Well, that's for folks who want to micro nuke their food. Instant burn. :loco:
For those of us that know, the term is Low and Slow.
When casting, even my lead is only around 700° F :tsk: :becky::laugh:
Why use a Vortex?
- Thread starter khs282
- Start date
Well, that's for folks who want to micro nuke their food. Instant burn. :loco:
For those of us that know, the term is Low and Slow.
When casting, even my lead is only around 700° F :tsk: :becky::laugh:
SweetHeatBBQnSC
is One Chatty Farker
Who was the original and where do you access it?
sudsandswine
Quintessential Chatty Farker
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- Jun 23, 2012
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They should have a "Vortex" label on them, most are called some other name on Amazon. Owen's BBQ also sells them and is a site sponser. https://www.owensbbq.com/vortex.html
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txsmkmstr
is one Smokin' Farker
Ah yes.... I agree and missed the part about "buying one". Thanks for the re-focus and re-read. :thumb:
I use my vortex pretty much every time I fire up the Weber. I have two Weber baskets too but they haven't been used in awhile.
Kinda sounds like I'll be getting one in the near future. Next time I find a CL or FB Weber OTS score that I would normally part out, I'll have to try a side by side before parting it out just to see the difference.
Seems like a lot of good arguments for getting one. After I posted, I found a thread from about 3 years ago, and the responses were quite the opposite, mostly against Vortex. Guess it took a while to catch on. Sounds like I'll be getting one sometime this summer when I have the money to do so. I have until August to get one, cause after that, I'll likely never get anything for myself for at least 18 years.
You wont be disappointed. It's an excellent cooking gadget to add to your arsenal.
ShadowDriver
somebody shut me the fark up.
I've thoroughly enjoyed my Vortex in my 22.5 kettle. Besides the amazing chicken cooks (wings, sure... but thighs really are fantastic), I'm a big fan for steaks when I want nice indirect heat, then the ability to sear it at the end. It sure does cook stuffed mushrooms right nicely, and I've been known to put sausages / brats around it, too.
Versatile... that's the word I'd use to describe it. Hope you pull the trigger. You won't be sorry.
Versatile... that's the word I'd use to describe it. Hope you pull the trigger. You won't be sorry.
Doug S.
Full Fledged Farker
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The guy who invented it is Bill Scott, buddy of mine
lives in Arizona
lives in Arizona
ulc
is one Smokin' Farker
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I don't really notice a difference in results when using Weber charcoal basket or medium Vortex clone I built. And since the charcoal basket has a bottom to prevent smaller charcoal pieces from falling through, I use the baskets most of the time.
willsands
Knows what a fatty is.
cones and baskets
I prefer the Vortex in Weber kettles for indirect cooking. The Weber baskets fit very well in each end of the PK 360 to provide a large indirect area in the middle. The Vortex doesn't work so well in the PK 360.
It is fun to experiment and nice to have options.
I prefer the Vortex in Weber kettles for indirect cooking. The Weber baskets fit very well in each end of the PK 360 to provide a large indirect area in the middle. The Vortex doesn't work so well in the PK 360.
It is fun to experiment and nice to have options.
Bacchus2b
is Blowin Smoke!
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- Nov 1, 2014
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- North Texas
The Vortex is a wing cooking machine! It's also very heavy duty and mine has no warps or bends after two years of constant high-heat use. I also like to use it to cook Hamburgers with a quick finishing sear over the opening.
Because it's a wing cooking machine? :-D
Convenience. All you have to have is fire, after that it boils down to convenience. You could also ask, Why use charcoal baskets? You could always just stack up the charcoal. For that matter, Why use charcoal? You could always burn wood to make coals.
Bottom line is the Vortex makes cooking chicken pieces on the kettle a breeze. You can get the same results without it, but the Vortex makes it effortless. I have done a comparison of the baskets vs Vortex, and the big difference is the Vortex is taller. It comes up to the bottom of the cooking grate, so the heat is funneled up, and then comes back down from the dome. This makes for very even cooking, and you don't even have to flip them. The baskets are shorter, so more heat travels out under the food, giving you an opportunity for hot spots. This means you have to watch the cook, and move and flip to get an even cook. With the Vortex, you put the wings on, come back in 45 minutes to get them.
Bottom line is the Vortex makes cooking chicken pieces on the kettle a breeze. You can get the same results without it, but the Vortex makes it effortless. I have done a comparison of the baskets vs Vortex, and the big difference is the Vortex is taller. It comes up to the bottom of the cooking grate, so the heat is funneled up, and then comes back down from the dome. This makes for very even cooking, and you don't even have to flip them. The baskets are shorter, so more heat travels out under the food, giving you an opportunity for hot spots. This means you have to watch the cook, and move and flip to get an even cook. With the Vortex, you put the wings on, come back in 45 minutes to get them.
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Bacchus2b
is Blowin Smoke!
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ulc
is one Smokin' Farker
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I've done tests too with the basket and Vortex and the cooking result is pretty much the same. Vortex is about 1.5 inches taller but baskets can hold slightly more charcoal as it's wider. Both will direct heat up but you can place more wings on the cooking grate with the Vortex as it takes up less footprint than the baskets. That's really the only advantage I see with the Vortex. But it's not enough advantage for me as I find charcoal baskets easier to use, move, and light with the roofing torch. You don't have to move or flip the wings with the charcoal basket. It cooks exactly the same as the Vortex. I don't move or flip the wings when I use the basket or Vortex. And since the baskets have a bottom, I find it easier to reuse the charcoal after each cook. I can simply pickup the baskets, give it a shake to empty the ash, and keep the old charcoal to reuse. With the Vortex, I can't pick it up to shake it and smaller charcoal pieces simply fall through the charcoal grate since it doesn't have a bottom.
I will agree with pretty much the same, but my experience is, with the baskets, the bottom cooks faster than the top. I'm also just the opposite of you. I don't save charcoal, I just open the vents, and let it burn out, so dumping baskets, is just another task for me. I guess that is why they make both.
