Weber 2820 Smokey Mountain Cooker/Smoker Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The Weber Smokey Mountain (WSM) is really the king of the bullet smokers. You may be tempted to go with a cheaper Brinkmann model, and if your budget just can't afford the WSM, then you can do some prefectly acceptible bbq on the brinkmann.
But if you can afford the extra for the WSM, you will get much better temperature control, and getting good temperature control means you can keep a good consistent low temeperature for doing some truly outstanding smoke cooking.
I am by no means an expert on the subject, only having used my WSM about 10 times. Even so, I have been getting results better than any ribs I have tasted at any restaurant (with the exception of real honest to goodness BBQ joints that cook over hardwood for 12 hours plus...). You can tell real barbecue because it has a pink smoke ring in the meat, which I always get when I use the WSM.
You will want to check on the net for the virtual WSM web page, it has a lot of information, and I found the info there a lot more useful than the methods recommended in the owner's manual.
This cooker is not for the impatient who want instant results, your first few times using it may be frustrating until you learn to control where the temperature is going, not where it is right now. But stick with it and you will start to make some truly great bbq. And understand that you are going to be cooking low and slow, which means it is going to take 4, 5, 6 hours or more to do ribs, but once you get the hang of it, they will be some of the best ribs you have tasted.
More than a fair number of barbecue champions use the WSM get results as good as if not better than those guys using the $1000 plus offset pits. The WSM is a great value and the perfect starter "pit" for someone thinking about getting into serious barbecue.
(You can do yourself a favor by using hickory wood chunks as part of the fuel, and real lump charcoal, not briquettes. Briquettes are nice and all, but they are filled with clay and other impurities, really if you are going to the trouble of using charcoal instead of gas, go with real charcoal if you can find it)

Click Here to see more reviews about: Weber 2820 Smokey Mountain Cooker/Smoker

When there is no denying your hunger for slow-cooked barbecue, the Smokey Mountain Cooker can handle your craving.With two 18-1/2-inch cooking grates, the Smokey Mountain Cooker can smoke a turkey and a ham at the same time.With it's porcelain-on-steel coating, rust-resistant aluminum fuel door, solid wood handle, it's designed to last for years to come.

Get 12% OFF

Click here for more information about Weber 2820 Smokey Mountain Cooker/Smoker

Read More...

Weber 731001 Smokey Mountain Cooker 22.5-Inch Smoker Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am cooking ribs on my 22" WSM as I type this. This will be my third time cooking since I received it a few weeks ago and the results I've been getting have been some of the tastiest barbeque I've ever had. The design is excellent, the build quality is excellent, the instructions and support from Weber - all excellent. But after all this "hype" the reason I only gave it 4 stars out of 5 is because, as good as it is, I believe Weber has over-priced it somewhat. I would have expected something of this size and quality to be priced closer to $350 or so.
Anyway, the good news is, the key to successful barbeque is temperature control. I threw away money a few years ago on a cheaper smoker in which it was almost impossible to control and ruined several dollars worth of meat trying. But temperature control is what makes this unit great. The WSM almost feels like cheating. Once you get it set, it just seems to stay locked into a very narrow temperature range requiring very little adjustment as it cooks. It's as easy to keep it "locked in" at 200 degrees as it is to keep it at 325. However, there are a few little tips and tricks of the trade to cooking on a smoker and barbeque in general that require a little research, trial and error, and discussion with experienced "pit masters." For this I highly recommend The Virtual Weber Bullet website and The Virtual Weber Bulletin Board. There is a wealth of knowledge there and you can get questions answered by professionals as well as pit master wannabes who are just starting out and learning too.
I would recommend starting with a Weber Smokey Mountain, a high-quality, easy to use smoker, rather than wasting money on a cheaper one only to realize later that it's too frustrating to use and then have to break down and buy the good one later. That would be the MOST expensive way to get into barbeque at home.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Weber 731001 Smokey Mountain Cooker 22.5-Inch Smoker

There's nothing better than slow-cooked barbecue, and there's no better way to get authentic smokehouse flavor at home than with this charcoal smoker. An updated version of the Weber 2820, the smoker provides a spacious interior, which makes it possible to cook a whole turkey and an entire ham at the same time--perfect for large gatherings. Made of porcelain-enameled premium-grade steel, the smoker provides two, heavy, nickel-plated cooking grates that measure 22-1/2 inches in diameter--plenty of room for larger birds. A porcelain-enameled steel water pan adds steam to the cooking process, so meats stay moist and juicy. Even more, individual vents on the bowl and lid offer optimal air-flow control for tender meats and longer-burning charcoal, the heat-resistant nylon handle on the lid stays cool to the touch, and a handy thermometer makes it simple to check internal temperatures at a glance. The charcoal smoker measures approximately 23 by 23 by 42 inches and carries a 10-year limited warranty.

Get 31% OFF

Click here for more information about Weber 731001 Smokey Mountain Cooker 22.5-Inch Smoker

Read More...

Weber 721001 Smokey Mountain Cooker 18 1/2 Inch Smoker Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As a fan of the earlier Smokey Mountain Cooker, I'm surprised and gratified with the changes they made to the smoker.
The previous smoker was an easy 5 stars in my book. I guess I'd have to give this one 6 stars, because it's better!
After using my old smoker for some time, I began finding ways to improve it. It seems that Weber thought so too, and their changes include all of mine plus a few more.
Here are some important improvements:
Wider door for adding charcoal & such. This is NOT a small detail but rather a much appreciated design change. The older model's smaller door made it more difficult to place wood chunks or new charcoal where I wanted them and once upon a time I knocked the water pan down into the coals trying to put a wood chunk toward the back of the smoker.
The door latch is spring loaded and features a lever type handle. The previous door latch is not spring loaded and had a featureless round knob. It was less secure and not always easy to tell if the latch was fully closed. Now it's obvious -- for those of us who need things to be obvious. :)
Built-in thermometer! To think I paid more than Amazon's current price on the smoker and then another $50 on a thermometer. Mine is even in the same place on the lid. Great minds think alike, I guess... and Weber added this useful feature while keeping the price under control.
Bottom ash catch pan. I never thought of that one but then again I have a concrete pad set up and it was never a big deal to sweep up a few stray ashes.
Overall, the smoker performs as well as the older model but is much easier to use. With the thermometer, it will be much easier to maintain temperature and smoke up some great grub right out of the box.
I am by no means an expert, but here are a few quick tips for using this smoker.
0. If you are interested in instant gratification, get a gas grill or go out for dinner. It takes some work, time and patience to use and maintain this smoker.
1. Keep the temperature as stable as you can.
2. Don't lift the lid any more than you have to (for mopping, adding charcoal, etc.
3. Use briquets, at least at first. It's much easier to work with compared to lump charcoal. If you do choose to use lump charcoal, don't add any extra wood chips or would chunks! You'll oversmoke the food and that's bad!
4. Start early. Give the charcoal time to start up, and the liquid in the water pan to get up to temperature before you put on the food.
5. Line the water pan with aluminum foil. Trust me; it will be much easier to clean later if you do!
6. Make small changes to the vents when you need to adjust the temperature. Give it some time to work.
7. Get a good book on smoking. I think we all know a good place to look for one...
8. The internet is your friend. Check out Weber's site, some of the bbq forums and most definitely Virtual Weber Bullet.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Weber 721001 Smokey Mountain Cooker 18 1/2 Inch Smoker

There's nothing better than slow-cooked barbecue, and there's no better way to get authentic smokehouse flavor at home than with this charcoal smoker. An updated version of the Weber 2820, the smoker provides a spacious interior, which makes it possible to cook a whole turkey and an entire ham at the same time--perfect for large gatherings. Made of porcelain-enameled premium-grade steel, the smoker provides two, heavy, nickel-plated cooking grates that measure 18-1/2 inches in diameter--plenty of room for larger birds. A porcelain-enameled steel water pan adds steam to the cooking process, so meats stay moist and juicy. Even more, individual vents on the bowl and lid offer optimal air-flow control for tender meats and longer-burning charcoal, the heat-resistant nylon handle on the lid stays cool to the touch, and a handy thermometer makes it simple to check internal temperatures at a glance. The charcoal smoker measures approximately 19 by 19 by 41 inches and carries a 10-year limited warranty.

Get 23% OFF

Click here for more information about Weber 721001 Smokey Mountain Cooker 18 1/2 Inch Smoker

Read More...