Grotz -- how about this:
An 18 and a 22 combined cost $658 new. 286 square inches + 726 = 1,012 combined cooking area.
For $800 you could get, say, a Backwoods Chubby 3400 cabinet smoker that runs on charcoal.
20x22 square, so pretty close to the footprint of a 22. But much shorter (31" vs. 48"). Same height as the 14 actually -- fits on a table top. Four square racks that add up to 1,023 square inches.
Or an inexpensive offset.
But nothing will beat the value of my $80 second hand WSM 18.
So I will start this post off by saying I feel kind of like a idiot or a jerk for not taking photos, but I totally did not think to do that until half way home.
I went to my local BBQ store today and they literally had the WSM 22 right next to the Cubby 3400 (on a table) and on the other side of the WSM 22 was the WSM 14 (also on a table). So I asked the owner, Hey a buddy of mine has a WSM 14 right now and he wants to upgrade to be able to cook more at one time, the WSM 18, WSM 22, or Chubby 3400 are all on the short list, what do you recommend? His first statement was, the WSM 22 hands down, it can fit a LOT more food then the other two. I said wait a minute, part of the reason he was thinking about the Chubby was because it has more room. He said that is true if you are cooking ribs on a racks, but besides that no. Add a rib hanger or another rack in the WSM 22 and you got it bet. He went on to say the reasons he would recommend the chubby over the WSM 22 is if you are smoking in cold weather or you are really worried about how much charcoal you are going to use because it is insulated or if need a smoker that gives more space then the WSM 14 but need a minimum footprint. He said the chubbys he sales are usually a second smoker to a collection to use during the cold winters here in PA. Next he went into talking about the WSM (now he just got done selling a Big Green Egg to a Weber Kettle owner before he started to talk to me) and he said there are two groups that buy WSM 14, those who are getting into smoking and those who are adding a second WSM as a travel/tailgate size. He added that almost all from that first group come back within a year to upgrade to one of the larger models (we know that is not completely true, but that is how I landed my used 14 because it first owner upgraded to the 22). He then said, when someone starts with a WSM and then goes to another grill, pellet, BGE, chubby they almost always come back to add a WSM to the collection or go completely back to that cooker. He said if your friend is already comfortable cooking on a 14 the 22 just makes sense. He then asked if that friend was me because he knows I cook on a 14, I said no he said I have a 22 waiting for to you know. I said no it would be the 22 kettle to the 26 kettle that I would upgrade to, he said I have one of those right here also. Nope not today!
Here is my takeaway from today; first, I know from spending to much time in that shop that the owner and most of the staff prefer the WSM over anything else they sell and the WSM's are what they all use for comps. I know the owner loves the 22 and almost laughs at me for using the 14 for daily use. Second, everytime I see that 22 I think how huge it is. The Chubby is small, close in height to the WSM 14, but it is wider. Third, the Chubby looks like a well put together cooker, but you are maxed out from the start, no added racks or increasing space for more food like you could with the WSM 22 or even the WSM 18. Forth, the WSM 18 is big too! Not WSM 22 big, but still a lot bigger then the WSM 14.
Now personally if I in your shoes today Lee, I would have purchased another WSM over the Chubby 3400, he could have even maybe talked me into the 22 over the 18.
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