dehydrators smoker and dehydrator with the best bang for the buck!

magicpepper

magicpepper

i am looking to get a smoker and a dehydrator and im looking for the ones with the best bang for the buck.
ill spare you my life details and all the sappy crap im going through, (its in my profile anyway). but i am poor and cant afford much, but i can save up the money and eventually buy them, i am just looking for every-bodies opinions and experience's with their smokers and dehydrators, and which one works best and which doesnt, because soon i am going to purchase one of each, for now i have a dehydrator that i can use but it doesnt do very much at one time, and when you have 5lbs of pods and a dehydrator that only fits a pound, it can turn a 2 day job into a 2 week job very fast, and i am getting tired of using my bbq to smoke meat, peppers, and anything else i want to smoke.
 
edit: if i am going to save up and spend my money on a dehydrator or smoker that is worth a few hundred bucks i want to make sure i am getting the best my money can buy, because i know you get what you pay for when it is cheap. 
 
Go for a hot plate and large Refridgerator type cardboard box to start with.
Old refridgerators work good too with a hot plate...
 
http://www.bing.com/search?q=alton%20brown%20smoker%20plans&pc=cosp&ptag=A5BF6B6ADC0DE427696F&form=CONBNT&conlogo=CT3210127
 
http://www.smokertips.com/meat-smokers/smoker-plans.html
 
A couple hundred $ min. for a dehydrator AND smoker will buy you garbage...
 
Google home made stuff that works as well and costs the same or less but does more.
 
Gives you time to shop around for something worth saving for and buying.
I've been through a lot of store bought smokers.
Most suck without being messed with first.
 
A cheep home made unit also lets you learn about what you really need for what you want to smoke and dehydrate.Learn the process.
 
A cold smoker works for a lot of dry pods,more than any dehydrator can deal with.
 
Lots of people smoke fresh pods for a while then use a hot plate set on low to dry the pods rather than mess with a smokers fire.
 
You didnt say if you wanted to grill on it as well. HD  has a charbroiler with a side firebox for a 144$ I had one that lasted a longtime and treated me well. Especially in the early stages of smoking there is also Brinkmann Smoke 'N Grill Charcoal Smoker and Grill for 50$. You can do what Smokemaster said as well. Dehydrators there are a lot to choose from you can find at walmart that are decent and get the job done it may take a while but it will do it. There is Presto Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator with Adjustable Temperature Control at walmart for 60$ that can expand to 12 trays
 
the only cooking i want to be able to do on the smoker is from the smoking process, id like to be able to smoke a chicken or pork butt or shoulder, and be able to eat it after its done smoking. but i dont want insane heat either, if i want to cook it fast then ill use my bbq. low and slow is the way i want to go
 
i thought about making my own, but by the time i bought all the materials, it would be more expensive then buying one, up here in canada everything is 3 times more expensive then the united states. 
 
smokemaster, thanks for the links. great info and ideas. but i have looked into the garbage can idea and i just cant justify spending $35  on a metal trash can, and $120 on a hot plate to make a homemade smoker, when i can buy a smoker roughly the same size for $59 at the local out doors store. granted i will get a little more room with the trash can idea.
 
magicpepper said:
smokemaster, thanks for the links. great info and ideas. but i have looked into the garbage can idea and i just cant justify spending $35  on a metal trash can, and $120 on a hot plate to make a homemade smoker, when i can buy a smoker roughly the same size for $59 at the local out doors store. granted i will get a little more room with the trash can idea.
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I bought the $59 smoker a few years back. You cannot trust the temp gauge, then again you should never on any smoker that has it built in. It has terrible air flow, leaks smoke and all around sucked. This spring it made it to the curb so it could stop occupying space in the garage. 
 
I love using my Master Built for smoking pods. I doubt I would have ever bought one but my first one was a gift. I smoked it until it died. I have since bought another one and use it for pods and keep the WSM for the meats and such.
 
http://www.amazon.com/Masterbuilt-20070910-30-Inch-Electric-Smokehouse/dp/B00104WRCY
 
magicpepper said:
id like to be able to smoke a chicken or pork butt or shoulder, and be able to eat it after its done smoking.
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:lol:

Eat it? What else would you do with it?
 
The Hot Pepper said:
:lol:

Eat it? What else would you do with it?
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:rofl:
some people like the cold smoke method, and you have to cook it after you smoke, i meant that once it comes out of the smoker i dont want to have to cook it 

JoynersHotPeppers said:
I bought the $59 smoker a few years back. You cannot trust the temp gauge, then again you should never on any smoker that has it built in. It has terrible air flow, leaks smoke and all around sucked. This spring it made it to the curb so it could stop occupying space in the garage. 
 
I love using my Master Built for smoking pods. I doubt I would have ever bought one but my first one was a gift. I smoked it until it died. I have since bought another one and use it for pods and keep the WSM for the meats and such.
 
http://www.amazon.com/Masterbuilt-20070910-30-Inch-Electric-Smokehouse/dp/B00104WRCY
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that is a really nice smoker, and a decent price as well. 
 
that $59 smoker is kind of crapy, i wasnt going to buy it, but just used it as an example, compared to the $160 homemade version and that doesnt include buying the thermometer for it. so lets say $180 for a homemade one or $177 for that really nice one on amazon, id have to go with amazon
 
edit: that exact same smoker on amazon.ca is $349.44  so i couldnt get it for $177.  id have to pay the $349.44 plus $93 for shipping.   see what i mean about canada being more expensive for EVERYTHING. its ridiculous.  
 
That is the one I was talking about at home depot, if you have one, 50$ for a bullet I might buy one to take to the beach with me when Im camping
 
LUCKYDOG said:
That is the one I was talking about at home depot, if you have one, 50$ for a bullet I might buy one to take to the beach with me when Im camping
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yes there is a home depot here, i seen one at a place called Canadian tire (automotive and outdoors store) for $59 on sale from $79. its not on sale anymore, and its almost the same but the temp gauge is shit and cant be trusted.
here is the link
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/masterchef-vertical-smoker-0851013p.html#.U6ryPPldVck
 
i like the look of this one
 
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/bradley-original-4-rack-electric-smoker-0780026p.html#.U6ryivldVck

The Hot Pepper said:
Oops didn't see your post LUCKYDOG.

Yup the ECB is the way to go. You can mod it up to perform like a WSM, or just use as is. Good beginner smoker.

Here is is on Canadian amazon: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/offer-listing/B000LNTPIO/ref=dp_olp_new_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=new

Never mind that link I posted before, not sure why they are asking that much! Don't know the exchange rates either though.
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the exchange rate is not far off from each other, $1 usd is $1.07 cdn
 
the canadian government charges duty on everything not made in canada, they didnt get their taxes from it being made here so they take their taxes when you have it shipped here, hence to extreme difference in price. greed plays a big role in the prices of everything in canada. even when the canadian dollar was worth more then the american, it was still the same. i could have drove down to the states and bought a $100 u.s item for say $90 canadain, but when i got to the boarder and declared my items id have to pay the duty and taxes and it would take it up to $150 or more, its just plain right out stupid
 
I'm pretty partial the the Little Chief line of smokers.  They are relatively inexpensive, very simple, and last forever (we've had ours for 40 years, passed down from my wife's dad).
 
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_sporting-goods?ie=UTF8&field-brandtextbin=Smokehouse+Products&node=3375251
 
One thing to keep in mind, the smaller the smoker, the harder it will be to keep the temp down when smoking.  So a taller smoker with multiple shelves will allow you to smoke at a much lower temp on the upper shelf.
 
as for homedepot.ca this is the cheapest smoker i can get at home depot and its $149
http://www.homedepot.ca/product/american-gourmet-300-series-charcoal-offset-smoker/813414

turbo said:
I'm pretty partial the the Little Chief line of smokers.  They are relatively inexpensive, very simple, and last forever (we've had ours for 40 years, passed down from my wife's dad).
 
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_sporting-goods?ie=UTF8&field-brandtextbin=Smokehouse+Products&node=3375251
 
One thing to keep in mind, the smaller the smoker, the harder it will be to keep the temp down when smoking.  So a taller smoker with multiple shelves will allow you to smoke at a much lower temp on the upper shelf.
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thats a nice looking smoker, but to get it in canada its almost 3 times the price. thats the issue i am having. and the cheap ones here ($80 and up) are like the $20 discount bin junk you get down there
oh and it does not help that minimum wage here in ontario is $11/hr which is $10.26/hr in u.s dollars. my brother is renting a 3 bedroom house for $1600 with a very small yard, and pays for electricity on top of that, my parents bought their house for $189,000 with half an acre of land and pay $1400 a month for mortgage, electricity, insurance (house and car), property taxes. and food. really the only extra cost to what my parents pay a month is $700 every few months for house oil. and obviously what ever else they want. but it is a lot cheaper to buy then it is to rent in this part of ontario (kingston area)
 
OUCH!  that sucks. 
 
Just a thought...have you looked on craigs list?  You might be able to pick up a good used smoker from someone local and skip the US => CA price hike
 
Are you going for wood or eclectic? ECB is wood/charcoal. The one you posted is electric.
 
turbo said:
OUCH!  that sucks. 
 
Just a thought...have you looked on craigs list?  You might be able to pick up a good used smoker from someone local and skip the US => CA price hike
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i have looked on there but there, but i have to be careful because there is a big scam thing going on up here, and kijiji is just as bad, last year i think some guy in toronto was kidnapped and killed i dont know the whole story behind it but he posted his truck on kijiji and they pretended to be interested in it and kidnapped and killed him, crazy shit goin on up here. plus people watch to much tv and think their garbage is worth millions!!!
 
The Hot Pepper said:
Are you going for wood or eclectic? ECB is wood/charcoal. The one you posted is electric.
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honestly i have no preference,  which ever is better is what i want, i know with the electric you set it and walk away, with charcoal you have to monitor it and adjust accordingly, i like the hands on idea but at the same time, i like the idea of set it and forget it lol
maybe ill just build a smokehouse out of wood and get an electric smoke box for it or something
 
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