grills Chargriller Deluxe Smoker, Opinions?

I prefer low and slow for the ritual of it. Relax, smell the smoke in the air, put some tunes on the stereo, drink some brews, shoot the sheeit with the peeps. Maybe I'm seeing it wrong, but I still consider 250 to be in the low and slow range. The only time I go hot and fast is when I'm grilling over direct heat. But that's just me.
 
The Hot Pepper said:
Like I said it's all preference.

225, 250, 275 are all good smoking temps. Ribs can be done very well at 275 for 4 hours (Johnny Trigg style). They can also be done for 6 hours using the 3-2-1 method. I prefer the results at 225 after 5. None are exactly the same but all taste good. Grilling can even taste good.
 
Hot and fast you have to watch more just as you do anything else. Eggs in a pan on low... eggs in pan on high... what temps are you at for hot and fast? I assumed you meant 300-350 or higher?
 
Hey OP, glad you found a smoker you think you will like. Keep us posted!
 
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Cheers mate! Yes, I think I am going to pull the trigger on the Hark smoker. It's within my price range and from all accounts is superior to the Chargriller unit. The next step up is pretty much the Yoder, which are priced in the thousands. I'm happy to spend 500-600 for a decent unit to learn on, not ready to blow thousands on a pro unit just yet... Still cheaper than the WSM and has bigger cooking area, and can do everything from low n slow to very hot direct grilling. Now, the next mission..... where to place it! No room on the backyard pergola, so will have to live out in the elements, but pretty sure Hark sells covers to protect it from the elements. 
 
During my childhood, my parents always used a charcoal kettle, and it was always a fun and damn tasty cookout. Wanting to get back into the charcoal scene not just for the nostalgia, but because it is the ultimate way to BBQ. 
 
If you're looking at the Tri-Fire, man that looks great! That is built for smoking without needing mods. The way the chimney, inside, comes down to the grate, pulls the smoke across the meat instead of pulling the smoke to the top. That's usually a mod you do yourself. The steel is thick. The main cooking grates are cast iron, my favorite. Win!
 
HEAPS better than Char-Griller, those are flimsy as hell!
 
The Hot Pepper said:
If you're looking at the Tri-Fire, man that looks great! That is built for smoking without needing mods. The way the chimney, inside, comes down to the grate, pulls the smoke across the meat instead of pulling the smoke to the top. That's usually a mod you do yourself. The steel is thick. The main cooking grates are cast iron, my favorite. Win!
 
HEAPS better than Char-Griller, those are flimsy as hell!
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That's one of the things that caught my eye... the chimney actually extends to the grate. Nice touch! And cast iron is an immediate win, ofcourse! Many owners seem to use charcoal boxes and heat baffles to improve temps and reduce fuel use, but I've also heard that a water pan right near the firebox helps regulating temps. I will look into the charcoal box idea. Most forumers on the BBQ forums seem to swear by it for improving airflow and temp stability, but don't seem to be available off the shelf. In any case. I'm sure it will cook up a great meal for the average person, like myself :) Infact I'll probably using it more for direct and indirect cooking in the main chamber and definitely for very high temp pizza cooking. 
 
Look up minion method. Your coals will last forever. Put your coals in the firebox, then on top, put a layer of burning coals. It burns down instead of up so it lasts a lot longer.
 
If you're gonna smoke, SMOKE BABY!
 

 
 
The Hot Pepper said:
Look up minion method. Your coals will last forever. Put your coals in the firebox, then on top, put a layer of burning coals. It burns down instead of up so it lasts a lot longer.
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Cool, thanks for the tip! Speaking of coals, just unloaded a pallet of 10kg bags of Heat Beads at work today. Think the total was about 400kg worth of coal put out on the shop floor. Imagined myself cooking over those coals in my to-be-purchased smoker while wiping the sweat from my face :) Then proceeded to unload about 700kg of those big dog food bags... big day! 
 
The Hot Pepper said:
If you're looking at the Tri-Fire, man that looks great! That is built for smoking without needing mods. The way the chimney, inside, comes down to the grate, pulls the smoke across the meat instead of pulling the smoke to the top. That's usually a mod you do yourself. The steel is thick. The main cooking grates are cast iron, my favorite. Win!
 
HEAPS better than Char-Griller, those are flimsy as hell!
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That looks like a really well built smoker
 
The Hark looks sturdier than the CharGriller. Is the CharGriller anything like a Charbroil? Those Charbroils flex all over the place. As for the Yoder, the first model, the Cheyenne?, is $899, not thousands. Still not cheap, I admit...I had to check out the metrics-to-inches conversion on the Hark specs. It's listed as 2.5MM. That comes out to 3/32" thick/thin. Personally, I couldn't pull the pin on $600 for something that flimsy.
 
Char-Griller is what they sell at Lowe's, and yeah, when you open the lid it wiggles.
 
The Hot Pepper said:
Char-Griller is what they sell at Lowe's, and yeah, when you open the lid it wiggles.
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Yep, but it isn't $600 either. My friend has to put bricks on the closed lid of her Charbroil since it has become so warped from the heat. I just think $600for 3/32" steel (Hark) is not really a bargain. Anyone checked the warranty on the Hark?
 
Grills and smokers in this country are generally somewhat expensive. Although I do earn a fair chunk more (work in retail) than I would at Walmart for an equivalent job (Oz wages are high). What does a shelf stacker earn at a department store in the US? The WSM 18.5" model sells for $699 vs $300 in the US. That is bullcrap IMO, even when taking into account exchange rates, import duties, taxes etc.   I found one place that sells the Hark for $549. I'd rather spend less and have more functionality than the WSM. I've scoured all the BBQ forums and it seems all the Hark owners are impressed with their unit, some of them post pics of their food done in the smoker which looked like the stuff you see in Man vs Food. 
 
The Chargriller sells for $169 without the firebox and from what I've heard, the firebox costs almost as much as the main unit itself! I've even seen a second-hand Chargriller w/ firebox go for $300. 
 
$200 for the whole shibang at Wally World.
 
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Char-Griller-Smokin-Pro-Grill-Smoker/10583514
 
Which one to buy, Hark or CG, don't really know. Depends on how much you plan on smokin. CG is a good "first smoker"; lets you get your feet wet re the whole meat smoking thing. If you're already past newbie stage and like to smoke a lot, perhaps the Hark is better suited for ya.
 
My chargriller worked great wasnt sloppy at all. The only thing I didnt like was the direct opening from the firebox which I would use a small metal tray on an angle to deflect the direct heat if I used the entire grill space. If not I would keep everything on the far end. Just like a hot spot on the grill
 
If you have the $ and want the better one go for it. Being a newbie smoker has no bearing. They are both offset smokers, same basic design, same learning curve, one looks like a better design for smoking, and more durable. Up to you! The only newbie concern could be, are you going to lose interest in a month? Well if you're sure you like smoking and smoked food, go for the better one. Post pics of first smoke.
 
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