Need some guidance, MAK selection.

Star1021Scott

New member
I've been just a reader of these forums for quite some time, figured I would join.

I am heavily considering purchasing a MAK in the very near future, and it would be my first venture into the pellet world.

What I can't decided, and I'm hoping everyone's opinions can help me, is whether to go with the 1 star or the 2 star.

I would be typically a weekend smoker, and would use it all year round.

When I smoke, I typically smoke for less than 10 people, which to me makes me think the smaller MAK 1 would suit my needs.

The price difference is not a huge concern, but how will I know if I need what the 2 star offers down the road! :)

Help!
 

sparky

New member
i like the warming draw for smoking cheese and fish. love the trap door to empty out pit. get the 2 star buddy.
 

malawoo

New member
Hi I am new to this forum and I am picking up my new Mak gen. 2 star Thursday I went with it because of little bigger, dump door for pellets and the extra smoker on the side and etc. and if you want the shelf on the bottom and side then you are even closer to the price of the 2 star. Thats my opinnion. Good luck on your decision
 

ht01us

New member
I went through this very dilemma last year. I was this close (fingers less than an inch apart) to getting the 1 Star, but opted for the 2 star at the last moment.

Having used the 2 Star now a few times here is my take
  • The pellet dump door is AWESOME and almost worth the price difference in itself (IMHO).
  • The warming drawer will also come in handy when doing a reverse sear. Say you are doing some tri tip or steak or something similar. You've smoked it for a while and then want to get a sear on it; just move the meat into the warming drawer while you crank the heat on the main chamber.
  • Finally, I like the bigger cooking chamber and the higher cooking chamber; I think that will come in handy when cooking a turkey.

I hope this helps; I asked sooo many questions and got such good advice here when doing my shopping.
 

TTNuge

New member
I went through this very dilemma last year. I was this close (fingers less than an inch apart) to getting the 1 Star, but opted for the 2 star at the last moment.

Having used the 2 Star now a few times here is my take
  • The pellet dump door is AWESOME and almost worth the price difference in itself (IMHO).
  • The warming drawer will also come in handy when doing a reverse sear. Say you are doing some tri tip or steak or something similar. You've smoked it for a while and then want to get a sear on it; just move the meat into the warming drawer while you crank the heat on the main chamber.
  • Finally, I like the bigger cooking chamber and the higher cooking chamber; I think that will come in handy when cooking a turkey.

I hope this helps; I asked sooo many questions and got such good advice here when doing my shopping.

I agree completely, the pellet dump door and the warming drawer are worth the added price of admission alone.
 

MAK DADDY

Moderator
The reality is the 1 Star was designed to get into that price point for folks who just couldn't afford 2K for the 2 Star.
If price is not the #1 issue for you buy the 2 Star!

If you can't (or don't want to) spend the extra money the 1 Star is a great model and you can slowly add features like the shelves, tool hooks etc.
 

jimsbarbecue

Moderator
We have MAK 2 Stars and they are a fine cooking machine. I will tell you whichever one you choose you will be happy. If you have the space and the funding part is not a issue the 2 star is a nice pick.With either you get the support from the folks at MAK and Big Poppa Smokers assuming the purchase is made there. We have used our first MAK #86 so much it borders on abuse.I have grown to expect it to works regardless of weather etc. Honestly I think Bob is just as crazed about this BBQ thing as we all are, the way he keeps coming up with new goodies for the MAK.
 

Big Poppa

Administrator
It's funny I have both. I use both. I think that if I had to have one it's the 2 star. But I just love that little one star. I cook on it 50% of the tine. We also just got 6th out of 78 teams at haves with the one star
 

squirtthecat

New member
The 1 Star is a great little (and it's not really that much smaller than the 2 Star) entry level smoker.. You could always upgrade later. Or buy a 2nd one. ;)

I've got a line of people here offering to buy my pellet smokers if I ever upgrade to a big kahuna.
 

sptrainnut

New member
WOW, I just stumbled on to this thread and boy I'm glad I did. I'm in the same boat you are as I'm ready to buy my first smoker and I was waffeling back and forth between a Green Mountain Jim Bowie and the MAK 2 Star. I had pretty much decided that I would go with the MAK because it is made in the USA, but after reading all the posts, I have no doubts in my mind that the 2 star will be the one I get. I've been looking at the 1 star and the 2 star for over 3 weeks now and my suggestion to you would be to go with the 2 star. I don't think you can go wrong with it and it is a winner all the way around. My vote is for the 2 star. Thanks everyone for the great comments and for pushing me in the right direction. I think I'm going to like smoking so much I'm already planning on picking up a 1 star later on down the line. I love to cook and try new things, so I'm sure they will get plenty of work to keep them busy.

J in El Paso
 

CarterQ

Moderator
J I think you will be extremely happy with your decision, in my opinion there is no better all around pellet cooker than the MAK 2 star. You will love the versatility and capabilities!
 

sptrainnut

New member
CarterQ, I think you are absolutely correct. I'm really looking forward to ordering mine and can't wait to get it. I posted a question on another thread last night and I can't find it now because I don't recall which thread it was. If you all don't mind I'll ask it again here, last summer I was looking to get a Tragger and found that they were having a demo sale at my local Costco. They didn't have the one I wanted at the time but I ended up buying 3 bags of pellets from him in antisipation of picking up the unit a little later. Now hiere I am today looking to pickup up a MAK 2, my question is can I use the pellets I bought in the MAK?

J in El Paso
 

CarterQ

Moderator
Any food grade pellet will work fine in your MAK, I tried Traeger pellets when I first got my grill, they tended to produce more ash and they use flavor oils rather than real hardwood but they won't hurt anything.
 

sptrainnut

New member
CarterQ, thanks for the info, I was hoping I could use them but didn't realize they weren't made from good hardwood. I can use them for my first couple of test smokes I guess, that way I can get my feet wet and learn what I'm doing. Any suggestions as to who has the best pellets? I noticed Big Poppa's has an option to order in bulk, this sounds like it might be a good deal and save a little cash in the long run.

J. in El Paso
 

Mr Hickory

New member
From a smoking newbie....I have never owned a smoker before my 2 star a little more than a month ago. I thought it would be a little big, but the smoke box, dump door, ash door, and above them all the pellet boss seemed too good to be true. Well, let me tell you I have only had this thing a month, and my cooks have gone from simple pizza to so much stuff in there I just got the half upper rack to make more space. It has far exceeded my expectations.

It's addictive, and the pellet boss makes it so easy to wander off and do something else as long as you use the probe(s) and an alarm setpoint. So my two cents is don't even slightly second guess yourself, get the 2 star and enjoy the food.

My first tip though....buy at least one of the BP flavor sampler packs of pellets, it makes it very easy to taste the different results. And don't hesitate to buy lots of pellets, you will go through them much faster than you think.

Second tip, after a nice messy cook of ribs or pork shoulder, perhaps the next day, set the pellet boss to high for about a half hour and burn off the residual fat. It makes it really easy to clean up the grill with everything charred instead of gooey.
 

sptrainnut

New member
Well I had my mind all made up and your comments solidify my decision even more. In about 12 more days I will be ordering my MAK 2 Star from BP and I'll most definitely check into trying the sampler packs of pellets. I'm really looking forward to getting it and trying it out. I"mve never done it before and I'm really anxious to give it a try.
Cheers,
J in El Paso
 
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