Saturday, April 23, 2016

Welcome to The Smoker

Introduction

In 2013 we purchased a new barbecue.  It was a large 6 burner stainless steel unit which happened to have a cabinet style smoker on the left side.  I had always wanted to have a smoker to make jerky so this seemed like a great opportunity to replace our old Weber grill which had served us for 12+ years and add a new capability.  A little less than two years after acquiring this new super grill, I loaded it on our utility trailer to deliver it to the recycling center.  The cost for the modest list of parts to restore the grill to a useful state was about the same as the price of an entirely new unit, same size, without the smoker.  In addition to that, the smoker, which worked pretty well, would not maintain low enough temperatures to actually smoke food.  So off to the recycling center it went.  If was a frustrating decision. I'm not used to packaging up a half dozen c-notes and throwing them away.   

Green Mountain Grill
Daniel Boone Model
With thermal blanket installed
Several months later, a few days after Christmas 2015, we purchased a new pellet grill.  The goal was to find a grill well made, with lots of features, excellent support, and very capable.  There were really only two manufacturers in the price range and size that we could consider.  These were Traeger and Green Mountain Grill.  Both companies offer a mid size grill that would fit nicely on our deck.  Both grills have offerings of that size in the $500-700 price range.  We ended up selecting a Green Mountain Grill - Daniel Boone model.  What were the questions and issues that supported that decision:
  • Temperature range.  The GMG supports lower smoking temperatures - 150 degrees.
  • Wifi interface to the controller.  The current state of the meat or the grill can be monitored and managed using an application on an Android or Apple smart phone.
  • Quality of materials - The metals and materials for the GMG just seems higher grade.  All of the materials in the smoke box are stainless steel.  Not chrome plated but stainless steel.   So far we've been very happy with the grill.  The next several entries will be specific recipes and experiences with the grill.

2 comments:

  1. I need to know which product is the best from the ones listed on the site?
    best kamado smokers and grills

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    Replies
    1. No sure why you're asking about another site and data that isn't this site. I'm a big fan of Green Mountain Grill pellet grills. They are electric - no gas necessary - are well made, and easy to use. There are lots of tips/tricks available to simplify their use and make maintenance easy. There are things about them I don't like - or wish they would address. The most obvious one is making it easy to switch from one wood species to another. I use a 1-pint plastic container to scoop out the pellets in the grill to add another type of wood. I've taken the easy way out and use Alder wood for most recipies. It's a mild flavor wood that works well with pork and beef. The WIFI interface and phased-locked-loop heat control provides dependable temperature. I still find that we need a gas grill for cooking without smoke so we have a modest Weber gas grill that provides that functionality.

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