WSM 57cm versus ProQ Excel 20

[Crowdedbar]

I'm sure that this question has been asked before (and many times) but would appreciate feedback and comments with pros and cons.
In the market for a bullet new smoker (finally got the wife to agree!)and from what I've read so far, these 2 products seem to come out on top.
All advise gratefully received.
Cheers, Crowdedbar

[QueFrescoPaul]

Weber 57 kettle is s great starting point if you're new to smoking. That's my recommendation and it purely comes down to price, you can pick up a kettle for less than 100 quid at this time of year and it'll see you right for a few seasons, certainly long enough to find out whether you're serious about BBQ cooking.

The Weber kettle will let you into direct / indirect cooking and to be fair can even take you up to competition standard.

Don't be tempted by anything smaller than the 57, there's no point, you're not going to save massively on charcoal and you lose cooking area.

My personal opinion is that they aren't built to last but it'll last long enough to turn you into a true BBQ enthusiast.

[ChrisABBQ]

Weber vs ProQ - you'll be going around in circles for ages - people generally fall one side of the line or another. Check out eBay for used versions of either - they are about, especially this time of year when strange (normal) people stop Qing.

[Crowdedbar]

Thanks for the comments - just pleased to see that going for the larger 57cm is the way forward, albeit a bit more money.
Just another question to put out there - should the smoker be fired up with no food for the first use??

[gavinbbq]

I read that on the WSM's you don't need to but I did anyway for mine and used it as a practice run for maintaining temps.


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[QueFrescoPaul]

Yes, it's called "seasoning a new smoker" and it just makes sure that any nasties used in the build process are burnt off and don't taint the flavour of your food.

[essexsmoker]

Just give it a good wash round and season. Then have a good 2 or 3 goes with no food. Then you can learn how your particular cooker works and what fuel you want to use.

[essexsmoker]

Thanks for the comments - just pleased to see that going for the larger 57cm is the way forward, albeit a bit more money.
Just another question to put out there - should the smoker be fired up with no food for the first use??

I think Que meant the kettle bbq not the 57cm WSM..?