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Q-talk *ON TOPIC ONLY* QUALITY ON TOPIC discussion of Backyard BBQ, grilling, equipment and outdoor cookin' . ** Other cooking techniques are welcomed for when your cookin' in the kitchen. Post your hints, tips, tricks & techniques, success, failures, but stay on topic and watch for that hijacking. |
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07-01-2011, 11:39 PM | #1 |
Got rid of the matchlight.
Join Date: 08-07-10
Location: Mt.Baldy California
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Orion Cooker, Any Reviews?
I was just givin a Orion cooker from a friend that was moving out of state. He would always tell me it was a smoker, but I could never buy that cause it had no vents at all and the heat is outside the cooker. I figured I would drill some holes for vents and make some kind of real smoker out of it. Now after looking it up at the Orion website I have a different view. Orion states it's a convection cooker but you can smoke things in it( I still don't buy that, no vents). The cook times they have in the instructions make it pretty appealing if you don't have the time to BBQ. Does anybody have one? I would like to hear some real reviews on this thing. Thanks for the site and all the great posts.
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07-02-2011, 01:15 AM | #2 |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 01-31-09
Location: Pittsburg, CA
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I guess you'd get smoke from putting wood chips in the cooking chamber.
Not sure that would be a very clean burn though without a little bit of ventilation. You could also try pellets in there.
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[COLOR=green][B]XL BGE[/B][/COLOR], NBBD Offset, 3 Weber kettles, gas and electric cabinet smokers, and a few smoker projects waiting |
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07-02-2011, 07:06 AM | #3 |
Knows what a fatty is.
Join Date: 03-22-11
Location: Montgomery Ill
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can't remember who but there is a guy on the big steel keg forum that has one. he has a big get togather every year in louiseanna looks very interesting
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07-02-2011, 07:22 AM | #4 |
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: 04-08-04
Location: Marianna, FL
Name/Nickname : Tim
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I have never even seen one, so no direct thoughts.
Here is a bunch of qualified opinions from folks who know: http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...ighlight=orion Lots of other threads here on the site--comes up regularly.. If it was free, try it and see if you like it, Good Luck TIM
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"Flirtin' with Disaster" BBQ Team (RETIRED)
New Ninja Woodfired Grill for Christmas 2023 |
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07-02-2011, 08:38 AM | #5 |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 01-10-11
Location: Lawrenceville, GA
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I have a buddy who says he smokes on his. Not exactly sure how he does it. So there you go, vague advice :).
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-Jason I didn't choose D-Canoe life.......... |
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07-04-2011, 02:27 PM | #6 |
Got rid of the matchlight.
Join Date: 08-07-10
Location: Mt.Baldy California
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Thanks for the advice. I know you can smoke on them, at least the manual sais you can. You place wood chips inside around the base against the inside wall and drip pan. As MG NorCal said " I don't think it would be a clean burn at all because there are no vents at all. I was trying to find anybody with first hand experience with the Orion as a convection cooker. I like the idea of total indirect-convection cooking. I will have to do some experimenting with it.
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11-16-2011, 01:36 PM | #7 |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 09-22-11
Location: Edgewater, MD
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I have one. It's a cool little cooker. Won't give you any kind of smoke ring though. You can replace the drip pan with a bigger aluminum pan and put more wood chips in to create more smoke. I also light it early and really let the chips start to smolder. I used mine in a "Tailgate" Rib contest and got 2nd out of 37. Of course I smoked them first in my off-set to get the smoke ring and better color, then finished them in the "O". Tried that same trick with ribs in two KCBS events and got our but kicked. So for competitions I'm leaving at home, but for a quick weekend cook it does a great job.
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Keith Fat Maxine's BBQ Thanks to: Mojobricks, Make It Meaty, and In House Jewelers Humphrey's Battle Box WSM 22.5 GMG Davy Crockett |
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11-16-2011, 02:28 PM | #8 |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 12-18-07
Location: Western burbs of Chicago, IL
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I bought one on sale several years back, and if I had it to do again, I'd leave it at the store.
1) It is VERY inefficient! You use between 1/2 to a full bag of Kingsford loading it up 2) As others have said, tough to smoke in. (not impossible though. I wrapped some sawdust up in foil, folded it up like a long ribbon, poked some holes in it, and wrapped it around the outside of the drip pan. I did get some smoke on the ribs I was cooking Because it's enclosed, it creates a very moist convection, that cooks food fairly quickly. The chicken I made in it was fabulous. Tried ribs once, they got so soft they fell off the hooks and ended up in a pile on the bottom. Only good thing I can say about it is that the poultry roaster thing that came in it, along with the rib hooks, have turned out to be useful with my other cookers I will give mine to anyone who wants it, free
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2 Skinny Cooks Competition Team [URL]http://2SkinnyCooks.blogspot.com[/URL] KCBS CJ/TC #17139 Member ILBBQS Too many cookers to list :crazy: |
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11-16-2011, 02:41 PM | #9 |
is one Smokin' Farker
Join Date: 05-07-10
Location: Twin Cities, MN
Name/Nickname : John
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Looked at them a while back when HD was selling them out. Decided that the 2 levels of open charcoal would not be a good thing with a golden retriever around.
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CG Akorn, WSM, Green stainless Performer, Genesis 3000, 2 18.5" Weber kettles, Weber go anywhere charcoal. [COLOR=DarkOrange] [/COLOR] |
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11-16-2011, 07:10 PM | #10 |
is one Smokin' Farker
Join Date: 02-20-10
Location: Chicago, IL
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11-16-2011, 09:44 PM | #11 |
Full Fledged Farker
Join Date: 02-22-11
Location: Coatesville, Indiana
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Orion Cooker
They do a pretty good job with most items if you just follow the directions.
These are 70 minute ribs and although there is no smoke ring, these ribs were about right on the smokey flavor. I used sugar maple smoke chips. A 70 minute whole chicken. |
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11-17-2011, 06:40 AM | #12 |
Is lookin for wood to cook with.
Join Date: 06-01-11
Location: Atlanta, GA
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I had an Orion for a while. We cooked butts, whole chickens and ribs. I hated the texture of the ribs and everything we cooked on it seemed to have a funky taste.
It cooks fast, efficient and doesn't require you to do anything but load it, light it and start the timer. Personally, cooking is one of my favorite things to do and doing it faster is not a big concern of mine. If I want to eat BBQ and I only have 3 hours I just go out for a sandwich. Mine went to a good home (for free) and it gets used for tailgates every now and again.
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Lang 60 Deluxe*Big Green Egg*Jenn-Air Gas*Char-Broil Gas*[COLOR=DarkOrange]Orange Thermapen[COLOR=Black]*[/COLOR] [/COLOR] |
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11-17-2011, 07:40 AM | #13 |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 12-18-07
Location: Western burbs of Chicago, IL
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Feel free to come get it!
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2 Skinny Cooks Competition Team [URL]http://2SkinnyCooks.blogspot.com[/URL] KCBS CJ/TC #17139 Member ILBBQS Too many cookers to list :crazy: |
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11-17-2011, 09:08 AM | #14 |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 02-06-09
Location: Orange County, CA
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I had one and loved it. I used it when I was limited on time. If I wanted ribs for dinner after work I could have spares done in an hour. Worked great for stuff like that.
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Ryan Chester - The Rub Company & Smoqued California BBQ |
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11-17-2011, 09:16 AM | #15 |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 09-22-11
Location: Edgewater, MD
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It does do a good job on a quick cook when you don't have the time. I like to do ribs or a quick brisket Sunday morning before kickoff. I did a butt on it the other day and like someone above said it had an odd taste. That was the first time I had an odd taste though. It really does do an awesome job on chicken and turkey.
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Keith Fat Maxine's BBQ Thanks to: Mojobricks, Make It Meaty, and In House Jewelers Humphrey's Battle Box WSM 22.5 GMG Davy Crockett |
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