I'm on the fence, I have two other smokers/grills. But I've always liked these "egg" style ceramic/insulated cookers. Is it worth the investment?
1348169
I love mine. I've had mine for almost a year now and grill/smoke everything on it from pork butt to pizza. I wanted a big green egg, but like others have said, did not want to invest the money it one of those just yet. Controlling the temp does take some practice, but once you get it, it's pretty good at staying around it. The one big thing I will also compliment them on is their customer service. They have great customer service. Mine arrived with a dent in the lid and after I emailed them they asked for invoice and picture of the damage, I had a replacement lid within a week. The only thing so far that I have found negative is the bolts they use are kinda crappy. They do the job, but I am tempted to replace them all with stainless steel.
1348170
This is my first egg type smoker/grill and I love it. I have a friend who paid over $1000 for a comparable green egg who was talking about it all the time. I did not want to invest quite that much and arrived at the Kamado Kooker. I still have some trouble controlling the temp but I think that just takes practice. Everything I've ever made on it has been awesome. I highly recommend it.
1348171
You can't beat this for the price. We love it. We do store it in the garage when not in use to keep it out of the rain.
1348172
Yes,we have used other smokers many years.this one is unique and allowsyou to smoke virtually anything.Highly recommend it!
1696638
Hi, just a little less time than ceramic. Not much but a little, I like it because it is much better to put on an open flame,and warm up. I don't use electric coffee pots anymore so you should try the Coleman Enamelware Percolator. I bought 2 of them because I like tea to. I cut the tea bags and then drop into the percolator filter. Oh by the way, the aroma in the air is wonderful. It makes me feel like I'm camping. So have fun and taste and smell the difference. It's great. Thanks for your time,,,,Terry
853579
That's why I stopped using the BGE coal. Smoke is much less. You get a little flavor but not as bad. Which is good for me because I use assorted flavor chips when I want that extra kick. And Fogo gets hot!
1104606
Hey there! I still consider myself a beginner in this smoking arena, and still experimenting. But YES! The Bradley performs optimally. I haven't cooked salmon right yet, but on my tri-tip, brisket, and st louis spare ribs, the bark produced was MOUTH WATERING. If you are already an experienced smoker - and I am not - you will be able to produce great bark. I like the bisquette for the Bradley too. They do each burn for about 20-minutes as reported. Overall, a great experience. I will add I have the Weber Genesis propane grill. Weber makes an excellent product. So, it really boils down to personal preference, but the Bradley allows me to "set it and forget it" until it's time to eat! Hey there! I still consider myself a beginner in this smoking arena, and still experimenting. But YES! The Bradley performs optimally. I haven't cooked salmon right yet, but on my tri-tip, brisket, and st louis spare ribs, the bark produced was MOUTH WATERING. If you are already an experienced smoker - and I am not - you will be able to produce great bark. I like the bisquette for the Bradley too. They do each burn for about 20-minutes as reported. Overall, a great experience. I will add I have the Weber Genesis propane grill. Weber makes an excellent product. So, it really boils down to... » Read More Hey there! I still consider myself a beginner in this smoking arena, and still experimenting. But YES! The Bradley performs optimally. I haven't cooked salmon right yet, but on my tri-tip, brisket, and st louis spare ribs, the bark produced was MOUTH WATERING. If you are already an experienced smoker - and I am not - you will be able to produce great bark. I like the bisquette for the Bradley too. They do each burn for about 20-minutes as reported. Overall, a great experience. I will add I have the Weber Genesis propane grill. Weber makes an excellent product. So, it really boils down to personal preference, but the Bradley allows me to "set it and forget it" until it's time to eat! « Show Less
1819202
This is more lkike an oven or a deep fryer (without the oil). The heat is intense and diffused because the burner is shielded- much faster cooking and searing. The smoker (I had one years ago) is cylinder that, depending on the configuration and heat, either slow smokes, roasts or works like a BBQ. The infared is totally different technique. I both smoke and use this...it's just a matter of preference.
1139472
I love it. I use this one for vegetables and pasta. I have another one for grilling, they are shaped differently, but appear to be the same. Grilled chicken is great, it browns best with a little olive oil and paprika on it. Haven't tried anything else. And have no idea about the wattage.
771053
Thought I was ,but I ended up buying the Nu wave as well. I hope you find out because it sure was an expensive pressure cooker that way. Did use the precision as a gift but still. I use my pressure pan alot now as just a nice big pan because I don't pressure cook that much. It works great and I didn't have to go buy another big pan for chili or whatever.
455321
I don't have the fryer but the smoker works excellent. Even though the smoker is slightly more expensive you will recoup the costs without having to buy propane and it is much easier to use by just plugging in. Turkey, roasts, wings come out excellent. Have only tried ribs a few times but they did not come out as good as my smoker - I need to test a few more recipes butI do think after a few trials I can get good, tender ribs. If you cook ribs at high and fast they will be good but notreal tender. Overall, a really good buy and you will be happy. It is so easy to use and clean - they call it the Big Easyfor a reason. I don't have the fryer but the smoker works excellent. Even though the smoker is slightly more expensive you will recoup the costs without having to buy propane and it is much easier to use by just plugging in. Turkey, roasts, wings come out excellent. Have only tried ribs a few times but they did not come out as good as my smoker - I need to test a few more recipes butI do think after a few trials I can get good, tender ribs. If you cook ribs at high and fast they will be good but notreal tender. Overall, a really good buy and you will be happy. It is so easy to use... » Read More I don't have the fryer but the smoker works excellent. Even though the smoker is slightly more expensive you will recoup the costs without having to buy propane and it is much easier to use by just plugging in. Turkey, roasts, wings come out excellent. Have only tried ribs a few times but they did not come out as good as my smoker - I need to test a few more recipes butI do think after a few trials I can get good, tender ribs. If you cook ribs at high and fast they will be good but notreal tender. Overall, a really good buy and you will be happy. It is so easy to use and clean - they call it the Big Easyfor a reason. « Show Less
1989089
Thanks, Joseph! You review and follow-up were really helpful and I'm glad to hear you're still liking the FlipSide after almost a year. While I generally agree that a temperature control doesn't matter much as long as it's hot enough, I find that when it's too hot, the waffle cooks too fast it's not as moist on the inside as I'd like it to be. Can you comment on that?Thanks again!
1872694
It would be a challenge to use a smoker box with this grill. It would have to be really small and sit on top of the grate, because the circular shield over the gas burner is a mere inch below the grate. The burner is an inch below that. There is no other place that I can see to put a smoker box. This of course would reduce your available cooking surface. We have a family of 4 and although the Element is smaller than your average gas grill, we find it is more than adequate as you can use just about every inch of the grate without cold spots, due to the double circular burners (like a bullseye). I have had this grill for a couple of months now - - it is the best I've EVER owned. I grill at least 4 to 5 times each week, even in the winter (2 to 3X), and as advertised, it really does heat up to about 500 degrees in less than 5 min. - AMAZING!! I just refilled my propane tank for the 1st time since I got it - we are saving so much gas! My family is thrilled that steaks and chops are seared perfectly and still pink and juicy inside - done in just a few minutes. My last grill was a Charbroil Infrared model - the latest new invention when I bought it. I had room to place a smoker box BELOW the grate, and I did so often, because that was the only way I could get a charbroiled flavor. The flames are completely shielded to prevent flare-ups, but that also eliminates nice sear marks on your food and a smoky flavor. I hated that grill. I highly recommend this grill, personally I would try a small smoker box in the middle of the grate (if you're not cooking for a crowd), and if that didn't work, buy a separate smoker.. . . . because I love this grill that much.
1520846
No, I recall there being many reviews for this item and avidly reading them all at the time. (I purchased this item years ago and it is still ''like new".) Now, I seem to have a vague memory of the Instructions actually stating ''not intended for ceramic cooktop". I do not know if an induction cooktop is the same as a an induction cooktop. Really, it would be worth it to ask amazon, go to the "Help" section and select for them to call you, or you can e-mail them, or chat with amazon. I have, many times, relied on amazon.com to find out information of all sorts for me, Robert L., so don't believe all our opinions. We might all be wrong, or there might be another product perfect for you. cvsk12 No, I recall there being many reviews for this item and avidly reading them all at the time. (I purchased this item years ago and it is still ''like new".) Now, I seem to have a vague memory of the Instructions actually stating ''not intended for ceramic cooktop". I do not know if an induction cooktop is the same as a an induction cooktop. Really, it would be worth it to ask amazon, go to the "Help" section and select for them to call you, or you can e-mail them, or chat with amazon. I have, many times, relied on amazon.com to find out information of all sorts for me,... » Read More No, I recall there being many reviews for this item and avidly reading them all at the time. (I purchased this item years ago and it is still ''like new".) Now, I seem to have a vague memory of the Instructions actually stating ''not intended for ceramic cooktop". I do not know if an induction cooktop is the same as a an induction cooktop. Really, it would be worth it to ask amazon, go to the "Help" section and select for them to call you, or you can e-mail them, or chat with amazon. I have, many times, relied on amazon.com to find out information of all sorts for me, Robert L., so don't believe all our opinions. We might all be wrong, or there might be another product perfect for you. cvsk12 « Show Less
1183130
Dutch ovens are great for lots of stuff. Anything from pasta sauce to stews and soups. You can also deep-fry in it, and bake things, like bread. Because it's cast iron the heat distribution is always generally even, and because it's iron, it retains heat quite well. For frying, it's easier to clean than an electric deep-fryer, even if you do need a bit of extra "tech" to go with it - basically you should have a candy/frying thermometer and a splatter shield, preferably. Fried chicken in a cast iron dutch oven comes out spectacular, as does a good beef stew or fresh marinara sauce. Can also make killer baked beans, too. Also it's handy for pot roasts, roast chicken, roast duck...the list goes on. Also, unlike with aluminum or steel pots, you can toss this right on the campfire if you do that outdoorsy thing, and slow cook there too. It's one of the original kitchen multitaskers, heh. You may also wish to look at the enameled versions. To clarify: this is basically the same pot that you see if you've ever watched food network, and they're cooking/roasting meat or veggies in a large and colorful enameled pot - those are cast iron too, actually. The Lodge one is that dutch oven naked. The enamel does add some convenience, (washing it in soap won't destroy the coating for instance), but you pay a hefty price for it. Le Creuset is one of the more famous makers, if you wanted to check out some examples. They work great, don't get me wrong, but I've never wanted to pay $200+ for a dutch oven, though Lodge makes cheaper enameled ones now. Plain 'ol cast iron works just as well for the most part, though the enamel has its perks, for sure. I consider them fairly interchangeable, but I imagine in particulars they may not be. I haven't owned any of the Le Creuset stuff (but I've used it - its nice), so I don't know which is better long-term, ultimately. Both will probably outlive you by quite a bit, though, so would be a good investment. I defer to people with more enameled dutch oven experience than I, though. :)
1198315
Worth it? That's up to you. Will it last....had mine 8 years, it is like new!My cuckoo does a great job of keeping warm. Worth a look! This rice cooker does the rice pudding breakfast thing. And that is fabulous. I use two rice cookers. Takes a bit of space but I do rice so often so many ways that I need both. My Zojirushi is a work horse and it is good today as it was some many years ago. To answer your rice warm question....rice is nice for just so long! I like mine right out of the cooker when it is just done. Gosh, you can warm rice in a microwave with a semi sealed container! Worth it? That's up to you. Will it last....had mine 8 years, it is like new!My cuckoo does a great job of keeping warm. Worth a look! This rice cooker does the rice pudding breakfast thing. And that is fabulous. I use two rice cookers. Takes a bit of space but I do rice so often so many ways that I need both. My Zojirushi is a work horse and it is good today as it was some many years ago. To answer your rice warm question....rice is nice for just so long! I like mine right out of the cooker when it is just done. Gosh, you can warm rice in a microwave with a semi sealed container!
1818365
Yes! Yes! Yes! I had never had a smoker before I bought this one. It is really easy to use, and almost foolproof. The price is incredibly reasonable, and you will have a great time smoking chicken, steak, fish, and everything else.I have absolutely no connection to the manufacturer or seller. I just love this smoker and you can't go wrong.
297788
"Sear station" is just an extra burner between the left and middle burner. I find that it helps get the heat up faster even when you are not trying to sear, and when I am smoking, I use that burner under the smoker box. You also get a side burner on the 330, which you don't get on the 310. I like it for outside frying in a cast iron skillet -- fries, fish, and chicken -- so I don't smell up the house. We found that the extra $ for both features was worth it.
2048364
You CAN buy the extra fire box for smoking, however, not only is the 5050 a mediocre griller, I've heard that as a smoker, it downright sucks. Apparently all of the seams leak terribly, and the grill is totally ineffective as a smoker. I'll never buy another Char Griller product, and their customer service is just awful. CharBroil is even worse. Sorry to say, if you really want a quality grill or smoker, you'll have to buy a Weber or one of the other quality brands. They cost more, but over the life of the grill/smoker, you'll really get your money's worth. Hope that helped.Alan
1178169
I just got done cooking on mine, I,absolutely love that grill. And I cook mostly on high, then hot dogs, sausage links, and chicken on low to medium. Trust me you will enjoy it