Stoker or Guru?

I guess I've decided to take the plunge but need input on which to buy. It seems the stoker has more capability with the ability to monitor remotely but are they pretty equal from the performance side? There priced about the same so that's not an issue. Any thoughts?

I have run my Stoker SIDE by side to Ed C's DigiQ II and honestly in terms of performance, really no difference other than say the lid off feature that is built into the Digi and on the Stoker it's in Amir's software. Also the display is bigger on the Digi but I don't use the display as I use my computer or SmartPhone.

What it comes down to is how comfortable with technology you are. I connect mine to my home network using a wireless bridge, control/monitor her from a laptop or cell phone etc. Other's don't want/need all the extra bells and whistles provided by Stoker/Amir's software so they go DigiQ II. All comes down to personal preference and if you want the additional capabilities of the Stoker. I will however say this, I far prefer how the Digi mounts to your WSM over Stoker.

One thing I really like are the graphs (there's one in the set of pictures above) I get with the Stoker/Stokerlog. It's nice to be able to go back and graphically look at a cook, especially an overnight cook. One cook that was very interesting to graph was when I did four butts and rotated them between top and bottom shelves. Top butts were about 20 degrees higher than butts on the bottom, after I rotated and moved the bottom butts to the top it was interesting watching them not only catch-up to the butts that started on the top but actually overtake them temperature wise . . . OK maybe that's a little odd to get excited about being able to view that but it was pretty cool and clearly demonstrated the difference in temps between the top and bottom racks. I think I need to get a life . . .

I was in your same shoes in January prior to my purchasing, posed the same question, here's the THREAD.

Any specific questions, don't hesitate to ask. Good luck!

I have owned both a Stoker and DigiQ II. Both control temps very well. I ended up trading in my Guru for the Stoker when I added a second cooker. The ability to control multiple smokers from one interface was the key difference maker for me. The ability to do so over a wireless network (with an added bridge) was icing on the cake.

If I didn't care about multi-cooker control or network capability, I would probably get the Guru just because it is easier to use. I think it is more weather resistant than the stoker as well. Larry is right on about the mounting of the Guru too.

Stoker. The expansion of the unit to multiple cookers will save you money in the long run. Unless you will have only one cooker for the rest of your life.
The ability to monitor the cooker from everywhere is great.
Amir's Stoker Log, so you can keep detailed track of your cook. Then when you want to remember what you did when you did it, you have3 via the logs.

As for ease of use, I had it up and running 5 min after I bought it.

I have only one cooker, don't need to worry about monitoring it from the internet, and know that if I set it at TempX that it will stay there no matter what happens.

So I use the ramp up and lid lift technologies.

The Guru is solid and their customer service is GREAT.

A solid product, great customer service, solid temps. All in a package the size of a deck of cards.

Works for me.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">As for ease of use, I had it up and running 5 min after I bought it. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
While I agree that you "might" be able to install your Stoker in what I will call stand alone mode (similar to the DigiQ II) in 5 minutes (although I think this is moving at Supersonic speed and I'm pretty sure other Stoker users will agree with me as it probably took me 5 minutes just to install my blower hardware) I don't think it would be fair to a new Stoker owner if we set the expectation that they could get their Stoker setup with Stokerlog, a wireless/wired network and SmartPhone access in five minutes . . . which I don't think you were saying. I've been involved in technology for 18 years, not as a programmer but on the sales side, yet I'm very comfortable with technology, understand wired and wireless networks (without having to read the manuals) and it took me a couple of hours to get my Stoker setup on all these options and my SmartPhone/Port Forwarding access is still flaky. I'd say it takes me at least 5 minutes to setup my Stoker on my post first setup cooks today as I reconnect my blower, connect it to my wireless bridge, connect it to my wireless network, log-on via Stokerlog etc. Not trying to detour anyone from purchasing a Stoker as I believe it's by far the better unit due to Stokerlog and the networkability (I think I made this word up), there's nothing like accessing your WSM from your SmartPhone or receiving emails or SMS messages from your smoker on the pit and meat temps, it's so liberating; you can go to the car wash, go play a round of golf etc., all the while receiving updates on your smoke. I'm just trying to set realistic expectations for potential owners.

I've never used a Guru. Based on reviews and comments here it seems like a great product.

I chose the Stoker because of connectivity to my network, internet and expandability. I've only done a "dry run" so far. My comment are based completly on a dry run. Very pleased.

I still have some concerns with weatherproofing. I'm going to have to think about protecting the base, probes and blower unit. I don't really want to remove the blower unit after ever smoke.

Guru Competitor owner.

I am jealous of the armored probes on the DigiQ II

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">So I use the ramp up and lid lift technologies. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I think folks know this but both of these features exist for stoker if you use my program. In addition, they are fully programmable so that you can better optimize them for your needs/smoker.

I actually couldn't make sense out of the ramp mode in original Guru so implemented a "keep warm" feature so that when the food reaches target temp, it keeps it there. If I am not mistaken, new Guru implements the same feature as mine now .


Of course, there is some convenience factor for having the unit itself do the above. But what would a cook be without using the computer to monitor it?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Russell Y:
Guru Competitor owner.

I am jealous of the armored probes on the DigiQ II </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Russell, No need to be jealous anymore. Link to my post a few weeks back. and a Link to the probes 4 U.

I am at this same dilemma of selecting between these units, and trying to keep myself from toying with an Arduino to create my own...

For me, the stoker is much better thought out, and as an embedded appliance it's setup way better with the internal httpd server, external ethernet port, etc...on top it offers multiple units to be controlled through one unit, and is much more expandable. I probably don't need that, but I do have several different 'ques it could work for.

I tried to call Fred about the Guru, but with a couple calls and then left a message, but it wasn't returned. Not the emails I sent to them either.

John is located on the other side of the bridge from where I work, and answered the phone when I called him the first time. Nice guy, and local for me which is a slight plus,,,and he'll let me come over to his shop and get a demo and/or save postage.

On the guru side, it has been around longer and seems to be bullet proof, so to speak... I have a friend that uses one and touts how easy it is to set and leave cooking. The stoker seems similar with some connecting the dots to get everything setup.

Having worked in the embedded space, I am inclined to go the stoker route, but if someone was wanting to sell a guru cheap to get upgraded to a stoker with more expansion, I would entertain that also.

Amir, doesn't your software only run on Windows? Unfortunate for me it is the one platform I can't stand to run. In talking to John I would only need to send http requests to the server, so that is workable for me if I wanted to write my own, in fact I have a library in open source that works on UNIX and Linux which sends http requests to a server, so that could easily be scripted...there's a several program that do the same as well (wget or curl come to mind). That is certainly an attraction on the stoker, anyone can write code and get the info through http requests, and it leaves a much more open platform to nurture the smoker community at large. I don't know if that is an advantage or not, to some it will be a deterrent...and it's easier to go the simpler "push a couple buttons" that the guru offers and be happier in the long run...but the open development model will allow folks to share their programs, as you have done...kudos!

The other thing is that with about $10 worth of parts, and a couple probes, you could probably do the same thing with the Arduino. But time is money as they say...

Alan, it is true that my program requires Windows. Mac users are happy using it under Parallels virtualization environment.

We have had discussions around setting up a service for stoker where you can get rich reporting using just a browser. Fair bit of the logic in my program can go into such a server. Who would fund it though, remains to be seen.

Someone else also post a cross-platform solution that he is developing in a recent thread.

As for Arduino, I don't think there is one with an Ethernet Nic in it, is there? Without it, you would have to co-locate the PC which is not as optimal. But agree that similar solution could be put in place using hardware like that.

Amir,

No, the Arduino doesn't have an ethernet in it, and I didn't mean to duplicate the stoker completely, just that you could control a probe by getting the reading, and controlling a fan that one was the build a squirrel cage for with even a computer fan....

I've been looking into them but the one I have parts for, the Freedunio doesn't have a NIC on it at all. It does have a serial type connector that a usb cable is available for.

John seems to have done a pretty good job at how he designed the stoker, so in some sense there is no reason to re-invent the wheel.

I just need some cash so I can get myself setup with a proper smoker and controller, whether the stoker or guru.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Russell Y:
Guru Competitor owner.

I am jealous of the armored probes on the DigiQ II </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yeah, those rock. So does the lid off technology. But those probes ROCK.

I looked into the arduino angle. The cost can add up pretty quickly, but you don't really do the arduino approach because you want to save money, you do it because it's a fun project

I probably made the whole enterprise more expensive because I wanted to use PWM to drive the fan and use thermocouples for the temperature sensors.

There are ethernet shields available for the arduino. There is also a Zigbee shield, which could be used for communication between the 'draft' unit and a mobile controller and display, similar to the Guru Procom.