Can anyone reccomend a good smoker? Doesn't need to be real big. Just not sure which type to get. I don't like the charcoal ones because I can't control the temperature. I've heard electric ones are'nt big on flavor. So what's left, gas or pellet? Pros and cons of each? I defer to the experts.
My Traeger has been good to me. There are other good ones that are comparable to it on the market. The pellet smokers offer great flavor and can regulate their own temps. Whatever you buy please post pics and break it in with a pound of bacon.
I'm happy with my Landmann Smokey Mountain 3495GLA, it's not big on room, but for now it's just right. Very well made, and does what it should. I'll be mod'ing it more and more as I go, like everything it needs a muffler mod to really wake it up. I'll build my dream smoker some day!
Personally I believe the smoking is an art. The best smoked meat is in the marinade, just my opinion. Best smoke job I ever did was a wild turkey I shot and used charcoal smoker. Its all fun no matter what type of smoker
I started with a Brinkman electric water smoker. It did the job, but I still didn't know what I was doing. A Weber kettle, with proper set up, works very well as a charcoal smoker and is about the best value in a grill out there, in my opinion. Temp control is very easy with the bottom and top air vents. It takes a bit of practice to use charcoal, it's not difficult, more air=more heat, less air=less heat, and you don't light it all at once. I use a propane torch to light just a corner of my briquette pile, cover, adjust vents half open, wait for smoke to lighten up, cook. As the coals spread they start burning hot enough to catch the unlit coals and smoking wood without too much smoke generated, while not getting the fire too big and running up the heat. I picked up my 22" Weber, almost new, at a garage sale, $20. I also have two ceramics, that I consider the ultimate low and slow smoke cooking tools.
For a wood smoker I have an old tyme. My pellet smoker I'd a grand Teton pellet smoker works great! My next project is to build a two barrel smoker with barrels sitting side by side and one big fire box in the back. But under the cooking greats I am going to run a plate that runs the length of the smoker. From the fire box almost to the end and put the stacks next to the fire box so there is no chance of the fire catching the meat on fire been there done that.
