooking grate and sear/char to your liking on both sides. Just keep on flipping every 2-3 minutes
Now they are looking better
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/924/werb1D.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/powerb1Dj)
Now get your favorite BBQ sauce and start brushing each side and flipping to sear up and carmelize the sauce
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/Ys45Tj.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnYs45Tjj)
Now the pay off for the easy effort just 1 and a 1/2 hours later
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/OiLpUd.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmOiLpUdj)
I gotta tell ya, this is probably going to be our preferred way of doing ribs from here on out.
they were tender and juicy and the char/sear was a nice addition to the flavor profile.
The PoMan was really helpful during the charring part with the coals much lower than the cooking grate.
I would also like the mention that the sweet potaters came out perfect just sitting off to the side during the entire 1.5 hour process
It was a lot of fun to flip the ribs over the charcoal.
Give em a try. You can always smoke your ribs for hours and hours if you like.
But Wendy and I will be having ribs during the week after work instead of counting the days until the weekend to have ribs :)
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Smoke, very good lookinf food! Love your reviews :thumbup:
Just beeb so busy took awhile to read all the way through ;)
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Not bad, not bad at all. They look pretty tender
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I'd take some trashy ribs
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Had some cruddy weather this weekend but was able to "trash" some chicken thighs.
Marinated in pineapple and orange juice and cilantro and onion
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/aW5y1K.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmaW5y1Kj)
No other cooker does chicken better than the PoMan
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/924/aBGp55.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/poaBGp55j)
Made some Mexican rice to go along with the chicken
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/hqxjrN.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnhqxjrNj)
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I give up! You've convinced me, I want one. Badly. But, and theres always a but, I'm retired and live in Portugal. This presents problems for me! There are no distributors this side of the pond. I was finally able to source a PBC in England, and had to pay to have it delivered here in a truck. I love it but I'll bet its the most expensive PBC on the planet! I've gotta face facts, theres no way in hell I'll ever get one over here.... but I will say this has been the most intersting review on a product I've ever read, very thorough with many many different cooks and I'd like to say thank you for making me very jealous, and hungry too. Keep up the great work!
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I give up! You've convinced me, I want one. Badly. But, and theres always a but, I'm retired and live in Portugal. This presents problems for me! There are no distributors this side of the pond. I was finally able to source a PBC in England, and had to pay to have it delivered here in a truck. I love it but I'll bet its the most expensive PBC on the planet! I've gotta face facts, theres no way in hell I'll ever get one over here.... but I will say this has been the most intersting review on a product I've ever read, very thorough with many many different cooks and I'd like to say thank you for making me very jealous, and hungry too. Keep up the great work!
Thank you Sir.
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Everything looks good smoke! I did a tri tip on the po man tonight and it came out perfect and juicy!
I had the grate on the top setting and filled the charcoal basket half full knowing it would be a quicker cook. After I reached my desired temp I took the grate out and reversed seared it on the drip plate!
It worked great!
The one thing I really like about the po man compared to my PBC and 26er that in my opinion is the set up and heating time is quicker when your short on time.
If you like to cook with charcoal you can't beat the price for what you get.
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Everything looks good smoke! I did a tri tip on the po man tonight and it came out perfect and juicy!
I had the grate on the top setting and filled the charcoal basket half full knowing it would be a quicker cook. After I reached my desired temp I took the grate out and reversed seared it on the drip plate!
It worked great!
The one thing I really like about the po man compared to my PBC and 26er that in my opinion is the set up and heating time is quicker when your short on time.
If you like to cook with charcoal you can't beat the price for what you get.
How many tri tips do you think you could fit on the grate at once? Or if hanging, how many tri tips would you guess you can get in the Po Man at once?
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Everything looks good smoke! I did a tri tip on the po man tonight and it came out perfect and juicy!
I had the grate on the top setting and filled the charcoal basket half full knowing it would be a quicker cook. After I reached my desired temp I took the grate out and reversed seared it on the drip plate!
It worked great!
The one thing I really like about the po man compared to my PBC and 26er that in my opinion is the set up and heating time is quicker when your short on time.
If you like to cook with charcoal you can't beat the price for what you get.
How many tri tips do you think you could fit on the grate at once? Or if hanging, how many tri tips would you guess you can get in the Po Man at once?
First off I would like to say that the only thing I miss about California is the tri tips ;D Ok, got that out of my system.
I would say that 2 good size tris would fit on the cooking grates (maybe three)
If hanging, safe to say 4, but I betcha you could get 3 per skewer (you get 2 can order more) for 6
So if hanging from the top rack and using the cooking grate, you could cook 8 tri tips at a time.
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Gotta love what going vertical does when it comes to cooking real estate :)
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Everything looks good smoke! I did a tri tip on the po man tonight and it came out perfect and juicy!
I had the grate on the top setting and filled the charcoal basket half full knowing it would be a quicker cook. After I reached my desired temp I took the grate out and reversed seared it on the drip plate!
It worked great!
The one thing I really like about the po man compared to my PBC and 26er that in my opinion is the set up and heating time is quicker when your short on time.
If you like to cook with charcoal you can't beat the price for what you get.
I've had my Po Man for years and for some reason it's never occurred to me that I could reverse sear directly on the drip plate! What a dummy... Admittedly, I've only used the Po Man to reverse once when we were at a backyard competition a year or so ago and they gave us a pork chop as the surprise/mystery meat, but it turned out great! Typically, I use my GMG at 150-175 and then sear in a cast iron pan over charcoal OR my grill grates turned upside down on my charcoal grill. It always turns out fantastic but it takes a couple hours so we really only can do it on the weekends. Plus I'm having to clean up two grills afterwards. The only downside I can see to only having to use one grill, the Po Man, for reverse searing like this is that I won't get as much smoke flavor because of the higher temps on the front end of the cook. I'm definitely excited to try this real soon.
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This is so good I just had to do it again.............this time in the Po Man.
Al Pastor.
Got a small pork butt and sliced it long ways and marinated over night in Adobo paste with pineapple and orange juice, sliced yellow onions and cilantro
The next morning, take a whole pineapple and cut off the top and bottom (leave the bottom thicker than the top)
remainder of the pineapple, trim off the exterior and slice and leave a whole in the middle for the skewer ( I use a turkey hanger from PBC )
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/921/PFCOyt.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/plPFCOytj)
Now the fun part start piling up the sliced pork onto the pineapple bottom with pineapple slices (don't forget the onions and cilantro )
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/924/Bxtci2.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/poBxtci2j)
Into the PoMan!!
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/HT4yHg.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnHT4yHgj)
After two and half hours I removed the Pastor and wrapped in foil, while I did this I added more charcoal to the firebasket
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/bbVYY5.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnbbVYY5j)
When the Pastor registered 190, I removed it from the "trash can" :D
I let it rest for about 30 minutes and then I revealed this:
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/921/hrBcgY.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/plhrBcgYj)
Just like they would do in Tijuana Mexico, I stood the Pastor up straight and sliced right down the sides ( I could have used a butter knive )
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/922/bcJJ2o.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmbcJJ2oj)
All ready for tacos and burritos!!
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/KRfj5W.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnKRfj5Wj)
I enjoyed the flavor profile from the PoMan. The last one I did had to heavy of the grease fog flavor that overpowered the pork.
This was just perfect.
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Wow!!! Does that look delicious!
I will have to agree with smoke on the amount of tri tip that would fit in the Po Man.
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Well, time to wrap up the Po Man review.
I really like this cooker.
It has done everything it has claimed it can do.
This is not a overnight cook type of cooker.
The PoMan does not claim to be a lo and slo cooker.
It is a power cooker that runs for three hours 350-325 degrees.
This cooker enables you to enjoy charcoal cooks any day of the week.
This cooker produces food that might make others think you slaved away but you just basically lit charcoal.
Lots of capacity for a very small footprint.
This cooker is equally good in the backyard or at the camp ground or the big game parking lot.
The PoMan cooker cooks the best chicken hands down better than any of my current or past pits.
It is a cooker that appears to not take itself very seriously yet produces championship caliber grub.
It is an attention getter. My neighbors always walk by and stare at it while it is cooking away.
The PoMan cooker has become my most used cooker, it might just become yours as well. :)
I would like to thank Wes and Emily over at PoMan cookers for their help and suggestions throughout this review :thumbup:
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Great job Smoke!! Now what does Smoochy say about it? :D :D :D :D
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Excellent review sir! Thank you :)
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Great job Smoke!! Now what does Smoochy say about it? :D :D :D :D
Hey Tommy, as you know Smooch is a frog of very few words :D
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Awesome as usual buddy
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Thanks Pappy.
It was a really fun review and the PoMan sure produces some tasty chow :thumbup: