Weber vs. El Cheapo


 
Status
Not open for further replies.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Chris Allingham:
[qb]If you can only afford something below $100, another option would be to buy a 22" Weber One-Touch Silver kettle grill for about $80. You can make some kick-*** BBQ on it (with more effort than on the WSM, of course) and it's an excellent grill, too.

Just a thought,
Chris[/qb] <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I've cooked two perfect scores in Chicken on a Weber Kettle using the 3901 side rails for indirect smoking. This is in fact the recomended minimum equipment at Paul Kirk Cooking classes. Weber Kettles can be bought for very cheap at Garrage sales. I would go with the 22.5" version not the 18.5". Although I've smoked chicken and ribs with great success on a regular Weber Smokey Joe when there were only two mouths to feed. Click the house by my name for smoking on a Kettle instructions. Four racks of ribs with a Weber rib rack and #3901 rails or an aluminum water pan on a 22.5" Kettle is not hard and very tasty /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

One of my cube mates at works mother uses the directions at Weber.com to smoke a turkey on her Kettle for Thanksgiving. They then spend the rest of the year talking about how great the turkey was. Weber is family happiness in my book and theirs /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

The WSM is worth the money when you have it because it is a regular visitor to thw winners circle. Nothing at under it's price is a regular winner.
 
Another option for a less expensive cooker is the Brinkmann "Gourmet". I saw one at Lowes yesterday for $50. While still not comparable to the WSM, nonetheless a far better choice than the standard ECB. The ability to lift the cooker off the fire pan to tend or add coals makes this one work better than the standard ECB. I started with one of these and made just as good brisket with it as I do the WSM, although it requires far greater effort and attention (and fuel!). Still use mine as a second cooker, mostly for ribs, which due to their less cooking time don't require a lot of fire fiddlin' in the Gourmet.
 
How's this for resurrecting an old thread?!?
Sad but true, I couldn't afford to make the investment at the time, so I decided to wait...until NOW!!!
I saw the Amazon deal for $25 off (and my finacial situation has improved somewhat) so I just order one! /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
I'm glad I waited. Many days of happy grillin' have come and gone, but smokin' has always been a dream...
Thanks for all of the info!
Great forum to learn from in all ways!
I look forward to smokin' with the BEST!

ps. I also ordered a Weber Q and Baby Q, as the $25 off deal was too good to pass up. Anybody has any words of wisdom for these little wonders?
 
What a funny resurrection, I almost replied to your original post and was reading through the 2 year old posts by some of the "old-timers"...their replies haven't changed much RE: the classic WSM vs ECB debate. A truly classic thread.

Hope you have a great summer o Q on your WSM Todd! You won't be sorry you waited.
 
I'd put in a pitch for the Brinkman Gourmet as a good El Cheapo smoker that is much better than the base Brinkman. Costs about 50 bucks at Wal-Mart and is much better-built than the base Brinkman.

Can't hold a candle to the WSM, though. The WSM is *so* much easier for long cooks. However, I have made some great Q on the Brinkman Gourmet and I've given it as gifts to friends who want to try out smoking.
 
I was just in a comp in Imperial beach. The winning chicken came out of a stock WSM with a candy therm in a cork in top vent. No other mods at all. I think that speaks volumes about the quality of a WSM.
 
Well, since the old thread was resurrected and the Brinkmann Gourmet has been mentioned: I have one that I bought before my WSM, and modified to (1)allow good control of the temperature by close control of air to the fire, (2)added a grate to keep accumulating ash from smothering the fire, and (3) added a real thermometer. I was able to maintain steady temperatures in the 225 - 250 range for up to 6 hours at a time, with little or no attention from me. I doubt there was/is a better cooking ECB anywhere on the planet.

The WSM is still worth every penny. The ECB hasn't been fired up since I got mine. /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

 

Back
Top