Before you bought your Pellet Smoker..............

[CarterQ]

Were you intimidated by the thought of pellet smoking?

Seems like a lot of people sitting on the fence about making the jump into the world of pellet smoking are nervous about whether they will be able to cook on it or not. Even friends who see the cookers in action say "yeah that's killer, but i could never do that"

Just wondering for those who have taken the plunge, was it easier than you thought?

For me it was so much easier than I thought it would be, the beauty of BBQ and smoking is that it can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be, but either way the results are amazing. While there are pros here, there are just as many weekend warriors and newbies all turning out great food (just spend some time in the contest section!)

If you are sitting on the fence and thinking about what you want to do, stop, it will be fine, get off the fence and get cooking! I think you'll be amazed at how easy it is to make great food no matter what cooker you choose!

 

[bflodan]

I think it is alot easier!!! I went from a $100 propane water smoker into a MAK 2 Star....Opened a different world!

 

[TentHunter]

I can understand how the thought of spending that much money on something you're unfamiliar with is definitely a fence stradling issue, especially in this economy.

For someone like me who learned to BBQ the old school way with charcoal & stick burners, you also have to get past the issue of "it feels like cheating." You're so used to watching & maintaining the pit temp & smoke levels you wonder if it will be as challenging, fun & rewarding.

All I know now is I am definitely enjoying my foray into pellet smoking, and so is the wife who now wants a pellet cooker that is more automatic (yes dear! ).

 

[Big Poppa]

I have many friends that would rave about the food off my pellet cookers and say "Sure its easy for you ...but I could never" One by one I break them down

 

[CarterQ]

I have many friends that would rave about the food off my pellet cookers and say "Sure its easy for you ...but I could never" One by one I break them down

I need to keep wearing mine down so I can go sponge off of their food for a change!

 

[Elderberry]

My earliest memories of cooking were over an open fire on Boy Scout camp-outs when I was around 8 or 9. I also remember a bunch of kids on bicycles with fishing poles in their hands and a potato in their pocket. We'd catch a few bullheads, build a fire, roll the fish in mud and bake them, along with the potato, on rocks next to the fire. It was probably terrible but we ate it, thought it was great, and had fun doing it...

So I figure if my interest in cooking can survive that then learning to cook on a pellet grill should be even more rewarding. And it looks like this place has some fantastic teachers.

Will I ever be able to turn out a rack of ribs like Sparky's or some seafood like Cowgirl's..?? Fantastic creative dishes like Carter or TentHunter or BP..?? Or any of several others on here..?? Probably not but I'll bet I can learn to do something edible and I know I'll have a ball doing it and get some of the best help around....

 

[Rip]

I saw a pellet cooker at the Pool store, picked up a brochure, got on the Internet, found this place. It took less than a few hours of perusing this forum to reassure me I was going to love pellet cooking. Thanks again BP!

 

[ACW3]

My first exposure to pellet cooking came during a BBQ class by Rod Gray. He cooked all the comp meats on both a stick burner and a pellet cooker. The one thing that impressed me the most was the consistency, and relative ease, of the pellet cooked food. Rod did mention that he could get more sleep with a pellet cooker. Less tending the "fire" than with a stick burner. Once I convinced the wife this was a really good idea for us (she actually attended the class with me), we made the move. The real selling point on my part had to do with going for the gold with the MAK 2 Star versus starting smaller and upgrading several times to get to the 2 Star level. Once and done. No looking back.

Art

 

[Big Poppa]

Elderberry....You can do it.. pay attention....the details are key...We have watched many people come on unsure and turn into real great cooks. Spark is a great example...he cooked...asked questions...cooked more and developed his own style....It happens quickly if you go for it.

 

[Candy Sue]

Pellets were a natural for me! When the family got into the pellet making business it started with heating pellets. John Willingham invented the W'ham Cooker and got us into making pellet grill fuel. Then came the 100% flavor pellets (and they said it couldn't be done!). I started tossing pellets into my charcoal grill last century using them for flavor. I have always had a preference for charcoal cooking. Got my first pellet grill from a customer -- a Nomad Pellet-Matic. Now I have 5 pellet-fired cookers out of 15 cookers (I've sold a couple lately). Still heavy in charcoal, but no gasser!

 

[Elderberry]

Okay... I'm ready and today is the big day...!!!

I'm sitting here waiting on UPS to bring the MAK. They said sometime between 9:30am and 5pm...

It's 9:33 already... What's the hold up..??

JJ...

 

[SisInLaw]

Call me a kitchen cook. When it was time to bbq outside, I always prepped and handed the food to others to cook on a charcoal drum grill or a gasser, so I had absolutely no experience in outdoor cooking until a few months ago when Big Poppa delivered to me my beloved Memphis smoker.

On Fourth of July I smoked out on the street: 6 racks of ribs, dozens of twice-baked potatoes, armadillo eggs, bacon-wrapped asparagus, bacon-wrapped hot dogs, tri tips and I'm probably forgetting some things. Oh, and corn on the cob. I was on the smoker all day long and into the dark and loved it! It's sooo easy! The no-direct-flame feature is the key for me. No shooting down flames with a spray bottle or burned food.

Every single thing turned out fabulous. The ribs were unreal and I have no idea where they all went.

My only complaint: I spent a lot of money feeding people I don't even know. Next year the smoker will stay in the back yard and I'll just feed me and mine. Geeze, that was crazy! If I can do it anyone can.

 

[Big Poppa]

Im proud of you sis!

 

[383inTheD]

The "rave" is just starting to spread about the "D"...

 

[Carter13]

I went full throttle into the pellet life. The Jr was the perfect price point grill that my wife was willing to give me the thumbs up since I was not a huge BBQ guy before the purchase.