Electric Brinkman, surprising results

[DavidD]

Hey folks, i have not been back for awhile...Went to my cabin and a guest had left an electric brinkman. It was old and worn down looking, but it worked. It did not have temp control, thermometer or vents, but when i plugged it in, it worked. I stuck a thermometer in the side and temp was 350, too hot. However, when i put water in the pan, the temp stayed in the 200 range or thereabouts. At 2pm, I added 5 lbs of Spareribs, rolled up and tied with string. I left them on for 6 hours total, doing nothing other than adding water once, halfway through. The meat pulled back on the bone about 1/2 inch and they were tender. Also, i almost forgot, I added four med size chucks of Apple wood for smoking and it produced a lot of smoke.

What was nice about this electric unit was that i would be gone most of the day, so plugging it in and not worrying about it was nice.

Do these units have a bad rap like their charcoal brother, or is the electric version ok? It sure seemed easy, very easy.

 

[Ken Nelson]

I had an electric Brinkman years ago and could get good results with it when the weather cooperated (no wind and comfortable ambient temperatures). Acceptable low and slow temperatures could be maintained by the amount of water in the pan.

When conditions were outside that relatively narrow window, its performance and joy of use really suffered.

The heating element in this smoker is either off or 100% on. Without the ability to 'dial in' the desired temperature, hitting and maintaining that temperature in less than ideal conditions for an appreciable length of time made using an eECB almost as frustrating and hands-on as its charcoal-fueled cousin.

I had mine for a few years but didn't really enjoying using it. The thought of plugging in my barbecue just didn't strike a chord with me.

My electric Brinkman failed when an accidental splash of cold water hit the rocket hot element in the middle of a cook, causing it to break and render the unit completely useless.

I'm interested in what others have to say.

Ken

 

[Mike F.]

I had an electric Brinkman for about 7 years before the heating element cracked. I only cooked ribs & chicken wings on it. The beauty of it was that on a special occasion I would bring it to work, have it set up and cooking by 7:30 and the ribs would be ready by 11:30 or 12:00 for lunch. Although they weren't as tender as my Weber Bullet ribs are, they were still better than any of the ribs my co-workers had been eating. Hell, I only paid 40 bucks for it!
I enjoy the whole process of setting up the grill and watching the temps while I do a little yard work and have a beverege or two!