Wife wanted to get me a smokefire for my birthday, and then saw the reviews...


 
Daniel Cassady said:
Has anyone looked better at the Spider-22?
That caught my eye and I've started looking at that as well...
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I'd like to also hear any experiences with the Spider. I have never really been that interested in pellet rigs until I saw the Spider. I'm not ever expecting to sear a steak or burgers on a pellet smoker because it's just not what it's designed for. I would only use it for low and slow.
 
If you want to sear and cook low and slow, (if you have patience and some mechanical ability) I recommend the SmokeFire, however if you don’t enjoy tinkering and all that, go with the reqtec RT-700 I have a few friends who bought them on my recommendation and they LOVE them!!
My SF has been great after the welded auger swap! It’s a grill and it will get you some killer results low and slow.
I also have a decent chunk of change invested in accessories so I will make mine work, Weber has been amazing as usuals with customer service.

Of course I feel like BFletcher and his issues are all my fault! 😕
 
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Bruno said:
Of course I feel like BFletcher and his issues are all my fault! 😕
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Way to step up and take one for the team Bruno. :LOL: If it's any consolation, following your travails with your EX6 helped me decide to get an EX6 and I'm very happy with it - warts and all.
 
Well it’s a tough one for sure, I know after the baby back maniac disaster early on I was considering giving up.

I went the other way and got the custom table, the GBS grates, a cast iron grate, casters and all that so I’m all in at this point. Good news it’s been really great after the auger swap. Looking forward to firing it up on Sunday!!
🔥🏈🍻🍻🇺🇸
 
Bruno said:
Well it’s a tough one for sure, I know after the baby back maniac disaster early on I was considering giving up.

I went the other way and got the custom table, the GBS grates, a cast iron grate, casters and all that so I’m all in at this point. Good news it’s been really great after the auger swap. Looking forward to firing it up on Sunday!!
🔥🏈🍻🍻🇺🇸
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So BBM thought he had a grease fire in the SmokeFire .................. look at Kosmos checking out the Masterbuilt 560 , ya think this might be a grease fire

 
He seems happy enough! I guess he was doing a reverse sear. Much more than 45 seconds and he would have had blackened steak instead of a crust. But he was on it so it was all good.
 
Lynn Dollar said:
So BBM thought he had a grease fire in the SmokeFire .................. look at Kosmos checking out the Masterbuilt 560 , ya think this might be a grease fire
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I'll preface this by reminding some of you that I'm older than dirt. My son tells me so it must be true. .Things can get exciting when grills get real hot. We all know the Smokefire isn't perfect but what I saw last Feb, and March was YOUNG guys with their egos invested in their Youtube channels get their hands on an untamed Mustang and they blamed the grill because they couldn't tame it. Hence their over the top condemnation. To compound the problem Weber totally botched the rollout and denied that the grill wasn't ready for prime time. Bruno, Dave, and others here went through similar problems and pestered Weber but hung in there until they tamed their grill.
 
After cooking with the MB 560 and reading other's experience, I think maybe Kosmos had already cooked another meat before he put those ribeyes on, like maybe a pork butt or a brisket, some long cook with a fatty meat. That appears to be a lot of grease from just four ribeye. These MB 560 have to be cleaned often. And drip pans are advisable.

They have a grease management system very similar to my Weber Spirit 3 gasser. There's a large secondary tray in the bottom that is removable, that funnels grease into a smaller pan. I'm lining everything with foil before a cook.
 
Lew Newby said:
I'll preface this by reminding some of you that I'm older than dirt. My son tells me so it must be true. .Things can get exciting when grills get real hot. We all know the Smokefire isn't perfect but what I saw last Feb, and March was YOUNG guys with their egos invested in their Youtube channels get their hands on an untamed Mustang and they blamed the grill because they couldn't tame it. Hence their over the top condemnation. To compound the problem Weber totally botched the rollout and denied that the grill wasn't ready for prime time. Bruno, Dave, and others here went through similar problems and pestered Weber but hung in there until they tamed their grill.
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I would say that is a spot on, balanced assessment of the SmokeFire situation. I just wonder if Weber can overcome the tough start and become a major player in the pellet grill arena. A lack of retail outlets has to hurt on top of a premature, botched rollout. That is a shame because the SmokeFire offers an innovative rather than “me too” design.
 
BradSankey said:
I have a RecTeq RT-590 and it has done me extremely well. I'm looking at upgrading to something bigger so I am in a similar boat as you. I have been eying up the Pits-n-Spits, Yoder, Mak, Webber EX6, and a Masterbuilt 1050. So far the Masterbuilt to me is in the lead as I'm looking for something I can fire up to cook burgers/steaks on and get a nice crust as well as something that I can also run low and slow to feed my new found addiction to chicken wings.

Also like others have stated, the RecTec will defintely sear a steak/burgers but you've got to be dedicated and make sure you have grill grates AND make sure they come up to temperature for a good long while as they'll get hotter than the setpoint.


I'll be following along on your journey!
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With some of the names you are mentioning $$ doesn't seem to be an issue for you ..... so I would buy 2.
I have never owned a Pitts, Yoder, or Mak. I hear they are great, but I can not speak for them personally.
I do however own an EX4 and the MB560. I love them both and would highly recommend either ... or both.
 
I did a lot of research on pellet grills for a friend of mine. I think they're great for people who want to smoke and indirect cook, and aren't interested in using charcoal. I think there are a lot of good options for pellet grills, but none are as versatile as a charcoal fired cooker like WSM, or Weber Kettle, or PK, or Kamado style cookers. I would also put a good quality offset ahead of the pellet smokers for longevity and simplicity.
 
John K BBQ said:
I did a lot of research on pellet grills for a friend of mine. I think they're great for people who want to smoke and indirect cook, and aren't interested in using charcoal. I think there are a lot of good options for pellet grills, but none are as versatile as a charcoal fired cooker like WSM, or Weber Kettle, or PK, or Kamado style cookers. I would also put a good quality offset ahead of the pellet smokers for longevity and simplicity.
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I get where you are going and agree. However, simplicity of an offset is in regards to the cooker itself, not the using of it :) Finding, storing, splitting, and slinging splits to carefully manage a fire is not something I consider a simple set of tasks.

Outside of a SmokeFire (and I'm waiting to see on a MAK), you are spot on that direct cooking is not their strength for sure. There are many was to maneuver around it, but in the end it's not the same result. GrillGrates on a RecTec or Traeger can help get a sear that is acceptable to many, but the lack of infrared energy just lacks the intensity you get from coals or a gasser. A cast iron pan or griddle allowed to come up to temp has about the same effect as GrillGrates, IMO. Even many of the grills that offer a searing solution that exposes the fire pot are often pretty limited that there's only room to effectively sear 1-2 steaks at a time.

Convenience is the reason pellet grills are gaining popularity. I've been spoiled by mine over the years. I love my WSCG, but it's too easy to pour in some pellets and set a temp most of the time.
 
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