Oh man should I order now or wait?

i have eaten.

i did some searching on the forum but i cant find the answer to this question.

essential 020 vs elite 025

$150 price difference because there is a meat probe on the 025 and it is made of stainless steel.

i can buy an et73 for around $50 bucks and get the 020, but i like the idea the probe is a good one on the 025.

would it just be a smarter choice to get the 025?

i have a thermopen if that makes a difference on the decision.

come on guys i want to order tonight. ive googled this question also but i cant find anything just places that sell the cookshack.

For only $150 difference and a probe and S/S, I'd go for the 025, not that I've ever had a problem with my black smokette. Better order tomorrow too. I hear there's going to be a price increase on Monday.

Buy the remote therm too. Even the 025 won't beep you in the house. FWIW I'd do the ET-7. I have one and love it. Amazon has them for $39.99

http://www.amazon.com/Maverick...id=1240535948&sr=8-1

quote:

Buy the remote therm too

thanks for the price increase tip. i will definitely order tonight. just thinking what accessories i should include because the shipping will stay the same.

buy the remote therm too? do you mean the et-7 you just linked or one from cookshack?

the smoker will be in my garage where i spend most of my time. i have a nice lounge setup back there. given that do you still recommend buying a remote thermometer?

I use the probe that came with my Elite and also the ET-7. Outside I rely on the Cookshack probe then use the ET-7 when I'm not near the smoker. Works well for me.

"ORDER RECEIVED

Thank you for your order.

PLEASE PRINT THIS PAGE FOR YOUR RECORDS"

BOOYA!

what do you suggest for a first smoke?

I am thinking a log of sausage wrapped around cheddar cheese and jalapenos

Well. What did you wind up buying?

Smoke whatever brings a smile to your face. Assume you'll season your smoker properly.

i bought the elite 025

i will read the manual and season it for sure. i will hold off on the et-7 since i dont cook much food. the most i will cook is for 2 to 4 people. the meat probe on the 025 should be all i need.

p.s. i saved $15 on shipping. at one point in the buying process the code SHIP was there. i almost missed it

quote:

Originally posted by Luisfc1972:

quote:

Buy the remote therm too

thanks for the price increase tip. i will definitely order tonight. just thinking what accessories i should include because the shipping will stay the same.

buy the remote therm too? do you mean the et-7 you just linked or one from cookshack?

the smoker will be in my garage where i spend most of my time. i have a nice lounge setup back there. given that do you still recommend buying a remote thermometer?

I was kidding about the price increase, but I do love helping push someone over the edge. Welcome.

I linked to the ET-7 because it lets you probe two meats at once, with different set temps. The ET-73 I believe only lets you probe one meat and then it has the oven probe, which would be redundant with the smokers digital readout.

You can always order the remote later. I think you'll find that it gives you a lot of freedom. You can cook at night and get a wake up beep when the meat is ready. Sometimes with any probe, you may get a bad insertion point. If you only have the smokers probe and your meat hits bogus temp in two hours while you're asleep, it will be a bad morning since the smoker will have gone into hold mode. With the remote you'll wakeup and go reset the probe. Problem solved. But like i said, you can always order it later. Amazon has had them at that price for years, and sometimes other sellers are cheaper, but not by much.

Throw a fatty butt or picnic in to season the smoker and then go wild with your next meat.

I purchased the Elite last January and have been delighted with it. You'll love the barbecue that thing produces and have fun along the way. You won't be disappointed.

pags, i should get my elite sometime next week.

what should i try first given i have no experience in bbq.

i was thinking one of those smoked fatties. seems easy enough

i will probably do ribs and a fatty at the same time.

I seasoned my Elite with a pork butt. After it seasoned, we ate the butt. Some say no, but it tasted great, and I'm still here.

For the seasoning I'd smoke something fatty. I'd save the ribs for the second smoke. But what the heck.

Go to the forum and read up on Pork Butt 101 and read the pork forum. You'll have some great BBQ.

My $.02.

I originally bought an 008 Smokette about 6 years ago. I seasoned it as per the book (about 4 or 6 hrs with 4 to 6 oz of wood). That's probably the best way to do it. Then start in with a butt as your first cook. (butts are very forgiving)

About 4 yrs ago I sold the 008 and bought an 055. I seasoned it by cooking a butt right off but in my mind I said "Don't expect it to be the greatest butt you ever cooked!" And if I recall, I ran into a power shutoff in the middle of the night (not the smokers fault) and so the butt wasn't the best but it was edible.

So go ahead an start with a butt if you want... just consider it an experiment and it may be good and it may not. But don't judge anything by it.

quote:

Originally posted by Qnorth:
"Don't expect it to be the greatest butt you ever cooked!" And if I recall, I ran into a power shutoff in the middle of the night (not the smokers fault) and so the butt wasn't the best but it was edible.

So go ahead an start with a butt if you want... just consider it an experiment and it may be good and it may not. But don't judge anything by it.

I think that's the exception, not the rule for new users.

One reason for starting with a butt is it's the EASIEST cut to do without a sharp learning curve.

That being said, ANY electric device may/maynot perform when you first plug it it, so the first time or two should be considered a test

ok folks i just received it.

i am about to season it but couple of questions.

the inside is a little dirty and theres some spots a little orangy, i assume thats just grease and wont matter after i season it.

also, there is sort of an indentation, like a crater, on the side where the latch is welded to. it closes fine, though takes some strenght to do it. just making sure that its fine

last thing, the manual does not say where to put the wood chunks. there are two places to put them in the wood box. top part or bottom part? why two?

thats it folks. just waiting for some answers and ill begin seasoning it

put it together. only 5 screws would go in for the electronics. doesnt exactly fit but that doesnt bother me much. still i would have liked everything to be exact since i paid $700 for this machine

i started the seasoning process. still would like those questions answered if anyone wants to be a good samaritan.

put two chunks of hickory in, plugged it in. the thermometer right away said 81 degrees. here in los angeles is 71 degrees. does this sound about right? i assume the inside might be a little warmer

its been on half an hour, now 170 degrees, i can hear the metal expand (crackling which i think is normal) and starting to smell the wood.

i did pull the wood box out and put the hickory chunks on the upper shelf. its the smokette elite

actually after taking a closer look. the crackling is not the metal expanding. i think its the temperature control working. a small red dot turns off and on (and makes a clicking sound every time) under the temperature numbers

Well. I tried to update my other post but deleted it instead.

You got the wood in the right spot above not below the heating element.

Also, your latch will loosen a bit with usage.

thanks for your input Pags. its acually cool watching this thing haha. its now at 205 degrees, it is set to 200

it went down to 191 and stayed there for a few minutes. now its at 195.

is the missing screw affecting the temperature? the last of the 6 screws to attach the temperature control wouldnt fit so i put it away.

ok now its holding very steady at 200 for about 30 minutes so far. took a couple of hours for the temperature to not fluctuate so much. new cookshack, theres probably many variables as to why, but im happy now.

Sounds like you're OK.

quote:

is the missing screw affecting the temperature? the last of the 6 screws to attach the temperature control wouldnt fit so i put it away.

I received my 020 a couple weeks ago and my 6th screw wouldn't fit in either. I guess it's not just my unit. Anyways, I've found that smoking without the last screw doesn't seem to effect the temp at all.

quote:

Originally posted by Luisfc1972:
ok now its holding very steady at 200 for about 30 minutes so far. took a couple of hours for the temperature to not fluctuate so much. new cookshack, theres probably many variables as to why, but im happy now.

Your temps will always flux. It's just the nature of the beast. If you were to closely monitor your oven at certain temps it would jump around from a little high to a little low as well.

Nothing to worry about. So long as you average around the temp it's set at you're good to go.

k guys ill take your word for it since you have experience.

i was just reading the forums and read something that puzzles me.

when i seasoned it i went by the cookshack manual. i put 2 pieces of wood at 225 for around 4 hours. the wood looks pretty much new and i never saw smoke coming out. the inside still looks clean and not "smokey".

i read that some guys put more wood in and seasoned at 250.

should i season today again at 225 like yesterday, or should i do it at 250 with more wood in there?

i realize some manuals that come with products arent really accurate or good. is this one of them or can i trust cookshack manual and cookbook?

All things considered,in the quality of your 3rd and 5th cook,changing the seasoning process, will have the same effect as changing from a pink T shirt,to a yellow T shirt-while doing it.

All you are doing is maklng the walls a little dirty and greasy.

Yep,I'm sure if someone could measure it,it could make 1%-2% difference.

10 cooks from now,it could make another 10%.

Of course,it could go the other way.

Go cook something.

When I first got my 020, I seasoned it per the manual (same as Luisfc). After 4 hours I opened the door and also noticed that the wood looked pretty new and the walls looked clean.

After smoking 2 chickens and a pork butt, I'm starting to notice the "seasoned look".

I wouldn't worry about how the initial seasoning went. Like Tom said, just go cook something.