grills New Grill
- Thread starter crazy8
- Start date
The chargriller being "leaky" is the damper in the stack being closed - I held temps in mine for the long burns for butts and briskets with one maybe two refills from the chimney depending on a lot of factors one is the size of the meat. Im not sure what you are looking for... Did you pick these two because they are in your price range? or did you pick them as examples? Do you smoke a lot of meats or whatever? outrageous backyard parties? or is this something for a few friends and family to enjoy? I know when I got mine I virtually smoked and bbq'd everything so much so that we probably have it a few times a year now.
If I had the money and space the kingfisher is real nice so is a BGE (which is what I ultimately would like to have)
If I had the money and space the kingfisher is real nice so is a BGE (which is what I ultimately would like to have)
Well I just started grilling so as of right now I tend to throw on some chicken breasts with some of my own BBQ sass. Other than that its just been some dogs and burgers. So I use it for cooking dinner for the fam or small gatherings at our home. I would like to smoke though I dont know how much I would do it for sure. I did a Google search for "Best Grills of 2011" I think it was, and I found a site that had a list of grills that these both were on. They are kind of in my price range but I don't want to be buying a new grill every couple years either. No outrageous backyard parties but maybe that will change? lol But it is surely something for the friends and family to enjoy. I may have complicated the decision. Maybe saving my doll hairs will get me that Kingfisher for next year. 
Downriver
Extreme Member
If your only grilling and not really "smoking" anything (yet) pretty much any grill will work as your cook time will be less than an hour most of the time and not 10+ hours. However if your serious about getting into "smoking" you might want to reconsider your choices keeping in mind that a good "smoker" will be a lot more in cost.
If your only starting off and have never smoked anything and want to learn the ropes start off with a chargriller. it will work fine and will help you decide if you really want to cook food for a LONG time or not. This way your not dropping a ton of money on a nice fancy smoker that you may or may not use often.
I have a Char Griller and it's been going strong for over 7 years. I mostly smoke chicken and ribs which don't go over the 4 to 5 hour mark. I have done many butts that took 10 to 12 hours. The price is great and mine has certainly held up. On the long smoke times you do need to pay attention and keep the fire box going more than I'm sure you would if you had a much more expensive unit.
It's great for general grilling and you can buy replacement parts from their site for cheap if needed. I'm ready for a new coal grate in the main barrel but that is expected after 7 years. It's been good for me as my first smoker and easy to learn on. You can't beat the price and it's made right here in Georgia. My next smoker/grill will be something bigger and better as I'm ready to do larger quantities and up my game. It will definitely cost quite a bit more.
It's great for general grilling and you can buy replacement parts from their site for cheap if needed. I'm ready for a new coal grate in the main barrel but that is expected after 7 years. It's been good for me as my first smoker and easy to learn on. You can't beat the price and it's made right here in Georgia. My next smoker/grill will be something bigger and better as I'm ready to do larger quantities and up my game. It will definitely cost quite a bit more.
This is what I was alluding to. Thanks for putting words to my thoughts
Agreed. My grate went as well fortunatly I had a friend that was able to cut me a piece of heavy duty grid that is outlasting the grill.
I belong to a BBQ forum that has a great web presence. Lots of folks use either, but more seem partial to their Webers than anything. A larger and more expensive rig would be nice, but a Weber is a tried and true cooker. I have seen 5 star meats come off of them. I own two Weber's, the One touch Gold, and the Performer. I know can do an indirect method and have a smoke cook burn for over 8 hours without touching or checking it. Yes, it takes a little practice and research, but it is more than possible to do. Any questions, just send me a PM. Hope this helped.
Moved to correct forum.
Originally I voted for the Weber Performer and I'm not changing my recommendation. I did happen to pick up an abandoned Char Griller it is a great grill. The cast iron grates and the ability to raise and lower the coals are nice features. I can see the Weber lasting much longer and the propane starter and one touch system are super convenient, but you wouldn't regret choosing a Char Griller either, it's just a bit more work to set up and clean and will probably not last quite as long. I don't have the side firebox on the Char Griller, so I can't say what would be best for smoking. Smoked chicken and ribs are so easy on the Weber thanks to the hinged grates and coal baskets.