Hello,so much info on smoking!!!
Been smoking for a couple years with a red brinkmann electric with pretty good results.Iam ready to move up to a better unit. Was thinking about a great Outdoors Propane from Walmart for now and then move on up to the Cadillac "BRADLEY" in a year or so, as I thought the BS was over my head, for now at $500.00 + shipping.
Does anyone know anything about the Cookshack ?? I know it cost more ,but ,is it worth it?? Which is the best??
Thanks in advance for any thoughts on this ,a new guy here ,john welch
You are paying premium prices for Bradley Bisquettes. For a conventional smoker use the type wood that is recommended. Can't see the point is using bisquettes, unles you feel like throwing money out the window. Lots of sources for wood...check out your cabinet shops and hardwood supplier locally for freebies or order on line...even with shipping probably less than bisquettes.
Bill
<i>There is room on earth for all God's creatures....on my plate next to the mashed potatoes.</i>
johnintx1,
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">....a cleaned smoke?? <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
The reason you get a "clean smoke" in the Bradley is mainly because of the ability of the Bradley to smoke for 20 minutes and then extinguish the puck before it has time to burn out completely. When wood is given the chance to burn all the way to ash, it gives off less desirable fumes.
Buy a Bradley if you have not.
Doug
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Buy a Bradley if you have not.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
That is the best advice to take John!! I agree with Jaeger 150%
Steve
My interest was the so called cleaner smoke i have read about here on this forum. i wish i could get the bradley but will have to settle for this great outdoor 34 inch wide body from walmart for now ,BUT next time i WILL go for the BSS!!
I have used the red electric brinkmann gormet for 2 years with a SS wood chip smoker box.I have had great results with this cheap-simple unit. I sold it today for 25 bucks and want to move up to a bigger better unit.
I have read quite a bit about problems with the auto feeder on the BS not working and/or working to much and not shutting off. worries me alittle that there are so many units with this problem. also it seems that the BS takes much longer to get the product finished verses say a propane smoker with fully adjustable controls. lots of talk about not being able to get/or keep the the temp up as well on the BS. And its alot of money (at least for me) ...to have a hassle with it after you spend that much on a smoker.
I do agree its the best looking unit ever , and i belive that most all of the people here really love it.
I can get the black BS for 299.00 + 28.85 S&H, + 1.20 INS. =$329.05 to my door. I can get the B SS for $369.00+ 28.85 S&H + 1.60 INS. to my door . both units with come with a WEATHER RESISTANT COVER
,1 pack of 60 bisq. and the smoking video. Right now!
Which unit would anyone recomend if i was to "just go for the Bradley" ,Black or the SS????
However, i can get the walmart Great Outdoors Grill Co. 34" Wide Body Smoky Mountain Gas Smoker and the Smoke n Spice book to my door for 187.01 from walmart online.i have to order the cover and the temp guage from other places (walmart does not carry them).
the cover for it for 32.15 to my door, and the Maverick ET-73 temp guage to my door for 50.44, all for a total of
$ 269.60.which is (i hope) much better than i have had with the brinkmann.
my thinking is i can get this cheaper unit with all the acessories, i think i need, use it for a year or 2, sell it and then move up to the top of the line. get the BSS when i may be better able to invest that much $$ on the cadilac BSS smoker!
What thoughts ,if any does anyone have on this?? thank you ,johnintx1
welcome to the forum! let me ask you this how much is your time worth? to spend the extra 100 or so dollars, , in a year or two the hours will turn into weeks that you have pulled your hair out and the stress from standing over you smoker, and then for you to be saying why didnt i get the bradley for the next two years . then trying to sell your used wallmart smoker for $40 after 2 years, then your wife will be mad at you for saying why didnt i get the bradley, then you will be kicking the dog because you burnt the ribs and never get the temp right, oh and then the vet bills for having a over weight dog and cat from giving all the bad meat that dindt turm out well from the other smoker, oh man i can go on and on, save your self alot of pain and just get the bradley. you dont need to get the stainless model its to much of a pain to keep clean. [:D]
John,
I agree totally with SHR. I have an electric Brinkman that I bought this past summer thinking I could do with it. I made some pretty good smoked food with it. Then I went and spent the money on the Black BS. What a difference it makes. Better flavor. Better outcome and happier eaters [:)] Plus it is very easy to use. Definately worth the money. Check out the ribs that I made with mine just today...
(http://www.imagehosting.us/himages/ihnp-251483thumb.jpg) (http://www.imagehosting.us/?id=251483&type=viewpic)
Steve
have you had any trouble with the paint pelling off the black one ? i have read several stories about that paint problem?
I must put mine outside on the patio (with a cover) all year long ,i have no other place to keep it.
for 70.00 more i can get the stainless,but i want the one that is best for the money and easy to keep clean/clean up.
so.... the black ...or the SS??
399.45 for the SS..VS... 329.05 for the black ,both come with 60 bisq.,cover, and video to my door. but which one is really the best in the long run?
I have spent several days,(all day)reading most all the forums!!
thanks to all and everyone for your ideas!!
I have had a Brinkman Water smoker for 15 years +/-. It worked great, but very little control. I have a Cameron Stove Stop, a Weber Genesis with a smoker box. I use the Bradley SS with no regrets that the others just sit. The Brinkman is sitting at back of property, the Weber has been converted to gas coffee roaster. The Cameron is great for small batches of fish. The Bradley is the best. Is the end for me...no! I am going to buy a Caldera knock-down unit to smoke monster batches of jerkey, but when traveling will be traveling with the BS too. It is just so easy to use. And the results can't be beat.
Bill
<i>There is room on earth for all God's creatures....on my plate next to the mashed potatoes.</i>
johnintx1
You do the same thing I do when I buy something that I intend to use alot and have around for a while. I do my home work, which you have done. I have seen the smoker that you are talking about and it does look like a nice smoker.
Two main differences.
1) The bradley will cook at a much lower temp when needed.
2) You can control the smoke with the bradley LIKE NO OTHER!!!
Excellent smoke, NO babysitting. Trust me, this thing will smoke!!!
The people that have had trouble with the smoke generator have had Great customer service with the warranty. <u>Very quick resolutions.</u>
Bite the bullet and buy a Bradley!!!
Doug
Well put Doug!!
John,
I have not had the paint problem like we both have seen in this forum. My BS is only 2 weeks old. Mine will also be on the patio year round with the cover of coarse. I do have a storage area but the way i have been using my BS it would be too much work moving it in and out. Not only is the BS easy to use. All of the trays and the bowl and drip tray are easily cleaned in the dishwasher.
Steve
Yes i really do study everything before i decide to do most anything. but when i make up my mind ,i go for it and usually never look back, after carefull study of most things.
If you guys had to do it over again, and get a new Bradly....
how many people would get the black?
and how many will vote on the Stainless,interesting to know.
i will check Sunday to see what the results are on this vote
My vote is for the black, which I bought.
The stainless would be easier to clean inside the cabinet but, I do not plan on keeping it spit shined anyway. Mine is black outside and black inside. When the black starts to flake inside the cabinet it is time to clean. If the black paint starts to flake on the outside of the cabinet, after the warranty, then I will deal with that with cleaning/degreasing and painting with grill paint. Save the extra bucks.
Doug
Mine sits outside under a large covered patio on a stainless cart. A little spray with cleaner and the SS looks great. SS won't bubble up. I don't clean the inside of the smoker other than food crud. It is dark brown, seasoned, and I wouldn't have it any other way. The shelves and V panel fit it the dishwasher. I just knock off the big stuff and run them through. The door seal shold be wiped down after every smoke, and I also clean the vent - It gets gummy.
Low maintenance...Matches my big stainless Grill. SS was the only choice for me.
Bill
<i>There is room on earth for all God's creatures....on my plate next to the mashed potatoes.</i>
The BS rules! Sure- you might have heard from some here that they have had some issues with this or that but if you've followed this forum long enough and read enough posts -you will also have noticed that this happens to very few and that Bradley DEFINATELY stands behind their product.
I've got the black unit and it's been used a fair bit in the last year and change and in all weather extremes~~~ and I have some minor paint peeling off in some areas after it has smoked 100 lbs of pork butt, 75 lbs of bacon, 75 lbs of chicken, a pile of sausage and a half tonne of other things ....It's flat out a great piece of craftsmanship and if you like smoke you'll love Bradley.
I could have either one.[;)]
Mine is black.
No particular reason except that a SS won't cook any better food.
With one exception. John, I take from your name you're in Texas. <b>IF</b> you're going to be trying to do a lot of cold smoking, the SS will reflect the sunlight whereby the black one will absorb it. If you're doing ribs & brisket, I'll stand by my previous statement.
Kirk
http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?
I went back and forth over black and SS. I too have a SS grill. But I chose the black one for no real reason. But now I have been looking into the BBQ guru and the extra $$ saved by going with black maybe going towards a guru.
Either choice you make John you are getting a GREAT smoker. [8D][8D][8D]
Steve
Personally, I like the stainless. Only because it looks the same as the table it sits on.[:)]
Ernie....Weymouth, MA
(http://home.comcast.net/~humpa/humpa1.jpg)
Hi John,
You're my kind of guy . . . do all the research beforehand, make sure you know what you're getting in to, then try to make the best choice for your dollars that you can.
If you simply don't have $350 to spend on the BS, then I would not waste $190 on the Great Outdoors smoker. I've had quite a few smokers--Lil Chief, Brinkmann, Meco, Webers with smoking boxes, etc. Whereas the BS is a huge leap for smoker-kind, the GO unit is just a small step for a man [8D]! I would just spend $80 on a Lil Chief and save my money for the BS. You will find the GO just a bit better than your Brinkmann, but not even in the same league as the BS.
The BS offers so many real advantages over the GO or any of the others that it's really the best value, if you can afford it. The temperature control allows you to cold smoke cheese, nuts, lox, etc. The intensity of the smoke allows you to smoke for fewer hours, so the cost of wood is not significantly different than other smokers. The automatic feed mechanism allows you to sleep at night and makes flavor control very consistent and automatic. Workmanship and reliability are very good, and customer service is absolutely superb!
You mentioned your concern about reading of so many problems. In fact, other manufacturers' boards are ten times worse! The thing to remember is that Bradley has sold >20,000 smokers. Becauswe of the nature of a Forum like this, it is likely that a very high proportion of the problems actually show up here. If you actually survey the problems, the number of people with BS issues is well under 200. That's less than 1% of the Bradley owners, and of the problems encountered, virtually every one of them was quickly solved by the company. That's an excellent record in anyone's book.
Two other points: I would recommend a black unit since it is functionally the same as the SS, and I would recommend buying your unit from Chez Bubba. It may be a few dollars more than the prices you stated, but the customer service is well worth it and you'll get 10% off bisquettes for the rest of your life (or Chez' life, but he's just turned 40 and is in apparently good health!). If you do go with someone else, make sure you get an accurate quote on the shipping time. Some of us that did not go through Chez Bubba were sorely disappointed [:(]!
John
Newton MA
Hello to all. Thank you for all your thoughts.I have a charcole grill for grilling.And Ive decided its the Bradley for me ,nothing else will do it,for me,as far as smoking goes.I hope to be able to contribute something here,after I learn something,LOL.The price was found on Ebay from a guy with great feedback.I emailed some of his customers and all said they received unit fast!
sincerely,johnintx1
Live to smoke,Smoke to live.
Smoke on!!
johnintx1,
Buy from Chez. He gives great service, advice and moral support. Did I mention a discount on pucks.
http://www.chezbubba.com
Doug
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/xcelsmoke/savethemeatgif.gif)
Hiya,
I agree about buying from Chez Bubba, I live in the UK and the time and trouble Kirk has gone to to get and ship me a couple of bits for my BS that are not available over here is surely a mark of the man. Not many $'s in it for him at all, but service and help is second to none. That is surely worth a few extra $'s?
In a different vein, I have a SS BS, a quick wipe over with a slightly oiled cloth keeps it looking good and well protected from the elements. However, in my case I ended up with the SS version by default, not sure I would pay the extra £/$'s if on a tight budget, perhaps better to spend the money on accessories!?
Whatever version you buy you will not be disappointed with the food it produces!!!!!
Manxman.
johnintx1,
No matter who you get this from, welcome to the boards. I have never purchase something from Ebay, but are not charges you incur with Ebay/ PayPal?
Now the one thing I do not like about PayPal is they maintain a data base of credit card numbers. It almost took an act of God to get them to remove my information.
I know you can purchase directly from Chez by calling the number on his site and thus save the PayPal charges.
I did look over the sellers history and it certainly is a good one. If all is on the up and up then that price is a good one. I got a feeling that this person is a business man who purchases stock from liquidations. It looks like he got into the Bradley business as of January this year.
Either way welcome to the forums!
Olds
http://rminor.com
Welcome John! LOTs of smoking talent on this forum.....I ain't one of them, but I know it when I see it!![;)][:D]
I buy from eBay frequently and so far haven't had a serious problem. Some lazy shippers and some folks that pretend to be ignorant about what they're selling when they KNOW that the picture/description isn't telling the whole story, but this buyer being aware, I'll continue to buy stuff via eBay.
On ANY/ALL Bradley purchases however, my money and trust goes to a proven retailer. Living in the "remote" town I live in, things like shipping misqoutes, wrong parts, and other customer support related problems can translate into weeks and months of downtime and high shipping dollar losses...To avoid those problems, I stay with the proven businesses with the loyal return customer base and I recommend the same to all who ask me...Chez Bubba has that kind of PROVEN service for me. I'm not saying that there aren't others out there that aren't as customer service oriented, but I don't know who they are and I lucked out and found one who is. I would gladly pay a few coins more for THAT kind of service....what's the old saying?...."the pain[xx(] of inferior quality/service is felt long after the thrill[:)] of a penny saved", or something like that[:D]
35 years of extinguishing smoking stuff and now I'm wondering WHY!
Kummok @ Homer, AK USA
After all my research i found that if you want propane you are better off owning a BBQ. If you want a smoker, Bradley is the best on the market. Sounds like a commercial.
I had an opportunity to test the Bradley Warranty. My heat plate on the generator died... Sent msg to Bradley via email, part arrived to repair and was smoking the next day.
Great customer service...
Bill
<i>There is room on earth for all God's creatures....on my plate next to the mashed potatoes.</i>
Hi John,
Rest assured that no matter where you buy your BS, you are welcome on this Forum . . . I'm sure Chez would second that! [;)][8D]
John
Newton MA
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by johnintx1</i>
<br />The price was found on Ebay from a guy with great feedback.I emailed some of his customers and all said they received unit fast!<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">John, you're gonna love your new smoker. Many happy meals to come for you & your family.[8D]
Make sure to email or call the Ebay guy with any questions, I'm sure he'll get right back to you.[;)]
Kirk
[EDIT]I'm sorry, that sounded pretty rude on re-reading. Welcome to the forum & I'll be happy to answer any questions you have. We all share a love of smoking, and part of the love is sharing knowledge.
http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?
THANK YOU
Howdy Yall
Live to smoke,Smoke to live.
Smoke on!!
John Welch
Amarillo Texas
I have not purchased the Bradley yet,but I have decided not to buy anything else ,Iam just waiting till I can get the BSS.
Howdy Yall
Live to smoke,Smoke to live.
Smoke on!!
John Welch
Amarillo Texas
The new Bradley Stainless Steel is on the way!!
Howdy Yall
Live to smoke,Smoke to live.
Smoke on!!
John Welch
Amarillo Texas
Good for you John- Smoke on!!
Cold Smoke