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  • #46
    I have been quite happy with a Traeger ($1000) plus a charcoal grill ($30). I use the Traeger about 70% of the time. I fire up the charcoal grill for steaks, teriyaki chicken, vietnamese grilled pork, and bulgoki. Traeger for chicken, ribs, salmon, pulled pork, chuck roasts, and pizza.

    I added some fire bricks to my Traeger to make the temps more stable. I should post a pic sometime. Zero buyer's remorse from me for the Traeger.
    "There is no creature more arrogant than a self-righteous libertarian on the web, am I right? Those folks are just intolerable."
    "It's no secret that the great American pastime is no longer baseball. Now it's sanctimony." -- Guy Periwinkle, The Nix.
    "Juilliardk N I ibuprofen Hyu I U unhurt u" - creekster

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    • #47
      Originally posted by Jeff Lebowski View Post
      I have been quite happy with a Traeger ($1000) plus a charcoal grill ($30). I use the Traeger about 70% of the time. I fire up the charcoal grill for steaks, teriyaki chicken, vietnamese grilled pork, and bulgoki. Traeger for chicken, ribs, salmon, pulled pork, chuck roasts, and pizza.

      I added some fire bricks to my Traeger to make the temps more stable. I should post a pic sometime. Zero buyer's remorse from me for the Traeger.
      Which Traeger did you get? I'm leaning that way. That and keep the Solaire for grilling and rotisserie stuff.
      "It's true that everything happens for a reason. Just remember that sometimes that reason is that you did something really, really, stupid."

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      • #48
        Originally posted by Drunk Tank View Post
        If I had the money, I'd get a Memphis Pro (but they are 2k)... The upgrades they have over a Traeger is pretty substancial (insulated, hold temps better, able to really grill, goes up to 600 degrees, etc...) But a Traeger will produce some pretty good bbq as well, just not good grilled foods. This is why I have the egg.

        I have contimplated selling both my Traeger and the egg to fund a Memphis Pro. I could use the real estate on my patio, but I really love the egg, more than the Traeger, and my wife would probabbly kill me.
        I love mine but I've only used it for about a month. That four weeks were last year at the end of November and early December. It was great. Holds a temp very well. I smoked the turkey for Thanksgiving and if I remember correctly it was a single digit day. I have done steaks, pizza, ribs, tri-tip, a roast, wings, a loaf of bread and a turkey. Everything was great except the turkey and that was pretty good. I can't wait to get back to Utah so I can smoke or grill every night for three weeks. Best money I've ever spent.
        A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life. - Mohammad Ali

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        • #49
          Originally posted by FMCoug View Post
          Which Traeger did you get? I'm leaning that way. That and keep the Solaire for grilling and rotisserie stuff.
          They don't make the model I got anymore, but it is very similar to this, in terms of size and features:

          http://www.traegergrills.com/shop/grills/BBQ07E
          "There is no creature more arrogant than a self-righteous libertarian on the web, am I right? Those folks are just intolerable."
          "It's no secret that the great American pastime is no longer baseball. Now it's sanctimony." -- Guy Periwinkle, The Nix.
          "Juilliardk N I ibuprofen Hyu I U unhurt u" - creekster

          Comment


          • #50
            Originally posted by Jeff Lebowski View Post
            They don't make the model I got anymore, but it is very similar to this, in terms of size and features:

            http://www.traegergrills.com/shop/grills/BBQ07E
            I was wondering sizewise between the Lil' Tex and Texas Grill. Do you find you have plenty of cooking space? Plenty of room for a large brisket plus some other stuff?
            "It's true that everything happens for a reason. Just remember that sometimes that reason is that you did something really, really, stupid."

            Comment


            • #51
              Originally posted by FMCoug View Post
              Which Traeger did you get? I'm leaning that way. That and keep the Solaire for grilling and rotisserie stuff.
              I got my Traeger at Costco. Traeger was having a "roadshow" and I paid $799.00 for mine. It is the BBQ075 Texas Grill. I think that is a few hundred cheaper than buying them at a Traeger dealer.

              "I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull's a$$, but I'd rather take a butcher's word for it". - Tommy Callahan III

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              • #52
                Originally posted by Drunk Tank View Post
                I got my Traeger at Costco. Traeger was having a "roadshow" and I paid $799.00 for mine. It is the BBQ075 Texas Grill. I think that is a few hundred cheaper than buying them at a Traeger dealer.

                I need to check the specs, but I think this one may be the same size as mine (rather than the one I linked to), except that mine has the hopper on the front.
                "There is no creature more arrogant than a self-righteous libertarian on the web, am I right? Those folks are just intolerable."
                "It's no secret that the great American pastime is no longer baseball. Now it's sanctimony." -- Guy Periwinkle, The Nix.
                "Juilliardk N I ibuprofen Hyu I U unhurt u" - creekster

                Comment


                • #53
                  Originally posted by FMCoug View Post
                  I was wondering sizewise between the Lil' Tex and Texas Grill. Do you find you have plenty of cooking space? Plenty of room for a large brisket plus some other stuff?
                  Depth wise they are the same. The Texas adds 12" in width. It is huge. I found the lil tex to be a little small for a "large cook"
                  "I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull's a$$, but I'd rather take a butcher's word for it". - Tommy Callahan III

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                  • #54
                    Originally posted by Jeff Lebowski View Post
                    I need to check the specs, but I think this one may be the same size as mine (rather than the one I linked to), except that mine has the hopper on the front.
                    The texas's grill is 36" wide.
                    "I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull's a$$, but I'd rather take a butcher's word for it". - Tommy Callahan III

                    Comment


                    • #55
                      Originally posted by Drunk Tank View Post
                      Depth wise they are the same. The Texas adds 12" in width. It is huge. I found the lil tex to be a little small for a "large cook"
                      That was my gut feeling. I'm going to go by a dealer on my way home tomorrow that has both Traeger and the Memphis Pro and check them both out.
                      "It's true that everything happens for a reason. Just remember that sometimes that reason is that you did something really, really, stupid."

                      Comment


                      • #56
                        Originally posted by Drunk Tank View Post
                        The texas's grill is 36" wide.
                        OK, just measured and mine is 22" x 20".

                        I bought a chrome shelf like this:

                        http://www.traegergrills.com/shop/detail/BAC214

                        for the rare occasion when I need more room (cooking two pizzas at once for example). I think this is a great solution as you end up using fewer pellets with a smaller grill. The pellets are expensive and the smaller grill heats up quickly.
                        "There is no creature more arrogant than a self-righteous libertarian on the web, am I right? Those folks are just intolerable."
                        "It's no secret that the great American pastime is no longer baseball. Now it's sanctimony." -- Guy Periwinkle, The Nix.
                        "Juilliardk N I ibuprofen Hyu I U unhurt u" - creekster

                        Comment


                        • #57
                          Originally posted by Jeff Lebowski View Post
                          OK, just measured and mine is 22" x 20".

                          I bought a chrome shelf like this:

                          http://www.traegergrills.com/shop/detail/BAC214

                          for the rare occasion when I need more room (cooking two pizzas at once for example). I think this is a great solution as you end up using fewer pellets with a smaller grill. The pellets are expensive and the smaller grill heats up quickly.
                          Have you done a large brisket on it? Seems kind of tight for that.
                          "It's true that everything happens for a reason. Just remember that sometimes that reason is that you did something really, really, stupid."

                          Comment


                          • #58
                            Originally posted by FMCoug View Post
                            Have you done a large brisket on it? Seems kind of tight for that.
                            Yes. Once. I think it was a normal size brisket.

                            The typical full brisket weighs in at 8-12 pounds and is about 12-20 inches long and about 12 inches wide.
                            http://www.cbbqa.org/wiki/index.php?...:_Beef_Brisket
                            "There is no creature more arrogant than a self-righteous libertarian on the web, am I right? Those folks are just intolerable."
                            "It's no secret that the great American pastime is no longer baseball. Now it's sanctimony." -- Guy Periwinkle, The Nix.
                            "Juilliardk N I ibuprofen Hyu I U unhurt u" - creekster

                            Comment


                            • #59
                              www.pelletheads.com is a great source of info for all the different pellet pooper smokers. There are forum categories for all the different makers of pellet smokers and many reviews on the different brands, pellets, etc... It is worth taking a look.
                              "I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull's a$$, but I'd rather take a butcher's word for it". - Tommy Callahan III

                              Comment


                              • #60
                                Originally posted by FMCoug View Post
                                So I'm about to pull the trigger on a new smoker. The Bradley I have has been great and I will keep it around (though it is showing its age) but I'd like a full size smoker to be able to do a whole brisket without cutting it, turkeys, etc. I also like the idea of being able to grill with it. I have a pretty nice Solaire grill as well so that's not totally required but being able to just have one unit would be nice. Thinking of a traeger but this thread has got me thinking about the memphis. BGE would be okay but I want to go set and forget this time. The Bradley I have doesn't have the digital controls so I have to at lest watch it and adjus the temp. Also it doesn't hold enough pucks for a brisket.

                                Thoughts / Recs? I was budgeting $1k but could go more if I think its worth it. Especially if I can sell the Solaire.
                                You won't like my recommendation but here goes: [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Weber-721001-Smokey-Mountain-Cooker/dp/B001I8ZTJ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304726337&sr=8-1"]Amazon.com: Weber 721001 Smokey Mountain Cooker 18 1/2 Inch Smoker: Patio, Lawn & Garden@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41viuJVWg9L.@@AMEPARAM@@41viuJVWg9L[/ame]

                                It's cheap and does the job just fine. I have the 18.5 inch one but they also come in [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Weber-731001-Smokey-Mountain-22-5-Inch/dp/B001I8ZTJA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1304726337&sr=8-2"]Amazon.com: Weber 731001 Smokey Mountain Cooker 22.5-Inch Smoker: Patio, Lawn & Garden@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41-Nd4eZplL.@@AMEPARAM@@41-Nd4eZplL[/ame]. I realize they aren't top of the line but it's what I settled on when I got into smoking. It sounds like you are a pro so you might be looking for something more but this has worked wonders for me.

                                I've found that I can cook up to 4 briskets on 18.5 inch smoker. When I'm only doing 1 pork butt I can get 16 hours out of the charcoal in the fuel holder (not in cold weather but in the fall in Houston). The vent controls are easy and I find I can set the smoker around midnight and get a good 7 hours of sleep only to wake up and find the temperature is still within 10 degrees of where I left it. In fact, the last time I smoked a brisket it went for 10 hours and I never adjusted a vent (it stayed between 225 and 240 the whole time). You can also get a fan adapter for a coupe hundred bucks if you want to not have to worry about adjusting vents.

                                My first choice was a Big Green Egg, but I didn't want to put down that much cash into something I had never tried. The Eggs seem to hold their temperature better as they are ceramic, but you can fit less on an Egg than you can a Weber. I've even seen a place that sells extension kits for the Weber.

                                One thing I've always been told to avoid is a pipe smoker. They look cool and work well, but I've heard the temp controls are a pain. If you get one, make sure you get one that has a fan or other control for the temp. If I were to ever start up a BBQ catering business (this is my retirement plan....er hobby) then I'd buy a bigger one of these to haul around. Maybe something like this would do.
                                "Discipleship is not a spectator sport. We cannot expect to experience the blessing of faith by standing inactive on the sidelines any more than we can experience the benefits of health by sitting on a sofa watching sporting events on television and giving advice to the athletes. And yet for some, “spectator discipleship” is a preferred if not primary way of worshipping." -Pres. Uchtdorf

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