Suggestions on a smoker

[Sin City Vol]

I’m in the market to buy my first smoker/pellet grill. Never owned one before and when liking them up online there’s a ton of options. Wanting something that has an app so I can control the temp with my phone. Any suggestions?

 

[Acuna_Matata]

Smoking is bad for you

 

[BAJAvol]

If you want to spend the money on a great one, go with a Rec Tec

 

[McDad]

I’m in the market to buy my first smoker/pellet grill. Never owned one before and when liking them up online there’s a ton of options. Wanting something that has an app so I can control the temp with my phone. Any suggestions?

We started out with an electric. It worked fine but the heating element kept tripping the breaker.
I think @AirVol uses an electric. Recently we upgraded to a larger capacity, pellet smoker (Pit Boss Austin XL). Really like it. It is reliable and does a consistent cook every time. It cost about $500. It is larger and not as easy to store when not in use. I think @NorthDallas40 uses a pellet smoker.

 

[NorthDallas40]

We started out with an electric. It worked fine but the heating element kept tripping the breaker.
I think @AirVol uses an electric. Recently we upgraded to a larger capacity, pellet smoker (Pit Boss Austin XL). Really like it. It is reliable and does a consistent cook every time. It cost about $500. It is larger and not as easy to store when not in use. I think @NorthDallas40 uses a pellet smoker.

Indeed I do have a pellet smoker mine is a Traeger. There are several in that league at the Pit Boss line is just as good. I added some wireless temp probes to monitor temps remotely and that’s about it. Pellet smokers are easy peasy I don’t really have anything negative to say about them.

 

[hog88]

Big Green Egg. Versatile, can smoke, bake, grill, easy to use and no moving parts.

 

[volinbham]

I have the Rec Tec 340. Large enough for my needs. Supposedly has great warranty service; I'm about to find out and will report back.

App works well and it's rock solid construction.

 

[AirVol]

I’m in the market to buy my first smoker/pellet grill. Never owned one before and when liking them up online there’s a ton of options. Wanting something that has an app so I can control the temp with my phone. Any suggestions?

Traeger. My son got the one that has an app and can control everything from a smart phone. He loves it and I’m jealous, as @McDad said I do have the Pit Boss Pro series, can smoke 6 butts and I like it. Only con I can see is adding water every 2 hours or so to the pan.

 

[Plano Vol]

Here's one with Christmas red wrapping

 

[jps2194]

I have owned a Big Green Egg and a Camp Chef Pellet grill. We are moving and I'm getting an outdoor kitchen and I'm going with Yoder YS640. There is no denying the taste on a Green Egg is exceptional - I just got tired of dealing with the charcoal, having to light it and the constant cleaning out of the ash. I love my Camp Chef grill, adding pellets is easy and you simply just set your desired temp and the clean up is a snap. I do vacuum out the fine ash about every 5 or 6 times I've used it. I find the taste is still exceptional and honestly not a big enough difference IMO to go back to an Egg.

 

[volinbham]

I have owned a Big Green Egg and a Camp Chef Pellet grill. We are moving and I'm getting an outdoor kitchen and I'm going with Yoder YS640. There is no denying the taste on a Green Egg is exceptional - I just got tired of dealing with the charcoal, having to light it and the constant cleaning out of the ash. I love my Camp Chef grill, adding pellets is easy and you simply just set your desired temp and the clean up is a snap. I do vacuum out the fine ash about every 5 or 6 times I've used it. I find the taste is still exceptional and honestly not a big enough difference IMO to go back to an Egg.

Similar experience.

 

[Bigorange123]

started with MES 30, made a mini Weber bullet smoker, made out of a Smokey joe and a tamale pot...still use both... mini is like this

 

[Rasputin_Vol]

I’m in the market to buy my first smoker/pellet grill. Never owned one before and when liking them up online there’s a ton of options. Wanting something that has an app so I can control the temp with my phone. Any suggestions?

This is probably right up your alley.

Shokunin Grill | Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

What about the Midnight Toker?

 

[golfballs]

started with MES 30, made a mini Weber bullet smoker, made out of a Smokey joe and a tamale pot...still use both... mini is like this

View attachment 331092

Brilliant

 

[golfballs]

Call me old fashioned.... I don’t need an app developer to help me smoke meat

 

[MEDVOL]

Have a friend with a Weber Smokey Mountain and a friend with a Traeger. I don't have either but have been interested in getting into it.

 

[JCHateSteve]

I’m in the market to buy my first smoker/pellet grill. Never owned one before and when liking them up online there’s a ton of options. Wanting something that has an app so I can control the temp with my phone. Any suggestions?

There are so many options that work well these days. What's your price range? Do you have a grill already? You might be able to mod it. Or are you looking for a dedicated separate unit?

 

[golfballs]

Have a friend with a Weber Smokey Mountain and a friend with a Traeger. I don't have either but have been interested in getting into it.

I enjoy the process. Electric smokers have been around a while and produce fine barbecue. Just depends on what your priorities are. The pellet grills are nice. Memphis has always had very nice ones but I haven’t really kept up on the scene.

 

[YankeeVol]

I'm probably going Traeger

 

[Sin City Vol]

This is probably right up your alley.

Shokunin Grill | Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet

yea man..that’s big money

 

[joevol33]

Call me old fashioned.... I don’t need an app developer to help me smoke meat

Old fashioned!

 

[Rasputin_Vol]

yea man..that’s big money

I figured an aristocrat like you would probably be able to pull that off...

 

[escapegoat2]

My dad has a green egg he likes. All food from it is phenomenal

 

[eskimovol]

We bought a bluetooth electric smoker on sale several years ago just to try it out because it was fairly cheap. Thing works awesome and is incredibly simple to deal with, if you're uneasy about keeping temps and smoke, etc, consistent I highly recommend trying an electric one.