Best direct heat cooker?

[Shan]

I'm thinking about a direct heat cooker and have been looking at both the LSG El Patron and the Chudbox but I'd actually like something a little bigger. I took a look at both Royal BBQ and Shirley Fab and neither has a rotisserie option. Anyone have any suggestions or recommendations?

Thanks!

 

[SmokyDick]

Weber Kettle?

 

[TheHojo]

I love my Royal Fab BBQ direct heat cooker - Jeff and John are great to work with and can design what you want - I know they have made some 36x24 cookers

Ted

 

[Vision]

I'd go wsm.

The kettle rotisserie should fit the 22".

 

[Shadowdog500]

If I could only keep one cooker it would be my Weber performer with gas assist. You can grill, smoke, bake, rotisserie, and anything else you can think of on that cooker.

I also have several WSM cookers. They smoke well but are not as versatile as the kettle.

 

[Hoss]

The possibilities are endless.Good luck!

 

[ttkt57]

Meadow Creek makes some fascinating options.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl0KeBS3qWQ

 

[JCBII]

What about Hasty Bake?

 

[smoke ninja]

Best direct heat cooker I've ever used is the 007 live fire drum w/swing grate

 

[mike243]

Im with shadowdog500, headed out to get a fire started and put on big ol chuck roast in mine right now

 

[Nuco59]

I know you are talking about store bought- but among "the possibilities are limitless" are at least a couple of DIY options.

Running a 30 -gallon UDS with no diffuser. It does not have huge grate, and I can't restoke fuel easily- but neither of those have ever been an issue.

I have a hankering to build something with a 24" grate from cinder/concrete blocks and a couple of pieces of metal sheeting for a lid and fuel door. (will need a pc of expando or some other grating of course)
Getting the 18-24" from fire to grate would be a simple matter of adding enough courses of block.

 

[Big George's BBQ]

Weber is excellent. Meadowcreek is more expensive but really well built. People really like their UDS

 

[Shadowdog500]

I'd go wsm.

The kettle rotisserie should fit the 22".

I just tried my Weber rotisserie ring on my WSM. The rotisserie ring would require modification on the top and bottom for it to work on the WSM.

The lid on the weber kettle fits over the base while the lid on the WSM fits into the base. (See photos). The bottom of the rotisserie ring would have to be modified to sit on the top grate tabs in the WSM. The top of the rotisserie ring would need to be modified to hold the WSM lid from sliding off.

 

[InfiniteJester]

I'll second the Hasty Bake suggestion.

 

[jeffshoaf]

Have you considered a Santa Maria grill? Not as efficient as an enclosed cooker but you get to play with the fire!

 

[Hinds15]

Both are nice but similar results can be had with a wsm

 

[Maylar]

Is a gasser direct heat? Or do you need flames?

 

[Shan]

Thanks again for all the responses. I thought I was settled on a Hasty-Bake but then I read some articles and watched a bunch of vids and am going WSM. I discounted it at first because I wanted a rotisserie for turkeys and chickens, but I can hang 3-4 birds in a 22" WSM, kind of reverse beer can, plus a WSM is $1000 cheaper and much more versatile and portable. The rib-hanging attachment is $60 and there's a cool as heck Santa Rosa attachment too. I smoke a lot and just did my first cook on my LSG pellet grill, and am looking forward to some char and crispy skin from direct heat.

 

[Huskres]

You’ll never have a cooker as versatile as a hasty bake. I have a couple but still keep my wsm since it was one of my first cookers.

 

[Vision]

Congrats Shan.

There's a guy in Springfield trying to sell one on Craigslist. Maybe there's a deal to be had there. I'd start at $250.