I have owned a Oklahoma Joe's smoker for 15 years and am ready for a change. I know this is the CS forum, but what are the pros and cons of a CS smoker as opposed to a propane smoker. Thanks for the info
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Nichboy,
Forget propane, or any other smoker. Buy the Cookshack hands down period simple as that!
trust us you WILL NOT REGRET IT!
Forget propane, or any other smoker. Buy the Cookshack hands down period simple as that!
trust us you WILL NOT REGRET IT!
Pros:
Very efficient smoker
Moist meats
No need to tend the fire
No tase/odor/aroma from propane
Wood is a LOT cheaper than propane
Very well insulated
Cook summer or winter despite temps and wind
2-4 oz of wood per cook
30 day money back guaranty
Great customer service
Great Forum - best in my opinion!
Cons
Very efficient smoker
Moist meats
No need to tend the fire
No tase/odor/aroma from propane
Wood is a LOT cheaper than propane
Very well insulated
Cook summer or winter despite temps and wind
2-4 oz of wood per cook
30 day money back guaranty
Great customer service
Great Forum - best in my opinion!
Cons
nb:
I have a CS Smokette and a ceramic cooker to go with my Wolf gas grill. My CS wins the butts and briskets and even the rib contest at home every time. I do finish the ribs on the Wolf or the ceramic for a moment but that's it.
I would never subject my low and slow cooks to the "aroma added" world of propane. They just filled my 800 gallon propane tank at my hunting camp in the UP of Michigan now that the snow is gone and the bill was very specific about the "aroma added " .
I only gas grill with the lid up.
parkside
I have a CS Smokette and a ceramic cooker to go with my Wolf gas grill. My CS wins the butts and briskets and even the rib contest at home every time. I do finish the ribs on the Wolf or the ceramic for a moment but that's it.
I would never subject my low and slow cooks to the "aroma added" world of propane. They just filled my 800 gallon propane tank at my hunting camp in the UP of Michigan now that the snow is gone and the bill was very specific about the "aroma added " .
I only gas grill with the lid up.
parkside
Same as Parkside,
Have a CS55, ceramic Grill Dome, La Caja China and a TEC grill. The CS55 is my favorite for Ribs (6 spareribs hung at one cooking), smoking fish and for pork butts. The TEC grill is used only with the top up and hot for steaks. None of the other grills/cookers give the smoke flavor I am looking for except the Cookshack.
smokemullet
Have a CS55, ceramic Grill Dome, La Caja China and a TEC grill. The CS55 is my favorite for Ribs (6 spareribs hung at one cooking), smoking fish and for pork butts. The TEC grill is used only with the top up and hot for steaks. None of the other grills/cookers give the smoke flavor I am looking for except the Cookshack.
smokemullet
Good point, never thought about the propane taste. I'm trying to get away from stoking the fire box all day long and having to watch the thermostat. What do the CS smokers draw as far as power, are they expensive to run.
10 AMPs and I've not been able to tell any increase in my electric bill.
Like everyone else, I pretty much have owned every BBQ unit ever made. I currently have a wood burning Oklahoma Joe Smoker, a basic gas grill, a Weber grill, and a Brinkman 3-in-1 smoker. I gave the Brinkman away last summer because it was the worst design I every owned. I modified the hell out of it to make it workable. I glad my wife got it on sale for 50 % off. I like my wood burning Oklahoma Joe but not watching it every 20 minutes.
Without a doubt, my 009 is my best unit hands down. You put your meat in it, set the temp, set your temp probes up, and wait for the results. I'm still shocked at how little wood the unit uses. I still think you need another unit for steaks and burgers. For serious Que, go with a Cookshack. The hardest decision is what unit to purchase.
Without a doubt, my 009 is my best unit hands down. You put your meat in it, set the temp, set your temp probes up, and wait for the results. I'm still shocked at how little wood the unit uses. I still think you need another unit for steaks and burgers. For serious Que, go with a Cookshack. The hardest decision is what unit to purchase.
I too own an Oklahoma Joe. The first year I owned it, I used it about half a dozen times. The second year, I used it three times. We built a new house last year and I haven't had time to use it in nearly two years. I never have enough free time to tend a fire anymore which is why I chose the Smokette. I sell cars for a living and rarely have two days off in a row. I figured it doesn't matter how good the smoker is if you never have time to use it. I studied all the others and chose the cookshack because it's like a Ronco - set it and forget it! No water to add or pellets to buy. Plus this website is 2nd to none. I've had it for about a week now (I had a gift card from Cabelas) and have used it 4 times already. The insulation on it is phenominal so it doesn't use much electricity. When I shut the unit off the other night, I left the temperature probe in it. Two hours later, it had only dropped from 225 to 181.
My wife balked at the price tag, but she now understands why. It's worth every penny. It's almost idiot proof.
My wife balked at the price tag, but she now understands why. It's worth every penny. It's almost idiot proof.
One of the by-products of propane combustion is moisture, probably flavored with a taste you don�t want. And I�ve yet to see a regulator that would hold a propane cooker constant at 225 for 16-18 hours, especially one that might not be insulated well. Admittedly, I�ve not seen them all and perhaps Oklahoma Joe�s has a dandy.
Stoking the fire, staying up all night to keep it regulated, wide range of temperature swings, (CS is well insulated and does an admirable job of controlling those swings), and as Wheelz pointed out, the great customer service and forum are a bonus. Like the guy on those TV �info-mercials� says, you set it and forget it and the results are well documented on this board.
I may continue to go through �grills� over the years, but my CS is the last �Q�er� I�ll ever own. I actually envy the people selling these units�. It�s got to be great to have a product you can present to the public that�s this good and that you can believe in this strongly. I�d come out of retirement to sell these�
arkansasQer
Stoking the fire, staying up all night to keep it regulated, wide range of temperature swings, (CS is well insulated and does an admirable job of controlling those swings), and as Wheelz pointed out, the great customer service and forum are a bonus. Like the guy on those TV �info-mercials� says, you set it and forget it and the results are well documented on this board.
I may continue to go through �grills� over the years, but my CS is the last �Q�er� I�ll ever own. I actually envy the people selling these units�. It�s got to be great to have a product you can present to the public that�s this good and that you can believe in this strongly. I�d come out of retirement to sell these�
arkansasQer