MrT Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 Hi All I am just looking at starting out smoking meat at home and whilst enjoyed smoked food never tried cooking it myself. I think forums like these are invaluable when looking for advice and guidance from those that have been there and done it so I can hopefully avoid too many mistakes (of which there will doubtless be a few!). I am looking to purchase my first smoker and have read a few of the forums so am initially looking for a good starting point, I have seen the Callow smoker is held in high regard as a lower cost starting point, but it seems to be out of stock currently whether due to time of year or the Covid-19 situation? So any recommendations would be appreciated (I don't mind upping the budget slightly) - also advice on what other essentials are needed and where to get them. Great to meet you all and thanks in advance of any suggestions. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoogl Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 Hi and Mr T. I think depending on if your budget will stretch a WSM or PROQ would be good to start. Failling that a Kettle can be used for great smokes and you can still get a nice Grill on them when required. I think it depends on your budget and how much time you want to spend. A offset can be more time spent managing vs a bullet smoker/kettle. Both have pros/cons. I started with a Bullet smoker (WSM) as I felt it fit my lifestyle where it was easy to set and forget, I've since added a Mini Kamado to the mix (which SWMBO said last night why didn't I get a bigger one after the Aldi one is out of stock, So guess who might be buying one next year 😊) Either way ask questions and read some of the other posts as you may find similar questions have already been asked to help you decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icefever Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 100% with hoogl...Mr T...& welcome to the forum. Ice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 Welcome, yes I use a small WSM but they go big and are excellent, You could add a smartfire mod to make it easier to use as it will self regualte airflow and temp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokin Monkey Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 if budget can push to it go with WSM or a ProQ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrT Posted June 6, 2020 Author Share Posted June 6, 2020 Thanks for the advice - been looking at both WSM & ProQ, both are out of stock and are pre-order for July so got a bit of time to decide and draw up my shopping list😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoogl Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 I think you'll have a great time with either. Napoleon do a smoker range called the Apollo. I think it's in stock some places. What size are you thinking of getting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrT Posted June 7, 2020 Author Share Posted June 7, 2020 Unfortunately the ProQ and WSM on pre-order have now gone out of stock on the websites I was using - but found a callow smoker from Barbecue Planet and took at punt in it - lower initial smoker price means I can ordered a few more accessories. The callow is smaller than the 47cm WSM or ProQ we were looking at but its mainly for me and the wife as our son is veggie (+ occasional part bbq's) so should be ok size wise as we learn the art. We will see how things go and look to upgrade later once we know what we are doing. Hoping that everything will arrive for next weekend for the first smoke. Never smoked before so thinking of ribs as a starter - any other suggestions or tips appreciated! Drooling already.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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