My first UDS fire basket was the bottom foot of an El Cheapo Brinkman. I left the feet on it, left the grate in the bottom, put a piece of baling wire across the top. It worked pretty damned good- I gave it to my SIL- he still uses it. I saw everyone using expando and figured it would be "better" since everyone used it and all... it wasn't. The ECB made a better fire basket than a smoker - that's for sure.