Backyarder/Small Comp Cooker Buying Tool Guide

cmohr74

cmohr74

Full Fledged Farker
Joined
Sep 12, 2011
Messages
475
Reaction score
368
Points
0
Location
Streamwood, Illinois
Like many new comers out there to the awesome world of barbeque, it's hard to decide what type of smoker to buy. It's a very, very large investment for some who are looking to do very few competitions, but still get a stellar backyard cooker. I went back and forth about so much and decided to gather as much information in one spot as I could, which is listed below. Some of these have options added so the price reflects it. This is just information I gather from the internet and only a few options from these manufacturers. There are no guarantees it is 100% correct, but it's the best info I could find. Then I asked myself a great deal of questions, here are just a few of them:
  1. How many contests will I really be competing and at what level?
  2. How will I transport this cooker?
  3. How much do I want to tend to the fire?
  4. How much smoke flavor do I want?
  5. How much will I REALLY cook quantity wise? (Too little/Too Big)
  6. What temperature range do I want to cook with overall? (versatility)
  7. What spacing do I want between my racks? Brisket/Ribs/Birds/Pork
  8. What is my cost per square inch of cooking surface?
View attachment Detailed Smoker Comparison.pdf

Take this for what it's worth, but maybe it will help you with your decision. There are many other cookers out there, these are some of the one's I had interest in.
 
Nice job! This is one of those things that could get very big :)

A couple of thoughts...

For the Cookshack listing, I believe you're referencing the FEC-100. They also make the FEC-120 and a couple of models of Fast Eddy pellet grills, so you should be specific.

Also, the temp range column can be misleading. As an example, the Backwoods smokers listed can all cook anywhere from cold smoking to 350-400 degrees, and the Party and Chubby with the water pan removed can also grill. It just depends on the setup.
 
The man wins on his UDS and now he needs a new smoker :crazy:. Thanks for doing all the leg work. What one are you leaning towards?
 
Updated List

Ron you are absolutely correct. Many of them will go much higher than indicated...and lower if you forget to add fuel:wink:. These are just the recommended ranges that the manufacturer indicated on their website. Here is that update for you with the Cookshack/Fast Eddy as well as I added a few others for people to compare. Thanks for the input.

View attachment Detailed Smoker Comparison Update.pdf

P.S. All this work and I still can't completely decide which one. Although the questions I asked myself led me away from which ones I do not want due to personal cooking habits.:loco:
 
SCSmoke said:
The man wins on his UDS and now he needs a new smoker :crazy:. Thanks for doing all the leg work. What one are you leaning towards?
Click to expand...

It's an addiction!!! Trust me I'm still at the first step of the 12 step program..

Admitting I have a problem. :loco:

As far as the boss is concerned I just purchased my last smoker!!!! Otherwise I will be the next thing on the cooker!!!!
Just have fun Dan, and the rest will fall into place.
 
cmohr74 said:
Ron you are absolutely correct. Many of them will go much higher than indicated...and lower if you forget to add fuel:wink:. These are just the recommended ranges that the manufacturer indicated on their website. Here is that update for you with the Cookshack/Fast Eddy as well as I added a few others for people to compare. Thanks for the input.

View attachment 61755

P.S. All this work and I still can't completely decide which one. Although the questions I asked myself led me away from which ones I do not want due to personal cooking habits.:loco:
Click to expand...

Just use the drums and get through a season before you decide. The reason I say this is because after a few comps you might have a game plan set and know more of what type of cooker you need to fit your style. At home I cook more hot and fast mainly because I like to sleep in my bed but at comps I cook low and slow with a guru on my drum and just sleep next to them. Keep it simple your first season and just have fun.
 
Rich Parker said:
Just use the drums and get through a season before you decide. The reason I say this is because after a few comps you might have a game plan set and know more of what type of cooker you need to fit your style.
Click to expand...

Good advice. We are now enjoying a lot of success with our FEC 100, but it also took a few months of competing with it to make the adjustments we needed. We did practice with it off season, but it's not quite the same as cooking in a comp.

Also note that the FEC has safety cutoff at 425, but from a practical point of view you aren't going to reliably get up that high, especially in colder weather. It has 4 shelves, but comes with slides for 7, so you can add capacity by buying more shelves.
 
Updated Competition Cooker Comparison List

When I was searching for a smoker earlier this year, I made this tool to help me compare a few things. I have since bought a Backwoods extended party that I love. However I know how frustrating it can be to search for a new competition cooker, so I wanted to update this list for anyone else who has trouble trying to decide on what to buy. If you can think of anything else I could add to this to help people, let me know. Not only do I have my own BBQ addiction problem, but I enjoy research and helping others out so that they too can have a BBQ addiction.

View attachment Detailed Smoker Comparison.pdf
 
for a backyarder, looking to compete occasionally. You left out the ceramics. Big green egg and primo are both awesome cookers. We compete on 2 larges. They'll go as low as 180 and as high as 700 for pizza. always something to consider.
 
That's a great list. I'm curious though, is there a reason there are no Klose smokers on there? In fact, I don't see them mentioned by many Brethren at all. Hmmmm....
 
To be honest, I have heard about Klose pits, but have always heard of them as being the Bentley of BBQ pits. AKA out of small competitor bbq price ranges. However upon looking into it more, they have some pits that really aren't any more money than many list here on this list. In the near future, I will take the time to update this list with "BBQ Pits by Klose".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

K
Background color ?
Replies
4
Views
46
K80Shooter
K
Hotch
You're All Invited to The 2024 Texas BBQ Brethren Spring Bash on April 6!
2 3
Replies
51
Views
4K
Hotch
Hotch
T
Buying a new smoker/grill. Which one?
Replies
1
Views
672
bschoen
B
S
Want to try to cook goat!
Replies
16
Views
841
seattlepitboss
S
R
San Antonio trip coming up
Replies
4
Views
740
Twangzer Mike
T
Back
Top