BBQ on a budget

[PapaHog]

I am in search of the best BBQ for the money.

Great hamburgers and brats/hot dogs I can do on a Weber.

Steak and the above on a gas grill. But I want more. GOOD BBQ every time out of the box.

What I want besides all the above. Great brisket, pork butts, pork ribs, salmon, chicken, whole turkey, whole ham and great steaks every time.

I have around $500 in my budget.

Please tell me which one you would get and WHY?

[Texascat]

pork shoulder with bone in because you cant screw it up and it's always good.

maybe a whole hog? Keep it at about 220-250 smoke it for a couple hours with some good mesquite or hickory wood. Wrap em in foil after that and let cook until he is done. A pig isn't that expensive, and it will feed a lot of people.

[StickFish]

Ken do you mean the BBQ hardware? If so PM iWish and see what he can hook you up on a Traeger. I was a doubting Traeger Thomas, but after finally getting one I don't know what I did without it. Everything has come out excellent - wife even tried to ruin chicken and couldn't (that was a feat) cheapest steak in the market - was amazing off the Q last night.

[ajfishfinder]

Have a look here

http://tinyurl.com/4azo4w

2 photos pretty much tell the entire story

If not maybe you need a couple more photos

http://tinyurl.com/46np3v

[RustySocket]

I worked a deal on two of the old style big texan traegers that were real close to your budget after it was said and done.

No regrets investing in it at all.

[Troutinator]

depends if you want a pellet pooper or a wood burner. Make no mistake, I think the pellet poopers turn out VERY good product. But for this old school guy who happens to be a Certified BBQ Judge (CBJ) I think the very best is still coming off an offset cooker.

Look at the New Braunfels and other larger offset cookers. You can get into one for under $500... but it is a LOT more work than an automated point and shoot smoker like the Traeger.

[brshooter]

My wife and I usually attend Smokin at the Ocean every year along with the Thriftway Classic. After the big Klose pits, I would say the most popular cooker after that would have to be the Weber Smokey Mountain. It is a simple charcoal smoker. You would be amazed at the amount of award winning "Que' to come off of them. Much nicer than a ECB cooker.

Do some snooping on the Smoke Ring

http://www.thesmokering.com/forum/index.php

[Reelentless]

I have a Traeger and a Big Green Egg. I bought the Egg about 3 months ago and haven't used the Traeger since. The Egg is so versatile. It can cook ribs at 200 degrees or bake authentic pizza at 700 degrees. The medium sized Egg is a bit more than you want to spend, but worth the money.

I suspect the Traeger will be on craigslist soon.

[Go_Getter]

TRAEGER!

[Hooked up]

I had a Weber Smokey Mountain once, that bbq was the best bbq that I have ever owned. I once did a 24lb. turkey in it. That was the best turkey I ever had. You wont be disapointed if you get one.

[JCJ]

These offset smokers work real good and a lot cheaper than a Traeger.You can fit 3, 25 LB. turkeys in them and at least 4 racks of ribs.I am sure the Treagers are a very good smoker but I like to use real wood and not compressed pellets for smoking,even if the pellets are real wood its what holds them together that bothers me.Home Depot.
Char-Broil Silver Smoker
Model 07201560
$159.00/EA Each

[northriver1]

You own it. They call it a Weber. I own a Traegar and the Weber day in and day out is my go to BBQ. Don't be caught up in the Traegar chant, yes, good, but not better for 80% of what you BBQ.

PS: I hear the egg is the real go to BBQ.

[Go_Getter]

Originally Posted by JCJ

I like to use real wood and not compressed pellets for smoking,even if the pellets are real wood its what holds them together that bothers me.

The only thing that holds them together is the 20,000 lbs of pressure they use to compress them. there is nothing in the pellets other than wood.

If you are talking grilling then yes a Webber is great. But to slow cook and "BBQ" slow like ribs, brisket, whole hams, whole turkeys, then the traeger has them hands down. If you want to grill burgers, steaks, hot dogs, then the traeger is not the fastest, it is much better for slow cooking. I do use mine for burgers and steaks and they come out great and with more real wood smoke flavor than you could ever hope to get from a gas Webber.

[PapaHog]

Originally Posted by StickFish

Ken do you mean the BBQ hardware? .

Yes I am talking about the hardware.

[Woody]

BBQ's are like boats. There is no such thing as the perfect all around BBQ, no matter what the Traeger guys say.

I think you need at least two. One charcoal, or gas for high temperatures (I prefer wood). In other words, grilling.

And one for low and slow, real bar-b-que. I have a Weber kettle for hot and fast and a Smokey Mountain "black box" for low and slow.

[River Ranger]

I have the Char Grill with the off set smoker and it does an outstanding job for less than $200. The BBQ does not make the food it's the cook and attention to the little details.

RR.

[mullert]

Originally Posted by River Ranger

I have the Char Grill with the off set smoker and it does an outstanding job for less than $200. The BBQ does not make the food it's the cook and attention to the little details.

RR.

There are other brands out there. Ours is a New Braunfels. Works great! Don't buy into all of the Traeger hype. They are great, but you have to tend the fire! Low and slow is the key.

Check out Steve Raichlen's website at www.barbecuebible.com

TM

[Go_Getter]

Originally Posted by mullert

There are other brands out there. Ours is a New Braunfels. Works great! Don't buy into all of the Traeger hype. They are great, but you have to tend the fire! Low and slow is the key.

Check out Steve Raichlen's website at www.barbecuebible.com

TM

If you call starting the Traeger @ 7pm never touching it again until 7am and then finishing the meat after work at 5pm TENDING THE FIREDo that with any of the above units other than a Traeger

[mullert]

shouldn't post too much until I get more coffee in me....

got to tend the fire to get the meat right. Can't do that with the Traeger. Good barbecue for some things, but not for others.

I think the solution for everyone is to have a different grill for any kind of meat!

[CGRFish]

I'm leaning away from the treagers... Last week I borrowed my buddy's old gas BBQ for a large event we had. He is one of the best BBQ Chef's I know, and he shows up the day after the event to get the BBQ back - I asked why wasnt using the treager he got last year. He loves the treager for the stuff that needs a low and slow go - leg of lamb, beef roasts, etc. He has not, however, been able to master it with the normal stuff - the burgers, steaks, etc - for that he prefers the simple old BBQ....

[Troutinator]

Originally Posted by Go_Getter

If you are talking grilling then yes a Webber is great. But to slow cook and "BBQ" slow like ribs, brisket, whole hams, whole turkeys, then the traeger has them hands down.

Go to a competition BBQ. Count the number of weber kettles and Weber Smoky Mountains. Now count the number of tragers. I'll give you a dollar for every trager you count if you give me a dollar for every Weber you count.

There is a very good reason for what you'll observe.

I'm not judging at the Mollala event this weekend but it's a fun, small competion. I recommend it for a quick look-see. You can find it by looking up "Oregon Buckeroo BBQ Championship"
I will be judging at Smokin' At The Ocean again this year... it's my favorite and certainly one of if not the biggest competion in Oregon. July 11-13 at Chinook Winds.

[PayDay]

I have a Weber kettle and a Traeger and use them both depending on what I'm cooking. Slow for pork shoulder, tri tip, prime rib, baby backs, etc. go on the Traeger. The Weber gets fish, steaks, burgers, and the occasional beer can chicken. If you get indirect mode dialed in on your Weber you can do some very tasty things with it, and add a few wood chips for smoke flavor.

[Tilla]

Traeger use to sell rebuilds, may still do. I know a guy who bought a few small Texans for $350 ea for his kids Christmas a couple years back.

[Chrome Bumper]

Originally Posted by JCJ

I like to use real wood and not compressed pellets for smoking,even if the pellets are real wood its what holds them together that bothers me.Home Depot.
Each

Wood is what holds the pellet together. When they are formed it create enough heat in the wood to soften the natural lignin in the wood, which is the binder that holds them together, no worries, 100% wood.

In college I BBQed on a little weber, used just a couple brickettes and scrounged hard wood branches and twigs out of a near by wooded area, that was some great BBQing on the way cheap. Chicken and cheap steaks, man I ate good, I'm getting hungry.

Those Treagers are pretty easy to use.

[Iwish]

Unfortunately Traeger no longer sells rebuilds or does any refurbishing. They have simply outgrown the ability to do that. They usually have a list of a few BBQ's that they are out of stock on because production can't keep up.

I took a small tour of the plant in Wilsonville about 3 weeks ago. It was pretty interesting to see. From the "American" steel being unloaded at one end of the building and being cut, bent, welded, cleaned, powdercoated, assembled and packed all right here in Oregon, USofA. I didn't see anything on any of the grills that said "Made in China" on it. There are some accessories that are made outside of the US, covers, wheels, etc., but the majority of the stuff is made here.

This thread is a good variety of what people use. Like Woody says, there may not be the all around perfect BBQ just as there may not be the all around perfect boat. Everybody will have their own opinion. Traeger, for me and many others, has replaced their other grills and allowed us to grill more often than we may have otherwise. Who wants to stand outside when it's cold or raining to make sure their Propane grill doesn't torch/ruin their chicken? Who wants to wake up during the middle of the night to add more chips to their smoker? I'm sure the same things in a different spin can be said about the Traeger.

For a great all around BBQ, Grill, Smoker, and outdoor oven, Traeger has my vote. Not saying it's the best grill out there is but I wouldn't be without mine.

[OceanBlue]

Papa - we love our Traeger. If you like your steaks, burgers and chops with a little burn on 'em, pick up a cheapie charcoal grill for the times that you want to do that. Personally, I prefer the way they come out on the Traeger though.

[foxer]

Check out that new little traeger. I think fishermans had em on sale for $350.00

[yankemnbankem]

i have a Traeger and I love it. And to all that say you cant ruin a piece of meat on the Traeger...........your sort of wrong and right! The other day I cooked up some cube steak and fell asleep in my easy chair. it was cooking at 300. Needless to say I woke up and realized I had meat on the grill and checked em out....yup, finally burnt me some steak. Darn but if it didnt taste like beef jerky and it tasted good. So, I saved em and used the burnt steak in a stew that is totally awesome.
Papahog, The traeger is an awesome bbq, you have many choices of pellet flavors, they even have many tasty rubs and seasonings that are tried and true. It is a fail safe bbq. The customer service I have gotten from Traeger when a part was bad or even if I had questions has been outstanding. For someone who wants their food to come out good EVERY time without too much thought....this is a great BBQ.

Hot dogs
Pizza
pies (i like apple)
potatoes and other vegetables
Hamburgers (I turn the heat up to 450 and cook em real fast)
Steaks (same as above)
Turkeys
Hams
fish
Ribs (best ribs ever) even when you are in a hurry
Brisket/ pork butt/shoulder
Turkey legs like at the fair
Chickens
I have even stuck fruits in there as well as nuts, chimichangas, casadias, burritos, How about Aspargus......i guess that is a vegetable.
Banana bread
Cookies

I just wonder if I will die of smokey food poisoning.

[freespool]

If your not cooking for a large group, this unit will do very well.

[Dan Grbavac]

If you want to cook fast try one like this!!!!!

[Fish'n'Chips]

If you are not looking to smoke with a grill, Costco has a grill for sale right now that has 3 burners, a IR burner, and rotiserie IR burner under the hood and a IR side burner. Comes with rotiserie and cover. Best grill I have used yet. We cooked 2 turkeys on the rotiserie on the 4th and they came out great. This grill is in your budget.