Charcoal vs propane and electric


 
I have owned an electric smoker and now own a 22.5" WSM and I prefer the WSM over the electric. Just my personal opinion is that you don't get the great taste from the electric. Now don't get me wrong, if you just want to set it and forget it then electric is the way to go. I have found that the WSM pretty much gives me the same option even though I always check it about every hour and I did the same with the electric. The one thing with the electric is the max temp is 275 degrees so if your wanting poultry and then trying to crisp up the skin it wont happen, but you can pull it and put it in the oven. I also have the Performer grill and a propane grill and I use the performer the most as again the taste is just much better.
 
James - this is something I have thought about over the years. I am a charcoal/live fire guy and I guess I always will be. Give me an offset, a WSM, a kettle, a cast iron dutch or just an open fire and a piece of foil any old day! I can really taste the difference between food cooked on wood/charcoal and that cooked on propane. IMO it is just better. But that is not the real reason I use wood/charcoal. My BIL has an electric smoker he uses to great effect. He makes tasty food using what is essentially a launch and forget approach. If the food is all you are interested in, you can impress your family and friends with very little fuss. If on the other hand you are at all interested in the journey to good food, the art of it so to speak, then you kind of have to go with wood/charcoal IMO. I like the challenge of controlling the variables to vary the outcomes - of matching my skill and experience to the conditions to put a pleasing product on the table. In short I will say here what I told my BIL, "propane and electricity are to BBQ what paint by numbers is to art..."

Regards,

John
 
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Started with propane and took it back to the store an never looked back. Second smoker cookshack electric. Third smoker WSM18. Since buying that the only thing I use my cookshack for is making kielbasa. I like it because there is zero temperature fluctuations so you never get split casings. I can put it out in the snow in 20 degree below wind chills and it will hold perfectly. A year ago I received a Big Green Egg as a gift. I use it for grilling and a pizza oven mostly but I feel the WSM is better as a smoker. Maybe its because I have 9 years experience with the Weber and only one with the egg but I'm not sure. I'm going to give it more time as a smoker this summer and see. In my opinion you can't go wrong for the flavor and price of a WSM.
 
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