Water ?

Need to? Nope. A lot of people run them dry, some fill with sand, some replace with ceramic, etc. Experiment and see which method you like best for the type of food you're cooking.
 
This is one debate that you will not want to read up on because its just like...Whats better blondes or brunettes? Its just preference...Me personally i use water in my WSM 2008 edition
 
Water works as a bit of a safety net by shielding high temps. If you are comfortable with your WSM then try it with and without and go with what you like best.
 
It is personal choice. I used water at first but found no water to be much easier with no difference in quality of the cook. I don't use sand, clay or any other filler, either. Just foil the pan. And throw the foil away when done.
 
When I started cooking on my WSM, I used water.
Later I tried a foiled clay flower pot base in the foiled water pan. It's much easier and the food comes out the same.
 
What they all said. I too started with using water, but the cleanup and greasy water disposal was not to my liking. I now use the water pan with a terra cotta pot in it. A couple layers of foil tightly wrapped over that and cook away.
 
BobM said:
When I started cooking on my WSM, I used water.
Later I tried a foiled clay flower pot base in the foiled water pan. It's much easier and the food comes out the same.
Click to expand...
Update.
I did some loin back ribs today on my 22 1/2" WSM.
For the first time, I just foiled the water pan with no clay flower pot base in it.
The results were the same as using the clay flower pot base.
Going forward, no clay flower pot base for me, just a foiled water pan.
 
Like my ole Pappy used to say "Which is better... 6 or half a dozen?"
 
I used water fo rthe first couple of cooks, found the cleanup was a pain. Moved to the clay flower pot base covered in foil - easy cleanup is what I'm going for. Didn't notice any difference in performance or taste.
 
Thanks for all of the input. I'm not big on clean up, so I guess it's waterless.
 
TomB said:
It is personal choice. I used water at first but found no water to be much easier with no difference in quality of the cook. I don't use sand, clay or any other filler, either. Just foil the pan. And throw the foil away when done.
Click to expand...

I'm with Tom although I've never used anything except for a foiled water pan since getting my wsm.
 
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