Smoker suggestions?

[Grant H.]

One of our daughters traded up for a Yoder YS640S a couple years ago.
1070 square inches of cooking area gives you lots of room.

With computer temperature control and WiFi monitoring you load the hopper, set the temperature, monitor it and wait.
The computer sends status updates over WiFi to 'the cloud" where the phone app can monitor it from anywhere.

https://www.yodersmokers.com/pellet/...-pellet-grill/

I currently have a Masterbuilt 40" electric that I converted to PID control when the original control board quit. It's been a fantastic option to get started, lets me smoke year round, and allows for cold smoking with the masterbuilt cold smoke attachment. The PID made the temp more stable, but the original controls do really well, honestly (minus whatever factory "offset").

If I ever decide that I am willing to spend the cash on it, I will be upgrading to a YS640S. I've gotten to cook on one before, and while expensive, they are very nice.

[Gman]

Camp Chef was my choice this year: https://www.campchef.com/wood-pellet...-sidekick.html

Had a Traeger Lil Tex Elite before that. I like this one more, but I also spent more. I use mine pretty frequently and went bigger because sometimes we need the space and it wasn't much difference in price (and I had the space for it on the covered patio). I really like having the WiFi and 4 temp probes. I can satisfy my curiosity by looking at my phone or watch.

[Rooskibar03]

Get a RecTeq. End of conversation.

Buy Once Cry once and enjoy smoking rather than fighting with it.

[eddiememphis]

I have a Green Mountain Grills Davy Crockett.

It is a smaller, portable pellet grill. It is 12 volt so it can run off the camper battery in the woods. It's lowest heat setting is 150 degrees which is lower than most. High is 550 degrees so it can grill as well.

I use it weekly, year round. I can control it with my Ipad or phone, although most of them can do that now.

If you go pellet, make sure to use good pellets, not the cheap crap you get at Walmart. Lumberjack seems to be the favorite of most.

Go to the Grillin' Shop, Arapahoe & Peoria. They have a good selection of grills and pellets and seem to know their stuff.

[Ah Pook]

Here's my 2 pesos.

I went down the pellet hole about 7 years ago.

Treager seems too flimsy and, at the time, would hold temp +/- 20˚.

If I was in my "forever" house, I buy a BGE or do custom.

Unlimited funds (if the wife really loves you) I'd do Yoder.

Was at a friends house this weekend, pulled pork and wings were excellent on a Rec Tec. Not real familiar with them.

Avoid Weber Smofefire like the plague. I can not say ANYTHING good about them.

My choice was a Green Mountain Daniel Boone. Used the Hell out of it. Maintains +/- 5˚ at startup and on temp beyond that. 500˚ top end is nice too. Only problem was an auger shear pin (my fault) and cust. service was great.

Pellet usage is determined by cook temp. Not any hard and fast rules that I know of. Keep an extra bag of pellets in the garage/5 gallon bucket just to be safe.

Weber makes a good wifi/Blutooth thermometer/app.

I'm a fan of butcher paper wrapping. Avoid Treager paper.

[00tec]

Extra bag of pellets? I have like 7.

The pellets from Sams are pretty good. Traeger pellets don't do so well for me.
I use 20 lb or so cooking a brisket in the winter.
https://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/p...20-%2040%20lbs.

My brisket is brushed periodically with tallow rendered from the fat trimmings in a foil pan on the smoker, then it gets paper wrapped after bark is set, then wrapped with fresh paper once it reaches temp.

[colorider]

I have owned a Traeger and a Green Mountain Grill Pellet smoker. Know many who have owned those and also the alternatives for pellet grills (except yoder. Yoder is the gold standard). I now own a https://www.recteq.com/ as do many of the others who have owned the less expensive pellet smokers. Buy once, cry once. I wish I had in the first place. The recteq is a superior piece of equipment over camps chef, Louisiana, Traeger and anything else under its price range. By a long shot. Reliability, durability, and just a better piece of equipment.

[eddiememphis]

My problem with RecTeq is I can't examine it before I buy. Before I drop $1000 on anything, I want to see it in person.

[scratchy]

I've been using a Weber Smoky Mountain. I like it, but I wanted one that would hold 2 20+ pound turkeys. I'll probably add a pellet smoker for smaller jobs.

[Bailey Guns]

Another vote for the Camp Chef Woodwind. Great smoker and the sidekick accessory is the bomb. I have a griddle, grill box and pizza oven for mine. I love that damn thing and use it at least once per week.

I've had a few others and they were fine. But they just didn't compare to the Camp Chef.

My friend owned a store in Lewiston called Camp, Cabin and Home. He was a dealer for most of the big name grill makers. He steered my towards the Woodwind even though he sold about twice as many Traegers. According to him the Traegers were far more problematic than any other brand. For whatever that's worth...