Andy,
So far the guys have given you phenomenal advice and strong support (not surprisingly) for the WSM. I'm sort of a 'Johnny-come-late' in this discussion, but thought I'd add my two cents in as well. In answering your questions, I've decided to summarize a few of your own statements and respond based on what you've stated are your needs and desires.
Been grilling pretty heavy for the past few years with the weber genesis and feel like I need to increase the challenge. I want to get into the BBQ scene but not sure where to start. Should I start brinkman or wsm?.............I want to get into the BBQ scene but not sure where to start..............I been gassing for a few yrs now and done rotisseries too but do not favor it compared to BBQ food I have had at sportsman clubs I am apart of during cook outs. I will only be cooking for my fiancé and myself. Looking at using it 2-3 times a week. If I would have extra food I would either food saver it or take it to work.........So I am hearing kettle and wsm. I don't have enough money or time explaining to the fiancé on why I have so many types of cook out equipment haha. So should I go wsm?
Based on your postings here are some key takeaways:
1. You will be grilling/cooking for yourself and your fiancee the vast majority of the time.
2. Based on this statement --> ". I don't have enough money or time explaining to the fiancé on why I have so many types of cook out equipment"; one machine that can perform multiple tasks is preferred over a single machine that can do a single task very well
3. Based also on the statement above, your budget is limited (though I either missed reading or you didn't supply a max budget for your puchase).
I'm going to make three recommendations, each based on an assumed max budget and assuming you are buying new in the box.
Budget $150 or less:
1. Weber 22.5" One Touch Gold - For grilling and smoking for two people, this grill is pretty hard to beat for the money. I've smoked an 8 lb boston butts for almost 12 hrs on a single load of Kingsford charcoal. I've also smoked three full racks of spare ribs for 6 hrs with no refill and minimal tending. It can also multi-task as a very capable 750+ degree searer and pizza maker, with a couple of firebricks and a pizza stone. I've turned out pizza on my Weber Performer (basically a OTG with a table and gas assist) that was better than I've done on my Green Egg. With proper care the grill can last a lifetime and can't be beat for the $$$.
Budget $300 or less.
1. Weber 26.75" One Touch Gold. All the reasons listed above, but add at least an additional rack of ribs capability, plus the ability to smoke a full packer brisket. Although you could probably turn out some good pizza, the big kettle requires a lot of coal to get and maintain high temps and isn't (obviously) as fuel efficient as the 22.5.
2. Brinkmann Trailmaster Limited. Going against the grain with this one. For $300, this is a pretty good quality smoker that has lots of space. It does need a few mods out of the box to make the best of it - high temp silicone sealing, build a custom charcoal basket to increase capacity for longer smokes, tuning plates to even out the heat. But you gain the capability to smoke many racks of ribs (or pork butts or briskets) at once without having to trim or cut. The firebox side doubles as a pretty good small grill.
For your needs, I say the Brinkmann is definitely a distant second compared to the Weber 26.75 because the main chamber isn't designed for high heat grilling. It really is a true offset smoker that has some grilling capabilities. But it's a step up from the $179 Wal-Mart Brinkmann or the CharGriller garbage that's tin-can thin, a maintenance nightmare, and easily rusts out in a couple of seasons. Ask me how I know
Hope this adds to helping you make an informed grilling decision. If you're patient do
not overlook CraigsList. You can save a LOT, but as the grilling season has just begun, items now get swept up quickly!
