Reddit reviews Weber 22-inch Smokey Mountain Cooker, Charcoal Smoker

Weber Smokey Mountain Also a great option, especially if he is already using a Weber Kettle.

That price range definitely limits your choices, but you still have some options.

If he would be willing to go the electric route (some guys will be OK with this, some purists might not be) then I have had good luck with Masterbuilt products. Years ago I grabbed a simple Masterbuilt electric smoker to play around with and had a lot of fun with it and made some darn good food before I upgraded. Something like this guy would fit the bill at $250. Arguments about BBQ authenticity while going electric aside, these are super easy to use. No charcoal. No propane. Just add some wood chips and plug it in.

You could find a propane smoker for a similar price. Amazon has this one for less than $200. I've never used a propane smoker, but for what you are looking for it may be a great fit.

Finally the last thing I would recommend does go over your budget. So if that is set it stone you can disregard this one. If you are able to go above $250 you might want to consider going with a Weber Smokey Mountain. It uses charcoal for fuel and it takes a little more work than an electric or propane model. That said these things are popular for a reason. It will produce some fantastic, authentic BBQ. The version I linked is the $400 22-inch model, but you can nab the 18-inch version for $300. If you have the means and you think this is a hobby your husband could really sink his teeth into, I think this would be a great choice.

Regardless what you choose to go with I'm sure he'll love it and have a lot of fun making you guys some great meals. Good luck.

I am partial to the WSM and think it really is the best bang for your buck. I have had the one I use regularly for nearly 5 years without problem.

Temperature regulation is easy on the WSM and allows you to do overnight cooks with ease. With the new 22 1/2 inch WSM you have a huge cooker for a good price. Plus, its $29 cheaper which allows you to get the Maverick ET 73 and your first set of ribs and charcoal for the cook.

https://www.amazon.com/Weber-731001-Mountain-22-Inch-Charcoal/dp/B001I8ZTJA

http://virtualweberbullet.com/

http://amazingribs.com

My WSM is built like a champ and feels like it is going to last forever.

I'm a big fan of making stuff with my hands. Keeps me busy and very gratifying. Cooking, smoking/bbq, and woodworking are my favorites.

Cooking doesn't take a ton of money to get started and is probably the most useful. I'd recommend a good set of knives and a decent set of pots and pans. Other than that, pick a cookbook and start cooking your way through it.

BBQ/smoking has become an obsession for me to the point where i made my own pit and everything. But you can get a WSM for about $400 if you like the idea of babysitting a charcoal/wood fire for many hours (preferably with your favorite beer or stogies or whatever) or if "set it and forget it" is more your speed, any of the hundreds of varieties of electric smokers out there are great. /r/smoking is a great resource for all things smoking. I started with pulled pork and ribs and have since done those dozens of times, brisket, chuck roast, jerky (so much jerky), sausage, snack sticks, turkey, chicken, etc.

Woodworking is probably the most cost intensive as far as overhead but the possibilities are endless. /r/woodworking is a cool place from what i've seen but I've spent a majority of my time obsessing over Matthias Wandels website and youtube channel. He's a magician with woodworking.

If none of that tickles your fancy, I'll drop the typical plug for reading. The thing with reading is that it's kind of a secondary hobby for me. I have to really love whatever it is I'm reading about. So it takes me a long time to find fiction I like and then i burn through it pretty quick. But I read a lot about my other hobbies in the non fiction category.

Podcasts are a great way to multi-task but, like reading, it helps to listen to stuff you're already interested in. I get book recommendations from some of the podcasts i listen to.

My last one would be working out. Find some sort of fitness you really like and just dive in. Running, biking, crossfit, olympic lifting, mud runs, body building or just plain picking up heavy shit and putting it down.

That's my list and pretty much how I spend my life outside of work, family and sports fandom. Feel free to PM me if you have questions or whatever.

And for whatever it's worth, i'm in a midwest town of about 75,000 as well.

I went smokey mountain 22” on mine. I also have a 22” regular Weber kettle for when I just want to BBQ.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001I8ZTJA/ref=twister_B016PTQVF2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

However you do it a kit like the BBQ guru is awesome because it maintains the constant temp for you.

https://www.amazon.com/BBQ-Temperature-Controller-Digital-Thermometers/dp/B00UIA3WRU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468240770&sr=8-1&keywords=bbq+guru+cyberq+wifi

[Weber Smokey Mountain] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001I8ZTJA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_Y5goyb44P3S2A) is a charcoal based smoker but is more involved, and effort than an electrical smoker. The WSM has 18.5 inches model ($299) and it suffices the needs for my family of five. If he likes to smoke for a larger group or bigger smokes/batches the 22.5 inch ($399) version. The Weber 18.5 is available at Lowes and Homedepot.

For the person who want to be more hands off and not tend to the smoking process the recommendation is an electrical smoker. I have a Master Build Electrical smoker 30 inches front control model with a glass front. More suited for cold smoke process for cheese and salmon (with option attachment) as well as the traditional ribs and meat. The positive of an electrical smoker it is easy to smoke all you have to do is add chips and don't worry about the charcoal and baby the temperature. The negative over the WSM you will not get a smoke ring on your meats and the depth of flavor is greater on the WSM since you including the hardwood charcoal to the flavor portfolio.

A great companion gift is the Thermoworks wireless thermometer $99.


Alway worth searching online for a Black Friday special. I got my MES with $100 off on a Black Friday Amazon sales a couple of years back.

Sites
http://amazingribs.com/BBQ_buyers_guide/smokers/

Try craigslist. I was able to pick up an 18.5 for $150 this spring. Make sure to set up alerts though. They never lasted more than a day in my area.

According to camelcamelcamel the 22.5 has not been on sale on Amazon since the end of 2011.

We registered for a smoker. It's probably the most expensive thing on there, but we are DYING to get it. Even if no one buys it for us we're still going to get one after. But most of our friends and family know that it's the one thing that we're really hoping for, and they will all reap the delicious benefits, so I think we have a good chance!

If this is the price range you're looking at, then you simply cannot do better than the Weber Smokey Mountain. Trust me. Spend the money now and you won't be sorry.

Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker. . .

Get the WSM which is what I use.

Weber 731001 Smokey Mountain Cooker 22-Inch Charcoal Smoker, Black
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001I8ZTJA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_5XoYBbD778Y64

I don't know much about gas smokers other than this one, so if it's a gas smoker you want, I can't help.

However, if you are looking for a general recommendation, I would go with a WSM. It's what replaced my gas smoker, and I have been happy with it over the last 4 years since I got it. To make things easier so that the smoker doesn't have to have a babysitter, I also got a temperature regulator which allows overnight briskets as well as sleep.

The price is a bit steep for each of these, but it has been well worth it because of the end product.