Help newbie!!

[dmengs]

Hello,

Im after some help! Im after a new bbq for the summer dont want to spend more than £150 and must NOT be gas.
I quite fancy having a go at smoking some joints of meat for a centre piece at the bbq, but it will mostly be used for grilling.

Can anyone reccomend a good bbq to buy and what other things i may need.

Thanks!

[Eddie]

I purchased a pro Q dose every thing that you will need (Low and slow, cold smoking and can be used for grilling). Toby was selling these, dont know if he has any left ?, mybe if you send him a pm he would be able to tell you if he has any left. If you need to have a look at one of these, their is a video on U TUBE under Pro Excel 20 BBQ Smoker.
I got one over chrismas and have used it many times, it's a good Q for the price.

Hope you have some luck

Eddie

[clairbare]

I agree with Eddie the Pro Q is a good smoker and can also be used just to grill. I am sure there will be others who have different cookers like the Webers etc and their comments can also be weighed up although I think the Webers are more pricey. HTH

Oh and welcome

[Swindon_Ed]

You could just use a weber kettle which would fall into that price range and can easily be setup for smoking using indirect cooking but also be used for traditional grilling.

Don't get me wrong a dedicated smoker is easier to control the temperature with on a long cook but for occasional use a Weber will be great for this.

All this talk of using a kettle has got me thinking i need to get mine going as I’ve been neglecting it recently.

[Swindon_Ed]

One essential bit of kit is going to be a chimney starter if you’re buying a charcoal bbq

[Steve]

I'd agree with Ed on this. I'd say that your best buy would be a Weber kettle. A 57cm one touch original will set you back around £100, that leaves some of your budget left for a chimney starter.

As you've stated your priority is grilling but you'd like the option of doing joints, I think the Weber is a better fit than a Pro Q which would be a superior smoker but far inferior grill.

[All Weather Griller]

Newbie,

I feel the need to warn you about this trap you are walking head on into. The £150 budget you have set is admirable and... the advice you have received is outstanding and is worthy of some ridiculous consultancy fee but my advice would be that if you have an even the most remote chance of an addictive personality to do the following:

pick up a Weber One Touch Silver Kettle 57cm circa for grilling and smoking - £95 - £105 and leave the forum, don't look back, don't ask any questions, DON'T YOUTUBE BEER CAN CHICKEN, never wonder what KCBS is, don't even sneak peak at the pics of ridiculously gorgeous food, don't listen to the "You can BBQ in any weather", don't enquire where can I get charcoal out of season or ask what wood goes with Pork and can you use some cherry?

I really look forward to your posts, but when we see you turn up at a competition asking for directions to the American Candy Store and wondering if there is a Bookers nearby, please don't say I didn't warn you!

[Eddie]

If your still confused and need more info on Q's by all means add more post on the site, as you can see from the replys, people a'nt shy. Or better still pop along to the Pitmaster's cooking class on the 19th March. Details are on the News part of the forum.

Good Luck
Eddie.

[Vic.]

I'm new to this lark also and I'm always reading negative things about mass produced smokers, from poor construction to crappy temperature gauges, etc. I've decided to build my own, its a learning curve but I wouldn't have it any other way

[Chris__M]

Adie is right, run away now.

I came on here, having had a few years grilling experience with a Weber kettle, and wanting to know how to get more out of it with regard to slow cooking and smoking.

Within a few months, I'd added a pellet smoker to my collection.

So get out now, while you still can.

On a more serious note, I think the Weber one-touch (plus a chimney starter) is also the way to go for you. Even though I am having great fun with my pellet grill, I still love my Weber, as it is so flexible.