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Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 11:09 am
by Stranger
Hey guys, I'm in the market for a new grill but would also like to try my hand in some smoking.
So are there any grill/smoker combos that you can recommend? Is there such a thing? charcoal, propane, electric doesn't really matter to me. Probably stick with propane for the grill but the smoker could be either, I don't know much about smokers.
Any suggestions or tips will be much welcomed. Also, nothing too expensive, would like to keep the price below $500.
Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 11:12 am
by Malcolm
Probably stick with propane for the grill...
All due respect to Hank Hill, but no. Go with charcoal.
Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 11:15 am
by GORDON
Charcoal makes 30% better food but has 90% more hassle. To me it isn't worth it. Once or twice a summer I will just make a fire with wood from my cherry tree and cook a steak in the backyard fire pit. I use the propane grill year round.
Never did or wanted to do smokers. No input.
Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 11:16 am
by Stranger
All due respect to Hank Hill, but no. Go with charcoal.
I agree, charcoal is probably the way to go. But sometimes I just need to grill up some hotdogs for the kids real quick and I don't really wanna start some coals. I just need a quick flame, its just easier.
But for a smoker, I'd really consider charcoal for the long cooks. I have heard the electric ones are nice too, but I really have no idea.
Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 11:21 am
by GORDON
I would like to change my "90% more hassle" line. It's more like 250% more hassle.
Charcoal is a process, with significant cleanup in between, and make sure those middle coals are cool before they go in the bin or you burn your house down.
Propane is just "Turn it on 5 minutes ahead of time." I don't even clean the grill surface, but rarely. Just give it a quick scrape with a metal spatula if carbon is getting built up.... otherwise, just burn that shit off during a pre-heating.
Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 11:22 am
by GORDON
fake edit - I believe charcoal/hybrid grills exist, but are expensive. I won't spend more than $300 for a grill, personally, and those are probably $800+.
Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 11:35 am
by TheCatt
We have a Weber Sprit 300-series from 7-8 years ago.
It's worked great. Those are right about $500 though.
We use gas (installed a gas line at the house) so we wouldn't even have to deal with tanks.
Charcoal's way too much of a pain in the ass.
Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 11:50 am
by Vince
Nothing beats the flavor of charcoal when you do it right. I don't have to deal with crying hungry kids though, so I can wait on the coals. Just not a big hassle to me.
Can't speak to smokers either. Hopefully within the year I'll be doing some of that as well.
Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 11:54 am
by Malcolm
Charcoal's way too much of a pain in the ass.
Says the BBQ snob.
Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 12:16 pm
by TheCatt
Malcolm wrote:Charcoal's way too much of a pain in the ass.
Says the BBQ snob.
If I were making BBQ, I'd be smoking it anyway.
Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 1:11 pm
by TPRJones
charcoal, propane, electric doesn't really matter to me
Oh. Oh, no. First post and the thread is already doomed. This is ... you don't intend to try to make BBQ with that attitude, do you?
This is a travesty waiting to happen.
Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 1:17 pm
by TPRJones
Okay, now that I've read the rest of the thread, I see it didn't get any better. *sigh*
If you want to grill something, then propane, electric, or charcoal would be good choices. Charcoal would have the best flavor IMO, but you can approximate that with creative use of an electric grill and a metal pie pan full of wood shavings and save yourself the hassle of actually cooking with charcoal.
But if you intend to do any BBQ you must use wood. Nothing else can possibly result in anything that deserves the name BBQ. And I would urge you not to look for any sort of combo grill/smoker as a smoker of any worth will be specifically designed to slow-cook meats over times of eight to twelve hours and I can't imagine wanting to grill a burger over something that would cook it that slowly. If it will cook faster then it's not a smoker of any worth.
Edited By TPRJones on 1432833487
Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 1:17 pm
by Malcolm
Real grilling is done over the heart of an active volcano.
Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 1:39 pm
by Stranger
Grill/Smoker combo
Ok, this is kinda what I was talking about. Let me start by saying that ill be a first time smoker and I'm just interested in giving it a shot and seeing if I like it. So I'm hesitant to jump full on into a real smoker.
This seems like a decent thing to me because it has the propane on one side and charcoal on the other. The smoker box on the side if you wanna smoke. Admittedly this is a cheapo and it prolly wont last all that long, but I definitely need to buy a new grill and just thought getting something with a smoker attached to it would be a good idea.
Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 1:41 pm
by GORDON
Malcolm wrote:Real grilling is done over the heart of an active volcano.
I think this is the correct answer.
Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 1:46 pm
by GORDON
TPRJones wrote:But if you intend to do any BBQ you must use wood.
I've learned to do lots of things on my own... make chinese food, make my own maple syrup, and I even spent 8 hours cooking a pork shoulder, once. And I realized that while it's all a good thing to do once, for a lot of things it is just so much easier to just pay to have someone else do it for you. I like eating barbecue, but I'm not going to turn it into a lifestyle in which eating barbecue begins 12 hours earlier.
If he is making hot dogs or burgers or pork chops for the kids, go with gas.
+++
Catt - I heard there is a difference between propane and natural gas. What has been your experience? I may be building a big covered porch next year, and was thinking about running a natural gas line to a big grill.
Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 2:12 pm
by TheCatt
I honestly don't know. I only use natural gas, and have never (except at friend's houses) used propane. Taste-wise, I noticed nothing. I only know that you need an adapter if your grill is made for one, but you want the other.
I just love the convenience of never having to fill a tank.
TPR's right, but I don't BBQ on my own. But the last time I made ribs, I actually made them sous vide style, finishing them in the oven (broiler). Tasty.
As for Malcolm, I bet he has a George Foreman grill.
Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 2:15 pm
by GORDON
TheCatt wrote:I just love the convenience of never having to fill a tank.
My trick is that I have 2 tanks. Once the one is empty I start thinking of my next trip to the propane place... added benefit of never running out of propane in the middle of cooking something.
I fill them up about twice a year. Not TOO inconvenient.
Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 2:27 pm
by Malcolm
As for Malcolm, I bet he has a George Foreman grill.
No room for grilling in or around the apartment. I occasionally go to my buddy's house, where he's got a charcoal grill going. I also know someone else with a propane grill. Not even a comparison.
Edited By Malcolm on 1432838033
Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 4:36 pm
by TPRJones
but I definitely need to buy a new grill and just thought getting something with a smoker attached to it would be a good idea.
I appreciate what you want to do but it's just not possible. Grilling requires fast and high heat delivered quickly and efficiently to rapidly sear clean cuts of meat (very little connective tissue to knot up in the high heat) into delicious goodness. BBQ requires slow gentle smoking with low heat delivered over the course of several hours to quietly break down the connective tissues in the rougher cuts of meat and release their gelatinous goodness. They're about as far apart as any two cooking methods can get. Any device that claims to be able to do both well is lying; it may - with luck - do one or the other well but it is almost a certainty that whomever made that device does not have even a basic understand one of these forms of cooking.
Better to get an awesome grill and worry about smoking another day. Truth be told one of the best smokers you can get is a giant ceramic flowerpot, a hot plate, and a pie pan of wood chips. The best smoking takes place at around 190 to 200 degrees so it's not hard to do. Just very very slow.
Edited By TPRJones on 1432845720