Best grill under $600

[BelemNole]

Sorry, the VDD is on the 640, not the 480. It’s a pretty slick system and so is the integrated grill grates set up.
But they’re both quality grills. I’m sure you’d be happy either way, I’ve seen good reviews of the rec tec as well.

 

[NotGuiltyNole]

I make fun of Pellet Poopers all the time, but for the average back yard cook who has a place to keep it covered they really are the best of both worlds (grilling and smoking). I would get a RecTec if I was buying one. I am basing this on the feedback of competition cooks who I respect that use them weekly. I also know people who cook on Treagers and they think very highly of them.

 

[mjpwooo]

$700 weber genesis 2 e-310 for $525....being delivered on Friday

 

[travnole]

$700 weber genesis 2 e-310 for $525....being delivered on Friday

Nice, and that is how a thread is supposed to work.

 

[SoddyNole]

I have been using this for 4 months and very happy with the purchase so far. Well built compared to similar priced brands in boxed stores.

https://store.grillagrills.com/products/silverbac-b-series

 

[BelemNole]

I've heard some good reviews of the gorilla grills products.

 

[seminoledq]

Anyone willing to admit they have or have had an electric smoker?

 

[BelemNole]

Anyone willing to admit they have or have had an electric smoker?

My buddy has one. He seems happy with it. They're cheap enough.

 

[SoddyNole]

Anyone willing to admit they have or have had an electric smoker?

I had the Masterbuilt that was somewhere around $200.00. The food tasted fine but the meat never seemed to have the smoke ring for some reason, The pellet smoker does it every time. Not making a smoke ring wasn't that big of an issue as much as I never figured out why and assumed I was doing something wrong with the device. A bigger issue is I went too cheap and bought one that was too small. I typically tend to buy extra meat for added meals and to give it away to parents and in-laws and there wasn't a lot of room in the electric smoker I purchased. The final straw was it quit working after a year or two. The thermostat went bad and I could bought the part and easily replaced it but decided instead of spending more money on something I wasn't all that happy with it was better to upgrade to a pellet smoker.

 

[BelemNole]

Yes, that's an issue with electric smokers. Need nitric acid formed from wood combustion for a smoke ring.

 

[seminoledq]

Thanks for the insight. I have a friend selling me on the electric smoker due to the ease of use. It would be my first one and I don't really know what I am doing so maybe it's a good place to start.

 

[funksouljon]

Yes, that's an issue with electric smokers. Need nitric acid formed from wood combustion for a smoke ring.

Interesting. I guess I have never considered an electric. I don't see that a standard smoker being a "pain" so don't foresee switching to electric.

I might consider a pellet when my existing smoker dies. Also like the idea of a single unit that has a smoke box on the side and the other half is a gas grill, size just becomes an issue.

 

[NotGuiltyNole]

Thanks for the insight. I have a friend selling me on the electric smoker due to the ease of use. It would be my first one and I don't really know what I am doing so maybe it's a good place to start.

Get a pellet pooper, so much better than an electric.

 

[SoddyNole]

Thanks for the insight. I have a friend selling me on the electric smoker due to the ease of use. It would be my first one and I don't really know what I am doing so maybe it's a good place to start.

When I purchased the electric smoker I wasn't sure I would spend much time fooling around with it and wanted to keep it as simple as possible without spending a lot of money on another hobby that would soon die. The electric smoker was a perfect fit at the time. You will be impressed on how good the product is and how easy it is to use. Before I would always feel guilty about sitting around watching football and drinking beer on a Sat afternoon and not getting much accomplished. Now you can cook while sitting around drinking beer and watching football and get something done with almost no interference with the two prime objectives of the day, watching football & drinking beer.

There is a wealth of information on the internet about cooking times and recipes. I do find a lot of people like to do a bunch of extra steps in preparing their meat and have tried a few of the suggestions with marginal results (a whole Turkey being the exception) with my unrefined palate. A good rub helps a lot and someone on this site suggested Dizzy Pig rubs years ago and while they are a little on the expensive side I'm a big fan of their products too. I have made a few rubs from recipes but never been too impressed with the end result. If you plan on cooking for more than 4 people or multiple meals size will matter. Mine had a tendency to drip grease out the front. The suggestion on the internet was to pull the grease pan slightly outside the door and let the door push it back in when you close it up. This forces the pan against the inside front door and surprisingly actually works. Get a good boning knife, I use a Victorinox 8" and it has worked well, a good pair of heat resistant silicon gloves and a good meat thermometer. I got a pricey wireless one as a Christmas present that came with two probes and both of them died a few months later.

 

[BelemNole]

Get a pellet pooper, so much better than an electric.

The electric smoker is fine if he's just going to use it for limited hassle free smoking and doesn't want to spend much money. If he wants an all in one solution and is willing to spend a little more the pellet cookers are a great buy. I "grill" on mine probably 60% or more of the time.