Russo Ace Hardware
5848 W Montrose
Chicago
773-777-2606
Ask for John Russo

I am interested in getting the larger WSM to add to my current 18.5",

Id be curious to see what pricing folks are seeing for this unit. The cheapest I am finding online is $399 @ Amazon - free shipping and I believe no sales tax(isnt cook county like 10.25% sales tax?)

With the high Cook Cty tax. I have found on items like this the shipping and handling charges often make on-line buying a real value. I will check out Russo's as it is on the way home, but I figure I have a lil time and will be watching on-line pricing.

they are great cookers .
have fun with it , get to know your cooker & you will enjoy cooking & smoking on it for meny years to come

Went to Russo's on the way home from work and bought the last 09 22.5 they had. They still have one more 18.5 from last year left. The price will be about 40 more for the 10 models. I believe the price on the 09 18.5 was going to be 275 area, but I could be wrong. Looking forward to smoking some meat this weekend.

Thanks to all

http://www.aimtofind.com/weber-18-5-inc ... e+04-27-10

WSM 18.5 inch 2010 model for 239.99 shipped. Happy smoking...

I know the WSM is a quality smoker...and I'm not trying to discourage anyone from buying one at all. But (there had to be a "but"...right?

http://www.backwoods-smoker.com/

I've had my new smoker for over a year now and absolutly love it. I've been smoking for a number of years on various smokers...but I love my BackWoods Fatboy. While I was picking my smoker up I got a chance to look at the BackWoods Chubby (Backwoods smallest smoker) and was surprised at how much usable room was inside the cooking chamber.

I know the Chubby is a bit more money than the WSM...but if someone is looking for different options for a smoker, don't overlook the BackWoods family of smokers.

Happy smoking!
dan

gonefishin wrote:I've had my new smoker for over a year now and absolutly love it. I've been smoking for a number of years on various smokers...but I love my BackWoods Fatboy.

While I don't have extensive experience with Backwoods Smokers most everything I've heard about them has been positive, a well made well preforming smoker. However if price is a factor, which it often is, especially for those new to joys of Low & Slow, the $1830 base price for the Backwoods Fatboy vs less than $300 for Weber Smokey Mountain is significant.

Enjoy,
Gary

gonefishin wrote:I know the WSM is a quality smoker...and I'm not trying to discourage anyone from buying one at all. But (there had to be a "but"...right?

http://www.backwoods-smoker.com/

I've had my new smoker for over a year now and absolutly love it. I've been smoking for a number of years on various smokers...but I love my BackWoods Fatboy. While I was picking my smoker up I got a chance to look at the BackWoods Chubby (Backwoods smallest smoker) and was surprised at how much usable room was inside the cooking chamber.

I know the Chubby is a bit more money than the WSM...but if someone is looking for different options for a smoker, don't overlook the BackWoods family of smokers.

Happy smoking!
dan

Dan - I remember you posting last year about buying one..glad its working for you. I sold both my WSM's once I got my Party.Not that the wsm's were not good smokers.i just did not have a use for them at that point
Backwoods makes excellent cookers. They are very well insulated as well
I also picked up a used chubby to use on the road for on site demos etc..too small for any everyday cooker IMO and a bit pricey new (800 buck range) .
The Party is in between the Chubby and Fatboy..right around the 1500 mark depending on options

Any feed back on Yoder smokers?
Thinking about getting a newer one soon and have looked close at the Cheyenne rig a like it in and out.
Would be a monster hugh up grade from my old Chargriller. Just dont know about the cost $1000 plus shipping. Want to stick with the off set pit style setup. Want to upgrade a bit past the Chargriller, Charbroil and Brinkmann smokers you around town in stores.

http://www.yodersmokers.com/index.html

May have to stalk Craigslist and search for a good used one.

Cbot - I met the Yoder people down in Memphis back in Feb. Nice people and the smokers seem very solid (for an offset) is what you are looking for..other than that I have no experience cooking on them.
and yes i woudl stay away from the cheaper offsets nowadays..they are all built very cheaply now which makes cooking on them an exercise in frustrattion.
I still have an old New Braunfels offset before they were bought out by Charbroil. Dont cook on it as much but I will say I certainly learned fire control with it
Im thinking Phil could chime in about the Klose..another solid offset but also pricey like the Yoders

G Wiv wrote:

gonefishin wrote:I've had my new smoker for over a year now and absolutly love it. I've been smoking for a number of years on various smokers...but I love my BackWoods Fatboy.

While I don't have extensive experience with Backwoods Smokers most everything I've heard about them has been positive, a well made well preforming smoker. However if price is a factor, which it often is, especially for those new to joys of Low & Slow, the $1830 base price for the Backwoods Fatboy vs less than $300 for Weber Smokey Mountain is significant.

Enjoy,
Gary

Hi Gary,

The original poster had mentioned he was in the market for a smoker for his third story apartment, so he was looking for smokers that are a little more compact. I wasn't thinking that a BackWoods FatBoy would be a smoker for someone with space constraints (more because of weight than size) but I was thinking that the Chubby may work in this situation. I haven't cooked on a Chubby, but it did have a bit more room than I thought it would once I saw it in person. Head's Red Bq makes mention that it doesn't have enough space...I don't know. I haven't cooked on one, but I do like the design of the smoker and think the Chubby is worth a look.



For offsets I was really close to getting a Backyard Peoria Smoker...they really look top notch and I wouldn't need to do any mods on a new offset like I would with some other offset smokers that I looked at. But again...the Peoria Smokers aren't cheap...or compact!

dan

Dan - re-reading what I posted I should re-phrase that..the Chubby is a fine smoker but it wasnt big enough for MY every day smoking. I tend to cook quite a bit of meat at a time. I didnt necesarily mean its flat out doesnt have enough room for everyone
For the occasional weekend cooker you can fit a decent amount on the chubby ...if you get extra runners installed you can fit more grates and really cook up a lot of slabs of ribs... a couple butts..even a couple packers
as far as comparison to the wsm its really apples an oranges. The WSM is a great smoker for those wanting to stay in the the 300 buck range where as the Chubby is a higher end cooker in construction and price. Its really two different markets each one is aimed at

Head's Red BBQ wrote:Cbot - I met the Yoder people down in Memphis back in Feb. Nice people and the smokers seem very solid (for an offset) is what you are looking for..other than that I have no experience cooking on them.
and yes i woudl stay away from the cheaper offsets nowadays..they are all built very cheaply now which makes cooking on them an exercise in frustrattion.
I still have an old New Braunfels offset before they were bought out by Charbroil. Dont cook on it as much but I will say I certainly learned fire control with it
Im thinking Phil could chime in about the Klose..another solid offset but also pricey like the Yoders

i love cooking on my klose, it does take some time to learn to cook on a off (big)set.
also things to look for 1) the fire box. the thicker the better for colder weather .
mine has 1/2 steel ,thicker steel holds the heat better.
cbot you are close to me , when i get back from the derby next week call me so i can show you my cookers , WSM,KLOSE FRP, ALVERON HOG COOKER
the peoria cookers are very good cookers also.
for guys just starting to smoke , i suggest large WSM(or the small) . because the cost is in most peoples range& you will use it for the rest of your life.
but what every cooker you guys go with , get to know your cooker. meaning
cook on it all the time try differant foods on get use to it

I'm a 100% novice at using a smoker. I've now got a smoker (a Brinkmann Gourmet charcoal) but need to know where I can buy wood chips in the Chicagoland area. I live in Mount Prospect. So, the closer, the better. Suggestions from you experts out there?

Seamus wrote:I'm a 100% novice at using a smoker. I've now got a smoker (a Brinkmann Gourmet charcoal) but need to know where I can buy wood chips in the Chicagoland area. I live in Mount Prospect. So, the closer, the better. Suggestions from you experts out there?

Here is an excellent list of resources compiled by GWiv, with additional comments by others: viewtopic.php?f=16&t=18868

I would recommend getting wood chunks, rather than chips. Chips are small slivers that burn quickly and are also more likely to catch fire. Chunks are blocks that are approximately 2-3 inches square. They are slightly harder to find than chips. During the summer, your local Menards, Home Depot, Ace, etc. may have them.

Thank you so much for the quick response, Darren72!! I knew LTH would be a better resource than Google. I'll keep y'all posted on my inaugural smoking effort this weekend.

If you are new to smoking, you might want to pick up a copy of Gwiv's book: http://www.lowslowbbq.com/

Seamus - most Ace Hardware's carry a decent line of wood chunks now..recentlyIve seen the bags from Weber ..pecan and hickory..
Perosnally I would stay away from chips and use chunks
for a better selection you can also get chunks mail order from Maine Grilling Woods..they dont charge for shipping so its pretty much a no brainer ..I use them all the time now.
The wood from them is fantastic,, clean and bug free

http://www.mainegrillingwoods.com

Believe me, I plan on getting a copy of Low and Slow, Darren72.

Thanks for the advice, Head's Red BBQ. I have an Ace within walking distance of my house. I'll have to check it out tonight.

This shop has the best assortment of chunk wood at retail I've seen in the area, usually at least half a dozen different varieties:

http://www.backyardbbqstore.com/

The Backyard Barbecue Store
1147 Greenleaf Ave
Wilmette, IL 60091

http://www.whitearcsmokers.com/
Located in Gary IN. and $145 will get you a NICE basic set up!

I first got a taste for BBQ when my family moved to Memphis when I was in 8th grade. I never really thought about smoking meat myself until I was picking out a 5 yr anniversary gift from my company last winter and wasn't really interested in any of the offerings so I said "What the hell" and decided on a Brinkman smoker. After a summer of smoking I knew this would become a lifelong passion. My girlfriend bought me Low & Slow for Christmas and (after being on a crazy diet for the first 3 months of the year) I finally got around to reading up to the first lesson today. I just pulled the trigger on the WSM. I'm all in.

This website aimtofind currently has the 2011 18.5" for $249 shipped and the 22.5" for $363. It claims the deals are only good for another 24 hours.

https://www.aimtofind.com/grills-and-sm ... okers.html


Edit: Received my FedEx tracking and it is estimated to arrive on Friday. I placed the order at about 1 AM last night (Tuesday night). Not bad for free delivery/no tax. Lesson #1 starts Friday!

Saw this new big red Kamado at Menards a few days ago. Looks like it made by Char-Griller and also has the name king griller on it to. Looks neat but I did notice the vents for air and smoke flow did not seem to be really well made or have a good seal on it. Also the top lid had some play in it to. Don't think is sealed up to well and would guess there would be some air leaks on it that might make it had to control the temps? Its made out of metal not ceramic.

HELLO!

I am in search of an affordable yet outstanding meat smoker. Any models out there that have some bang for your buck?
I've never smoked meat/fish/anything, but I want to give this as a gift to some foodie friends of mine and I don't want to disappoint.

Thank you!!!

heinz wrote:HELLO!

I am in search of an affordable yet outstanding meat smoker. Any models out there that have some bang for your buck?
I've never smoked meat/fish/anything, but I want to give this as a gift to some foodie friends of mine and I don't want to disappoint.

Thank you!!!

Obviously, if you read through the thread, there are a lot of options here. For me, I had never smoked anything until last year and I bought GWiv's "Low and Slow" cookbook and then the 18" weber smokey mountain. It was perfect for me and I've yet to have a bad smoke on it. That would be my choice.

tyrus wrote:

heinz wrote:HELLO!

I am in search of an affordable yet outstanding meat smoker. Any models out there that have some bang for your buck?
I've never smoked meat/fish/anything, but I want to give this as a gift to some foodie friends of mine and I don't want to disappoint.

Thank you!!!

Obviously, if you read through the thread, there are a lot of options here. For me, I had never smoked anything until last year and I bought GWiv's "Low and Slow" cookbook and then the 18" weber smokey mountain. It was perfect for me and I've yet to have a bad smoke on it. That would be my choice.

+1

tyrus wrote:

heinz wrote:HELLO!

I am in search of an affordable yet outstanding meat smoker. Any models out there that have some bang for your buck?
I've never smoked meat/fish/anything, but I want to give this as a gift to some foodie friends of mine and I don't want to disappoint.

Thank you!!!

Obviously, if you read through the thread, there are a lot of options here. For me, I had never smoked anything until last year and I bought GWiv's "Low and Slow" cookbook and then the 18" weber smokey mountain. It was perfect for me and I've yet to have a bad smoke on it. That would be my choice.

Tyrus, to be fair, heinz didn't know about this thread and started a new one. The mods moved the post here. In any case, agreed that he WSM is an excellent smoker.

heinz wrote:HELLO!

I am in search of an affordable

How many dollars does "affordable" mean?

Darren72 wrote:

tyrus wrote:

heinz wrote:HELLO!

I am in search of an affordable yet outstanding meat smoker. Any models out there that have some bang for your buck?
I've never smoked meat/fish/anything, but I want to give this as a gift to some foodie friends of mine and I don't want to disappoint.

Thank you!!!

Obviously, if you read through the thread, there are a lot of options here. For me, I had never smoked anything until last year and I bought GWiv's "Low and Slow" cookbook and then the 18" weber smokey mountain. It was perfect for me and I've yet to have a bad smoke on it. That would be my choice.

Tyrus, to be fair, heinz didn't know about this thread and started a new one. The mods moved the post here. In any case, agreed that he WSM is an excellent smoker.

Fair indeed. I hope my comment didn't come across as snarky but after re-reading it, I guess I could see that. I was thinking that I was stating something obvious and my comment could be viewed as redundant, given the info included in the thread. No intended harm, hopefully, no foul.

Still the WSM is a damn fine product. A little more background on my thought process - I like to cook and grill but I'm rarely the type of person that shells out for all the bells and whistles unless the product is well crafted and works. I thought long and hard about even getting a smoker and almost decided that I could get by with the Weber kettle. I'm glad I went with the WSM. It's very straightforward, well built, and does a fine job with smoking. The replacement parts are readily available and it has a relatively small footprint on my patio/deck. I also use it for direct, high temp grilling. If someone considers themselves a "foodie," I think they would very much appreciate the WSM. Good luck.