amazon beauty or beast?

[PDC7]

Well, today i cleaned up the old grill and realised just how rubbish it is, cue me sat in, alone, on a Saturday on the internet looking at...amazon. I found this and as in new to this thought id ask what you gents thought, in thinking if buying this...


http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00DAGR ... -9&pi=SL75

[ChopperHarris]

I'm definitely not an expert, but it doesn't look like a winner to me, to be honest. For a smoker, especially in the UK, you need a decent thickness of metal or else run the risk of the heat being lost quickly. The reviews on the page suggest that's a problem with this unit.

[Rednaxela13]

I'd have to agree there... from everything I read about these bargain offsets they're best avoided. Even much more expensive units can struggle to hold heat at a reasonable cooking temp in the great British climate!

[Tiny]

Chaps,
Cheap offsets are as sensible as flipping your love plums onto an table and asking the most vile sadist to "do their best" whilst handing them your shoe. I purchased the landmann Tennessee as an budget offset smoker, and I don't hink it is the worst by any means , but fire to the left meat to the right presents inevitable pain, the left is soooooo much warmer than the right, and you can do meat flipping....( brief pause wasn't that an beat combo tune? ooooh meat flippin yeah, that's where I wanna be, that's where I wanna be......) but I digress, an cheap offset will allow temp to escape like an Liverpool fan actually believing they can win the title......

Strategy full of massive holes, you can do it, but may as well send the money to me as your cheap offset will end up, as mine, at the end of the garden rusting and unloved, spend the money buy an upright smoker of quality...........
Cheers
Tiny

[PDC7]

Thanks for the reply's gents, this is a double disaster, number 1 i really liked how it looked ( sort of steam punk / will smith wild wild west styles) and number 2 im a Liverpool fan. However i noticed another forum member posted about a smoker i am tempted in, only i cant imagine how i can go low and slow and change it up for grilling? What says you???

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00CU2P ... 029&sr=8-1

[Rednaxela13]

...to my mind you'll probably get a better result on this one than the offset, but I'm guessing (and only guessing) that at that price point build quality isn't going to be great, and you'll probably have a lot of leaks and find temperature hard to control.

What sort of budget are you looking at? - I'm sure someone on here can give you a good steer on how best to spend it!

[keith157]

Have a search on the forum on Ugly Drum Smokers (UDS) there are some great posts and "how-to" articles.

[YetiDave]

Have a search on the forum on Ugly Drum Smokers (UDS) there are some great posts and "how-to" articles.

^ This. Do it.

I just finished my first UDS and it's on its maiden cook today. I'm sad to say that it is both easier to use and more fuel efficient than my Excel. You should be able to get the parts together for under £100 and if you can borrow an angle grinder (or find a drum with a removable lid) then you're set

[PDC7]

Thanks for all the replies gents. Money is only a factor on anything above £150 as I'm only starting out at the moment, the more important things for me are being able to mostly use for regular grilling, smoking here and they and also size, room here is at a premium, been to a couple of garden centres today and I'm looking at weber kettles now

[YetiDave]

If you're only occasionally using it for smoking then a kettle should do the job nicely