Let's Talk BBQ
General => General Discussion & Topics => Polls => Topic started by: old sarge on January 09, 2013, 11:11:21 AM
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What do you like or dislike about it?
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see your Masterbuilt thread... ;D
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My neighbor has one and is happy with it.
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i have done alot of research on the electric box smokers. namely the cookshacks, smoke-it and smoken tex smokers. the all have insulation and holds temps like a champ. the smoke-it & smoken tex have a dial for temp control and go from 100° to 250°. the cookshack is digital and goes from 140°- 300° (i like cooking ribs at 275°). i owned a cookshack smoker for about a month and gave it back. it is really, really easy to over smoke food w/ a electric smoker. everything i cooked came out black or close to it (my own fault probably. wrong wood, to much sugar in the rub all contribute to really dark colored food). the family hated the food off of it (same w/ the drum smoker i had before). so off it went. this is just what i have found in my research. get a PBC. 8)
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Great thread old sarge.
I have an electric Bradley OBS that I use for cheese, fish, sausage and cold smoking bacon. All temps under 180 degrees and I usually use an AMZNPS.
Mind you, I added the 900 watt element, circulation fan and Auber PID. It works like a champ.
I have no intention of cooking Butts, Brisket, Chicken or any other food like that. I have a PBC and (2) webers for that.
The only drawback I have with my OBS is the lack of amount of meat I can fit in there. I would love to do more than 10 lbs of SS, Keilbasa, Bologna, etc. at one time.
I would like something bigger (and insulated). I do like the smokin tex 1400 series. Or a Bradley six rack.
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I can relate to Sparky's experiences - and say that the cabinet smokers *DO* concentrate smokiness in meats. You will want to re-adjust the amount of wood you expect to use. Cut it in half. Truly 2 to 3 oz. of wood is all you will need ( and maybe less) to produce a very present smoke profile.
I find that I can make the best pulled pork in an electric cabinet smoker. But - that is because it is all going to get "blended together". There is no crusty bark lost, or that needs to be used differently - so I get a better yield in the actual net weight of pulled pork from a butt or shoulder.
However - if you are cooking chicken thighs...you will NOT be able to produce easily edible skin. It will be rubbery. There 2 reasons :
1. the maximum temperature of the cabinet smoker is not hot enough to "de-fat" the skin
2. the tiny amount of air intake allows very little evaporation of moisture. Sounds good, and they do turn out some the most juicy chicken you will ever have - But, at the cost of the skin also being way too juicy too....
( You can finish the chicken on a grill - and improve this - and still have moist chicken tho)
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I have an electric Bradley OBS that I use for cheese, fish, sausage and cold smoking bacon. All temps under 180 degrees and I usually use an AMZNPS.
Mind you, I added the 900 watt element, circulation fan and Auber PID. It works like a champ.
I have watched a number of folks do this, and then added up the cost...and - I realize I am not the smartest guy here - but...WHY? It seems that when we spend all of that - on a thin skinned metal box that is not very well insulated, well - I guess I am missing something. Is it just fun to "gadget" with?
Mind you I am NOT saying that I think it is futile - but I am AM saying I don't understand. SO it is not my intent to pick on anyone, or even a product. I am merely revealing my lack of understanding....( Gently now folks.....I know it is an easy target.... :D :D :D)
I have owned a Bradley. I babied it. I cleaned the parts that continuously caused me consternation and grief...Mine was the digital unit in fairness. But it failed, as did the Masterbuilts - because of the "feature for price point" driven methods adopted by the manufacturer in a noble attempt to produce a product that gives us the most product per dollar spent. Perhaps we bear some responsibility as consumers here - I mean, we do shop pretty hard for what we believe is the "best value", and manufacturers try to respond. And - we have been taught by very smart marketing people to measure product value based on a "features per dollars spent" basis. But - In my humble opinion...I do truly believe that with cabinet smokers simple works and complex fails.
Just my experience - and of course...your milage may vary, and I hope better than mine ;D.
T
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I have an electric Bradley OBS that I use for cheese, fish, sausage and cold smoking bacon. All temps under 180 degrees and I usually use an AMZNPS.
Mind you, I added the 900 watt element, circulation fan and Auber PID. It works like a champ.
I have watched a number of folks do this, and then added up the cost...and - I realize I am not the smartest guy here - but...WHY? It seems that when we spend all of that - on a thin skinned metal box that is not very well insulated, well - I guess I am missing something. Is it just fun to "gadget" with?
Mind you I am NOT saying that I think it is futile - but I am AM saying I don't understand. SO it is not my intent to pick on anyone, or even a product. I am merely revealing my lack of understanding....( Gently now folks.....I know it is an easy target.... :D :D :D)
I have owned a Bradley. I babied it. I cleaned the parts that continuously caused me consternation and grief...Mine was the digital unit in fairness. But it failed, as did the Masterbuilts - because of the "feature for price point" driven methods adopted by the manufacturer in a noble attempt to produce a product that gives us the most product per dollar spent. Perhaps we bear some responsibility as consumers here - I mean, we do shop pretty hard for what we believe is the "best value", and manufacturers try to respond. And - we have been taught by very smart marketing people to measure product value based on a "features per dollars spent" basis. But - In my humble opinion...I do truly believe that with cabinet smokers simple works and complex fails.
Just my experience - and of course...your milage may vary, and I hope better than mine ;D.
T
T, I got my OBS as a gift. It's what I asked for after researching it, it's my very first smoker.
So making the mods made good sense to me.
I'm very happy with it's performance thus far.
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Sam - I may have to buy an OBS to see what I may be missing. I by no means think that I have "got it all figured out" - so, I may risk a part of my anatomy to bring home another "project" :D