When I first started driving a car on a track, there were lots of rich guys on the track with GT3s and 360 Stradales who had the same skills I did. I felt a need to upgrade my track car. A wise instructor told me, "When you reach the point where your car is holding you back, it is time to upgrade."
Basically, he was saying I should master driving in what I had to drive, before moving up. I had a cheap, but well prepared track car. I needed to outgrow it before even thinking about moving up.
Assuming you have a workable cooker, I think the same thing applies. If you can produce good BBQ on a 20-year-old kettle, then you will produce even better BBQ on a high end smoker. If the food you produce on that old kettle sucks, then buying a high-end smoker ain't going to do any good.
When you reach a point where your cooker is holding you back, lose it and upgrade. Or, if you are rich, just buy the Ferrari of cookers now, and fark up in style. :becky:
CD
At what point should you upgrade your smoker? For most of you was it just a size thing? I cook with a Chargriller as my signature says and currently haven't had issues with size (20 lbs of pork shoulder is enough). It doesn't hold heat very well, but otherwise is okay. Will I really see an improvement if I upgrade to a much more expensive offset cooker or am I just being silly?
The biggest single step up in my smoking was the purchase of my egg. The ceramic cookers, IMO, take it to a new level. They provide a moist environment (highly efficient, little air passing through the cooker), extremely stable temps for long periods (think, I can sleep at night) and repeatable results. Costly but worth it!
I absolutely could not agree more. I had the chargriller with side firebox that I cut my teeth on for my house (we use an Ole Hickory for comps, parties, catering, etc.)
You're learning things the hard way on the Char Griller...I promise.
With my BGE XL, you'll feel like something is missing. No need to add fuel, very, very consistent temps. I'm not going to say set it and forget it...but compared to my old char, it darn near is.
In addition, and I know this is a smoker thread...you can do 550 to 700 degree pizza cooks, steak sears, etc., on a ceramic.
I say get what you can afford... there is certainly nothing wrong with a WSM either.
But having a ceramic, I'll never go back to anything else for smoking at home.
I like the old chargriller and its done well for me so far as I've been learning over the past three years. My wife actually started the addiction. She bought the chargriller at Krogers for $75.00. I know it uses a ton of charcoal (royal oak). It takes about twelve pounds of lump charcoal plus wood in the summer and double that in the winter to do a Pork Butt at 225 degrees!