cookers

Hi I'm new to this and I'm wondering which type of grill I should buy ?? I'm looking at both inderect and derect heat wood/charcoal fired . Which is better and why??? Scott

Get a weber kettle charcoal grill: (http://www.weber.com/bbq/pub/grill/2005/charcoal/cg.aspx)

Make sure you also purchase a chimney charcoal starter as you never want to use lighter fluid; it adds a horrible taste to BBQ'd foods.

You could purchase a gas grill, but that does not constitute the BBQ experience IMHO.

I'd take a serious look at this 50's classic: http://www.barbecue-store.com/portablekitchencooker.htm

Since it's thick cast aluminum rather than sheet steel like the Webers, it'll outlast them any day.

Only $250!?! - such a deal! A Weber 18.5" kettle is only $80!

Stick with the Weber grill. Although the cast aluminum may last longer, the base it sits on certainly will not. With the extra money you save you will be able to get all the additional accesories.

Has anyone had any experience with the Big Green Egg? I have just begun to hear good things about this grill and was wondering if I should supplement/replace my Weber with it.

[url][/url]http://www.biggreenegg.com/

A BGE is a different animal for most folks. The BGE can cook from long slow steady temps all the way up to blazingly hot searing heat for a steak. They are not very mobile in case you ever had to move it, they are not inexpensive, and they can be limited as to how much to cook at a time on the smaller models. I have friends who swear by them.

I personally have a Cookshack FEC100 pellet-fed smoker, two Weber Smokey Mountain smokers, a Homer Simpson Weber Kettle and a Weber Bar-B-Kettle with a rotisserie. My backporch looks like a BBQ museum.

Whatever you purchase, you need to ask yourself what you plan on using it for. If it is for grilling, stick with a charcoal grill like a Weber Kettle or a BGE. BTW, to get steak searing heat on a kettle, use lump charcoal instead of briquettes. Also, get yourself a charcoal chimney. Never let lighter fluid get within a mile of your charcoal.

For smoking, look at a Weber Smokey Mountain.

Hope this helps.

John

quote:

Originally posted by BT

I'd take a serious look at this 50's classic: http://www.barbecue-store.com/portablekitchencooker.htm

Since it's thick cast aluminum rather than sheet steel like the Webers, it'll outlast them any day.

WOW BT that brings back some great memories. A friend of the family gave a cooker just like that to my brother. He used it to make some of the Best BBQ I have ever had. When he moved to Ca. He took it with him and perfected his craft on it. He then went on to a bigger cooker and the kitchen cooker sat in the back of his yard unused, if the cost of shipping was not so prohibitive I would own it now.

I have the Weber performer as I prefer charcoal. This particular model is handy as it has a small propane tank that lights your charcoal, a larger cooking surface, a charcoal storage area and nice stainless work top. I’ve turned out some great turkeys using the indirect method. I’ve had mine 7-8 years and am very happy with it.

quote:

Originally posted by jevmass

Only $250!?! - such a deal! A Weber 18.5" kettle is only $80!

Stick with the Weber grill. Although the cast aluminum may last longer, the base it sits on certainly will not. With the extra money you save you will be able to get all the additional accesories.

Well, in grills I think you get what you pay for. The Portable Kitchen will last lifetime. I don't think any Weber will. In the end, the decision is up to Scott, but there are so many options and this is one I thought he might not know about but should.

Actually, maybe he should look at http://bbq.about.com/od/charcoalgrills/tp/aatp062604a.htm and check out the charcoal grill top 10 . There's quite a variety.

quote:

Originally posted by Theedge

I have the Weber performer as I prefer charcoal. This particular model is handy as it has a small propane tank that lights your charcoal, a larger cooking surface, a charcoal storage area and nice stainless work top. I’ve turned out some great turkeys using the indirect method. I’ve had mine 7-8 years and am very happy with it.

Theedge:

Is this your primary grill? For every day cook out or do you have a gas grill also?

This is my only grill. Gas would be nice on occassion but I don't want to take up anymore deck space and have a small garage. My brother has some sort of $1000.00 gas grill, a Holand I believe, wishes he never bought it. It doesn't get hot enough and really doesn't add any flavor. YOu can't beat charcoal.

I do have a cook shack smoker for ribs, pork butts, birds, etc...Best food related purchase I've ever made.

I'll have to say stick with Weber's Kettle Grills... I've had nothing but good luck with them. I own a small and large one.. The little ones tend to rust out after 5 years, but then I leave mine out all year also... But they take a beating and yet produce the most awesome foods! Charcoal all the way!!!
(And a handfull or 2 of hickory)

quote:

Originally posted by UncleVic

I'll have to say stick with Weber's Kettle Grills... The little ones tend to rust out after 5 years

Which is part of the reason I spent a few bucks more on a heavy cast iron grill from Lodge.



The other part of the reason is it has a cast iron grill which retains heat and browns my burgers better than the flimsy chromed steel grills on lesser models. You can also buy a cast iron stand for it to get it 3.5' off the ground if you don't want to just sit it on a table.

But this isn't what Scott wants because he wants to do indirect heat as well and for that you need a bigger cooker with a lid. The "Portable Kitchen", which is cast aluminum (and therefore rust-free) rather than cast iron, is the closest thing in a larger cooker that I've seen.

The Webers are nice but I'm looking for something big enough to do Pork shoulders and Beef biskets on. Some thing in the 500/600 sq. in. size. Scott

Thanks for the replys

quote:

Originally posted by Scott VanSlooten

The Webers are nice but I'm looking for something big enough to do Pork shoulders and Beef biskets on. Some thing in the 500/600 sq. in. size. Scott

Thanks for the replys

Well, if you want a small grill I guess the 1100-square inch Weber is a bit too big for you.

Here are some pics of my Pit. It's a Texas Smoker made in Uvalde , TX.

These are all nice but I still don't know which is better for me to start with . Direct or indirect heat souce????????? And why one is better???? Thanks Scott

I am looking at the Char-Broil Santa Fa Charcoal grill & smoker and the char-broil silver smoker as of now. Scott

kpig, nice grill/smoker!

I suspect my Chargriller was a tad bit less expensive. I highly recommend it. Great product for the money and versatile. I can smoke and grill at a wide range of temps.

http://chargriller.com/shop/grills/smokin-pro.html

BTW: Once your charcoal gets completely engulfed (glowing red with an ash covering), it is so hot that not a single trace of the volitile hydrocarbons in the lighter fluid is present. It ALL goes up in smoke long before the first piece of meat hits the grill. No if you're dumb enough to put your meat over it before it is completely ready. . .
I use a charcoal chimney for convenience and speed.

quote:

Originally posted by SouthHillbilly

kpig, nice grill/smoker!

I suspect my Chargriller was a tad bit less expensive. I highly recommend it. Great product for the money and versatile. I can smoke and grill at a wide range of temps.

Thanks man. I just thought I would throw it out there as an option. I have had many less expensive smokers and done just fine. This was my dream pit, and probably the last one I will ever need. Everything comes out great on this pit.

I have used a lot of different smokers and grills I have several different models I use, each having a different purpose in the smoking world. I prefer direct to indirect. in my opinion I think indirect uses alot more fuel and in most cases creates a more smokey flavor. Barry In MI

quote:

Originally posted by Scott VanSlooten

These are all nice but I still don't know which is better for me to start with . Direct or indirect heat souce????????? And why one is better???? Thanks Scott

Kpigout... Thats a sharp looking setup! Foods looking just as good also...

quote:

Originally posted by Scott VanSlooten

These are all nice but I still don't know which is better for me to start with . Direct or indirect heat souce????????? And why one is better???? Thanks Scott

I'll vote for the indirect heat since your cooking shoulders, etc. I'll page FATZ, he's a Pro BBQ'er that runs circuits, he'll give ya the lowdown...

Here's his website, it may help you out: http://www.fatzsbbq.com/

quote:

Originally posted by Scott VanSlooten

Hi I'm new to this and I'm wondering which type of grill I should buy ?? I'm looking at both inderect and derect heat wood/charcoal fired . Which is better and why??? Scott

I had a Portable Kitchen in the '60s (it wasn't called that at the time, and it was genuine avocado green, of course) and loved it, but the legs didn't hold up. You can make replacements out of galvanized pipe & elbow joints, though.

KPigs setup looks awesome, the custom made cookers are a bit more$$ but usually well worth it. For direct heat cooking of dawgs and burgers an inexspensive grill works fine and if it wears/rusts out in 2-3 yrs...well you can buy alot of $30.00 grills for $500.00. The thread was started concerning direct or indirect heat and that depends on the type of cooking you plan on doing. Most backyard grills see steaks, burgers, dawgs and chicken, direct heat is great for these and you can always pile the coals to one side for indirect heating, the typical webber kettle style or open face grill will suffice for this. The most prevalent form of indirect cooking here in florida is smoking, with the fuel in one chamber and the food in another. A unit like KPigs will handle both types of cooking, and either wood or charcoal.

I suppose it really depends on what and how you WANT to cook when making a decision like this. Starting out, I'd get me some sort of offset pit with an accessible grill inside the firebox. That way you get the best of both worlds and can take that knowledge without having to spend much. Brinkmann makes an offset that I started on, but my "grilling" or direct heat methods could use some attention. I now have a Gator Bandit and have the grill firebox as well as plenty of smoking, or indirect heating, area.

Live and learn is the best way. You could take my advice and never really know for sure unless you try and fail or succeed yourself.

ROCK ON!!

quote:

Originally posted by BT

quote:

Originally posted by UncleVic

I'll have to say stick with Weber's Kettle Grills... The little ones tend to rust out after 5 years

Which is part of the reason I spent a few bucks more on a heavy cast iron grill from Lodge.



The other part of the reason is it has a cast iron grill which retains heat and browns my burgers better than the flimsy chromed steel grills on lesser models. You can also buy a cast iron stand for it to get it 3.5' off the ground if you don't want to just sit it on a table.

But this isn't what Scott wants because he wants to do indirect heat as well and for that you need a bigger cooker with a lid. The "Portable Kitchen", which is cast aluminum (and therefore rust-free) rather than cast iron, is the closest thing in a larger cooker that I've seen.

You can always buy a cast-iron grill for a Weber. They're available from a number of sources. The last place I saw one was in a Williams-Sonoma catalog, but I've also seen them at Toledo-based The Anderson's General Store..

quote:

Originally posted by Theedge

That's it.

One of these days, I'm gonna try a Weber. For now, I have a small weber dome lid that I found on the side of the interstate. I use it to cover my propane tank for my log lighter. BTW, logs are what big cookers use for fuel...lol.

I'm sorry, guys and gals. I just had to. I hope you all know that I poke fun that way.[:D}