Ok, I read this thing from stem to stern and I am impressed but I need some truly honest, unbiased opinions here. Before I add another cooker to the fold (I just sold 2 in the name of getting skinny for moving next year), I need to know how this thing cooks compared to Kamados and Pellet Poopers. I have 3 Kegs (Kamados), a Traeger and a Smokin-It #3 Electric smoker. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. I had a PBC but it just wasn't for me. It's one thing to order a $300.00 cooker and it not be all that and a bag of chips but if I drop $1400.00 on a cooker, it better be badazz and just be out of this world. It needs to just blow the doors off of what I am cooking on now.
So, in short, does the KBQ cook THAT much better than Kamados and Pellet Grills? Night and Day difference?
Tough question I know, but I need to know how it compares.
Thanks!
I don't want to hijack this thread, (the very thread that actually convinced me to buy the KBQ)
but I do want to respond, so here goes...
As a new KBQ owner with a few cooks under my belt I have to say that I really like this machine.
I was somewhat skeptical that this stainless box with a fire on top could really pull it off - but I was intrigued about it's ability
to enable the cook to control both the level and quality of smoke. I was also in the market for a cooker with more capacity
than my large BGE, and I wanted a stick burner for the flavor and I had decided that I was either going to build my own
horizontal offset or buy one. I just had to make some more room on the back porch... until I started reading about the KBQ.
http://s1243.photobucket.com/user/ericpete/library/KBQI wasn't able to get my temp probes through the little holes in the corners, so I don't have a good temperature profile of the
interior yet. I have a couple of probes on order that should fit and will give me a better idea of where the hot spots are.
Oh, and yes - the food tastes very good. I would say that it has a noticeably different flavor profile as compared to cooking on a BGE, but is is better? Well, hard to say just yet.
I haven't eaten anything from a pellet cooker, so I can't compare to that.
My wife and son (who is not a big BBQ fan) have really liked what we have cooked so far (chicken wings and a small brisket flat).
Operational Guidelines / User Notes
- It is an open fire - gotta keep an eye on it
- It needs AC power for fans
- It needs to be fed 2 - 3 times per hour
- You need to poke the coals occasionally to knock ashes down
- Like any stick burner, you need a quality wood supply
- It is easy to clean
- It accepts standard steam tray width trays / racks / foil drip pans
- 100% stainless / and heavy gauge where it needs to be
- It gets hot on all surfaces
- It cooks like a convection oven
- In case of rain - it will need some type of shelter
- Enough wind can/will blow ash/small embers out of the firebox
I'll be glad to answer any other specific questions you might have.
Eric