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  • birddog

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    Mar 4, 2008
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    nunya
    I’d like to simplify the process of smoking meat and was looking at smokers on the Walmart website. Any recommendations or tips would be greatly appreciated.
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    toddnjoyce

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    Sep 27, 2017
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    Boerne
    Don’t buy a smoker from Walmart.

    Seriously. There’s a difference between smoking and bbq/grilling. The key to smoking is consistent low temp with smoke.

    The egg/Kamado/primo ceramic ‘things’ are versatile and can do low/slow or fast/hot pretty good. With some add on temp controllers, they can be pretty damn good smokers. And you’re actually cooking with fire.

    Then, there’s pellet smokers. Usually advertised as a grill, but reality is they do best as a smoker. They can be set n forget out of the box. Traeger is the Weber of this market. A Yoder 640 can be a good a good buy and will make you look like a low n slow god, but your still tied to a max temp that’s relatively low for searing a steak if you want an all-in-one deal. Pellet smokers are cooking with friction.


    Finally, there the standard offset box. Most home offset smokers suffer from steel that’s too thin to regulate the heat, so your stuck managing the firebox. These are cooking with a lot of work.

    If I could have only one I’d have a Primo XL. You’re going to shell out some dollars, but a brisket, a pork shoulder, and several racks of ribs can all fit in the cook box at one time.
     

    sucker76

    Don't let the username fool you
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    Nov 15, 2015
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    Lake Jackson
    I have an Oklahoma Joe from Academy. Like said, steel is too thin to manage heat well. I have a hard on now for Lonestar Grilz. Very spendy.
     

    TexasBrandon

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    A good Kamodo Joe or Big Green Egg ceramic is going to be nearly as easy as an electric smoker with significantly better results in meat. I say nearly because it still requires you to put wood in at some point while an electric smoker is more maintenance on the water tray and chips. If price is part of the equation, then electric might be a choice. I haven't messed with them in a very long time.
     

    birddog

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    I guess I’ve gotten lazy when it comes to cooking. If I need to feed a group I’d rather run over to Rudy’s and pick up ten pounds of moist. I’ve got a green egg and a steel smoker but I’m looking for something that’s relatively easy to use and consistent. One of my friends has an electric smoker that uses pellets and I’ve been surprised at how easy it is to use. We’ve smoked ribeyes, lobster tails, briskets, even Cornish game hens. And everything came out tasting great. All he has to do is keep the pellet bin topped off.

    Now that I’ve gotten older, I don’t have the patience to tend a traditional smoker. Particularly since I’m typically only cooking for two.
     
    Last edited:

    FireInTheWire

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    Oh and i'll throw a zinger for the "smoking purists" that say electric smokers suck. I did a pork butt for my kids birthday party. Set smoker to high smoke, threw the butt on, filled the hopper and locked the lid down at midnight. Wen't to bed... got up next morning... checked the hopper.... checked the butt... let it go until done. It's that simple. And.... yes it's was awesome.
     

    digger

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    May 9, 2009
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    I’ve got my hand make stick burner and my Kamodo Joe.
    I’m not a fan of electric smokers. If you can’t smoke a brisket without using electricity you might want to check yourself.....lol

    Agreed
    My BBQ 1.JPG
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    My BBQ 4.JPG
     

    Mike_from_Texas

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    Feb 10, 2010
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    The biggest problem with electric smokers is they just can’t get hot enough, especially in colder temperatures. They have to make them run on a typical 15 amp 120 volt household receptacle and that can only run a limited amount of wattage. Add to that they swing temp pretty badly with the on/off cycling of the element.

    A propane unit performs much better and will hold dang near a constant temp until you run out of fuel.

    I smoked a pork loin on mine for 6 hours and the temp held steady between 248-250° the whole time.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
     

    ed308

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    Dec 31, 2013
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    Never knew that about electric smokers. I use a large Big Green Egg. I like to smoke pork butts for 10 hours or more, depending on how long the stall last. Brisket even longer. I use a BBQ Guru to keep the temperature around 225 degrees. I also use a Thermoworks Smoke BBQ thermometer, wireless gateway and app to monitor the temperature. Once the temperature is stable, I can let the smoker work and either work around the house or go to a store. The app alerts me if the temp gets too high or low. Nice setup that give excellent results.
     

    BuzzinSATX

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    Dec 20, 2013
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    One of my friends has an electric smoker that uses pellets and I’ve been surprised at how easy it is to use. We’ve smoked ribeyes, lobster tails, briskets, even Cornish game hens. And everything came out tasting great. All he has to do is keep the pellet bin topped off.

    This would be my answer for sure! If you have a friend who has cracked the code and you enjoyed eating the results, duplicate the system at your house and press on.
     

    sidebite252

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    I’d suggest a pellet smoker/grill. I’ve owned 2 electric smokers both were good but not what I was wanting. I bought a Yoder YS640 last spring and I can honestly say pellet cookers are game changers. Their are so many makes & models on the market it gets confusing. I could not be any happier with my pellet smoker.
     

    pronstar

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    Jul 2, 2017
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    I’m new to smoking meat but lack the patience to babysit something.

    Have been extremely happy with my Masterbuilt...with the cold smoke attachment, which is used regardless of hot or cold smoke. It’s much easier to use, and produces more reliable smoke longer, than what’s built into the unit.


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    heliguy972

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    Jun 6, 2012
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    DFW
    I’d like to simplify the process of smoking meat and was looking at smokers on the Walmart website. Any recommendations or tips would be greatly appreciated.

    I've had a Bradley computerized box smoker for a year now. It works fantastic and I highly recommend it. A couple of "Pro's": It's a box, easy to pickup and move and not like the big bulky smokers that you have to roll around on wheels. The electronic computer control box slips off easily to put in the house. In the TX Heat/Cold the electronics often fail and replacing can get expensive. It's inexpensive compared to the pellet cookers. Also you can cold smoke if you like making Lox or smoked bacon.

    I have the 4 rack digital smoker: https://www.bradleysmoker.com/product-category/food-smokers/.

    $359: https://www.acehardware.com/departm...3xOtanyFWnD9lgMz53ppMspbBI1av4zkaAngvEALw_wcB
     

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    birddog

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    nunya
    Heli, thanks for the links. There’s a lot of good information that simplifies the art of cooking good brisket. Low, slow and easy is their mantra which is perfect for an electric smoker.
     

    WT_Foxtrot

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    Jan 23, 2019
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    North Texas
    A good Kamodo Joe or Big Green Egg ceramic is going to be nearly as easy as an electric smoker with significantly better results in meat. I say nearly because it still requires you to put wood in at some point while an electric smoker is more maintenance on the water tray and chips. If price is part of the equation, then electric might be a choice. I haven't messed with them in a very long time.

    Totally agree with this.....the ceramics are the way to go. Expensive? Yes. But they will literally outlast you. Not to mention they are far more versatile than the electric/pellet smokers. Cooking pizza (which is unbelievable) one day, cold smoking salmon the next, hot searing filets the next, slow smoking a butt or brisket the next. They literally do it all and do it all extremely well.

    I've had a BGE for seven years and is the only grill/smoker I own now. And I cook out all the time. Might add a high-end offset stickburner at some point just for volume and cooking for large groups. But the Egg and other ceramics like Kamado Joe and Primo are outstanding in every respect.
     
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