BBQ Guru or Stoker for my WSM 18.5


 
I'm in the same boat. Trying to decide. I just came across one thing that might make me go to Stoker or another unit. I noticed that the BBQ Guru documentation says it has a 90 day warranty vs a one year with the Stoker.

I'd probably only use the BBQ Guru once or twice in the 90 days.

Back the drawing board for me. I like to be covered for more then 90 days if I am spending that much money
 
i have 2 cyber q's and have had one of them for two years and one for one year, i use the all the time at comps and have never had an issue, if you do have an issue the people at bbqguru are awesome.....
 
Well if you're comparing the two Wi-Fi units I believe the biggest differentiators will be Stokerlog and multiple pits (I could be wrong here if I am someone please correct me). I love Stokerlog, the graphing capabilities rock. Interface is much nicer that Stokers native interface and the screen shots that I've seen of Guru Wi-Fi. Bottom-line is you can't go wrong with either in my opinion, just depends on how you want to use it.
 
There are many ATC owners that love their device. I'm not sure there are too many that own both to give the perfect comparison.

What are your needs/priorities in the ATC you are looking for? Cost? Multiple smokers? Wi-fi connectivity? Simplicity? There are subtle differences between the high end models and subtle differences between the various Guru models.

As each persons needs are different, as you figure out what your needs are in an ATC, this will help narrow down your brand and model of ATC.
 
I love tech but I chose the BBQ Guru because I just wanted my smoker to cook meat. It's simple and I don't have to worry about internet, iPhones, connectivity. I just plug it in, put the probes in and I'm done. It's nice and simple.
 
The Stoker doesn't require you to use the networking and connectivity features, you can keep things simple and just use the box and probes if you want. Once you figure out the interface (which takes about 5 minutes) it is very simple to use. But in my opinion, the ability to monitor the cook on your computer or phone is worth the extra cost. Being able to see a graph of your pit temp stability and food temp curve are very helpful and just plain cool. I haven't had a need for remote monitoring or adjustments, but I'm glad the feature is available for when I do. I used my Stoker with a WSM 18.5 for a Pork Butt cook on Monday, and it held temps extremely stable for over 16 hours (full basket of Kingsford, 30 lit coals, Minion method). If you think you'll ever want the techno features or want to control more than one cooker, go with the Stoker. You won't be sorry you spent the extra money.
 
It all depends on the individual owner. If you are a monitoring type of BBQ-er, then the Stoker would be the unit you want.

However, if you are the lazy type of BBQ-er (like me) and want to be as far away from monitoring as you can, then the Guru is perfect for you. I set up my Guru...and forget it...you could do the same thing with the Stoker, altough the Stoker is so much more sophisticated with all the WIFI set up, which makes you watch & monitor your comp....(for me that defeats my reason to have an ATC).....
 
Wanted to point something out re: Guru's new Wi-Fi unit: Has anyone confirmed that you can't port forward into the Guru Wi-Fi box from outside your network for remote monitoring?

Chad is right, Stoker can be run without network connectivity similar to a non-Wi-Fi Guru.
 
Originally posted by Tom L:
I love tech but I chose the BBQ Guru because I just wanted my smoker to cook meat. It's simple and I don't have to worry about internet, iPhones, connectivity. I just plug it in, put the probes in and I'm done. It's nice and simple.
Click to expand...

Ditto - that was why I chose as well 3-4 years ago. Not banging Stoker. Just that I wasn't concerned about wifi, charting, etc. More about just smoking and temp management, etc.
 
I have yet to use my stoker on the network. I just set it and forget it. It works great and is very simple to use with just the front panel.

It seems that it does the exact same thing as the guru, but gives you the web-based/wi-fi options if you want to use them.

That is why I bought it; because I didn't want to limit myself in the future, when I decide to explore the other options. I have never heared anyone say I bought the stoker, but I wish I had bought something else instead.
 
One other thing to look at is their track record with new models. Every time Guru came out with a new better version you had to buy the new model. With stoker you simply downloaded the new version free into your existing box. (present wifi excluded)
 
I have used both for years. I use the stoker when I want to monitor a lot of food temps where the guru only two .The stoker graphs I keep with recipe files to chart the cook. The BBQ guru is easy and works well. If I just need a cooker to run at a certain temps like cooking ribs, I use the guru. Both will set cooker temps as food temps change.the guru is the easiest to learn out of the box. I use the Stoker the most.
 
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