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Popular Types of BBQ Cookers
Let's see there's the
And of course the economical Oklahoma Joe, Brinkman and Weber series which be found on the lower right and clicking the link!
As you can see when choosing a cooker, you have several options to choose from, whether you like offsets or uprights, and whether you prefer wood, charcoal, or wood pellets as a fuel source.
An offset cooker, one that has the firebox to the right or the left side of the cooking chamber, uses full-sized wood, or large quantities of charcoal for a heat source. A large offset cooker requires constant attention (i.e. you won’t be sleeping much) and loses heat quickly if the heat source decreases. It’s not uncommon for these types of cookers to use one-quarter or one-third of a pick-up truck bed full of wood, or more, and carrying those quantities of wood to contests require a larger vehicle or a trailer to accommodate it. This is the more traditional style of barbecue cooker, and certainly, many contests are won with these offset cookers.
We have chosen an upright cooker that uses charcoal for fuel and wood chunks for smoke flavoring. Our particular unit has a charcoal pan in the bottom, a water pan and then six shelves in a cabinet that the meat sits on while cooking. It’s a very efficient design in that hot air rises and since the meat is directly above the heat source, the cooker doesn’t consume large quantities of charcoal or wood. Smoke travels through a passage that surrounds the meat (insulated cabinet design) and passes through the cooking chamber and out the exhaust. This design holds heat very well and doesn’t require constant (i.e. every 30-35 minutes) attention. A couple bags of charcoal (20-30 lbs.) provide enough heat for a barbecue contest. Many successful contest cookers use upright smokers.
We haven’t ever used a pellet cooker and aren’t that familiar them, but have seen them being used by some very successful competition cooks. Pellet cookers can be the most expensive cookers to purchase and operate. The cookers themselves are only part of the expense. The pellets used for heat and smoke aren’t readily available and when combined with the cost of shipping, the pellets can be quite expensive compared to charcoal. The pellets usually are fed into the heating chamber by an electric powered auger. Perhaps the expenses associated with these cookers and pellets will decrease, as they become more popular and more widely available.
Featured Smoker: Weber Smokey Moutain
The versatile Weber Smokey Mountain bullet smoker. The WSM as it is affectionately known, is a water smoker. It costs about $220 and is available for purchase on our catalog page. The WSM allows you to start cooking your own barbecue without investing in an expensive offset smoker. Then as you become more proficient, you can make the decision to upgrade to a bigger smoker. I still use my WSM to cook brisket in competition and at home for practice cooks.
Featured Custom Smoker: "McCullough's Pride"
There are numerous custom builders that will build a custom smoker for personal needs. I have purchased a "McCullough's Pride" fabricated by James McCullough of New Smyrna, FL. James is a BBQ judge, an excellent metal craftsman and an all-around good guy. If you have questions about the cooker made by James McCullough, or if you would like to contact him, please e-mail me and I will put you in contact with him.
Notice the commercial door latches
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