I've been a pretty die hard Weber fan for more years than I care to admit. Have tried some nice offset cookers, top of the line gas, etc., but overall nothing ever comes close to Performer's, Plain Kettles, and WSM's. My wife has a Weber gas grill for quick cooks and heating some things up.
Lately I had thoughts of getting a pellet pooper for convenience. It sounds good, set it and forget it. Yesterday I did a few racks of beef long ribs. Got the coals started while I removed the membrane and rubbed the ribs. Put them on the WSM while it was coming up to temp. Kept an eye on the temp and adjusted the vents once when it got close. I checked the temp several more times, but I knew I really didn't have to. Maybe I'm nuts, but I enjoy a certain amount of tending to things. 6 hours later when the ribs came off the WSM was almost precisely at the same temperature. It's sure hard to argue with a system that just works.
That pretty much convinced me that I don't really need a pellet pooper, though I'm anxious to see one of Weber's when they are out. I like being able to use a mixture of smoking woods, like apple and hickory, and deciding on what I think the best ratio is. I haven't gone to any type of add on temperature control on any of my Weber's, because they are so easy to dial in and adjust that I haven't felt the need to add any complexity or help. They're really cool, I just don't feel the need for one.
I respect Weber's business decision to add new products, done their way. I also respect that they've stuck with successful platforms and kept the quality high. I can't ever imagine being without a WSM. Once they are seasoned and broken in, and you pay attention to how they behave in different weather conditions, different firing and cooking methods and such they are just so consistent. A lot of that is probably due to a simple design and quality construction that just works. Add in forums like this and more Youtube video's than you can shake a stick at, and for me, it's a tough platform to beat.
Lately I had thoughts of getting a pellet pooper for convenience. It sounds good, set it and forget it. Yesterday I did a few racks of beef long ribs. Got the coals started while I removed the membrane and rubbed the ribs. Put them on the WSM while it was coming up to temp. Kept an eye on the temp and adjusted the vents once when it got close. I checked the temp several more times, but I knew I really didn't have to. Maybe I'm nuts, but I enjoy a certain amount of tending to things. 6 hours later when the ribs came off the WSM was almost precisely at the same temperature. It's sure hard to argue with a system that just works.
That pretty much convinced me that I don't really need a pellet pooper, though I'm anxious to see one of Weber's when they are out. I like being able to use a mixture of smoking woods, like apple and hickory, and deciding on what I think the best ratio is. I haven't gone to any type of add on temperature control on any of my Weber's, because they are so easy to dial in and adjust that I haven't felt the need to add any complexity or help. They're really cool, I just don't feel the need for one.
I respect Weber's business decision to add new products, done their way. I also respect that they've stuck with successful platforms and kept the quality high. I can't ever imagine being without a WSM. Once they are seasoned and broken in, and you pay attention to how they behave in different weather conditions, different firing and cooking methods and such they are just so consistent. A lot of that is probably due to a simple design and quality construction that just works. Add in forums like this and more Youtube video's than you can shake a stick at, and for me, it's a tough platform to beat.