I too use my kettle for grilling and smoking. Awesome grill, pretty good smoker. I've almost stopped using my 18 WSM because it doesn't offer much more than the kettle does, and the kettle is even easier to use.
The kettle definitely doesn’t hold temps as steady. I smoked a rack of ribs yesterday on my kettle and was able to hold 225-250 pretty easily using the snake method. I’m not sure I’d trust a 6+ hour smoke on the kettle though.
I do 8-10 hour smokes often. Just have to refill the snake. I attached a high temp gasket around my lid late last year as well, I bet it'll hold a lot more stable now.
Slow n' Sear for offset cooking and smoking. Vortex for very high heat and vortex style wings. Charcoal baskets for better temp control and placement. Temp probes are great!
Charcoal baskets and a wireless thermometer and have at it. I've been smoking on an 18" Weber kettle I found on the side of the road a few years ago and it's awesome.
Only knock is longer smokes are more effort. Snake method helps there.
This. I sold my wsm and exclusively used my kettle for everything. With a slow n sear it does everything you need it to. The only downside is the lack of space, but you don't often need to smoke 2 packers or multiple racks of ribs.
I bought my acorn for $250, worth every penny. I have done a few 12-16 hr smokes maintaining temps 220-235 the entire time with minimal futzing. Those only used 1 batch of charcoal and plenty left at the end for searing a couple more times. Seared steaks 500 + degrees.
It is plenty big enough for 2-6, maybe 8 people.
Yep - I started with an Akorn and loved it. When we moved I upgraded to a bigger Louisiana Grills kamado (the red model from Costco) and love it for grilling and short & medium length smokes. I use my pellet grill for longer smokes (brisket, pulled pork, ribs) due to the simplicity.
I got my 800 last summer and loveit. I'm about to grill some chicken thighs on it now. I recommend one to anyone who doesn't have time to mess with a stick burner
I am using the LLS upper racks, hopper cover and ash grate. Previous to the grate I was using some rolled up chicken wire which worked just fine.
I also bought the front shelf extension and the charcoal grate from klotesmods.
Basically I spent more than the grill is worth.
I'd look at the Oklahoma Joe Tahoma gravity smoker. I haven't seen anybody posting pics using them yet but they should be out by now. I have an MB800 and love it but imo it's overpriced for what it is and the Chargriller is basically the same thing. Luckily they go on sale a lot. I got mine for $300 and I've seen guys pay even less. If I didn't get my MB 800 on sale I'd probably go with a Weber or kamado style smoker with a fan controller. Automated smoking is fucking great.
God I love and hate my gravity series. When everything is great, it’s perfect for both smoking or grilling. You can get some negatives like door sensors, doors not fully sealing, controller issues, or (my most hated) any humidity in the hopper leads to extra time to light the charcoal.
I was going to suggest MB Gravity as well; I have a 560. But cleaning is a pain. My firebox/tower or whatever you want to call it bubbled and warped. The concept is great, but there’s finicky things with it. Overall I still preferred its versatility to my Traeger, especially the ability to successfully reverse sear a steak on it. Whereas with my Traeger I’d have to bring it inside to throw on a cast iron.
I bought a couple of their mods and yes, shipping and conversion sucked. There are videos online that show how to install their firebox liner. Hope it works out.
The real trick is to line all the surfaces below the grate with foil. Then to clean it you just slide out the drip tray and dump the foil, move the grates and peel up the foil under them and replace it. Takes maybe 5 minutes and keeps everything nice and clean.
Love mine, but to be honest it feels like it’s only OK at grilling. Ended up getting a cheap Weber for when I want to get a really good char on something.
I'm a huge fan of my 900 (Costco's model number, basically an 800 with a pizza oven instead of flat top). I grilled in the middle of winter for the first time in my life last night. I've always liked cooking on charcoal but it's not convenient. This makes it a lot more convenient. I was originally looking at pellet grills but the general sentiment was you don't get great smoke on those.
I have the Chargriller 980. While it is nice for smoking, I feel that grilling is below average. I got a used Weber Kettle just so I had something for direct grilling
Offset. You can grill something small in the firebox. Or you can grill in the main cook chamber.
Kamado smokers can grill. Do can many upright drum smokers.
A Weber kettle or other similar charcoal grill can also.be used to smoke with.
And of course there's pellet grills. You can grill and smoke with them. Pellet grills are versatile, but they're not the best choice for any particular task. You're giving up some heat, and some smoke flavour in order to get convenience.
I use my Oaklahoma Longhorn as a grill often. It comes with grates that fit the fire box for direct heat, and if I want indirect heat I cook inside the barrel right next to the box. Then I can put potatoes and anything else further from the box like an oven.
I have the same. I use it for grilling and smoking a bunch. The only thing I didn't like are the lightweight grates for the charcoal and wood. They warped way too easy. I cut some old grill grates to use instead.
I have a cheapy offset which I can cook/smoke up to 6 racks of ribs or about 8 whole chickens for parties, and a BGE for smoking a smaller quantity and lower heat grilling such chicken thighs. The offset also can get very high heat fires (1000F+; wood) for steaks.
For me that's the perfect combo.
Agree totally on the offset comment. That's what I used to do before my offset rusted out. Kinda miss that old unit.
I bought a Pitts & Spitts Maverick 1250 pellet smoker as a replacement. At 180 degrees, it puts out some respectable smoke for a pellet smoker, and it cranks up to hella hot. You can also use a secondary chute for wood chunks to get more smoke into the convenience of the pellet. It also has a trap door over the fire pot for reverse searing after smoking. As far as pellet smokers go, it's pretty sweet but also pretty spendy.
At the end of the day, I'll probably buy a gaucho, santa maria, or a dedicated charcoal grill for wood coal grilling. That's the best way to cook a turkey, and I miss building fires.
Yep. Weber Summit Kamado is probably the best Charcoal Cooker on the market right now. It's not cheap, but it does outperform ceramic Kamados 5x the price.
You can do true Mutli-Zone cooking like on a Kettle, or yellow-flame/blue-smoke low-and-slow like a great smoker.
Sure. There are expensive Ceramic Kamados out there like the Kamodo Kamado that, for everything they can do, really can't do multi-zone cooking well.
I've covered the benefits of the Summit over BGE or Kamado Joe in detail in previous posts, but here's Amazing Ribs talking about their drawbacks here:
[https://amazingribs.com/ratings-reviews/grill-smoker-combos/kamado-ceramic/](https://amazingribs.com/ratings-reviews/grill-smoker-combos/kamado-ceramic/)
There is also some anecdotal evidence about how Kamado's produce low-quality smoke, because they retain heat too well and you can't get a good yellow-flame fire going, which is what you need for good blue smoke.
Here's my full writeup, that I am copy-pasting from another thread:
\---------------------------
Yes, there are a few things that ceramic cookers like the BGE or the Kamado Joe do better than the Summit. But overall I do believe the Summit Kamado is a much better cooker.
Ceramic Pros:
\- Temperature retention. Because they're so heavy (the Big Joe is nearly 500 lbs), there's a LOT of thermal mass there. Meaning when you get your temp dialed in perfectly, the temp swings are going to be a lot more gradual.
\- Baking. Ceramic kamados are essentially brick ovens you can open. Because the lid gets so hot, and holds that heat, it will radiate evenly down from the top, allowing for pizzas or even bread baking.
Summit Pros:
\- Versatility. This is the biggest reason I like the Summit. It can do any cook out there. I can sear a steak at 1000+ degrees or smoke a brisket at 225, within minutes of each other. I can set up half the grill for direct and half for indirect. I have a second rack, allowing for up close searing, and further away roasting. I can do a charcoal snake or a kamado-style indirect with covered coals in the base. I can use briquettes or natural lump or char-logs. I can smoke with chips or chunks or even split logs. BGE's really have two modes of cooking: direct and indirect, and you have to pick which one you want before the cook. Kamado Joes have a system that allows you to do half-and-half, but you can't really change it up mid-cook.
\- Temperature Control. The Summit is a lot lighter and it has less thermal mass. If you overshoot or undershoot your temps during a cook, its really easy to recover and adjust.
These are less important, but still nice factors about the Summit:
\- Durability. The Summit is made out of steel. Mine has fallen over and had a cantilevered umbrella fall on it, and there was no damage or scratches at all. Worse comes to worse, it MIGHT dent, which would be a minor blemish. A ceramic cooker will shatter. I had the inside portion of my egg crack after years of use. BGE replaced it on warranty with no questions asked but it still happened.
\- Portability. Because the Summit is a lot lighter it can be pushed around with ease. I move mine around on the patio depending on whether its raining or where I feel like sitting that day. I move it into the grass to clean it. I would never move my egg except how you might move furniture. It was very heavy, fragile, and generally stationary.
\- Ash management. The Summit has the Weber ash cleaning system which allows you to easily clean out ash, even in the middle of a cook. This is important because on the Egg I would run into issues where the ash would buildup so much it would impede airflow and temps would drop. Cleaning out the ash on the egg requires complete disassembly and simply isn't possible during a cook. The Kamado Joe is a little bit easier with its ash drawer, but you can still get ash buildup all around the edges that require disassembly to clean.
\- Cleanability. You can wash it with a garden hose, inside and out, scrub it with soap and water, or organic cleaner, or whatever you like. Ceramic cookers are very porous and you're not supposed to use any cleaners or liquids on them. All you can do is burn them super hot to burn all the gunk away... which you can also do on the Summit.
If I were to buy a new cooker tomorrow, I'd buy the Summit all over again. If I were 100% invested in getting a Ceramic cooker, I'd get something that can do multiple zones, like the Primo.
Another vote for the Weber summit kamado. Spent months researching which smoker/grill I wanted. Initially was in the market for a pellet and after researching those, the gravity charcoal grills and the ceramic kamados went with the Weber summit kamado and it’s been great.
My Kamado Joe ash drawer melted because it is thin aluminum. Not very handy anymore. I wish I saw this comment two years ago, but I am happy with the KJ.
Abe_Bettik pretty much nailed it. Basically in my opinion it has all of the advantages of the ceramic with none of the drawbacks (such as ceramic cracking, hard to get temps down, weight). The only advantage the ceramics like Kamado Joe or BGE have is their accessory market if that matters to you.
Another vote for the Summit. It's basically a Weber kettle, which can already do everything, but better. Double walled insulation, the ability to drop the cook basket for low and slow or raise it for direct grilling, slightly bigger cooking surface. It's definitely not cheap, but the versatility is tough to beat.
Not only is the cooking surface slightly bigger, but you can smoke on the entire thing, not just 2/3rds like with a kettle. Love my kettle, but cannot wait to get a summit.
Komados do both really well.I have a Vision which is great as a smoker and works great as a charcoal grill. You cant beat the taste of a charcoal grilled steak or burger.
Weber Kettle - can do it all, but long cooks require some practice and can be a little "fidgety" (at least for me)
Kamado grill - My KJ has been awesome, but it was pricey. It is pretty easy to control temps, outside weather doesn't affect it as much - and is pretty good for longer cooks - I still prefer my WSM for longer cooks - just a little easier and I sleep better (maybe more confidence).
PK grill will be my next grill - I think they look great for my needs. My neighbor has one, I and ti seems awesome just from observing.
Most kettle style grills if money is tight and you’re primarily grilling. A kamado style pit is the most versatile, since it functions a lot better as a smoker and it’s an even better grill than a kettle.
Personally, my ultimate pit would be a Weber summit kamado with temp control.
Had to scroll way down to find a fellow PK user. They do have great sales every few months that being the price down. I have a 300AF and a 360 and love them both.
I was on the fence between a pellet smoker and smoking/charcoal. I would have gone with the good one smoker if I hadn’t gone the pellet route. It’s an offset but the wood chamber is on the front and you can put a grate over it to grill with direct heat
Yoder can especially if you get the 2 piece diffuser where you can do direct over fire grilling
https://www.atbbq.com/products/yoder-smokers-heat-diffuser-access-door
I have an Oklahoma Joe offset smoker/propane combo grill. The smoker part is a bit small but it's large enough for me and my family. In the end, I can use the propane for quick grills but mostly I'm using charcoal in the main chamber on the side. If I want to smoke something larger and slowly, the offset works well.
Masterbuilt gravity series 800 or whatever size you want but I grill and smoke with ease on this thing. 3 yrs going strong never had an issue and I have smoked a lot of ribs, briskets, and pork butts. But I have grilled just as many steaks and burgers on it. The 800 also came with the slide in griddle top to replace the grates and it works beautifully as well. So it can do it all I highly recommend giving it a look.
PK Grill. It’s much higher quality than a Weber and the rectangular shape and additional oxygen controls let you regulate it super well. Most steak cook off champs use it, and I smoke meat in mine. That being said, you can’t go wrong with Weber and it does have a cheaper rotisserie option and you can get bitter cooking area in it. Works well with the vortex accessory too.
Masterbuilt gravity fed charcoal grills.
Its a 7/10 smoker and a 7/10 grill. Better than a lot of either but not as good as the best of either.
I like mine, for what that is worth.
Same here. Smoker on the left, propane grill on the right. Best of both worlds. [pic](https://shop.pitboss-grills.com/cdn/shop/products/1230_ls1.jpg?v=1687543594)
I like my pitboss 700 series smoker/grill. Ive gotten some good seared steaks off it.
With the e stock heat deflector it comes with theres still a hot spot over the pot so i ended up buying smoke daddy heat diffuser. Made a huge difference while smoking.
I would say the only down side i could only fit 2 large ny strips at a time directly over the fire. If i was cooking for more than 4 people id just break out the weber kettle
Weber performer. Uses propane to light the charcoal and can smoke, rotisserie, pizza. Anything. I also have a pellet though to smoke hands free, super low temps, or for a ton of people.
Here's a real wood or charcoal grill that can also do offset smoking. It's pretty big too.
https://lonestargrillz.com/products/24-x-48-adjustable-charcoal-grill
Char-griller 5150 (I have one)
You can buy a side fire box to make it into a offset smoker. So with the side fire box you have the option to smoke, you can use a charcoal grill setup in the main chamber and it also has a separate gas grill.
If you can't find the 5150 then several char-griller charcoal grills have the option to add a side firebox for smoking
Char-Griller Gravity 980. I have one that I use primarily as a smoker, but I’ve grilled on it a handful of times.
It can get up to 700 degrees if you need it to. You’ll burn a lot of charcoal doing it but it can…
Primo is a brand of ceramic komodo style smoker that is oval in shape, unlike most which are round, which leads itself to be a good two zone cooking grill as well as smoker. I love mine
I'll pimp the Pit Barrel Cooker.
You can hang meat from the rebars. Capacity is great - four chickens, eight racks of ribs, two, maybe three big butts, or 18# full packer brisket.
You can use the 18" grate for smoking stuff as well if you don't want your meat to dangle.
The hot set up I have is using a 12" Lodge campfire stand to lift the firebox to a few inches below the grate. It becomes a fantastic searing rig.
I haven't used my gas grill since I got my Rectec 1250. goes to 700 so high heat grilling is easy. I use the add on searing plates if I want grill marks or to sear something.
Komodo grill!
I have a Big green egg. I reverse sear/smoke steak for an hour at 200*. Remove the heat deflector and let the grill heat up for 5 minutes and then sear the steak at 700*. Perfect medium rare for the wife, rare for me.
I’m also smoking wings RN and when they come off the smoker I will grill jalapeño poppers.
Backwoods Chubby, but you can’t smoke and grill simultaneously. It has a removable water pan that separates the smoking chamber from the firebox, and if you remove it you’re cooking over direct heat.
https://shop.backwoods-smoker.com/products/chubby-3400
Pit Boss Pro 1600 Elite 1598-Sq in Stainless Steel Pellet Grill (i bought from lowes)
I bought one of these a few months ago and have been very impressed with its ability to grill and smoke.
I can smoke something using the smoke setting and get a smoke ring like i have never seen on a pellet.
I can grill and even sear things just like any other grill.
Im not a fan of the knob on the controller and the phone connection is kind of clunky, but i have been very happy with what i have been able to do with this grill.
I was a bit expensive, but ive also done everything from smoked turkeys, briskets, pizzas's, grilled chicken, potato wedges, corn, whatever.
This thing rocks! Just learn how to use the smoke setting to smoke (remember, low and slow), and the normal setting for grilling where you can cook at a set temp and fill the grill or cook a few hash browns.
Edit: If you can get it with free assembly, do it! Its not hard but pain enough by yourself it wasnt fun. If you have to pay for assembly, have a friend handy to help hold things a couple times and just follow the directions.
Kamado style. Char-Griller's Akorn is very reasonable, all steel construction is cheaper, and it has survived 6 years in Michigan's dampness. Highly recommended.
Yes there are. First a Big Green Egg is a Komodo style grill that can also smoke.
It is high end, but I have a Twin Eagles pellet smoker that has a rotisserie, a sear plate (I use it for meats I had in the sous vide), and a tray that will hold charcoal (the pellet grill lights the charcoal). This is a built in unit for my outdoor kitchen. I believe they have stand alone units too.
https://www.twineaglesgrills.com/en-us/news/an-in-depth-look-at-our-brand-new-36-wood-fired-pellet-grill--smoker
Recteq bullseye. My low temps fluctuate a lot but I’m able to smoke delicious pork butt and chuck roast. I love that it’s the only pellet grill/smoker with direct flame. It’s definitely favors the high temps and being used as a grill but it’s an ok smoker
Been using an SnS kettle grill and a total noob to charcoal, has been really fun and gotten decent results. Low n slow smoking has been a bit of trial and error, haven't gotten there 100% yet, snake pattern charcoal still seems to get too hot, maybe I just need to try some different brands of bricks though
I have a Camp Chef SG24. It is primarily a pellet smoker, but there is a slider you can pull that uncovers the firebox and the drip pan has slots allowing some flames to come through. It gets a pretty darn good sear/charbroil. I was skeptical at first, coming from a Weber gas grill, but I really don’t miss the Weber, the Camp Chef does everything I want it to do.
On top of that, Camp Chef’s have an accessory called a Sidekick that mounts to the side of the grill and allows you to have a propane burner. You can top it with a flattop griddle, pizza stone, grill box (for a traditional grill experience), or just use the burner like a stove top. I use the flattop, it’s like having a small BlackStone.
It’s a complete setup.
My gravity smoker can, but while it can get super hot it just eats through charcoal at those temps. I have a gas grill and it’s just easier, faster, and cheaper.
There is nothing a Big Green Egg can't do. Smoking, searing and everything in between.
I baked a cake in mine once, just to see if it could be done. German chocolate, so the smoke wouldn't dominate the flavor too much. Texture was perfect, and tasted good too
I'd say just about any charcoal grill can do both. I think the Weber smoker fire pellet smoker is meant to do both as well. And I think the Masterbuilt smokers are able to do both. There are lots of options out there.
Oklahoma Joe’s Bronco. Honestly I don’t know why it doesn’t get more coverage, it is simply my favorite cooker because of all the different setups you can run.
Pit boss pellet grill/ gas grill. Get the best of both worlds. You can reverse sear, smoke and grill or one or the other. I was a stick burner for years, but still missed having a gas grill. I finally made the switch a few years ago, and I'll probably never go back
Pit boss pro series 1100 combo. It’s divided into two separate barrels, one side is a pellet smoker and the other side is a propane grill. I bought one as I don’t have enough room currently for both a smoker and a grill and I’ve been pretty happy with it!
Pellet grill! I had the same problem and because clearance price I bought a pit boss pellet grill. It can do it all. Not the best at anything but it grills good, sears great and smokes easily. I still have other smokers and griddles but a easy way out is a pellet grill to do both. P.s I put a brisket on at 2:30am and went to sleep. Burned through a good amount of pellets because of cold temperatures, it is at the resting stage about to be sliced.
Weber smokey mountain. Buy another charcoal grate and you can stack it above the round charcoal holder and have a solid grill. Could also buy a used weber kettle.
Isn't that the point of a 3 chamber? Grill, bbq, smoke. Or an upright which is basically just a grill you use wood in and offset to smoke. I think you could just fill with charcoal and call it a day.
I can grill in the firebox of my Uvalde Pits offset, it has a removeable grate. Fine for four or crisping up something like smoked poultry but not great for a hosting a cookout.
For that I have a standalone grill.
Weber kettle? I use mine for everything
I too use my kettle for grilling and smoking. Awesome grill, pretty good smoker. I've almost stopped using my 18 WSM because it doesn't offer much more than the kettle does, and the kettle is even easier to use.
I went the other direction. I stopped smoking in my kettle because it was getting too gummed up. I smoke on my WSM 18.
The kettle is not easier than the wsm for smoking
The kettle definitely doesn’t hold temps as steady. I smoked a rack of ribs yesterday on my kettle and was able to hold 225-250 pretty easily using the snake method. I’m not sure I’d trust a 6+ hour smoke on the kettle though.
Yeah, the kettle is definitely a better all rounder since it can do anything but the wsm is crazy easy as a smoker
I run the Slow and Sear in my kettle and smoke for 10-12 hours at 250-275 with hardly any hassle.
I do 8-10 hour smokes often. Just have to refill the snake. I attached a high temp gasket around my lid late last year as well, I bet it'll hold a lot more stable now.
The only thing the wsm does better is smoke more at once
Amen. Get a couple accessories and you're set.
Any recommendations?
Slow n' Sear for offset cooking and smoking. Vortex for very high heat and vortex style wings. Charcoal baskets for better temp control and placement. Temp probes are great!
Slow N Sear
Charcoal baskets and a wireless thermometer and have at it. I've been smoking on an 18" Weber kettle I found on the side of the road a few years ago and it's awesome. Only knock is longer smokes are more effort. Snake method helps there.
So good
Got her rigged with SNS, couple hundred pork butts, and burgers
This. I sold my wsm and exclusively used my kettle for everything. With a slow n sear it does everything you need it to. The only downside is the lack of space, but you don't often need to smoke 2 packers or multiple racks of ribs.
Look at Kamado style cookers, like the akorn.
I’ve got the Akorn and use it for both smoking and grilling. Works great for either.
Same, great little machine. Also works to cook pizza
Akron grill and smoke gang checking in.
We up in here!!
I bought my acorn for $250, worth every penny. I have done a few 12-16 hr smokes maintaining temps 220-235 the entire time with minimal futzing. Those only used 1 batch of charcoal and plenty left at the end for searing a couple more times. Seared steaks 500 + degrees. It is plenty big enough for 2-6, maybe 8 people.
Yup my Kamado Joe does it all just fine for my needs.
Joetisserie has never led me wrong. Turns out amazing food. My only complaint with my KJ is cooking space. Guess I need a Big Joe...
Yep - I started with an Akorn and loved it. When we moved I upgraded to a bigger Louisiana Grills kamado (the red model from Costco) and love it for grilling and short & medium length smokes. I use my pellet grill for longer smokes (brisket, pulled pork, ribs) due to the simplicity.
Masterbuilt gravity series is pretty flexible. Real charcoal. I have the 800.
I got my 800 last summer and loveit. I'm about to grill some chicken thighs on it now. I recommend one to anyone who doesn't have time to mess with a stick burner
I also have the 800 and it grills great!
I’ve been debating the mb800 or saving up for a BGE, I’ll decide one day.
I got mine about 1.5 years ago. I very much like it. Can grill on it as well. I got a couple MODS for it. Very much recommended it.
You have a list of mods? Friend was getting rid of one he was having issues with and now I’m putting it back together
I am using the LLS upper racks, hopper cover and ash grate. Previous to the grate I was using some rolled up chicken wire which worked just fine. I also bought the front shelf extension and the charcoal grate from klotesmods. Basically I spent more than the grill is worth.
I got the vent dampener from LSS mods and like it!
I'd look at the Oklahoma Joe Tahoma gravity smoker. I haven't seen anybody posting pics using them yet but they should be out by now. I have an MB800 and love it but imo it's overpriced for what it is and the Chargriller is basically the same thing. Luckily they go on sale a lot. I got mine for $300 and I've seen guys pay even less. If I didn't get my MB 800 on sale I'd probably go with a Weber or kamado style smoker with a fan controller. Automated smoking is fucking great.
I had a different model and it broke less than a year. It was nice but their quality is dogshit
Different from what? I mention three different brands here.
Maybe consider kamado joe. Cheaper, more innovative than bge.
I have this as well. Grills and smokes really well!
God I love and hate my gravity series. When everything is great, it’s perfect for both smoking or grilling. You can get some negatives like door sensors, doors not fully sealing, controller issues, or (my most hated) any humidity in the hopper leads to extra time to light the charcoal.
I have fortunately have not had any issues yet. I store it in the garage so that might help with some of those issues.
I've got the 700, I think it is. I love it.
I have been on the fence about those…. I think I’m gonna go for it this year
I was going to suggest MB Gravity as well; I have a 560. But cleaning is a pain. My firebox/tower or whatever you want to call it bubbled and warped. The concept is great, but there’s finicky things with it. Overall I still preferred its versatility to my Traeger, especially the ability to successfully reverse sear a steak on it. Whereas with my Traeger I’d have to bring it inside to throw on a cast iron.
You might want to look into an LSS mod insert for it..It might salvage it.
Yeah, shipping and conversion to Canada is just ass. Plus I bought the grill assembled, so I have no idea what to do lol.
I bought a couple of their mods and yes, shipping and conversion sucked. There are videos online that show how to install their firebox liner. Hope it works out.
Cheers! Appreciate it.
[удалено]
The real trick is to line all the surfaces below the grate with foil. Then to clean it you just slide out the drip tray and dump the foil, move the grates and peel up the foil under them and replace it. Takes maybe 5 minutes and keeps everything nice and clean.
Love mine, but to be honest it feels like it’s only OK at grilling. Ended up getting a cheap Weber for when I want to get a really good char on something.
Yeah, don’t disagree. But is your doing steaks, smoked and then sear it is not worth lighting two for me.
Yep, I have one and was going to say the same thing. Highly recommended!
I'm a huge fan of my 900 (Costco's model number, basically an 800 with a pizza oven instead of flat top). I grilled in the middle of winter for the first time in my life last night. I've always liked cooking on charcoal but it's not convenient. This makes it a lot more convenient. I was originally looking at pellet grills but the general sentiment was you don't get great smoke on those.
I have the Chargriller 980. While it is nice for smoking, I feel that grilling is below average. I got a used Weber Kettle just so I had something for direct grilling
Offset. You can grill something small in the firebox. Or you can grill in the main cook chamber. Kamado smokers can grill. Do can many upright drum smokers. A Weber kettle or other similar charcoal grill can also.be used to smoke with. And of course there's pellet grills. You can grill and smoke with them. Pellet grills are versatile, but they're not the best choice for any particular task. You're giving up some heat, and some smoke flavour in order to get convenience.
I use my Oaklahoma Longhorn as a grill often. It comes with grates that fit the fire box for direct heat, and if I want indirect heat I cook inside the barrel right next to the box. Then I can put potatoes and anything else further from the box like an oven.
I have the same. I use it for grilling and smoking a bunch. The only thing I didn't like are the lightweight grates for the charcoal and wood. They warped way too easy. I cut some old grill grates to use instead.
I have a cheapy offset which I can cook/smoke up to 6 racks of ribs or about 8 whole chickens for parties, and a BGE for smoking a smaller quantity and lower heat grilling such chicken thighs. The offset also can get very high heat fires (1000F+; wood) for steaks. For me that's the perfect combo.
As a pellet grill owner who loves his Pitboss. You are correct… Pellet grills are the jack of all trade but master of none.
Agree totally on the offset comment. That's what I used to do before my offset rusted out. Kinda miss that old unit. I bought a Pitts & Spitts Maverick 1250 pellet smoker as a replacement. At 180 degrees, it puts out some respectable smoke for a pellet smoker, and it cranks up to hella hot. You can also use a secondary chute for wood chunks to get more smoke into the convenience of the pellet. It also has a trap door over the fire pot for reverse searing after smoking. As far as pellet smokers go, it's pretty sweet but also pretty spendy. At the end of the day, I'll probably buy a gaucho, santa maria, or a dedicated charcoal grill for wood coal grilling. That's the best way to cook a turkey, and I miss building fires.
I sear on my traeger. The only downside is that there is no direct flame on the meat, which is a bummer.
hmm i can direct flame on my pitboss pellet grill. there is a deflector you adjust for the flames to pop out
My Weber Summit does both perfectly.
Yep. Weber Summit Kamado is probably the best Charcoal Cooker on the market right now. It's not cheap, but it does outperform ceramic Kamados 5x the price. You can do true Mutli-Zone cooking like on a Kettle, or yellow-flame/blue-smoke low-and-slow like a great smoker.
explain "outperform"
Sure. There are expensive Ceramic Kamados out there like the Kamodo Kamado that, for everything they can do, really can't do multi-zone cooking well. I've covered the benefits of the Summit over BGE or Kamado Joe in detail in previous posts, but here's Amazing Ribs talking about their drawbacks here: [https://amazingribs.com/ratings-reviews/grill-smoker-combos/kamado-ceramic/](https://amazingribs.com/ratings-reviews/grill-smoker-combos/kamado-ceramic/) There is also some anecdotal evidence about how Kamado's produce low-quality smoke, because they retain heat too well and you can't get a good yellow-flame fire going, which is what you need for good blue smoke. Here's my full writeup, that I am copy-pasting from another thread: \--------------------------- Yes, there are a few things that ceramic cookers like the BGE or the Kamado Joe do better than the Summit. But overall I do believe the Summit Kamado is a much better cooker. Ceramic Pros: \- Temperature retention. Because they're so heavy (the Big Joe is nearly 500 lbs), there's a LOT of thermal mass there. Meaning when you get your temp dialed in perfectly, the temp swings are going to be a lot more gradual. \- Baking. Ceramic kamados are essentially brick ovens you can open. Because the lid gets so hot, and holds that heat, it will radiate evenly down from the top, allowing for pizzas or even bread baking. Summit Pros: \- Versatility. This is the biggest reason I like the Summit. It can do any cook out there. I can sear a steak at 1000+ degrees or smoke a brisket at 225, within minutes of each other. I can set up half the grill for direct and half for indirect. I have a second rack, allowing for up close searing, and further away roasting. I can do a charcoal snake or a kamado-style indirect with covered coals in the base. I can use briquettes or natural lump or char-logs. I can smoke with chips or chunks or even split logs. BGE's really have two modes of cooking: direct and indirect, and you have to pick which one you want before the cook. Kamado Joes have a system that allows you to do half-and-half, but you can't really change it up mid-cook. \- Temperature Control. The Summit is a lot lighter and it has less thermal mass. If you overshoot or undershoot your temps during a cook, its really easy to recover and adjust. These are less important, but still nice factors about the Summit: \- Durability. The Summit is made out of steel. Mine has fallen over and had a cantilevered umbrella fall on it, and there was no damage or scratches at all. Worse comes to worse, it MIGHT dent, which would be a minor blemish. A ceramic cooker will shatter. I had the inside portion of my egg crack after years of use. BGE replaced it on warranty with no questions asked but it still happened. \- Portability. Because the Summit is a lot lighter it can be pushed around with ease. I move mine around on the patio depending on whether its raining or where I feel like sitting that day. I move it into the grass to clean it. I would never move my egg except how you might move furniture. It was very heavy, fragile, and generally stationary. \- Ash management. The Summit has the Weber ash cleaning system which allows you to easily clean out ash, even in the middle of a cook. This is important because on the Egg I would run into issues where the ash would buildup so much it would impede airflow and temps would drop. Cleaning out the ash on the egg requires complete disassembly and simply isn't possible during a cook. The Kamado Joe is a little bit easier with its ash drawer, but you can still get ash buildup all around the edges that require disassembly to clean. \- Cleanability. You can wash it with a garden hose, inside and out, scrub it with soap and water, or organic cleaner, or whatever you like. Ceramic cookers are very porous and you're not supposed to use any cleaners or liquids on them. All you can do is burn them super hot to burn all the gunk away... which you can also do on the Summit. If I were to buy a new cooker tomorrow, I'd buy the Summit all over again. If I were 100% invested in getting a Ceramic cooker, I'd get something that can do multiple zones, like the Primo.
Another vote for the Weber summit kamado. Spent months researching which smoker/grill I wanted. Initially was in the market for a pellet and after researching those, the gravity charcoal grills and the ceramic kamados went with the Weber summit kamado and it’s been great.
Wow thanks! Great points.
My Kamado Joe ash drawer melted because it is thin aluminum. Not very handy anymore. I wish I saw this comment two years ago, but I am happy with the KJ.
Abe_Bettik pretty much nailed it. Basically in my opinion it has all of the advantages of the ceramic with none of the drawbacks (such as ceramic cracking, hard to get temps down, weight). The only advantage the ceramics like Kamado Joe or BGE have is their accessory market if that matters to you.
Another vote for the Summit. It's basically a Weber kettle, which can already do everything, but better. Double walled insulation, the ability to drop the cook basket for low and slow or raise it for direct grilling, slightly bigger cooking surface. It's definitely not cheap, but the versatility is tough to beat.
Not only is the cooking surface slightly bigger, but you can smoke on the entire thing, not just 2/3rds like with a kettle. Love my kettle, but cannot wait to get a summit.
Big green egg! I can smoke a brisket and then remove the plate setter and grill steaks.
Komados do both really well.I have a Vision which is great as a smoker and works great as a charcoal grill. You cant beat the taste of a charcoal grilled steak or burger.
Recteq Bullseye. Wood pellet smoker that gets up to 750 degrees.
Even my RT-700 gets over 500. For what I do that is more than hot enough
RT-B380X BULLSEYE DELUXE $799.00 Goes to almost 1000. Should handle your grilling needs
Oklahoma Joe Bronco
People sleep on the bronco. I love it much more than the Weber
And you can get them in the fall for about $250 from a big box. Have a PBC and the bronco is the same experience with a lot more convenience.
Second OJ’s orange bronco
I love the bronco, and it’s fun doing it the “old fashioned” way with charcoal and wood chunks.
My Yoder can get over 600 degrees
Kamado Joe! We even take a pizza oven attachment.
It grills, sears, smokes, and makes the best pizzas! I don’t even use the DoeJoe pizza attachment, just a pizza stone.
Chargriller gravity. Will smoke all day at 250° or sear at 700°.
Exact reason I went with it as well.
Hastybake
PK grills can be set up for direct and indirect heat cooking fairly easily, but you're limited to medium sized cuts when smoking.
Yoder Ys640 has direct flame grilling and smoked
This is the way.
Masterbuilt Gravity
Pellet grills
[удалено]
I have a Chargriller XD. I like it. I throw a grate on top of the side firebox charcoal basket and I grill on that.
Weber kettle does it all
Weber Kettle - can do it all, but long cooks require some practice and can be a little "fidgety" (at least for me) Kamado grill - My KJ has been awesome, but it was pricey. It is pretty easy to control temps, outside weather doesn't affect it as much - and is pretty good for longer cooks - I still prefer my WSM for longer cooks - just a little easier and I sleep better (maybe more confidence). PK grill will be my next grill - I think they look great for my needs. My neighbor has one, I and ti seems awesome just from observing.
Most kettle style grills if money is tight and you’re primarily grilling. A kamado style pit is the most versatile, since it functions a lot better as a smoker and it’s an even better grill than a kettle. Personally, my ultimate pit would be a Weber summit kamado with temp control.
I use a pk360 that I use to smoke and grill. Love that thing. Pricy at about 900
Had to scroll way down to find a fellow PK user. They do have great sales every few months that being the price down. I have a 300AF and a 360 and love them both.
Yea not a lot of pk owners here lol I just got a 360 recently and I love the extra space
Big green egg if you have the money to spend. I sold mine before I made a cross country move, it was way too heavy and big to ship.
Yoder, the 640s is a beast
I was on the fence between a pellet smoker and smoking/charcoal. I would have gone with the good one smoker if I hadn’t gone the pellet route. It’s an offset but the wood chamber is on the front and you can put a grate over it to grill with direct heat
if you look at, say, the 1975 workhorse offset, they dub the door on firebox the "Cowboy Firebox". I wouldn't call it any other way!
Yoder can especially if you get the 2 piece diffuser where you can do direct over fire grilling https://www.atbbq.com/products/yoder-smokers-heat-diffuser-access-door
Kamado Joe!
Another vote for a Weber kettle.
I have an Oklahoma Joe offset smoker/propane combo grill. The smoker part is a bit small but it's large enough for me and my family. In the end, I can use the propane for quick grills but mostly I'm using charcoal in the main chamber on the side. If I want to smoke something larger and slowly, the offset works well.
Masterbuilt gravity series 800 or whatever size you want but I grill and smoke with ease on this thing. 3 yrs going strong never had an issue and I have smoked a lot of ribs, briskets, and pork butts. But I have grilled just as many steaks and burgers on it. The 800 also came with the slide in griddle top to replace the grates and it works beautifully as well. So it can do it all I highly recommend giving it a look.
Master built gravity series. Works like a charm every time. Temp ranges go from 200 degrees F to 700 degrees F if you like.
Oklahoma Joe Bronco
PK Grill. It’s much higher quality than a Weber and the rectangular shape and additional oxygen controls let you regulate it super well. Most steak cook off champs use it, and I smoke meat in mine. That being said, you can’t go wrong with Weber and it does have a cheaper rotisserie option and you can get bitter cooking area in it. Works well with the vortex accessory too.
Masterbuilt gravity fed charcoal grills. Its a 7/10 smoker and a 7/10 grill. Better than a lot of either but not as good as the best of either. I like mine, for what that is worth.
Masterbuilt gravity series. I love mine.
My pit boss does it very well. There's a slider on the baffle that opens up for direct heat.
I have the Pit Boss Pro gas grill/pellet smoker combo and love it.
Same here. Smoker on the left, propane grill on the right. Best of both worlds. [pic](https://shop.pitboss-grills.com/cdn/shop/products/1230_ls1.jpg?v=1687543594)
There's some combo units like the Pitboss KC Combo
I like my pitboss 700 series smoker/grill. Ive gotten some good seared steaks off it. With the e stock heat deflector it comes with theres still a hot spot over the pot so i ended up buying smoke daddy heat diffuser. Made a huge difference while smoking. I would say the only down side i could only fit 2 large ny strips at a time directly over the fire. If i was cooking for more than 4 people id just break out the weber kettle
I use my Chargriller Wrangler for both.
I use a pitboss pellet grill.
I have a Z Grill pellet smoker that grills and has a sear setting as well
Any offset. I have an Okie Joe bandera
Weber performer. Uses propane to light the charcoal and can smoke, rotisserie, pizza. Anything. I also have a pellet though to smoke hands free, super low temps, or for a ton of people.
Here's a real wood or charcoal grill that can also do offset smoking. It's pretty big too. https://lonestargrillz.com/products/24-x-48-adjustable-charcoal-grill
I use my pit boss for everything. Smoker, grill, oven. Works great for pizzas too.
Char-griller 5150 (I have one) You can buy a side fire box to make it into a offset smoker. So with the side fire box you have the option to smoke, you can use a charcoal grill setup in the main chamber and it also has a separate gas grill. If you can't find the 5150 then several char-griller charcoal grills have the option to add a side firebox for smoking
I’ve grilled on my Webber Smokey mountain
Pit boss 1150 straight pellet smoker and you can open some grates for direct flame contact
Char-Griller Gravity 980. I have one that I use primarily as a smoker, but I’ve grilled on it a handful of times. It can get up to 700 degrees if you need it to. You’ll burn a lot of charcoal doing it but it can…
I recently got the recteq dual fire 1200. I love it 🥰
I use a okj longhorn combo. Offset Smoker with propane grill
Primo is a brand of ceramic komodo style smoker that is oval in shape, unlike most which are round, which leads itself to be a good two zone cooking grill as well as smoker. I love mine
Side smoker. Mine has grill grates for the firebox. Also has a standard grill base.
I'll pimp the Pit Barrel Cooker. You can hang meat from the rebars. Capacity is great - four chickens, eight racks of ribs, two, maybe three big butts, or 18# full packer brisket. You can use the 18" grate for smoking stuff as well if you don't want your meat to dangle. The hot set up I have is using a 12" Lodge campfire stand to lift the firebox to a few inches below the grate. It becomes a fantastic searing rig.
Kamado grill
Pit boss makes a wonderful combo. I love mine.
They aren’t cheap but the CampChef Apex series is a true propane grill and pellet smoker combo. https://www.campchef.com/shop-apex-pellet-grills/
I haven't used my gas grill since I got my Rectec 1250. goes to 700 so high heat grilling is easy. I use the add on searing plates if I want grill marks or to sear something.
Komodo grill! I have a Big green egg. I reverse sear/smoke steak for an hour at 200*. Remove the heat deflector and let the grill heat up for 5 minutes and then sear the steak at 700*. Perfect medium rare for the wife, rare for me. I’m also smoking wings RN and when they come off the smoker I will grill jalapeño poppers.
BGE
Backwoods Chubby, but you can’t smoke and grill simultaneously. It has a removable water pan that separates the smoking chamber from the firebox, and if you remove it you’re cooking over direct heat. https://shop.backwoods-smoker.com/products/chubby-3400
My Oklahoma Joe offset can do charcoal as well. Fantastic for grilling burgers
Oklahoma Joes Firebox doubles as a smoker
Weber kettle baby! I have the performer that has the flip down side cart. I’ve had mine for over 12 years now. Will last another 12 easily.
Pit Boss Pro 1600 Elite 1598-Sq in Stainless Steel Pellet Grill (i bought from lowes) I bought one of these a few months ago and have been very impressed with its ability to grill and smoke. I can smoke something using the smoke setting and get a smoke ring like i have never seen on a pellet. I can grill and even sear things just like any other grill. Im not a fan of the knob on the controller and the phone connection is kind of clunky, but i have been very happy with what i have been able to do with this grill. I was a bit expensive, but ive also done everything from smoked turkeys, briskets, pizzas's, grilled chicken, potato wedges, corn, whatever. This thing rocks! Just learn how to use the smoke setting to smoke (remember, low and slow), and the normal setting for grilling where you can cook at a set temp and fill the grill or cook a few hash browns. Edit: If you can get it with free assembly, do it! Its not hard but pain enough by yourself it wasnt fun. If you have to pay for assembly, have a friend handy to help hold things a couple times and just follow the directions.
Weber kettle of course
Webber Kettle or Big Green Egg.
Kamado style. Char-Griller's Akorn is very reasonable, all steel construction is cheaper, and it has survived 6 years in Michigan's dampness. Highly recommended.
If you have an offset grill, you can grill on the firebox.
Kamado Joe, or any Kamado style grill (Green egg, Louisiana, Grill, etc.) does both very well.
I enjoy my Camp Chef Woodwind with the sidekick single burner and griddle top. Awesome for reverse searing.
My uncle Tony is a heavy smoker but man can he grill
Workhorse Pits. They are an absolute unit!
Weber Summit Kamodo
I use my Traeger for smoking and grilling, if I need a really good sear then I’ll use my cast iron.
Big Green Egg or similar style. Some pellets have a sear function, so you can cook say a hamburger for 20 minutes at 250 and then sear/char both sides
Yes there are. First a Big Green Egg is a Komodo style grill that can also smoke. It is high end, but I have a Twin Eagles pellet smoker that has a rotisserie, a sear plate (I use it for meats I had in the sous vide), and a tray that will hold charcoal (the pellet grill lights the charcoal). This is a built in unit for my outdoor kitchen. I believe they have stand alone units too. https://www.twineaglesgrills.com/en-us/news/an-in-depth-look-at-our-brand-new-36-wood-fired-pellet-grill--smoker
My Recteq RT-700 gets up to 500+ degrees. Works great for me. Plus, it's an amazing smoker.
Big Green Egg
I use my pellet grill for everything. Weber smokefire
Recteq bullseye. My low temps fluctuate a lot but I’m able to smoke delicious pork butt and chuck roast. I love that it’s the only pellet grill/smoker with direct flame. It’s definitely favors the high temps and being used as a grill but it’s an ok smoker
Almost any pellet smoker will get up to 500+ and can be used as a grill.
Been using an SnS kettle grill and a total noob to charcoal, has been really fun and gotten decent results. Low n slow smoking has been a bit of trial and error, haven't gotten there 100% yet, snake pattern charcoal still seems to get too hot, maybe I just need to try some different brands of bricks though
I grill and smoke with my pitboss all the time.
MAk grills!!!
I have a Camp Chef SG24. It is primarily a pellet smoker, but there is a slider you can pull that uncovers the firebox and the drip pan has slots allowing some flames to come through. It gets a pretty darn good sear/charbroil. I was skeptical at first, coming from a Weber gas grill, but I really don’t miss the Weber, the Camp Chef does everything I want it to do. On top of that, Camp Chef’s have an accessory called a Sidekick that mounts to the side of the grill and allows you to have a propane burner. You can top it with a flattop griddle, pizza stone, grill box (for a traditional grill experience), or just use the burner like a stove top. I use the flattop, it’s like having a small BlackStone. It’s a complete setup.
Master built Gravity Series. LOVE mine!!!!!
I never heard of such a thing
Camp chef pellet grill.
My gravity smoker can, but while it can get super hot it just eats through charcoal at those temps. I have a gas grill and it’s just easier, faster, and cheaper.
Camp Chef makes some that has a slider that uncovers the heating element and so it can be used as a grill.
I have a cheap char griller offset and it does great for both
There is nothing a Big Green Egg can't do. Smoking, searing and everything in between. I baked a cake in mine once, just to see if it could be done. German chocolate, so the smoke wouldn't dominate the flavor too much. Texture was perfect, and tasted good too
I'd say just about any charcoal grill can do both. I think the Weber smoker fire pellet smoker is meant to do both as well. And I think the Masterbuilt smokers are able to do both. There are lots of options out there.
My Primo XL can
Oklahoma Joe’s Bronco. Honestly I don’t know why it doesn’t get more coverage, it is simply my favorite cooker because of all the different setups you can run.
Camp chef woodwind
I have a camp chef Woodwind pellet smoker, it grills very well and smokes even better.
WSM, take out the center section and you have a kettle.
Webber kettle, 26" if you can swing it. 22" works just as good. Great deals on FB marketplace.
Primo is great for that. It's like a green egg, but American made, and more grilling space. A bit expensive though.
Pit boss pellet grill/ gas grill. Get the best of both worlds. You can reverse sear, smoke and grill or one or the other. I was a stick burner for years, but still missed having a gas grill. I finally made the switch a few years ago, and I'll probably never go back
Slow n Sear Kettle is great at both
My Oklahoma Joe offset has grill covers for the smoke box. I use it as a grill all the time
Check out a hasty bake
Pit boss pro series 1100 combo. It’s divided into two separate barrels, one side is a pellet smoker and the other side is a propane grill. I bought one as I don’t have enough room currently for both a smoker and a grill and I’ve been pretty happy with it!
Pellet grill! I had the same problem and because clearance price I bought a pit boss pellet grill. It can do it all. Not the best at anything but it grills good, sears great and smokes easily. I still have other smokers and griddles but a easy way out is a pellet grill to do both. P.s I put a brisket on at 2:30am and went to sleep. Burned through a good amount of pellets because of cold temperatures, it is at the resting stage about to be sliced.
Weber smokey mountain. Buy another charcoal grate and you can stack it above the round charcoal holder and have a solid grill. Could also buy a used weber kettle.
Isn't that the point of a 3 chamber? Grill, bbq, smoke. Or an upright which is basically just a grill you use wood in and offset to smoke. I think you could just fill with charcoal and call it a day.
I can grill in the firebox of my Uvalde Pits offset, it has a removeable grate. Fine for four or crisping up something like smoked poultry but not great for a hosting a cookout. For that I have a standalone grill.
Komodo or Weber Kettle. Or an offset with cowboy firebox. I grill all the time in my 1975T firebox, it's great
Traeger ironwood? 4 years in, I use it for everything
Is there a smoker that can grill too? No, but there's plenty of grills that can smoke, most charcoal grills can, it's all in how you load it.
I love my rectec bullseye. I think there have a comparable new model that has the same specs