18.5" Classic Pit Barrel Cooker

What can I say that hasn't already been said about this excellent product? It has made me a BBQ master and brought a lot of fun and good times to my home. I've struggled for years with an offset smoker to get it working right. It required constant babysitting and yielded inconsistent results and only fair BBQ. The Pit Barrel Cooker (PBC as I call it) is SO easy to use and best of all: repeatable, consistent results. It just works and works well. Here are some tips for those just starting out: 1. The way the PBC (or any smoker) maintains a low, consistent heat inside the unit for extended periods of time is totally dependent on the so-called "Minon Method". Jim Minon came up with this method so there would be a low temp that would last a long time inside his smoker. Instead of lighting all the coals at once, which resulted in things getting way too hot and the coals burning out too soon, he lit only a small amount of the charcoal and poured it on top of the rest of the unlit coals. Using this method, a small amount of coals would stay lit and burn down, lighting the unlit coals, maintaining a low, consistent temperature over the cook. How much you light and how long you allow the bunch to get going before you close the lid can make a huge difference in the inside temp and how long the coals last. The instructions for the PBC say to light your coals and wait 20 minutes and then close the lid. Do not waver from the 20 minute time. If you do, the coals will get too hot and STAY too hot for the duration of your cook. However, there is a world of variability in how you do this which can have significant impact on your cook. How many briquettes you load in your chimney starter and when place on the rest in the charcoal basket will make a big difference in how hot your PBC gets and stays that way. You can load it full, or only a third and this will result in different temps throughout your cook. If you leave the briquettes in the chimney until the last few minutes of the suggested 20 minutes before you pour them on the rest in the charcoal basket, this will result in a lower temp in your PBC throughout the cook. Or you can pour the briquettes from the chimney onto the rest in the basket as soon as they are started, allowing the entire bunch to get going for that 20 minutes. If you're looking to really slow things down, then fill the chimney only 1/3rd full and pour it on the rest of the charcoal only a couple minutes before you put your food on and close the lid. This will result in a nice, low temperature throughout your cook that will last eight or more hours. If you want to cook hotter (and subsequently faster), then fill your chimney full and pour it on as soon as it's lit well and allow the rest of the coals in the basket to get going good until the 20 minute mark. Low and slow is what makes the BBQ flavorful and tender, so I'd suggest you fill it 1/3rd and pour it on the rest just a couple minutes before you close the lid. 2. The vent at the bottom is important, but it won't have as much impact on the barbeque temperature as varying things as I described above. You can vary things about 50 degrees using the vent, but if the coals get too hot before you put the lid on, it will stay hot no matter what you do (short of spraying water on the coals). The key is how hot the coals get before you put the lid on. 3. Leaving out one or both of the rebar hanger bars can have a HUGE impact on the internal temp. The bars control the flow of air between the vent and the top of the smoker. So even if you're using the grate, make sure you leave those bars in if you can to have a consistent, low temp throughout your cook. They are an integral part of the flow system of the PBC. 4. Taking the lid off for a short time is fine, but leaving it off for extended times can raise the temp inside significantly, and it'll stay that way when you put the lid back on. The temp will come down after you put the lid on, but it may never come down to where you want if you leave it off too long. 5. It's a very good idea to purchase both a good quality, fast-read thermometer (like the ThermoPop) and a leave-in thermometer (like the Maverick Et-732 Remote Bbq Smoker Thermometer). The Maverick is a charm to use and it cuts down on babysitting the food tremendously. You stick one probe in the meat and one near it to monitor the temp of your smoker and it constantly feeds those two temps to your unit in the house (or wherever you are). It will alert you when you've reached your goal temp. Then you can use the ThermoPop to check in more places to see if it's consistently the temp you want. Having those two things will make your life much easier and help you get consistent, repeatable results. Don't listen to people who whine about the probes on the Maverick. If you're careful and you don't get the probes wet, they'll last a long time (I know, because I use it myself). Also, get some grill gloves, preferably some that come very high up the arm (to the elbow, is best). You'll need these for pulling off your meat, or pulling the rebar to put the grate on (for example, cooking a pork shoulder that is hung for half the time, then wrapped in aluminum foil and put on the grate for the remainder of the time). Some silicone BBQ gloves are great too, for when you cut the meat or pull it (as in pulled pork). You could buy one pair for both uses, but I found it best to get one pair for each task. I wanted grill gloves that came high on my arm, but I didn't want to use these to handle the meat (as they are cloth). Smaller, silicone gloves are better for handling the meat for pulling or slicing. When you cut a just-cooked chicken, brisket, ribs or tri-tip, having the silicone gloves makes things so much easier. You can use dishwashing gloves, but it's not very appetizing for your guests to see you using these to handle the meat they're about to eat. 6. Lastly, make good use of the many videos the PBC people have made, teaching you how to cook just about everything you can think of (located on their website, or YouTube). They show where to place the hooks in many different kinds of meat, and how to prep that meat for maximum results. I bought a book on smoking meat that has helped a lot. You can find two or three of the best here on Amazon by searching for "Smoking meat book". Pick the one you think is best. I bought Smoking Meat by Jeff Phillips. Follow the instructions that come with your PBC and you'll be making excellent BBQ in no time. It's very easy to use, easy to maintain and lots of fun to use.

I wanted to buy a smoker to compliment my regular grill, but didn't want to spend a fortune. I read a review on a very popular bbq web site (search for Meathead Goldwyn) about the effective job the Pit Barrel Cooker does and was impressed by the ease of use (as in no tinkering with the temperature, etc.), as illustrated by the company's several excellent instructional online videos. After reading the excellent reviews on Amazon, and watching online videos/reviews, I took a "leap of faith" and ordered the PBC. At the time, the cost, INCLUDING SHIPPING, was $269. The company has since raised the price to $289 (again, includes shipping), which is, in my humble opinion, still a bargain. How does it perform? Admirably! Its simple, but sturdy, construction belies the effectiveness of the results it produces. I've since bbq'd chicken, ribs, etc., and my friends and family have raved about the smokey, juicy taste of the meat. I'd be proud to present my smoked meats to any fan of bbq! The PPC uses charcoal,only, and operation is extremely simple (But, watch the company's videos and follow its instructions carefully.): Prepare your meat (rub, marinade, etc.), light your charcoal (I use a Weber chimney charcoal starter; charcoal ready in about 20 minutes.), pour the lighted charcoal into the charcoal basket in the bottom of the barrel (Use bbq gloves that cover the forearm.), hang the meat on the two rods at the top of the barrel using the provided stainless steel hooks (eight hooks are included), close the lid, and . . . wait! The company videos carefully explain how to position the hooks for different kinds of meat (pork butt, whole chickens, ribs, etc.) and the approximate time for them to cook. Important: Trust the videos! Don't peek while the meat is smoking! ("If yer peekin', yer not cookin'!). After the suggested cook time, check your meat (using an instant-read thermometer, or, with ribs, poke the meat to gauge desired tenderness). For my first cook-off, I hung four whole chickens (each cut in half) on the eight hooks. Before hanging the chicken on the hooks, I added several chunks of apple wood to the lit charcoal. . . . About an hour later, they were done! I rubbed the chicken before cooking with the company's all-purpose rub (excellent!), and the family polished it off in short order. Again, rave comments from all! My next cook was Saturday before Memorial Day, and I wanted a "trial cook-off" before our large family and friends Memorial Day Feast. I hung four racks of baby back ribs on the rods (The PBC will easily do eight racks at one time.); results were acceptable but not perfect. I "peeked" about 2 1/2 hrs. into the cook (The video says do this only after 3 hrs.), and a time or two after. After about 3 1/2 hrs., the ribs were done: A little more chewy than I had expected, but still very good. (My "trial cook-off" tasters didn't complain!). On Memorial Day, I first cooked sixteen boneless, skinless chicken breasts (again, oiled and rubbed, with several chunks---not chips!--- of apple wood added to the lit charcoal). The chicken was done in about 45 minutes. I wrapped the chicken in foil and placed in the unlit oven to "rest." Next, I hung eight racks of rubbed baby back ribs on the rods. No need for added coals: Once you fill the charcoal basket, you've got enough heat for a total of about 6 or 7 hours of cooking (The company says you can easily finish a brisket in this time, unlike the longer time required by other smokers.) Three hours later, I checked the ribs, and left them on for another 45 minutes. Nice and tender! Slathered them with Baby Ray's sauce, put them on the rods to "carmelize," and took them off. Fantastic results! Tender, succulent, smokey Nirvana! Need I say, the family raved?? I highly recommend the Pit Barrel Cooker because of its bargain price and the excellent results it produces. It's the first smoker I've ever owned and I simply cannot imagine other smokers could produce better results. Since my first order, I've ordered eight additional hooks, to allow me to cook more pieces of chicken at one time. Finally, for grilling, a circular grill is included; my hamburgers (80-20% fat; ground chuck) were delicious, smokey and moist.

I've been smoking on different charcoal rigs most weekends for years (Kettles, barrel grills -with and without offset boxes, ceramic eggs, and even a competition grill that some buddies and I rented for a massive party). I have become pretty capable at producing great slow-cooked meat, and until now my method of choice for slow-cooking involved a 22inch Weber Kettle with a Slow-n-Sear add-on (still a great set-up involving exceptional products). For the purpose of this review, I'm going to compare what makes the PBC Cooker so incredible, when up against any other options in this price-range: PROS: - Simplicity - I deliberately followed the most simple of the prescribed set-ups for this: fill the charcoal basket to the top (make sure it's level); cover charcoal in lighter fluid; place basket in bottom of barrel immediately and light-it; wait 15 minutes for coals to burn down a little (20 at higher altitudes); put on your food, cover the barrel, and wait until your meat is done. No setting up digital thermometers on grill surfaces, no waiting for the temperature to set and stabilize, and I didn't even add wood chunks or chips (I wanted to see what the end product was if I put in the least amount of work necessary). The food that came off when I took the above described steps was phenomenal! Best ribs and chicken I've ever had! - Set it and forget it - this is where I am most astounded, I set the damper according to the directions provided and this thing held at 260 for the entire cook (which was 4hrs, but the charcoal could've gone for 8+ if I had to guess). I have never seen another charcoal fueled product that can do this - period. It literally is a 'set it and forget it' device. I confirmed this by sticking a digital thermometer in through the holes for the rods, periodically during the cook. I didn't use wood-chunks or chips, and it still produced a great smoke and subtle smoke flavor (which I prefer to a heavy/over-smoked flavor) - the flavor comes from the meat dripping on the coals (check-out PBC's website for an explanation)...it works really well. - Shorter cook-times - I slow cooked one rack of ribs to fall-off-the-bone tenderness in a little over 3hrs (still developed a solid smoke ring), along with a chicken (halved) that were done in 2hrs). A rack of ribs slow-cooked would usually take at least 4.5hrs. - Capacity - this thing's footprint is basically the same as a 22inch Weber Kettle (slightly shorter, but the footprint is identical, and the grill cover for a 22inch Weber Kettle fits this perfectly). Even with a rib rack, the most I could effectively fit on a 22inch Weber is 4 racks of ribs (could maybe do 5 if I halved a 5th rack). The PBC can hold up to 8 racks of ribs at a time thanks to its hanging method - with the same footprint as a 22inch Weber. That is nuts! - Easy Clean-Up - you literally just dump the charcoal out of the bottom when you're done; they have a charcoal pan add-on at PBC's website, or you could lay down tin-foil in the bottom of the barrel to make the clean-up even easier. The stainless steel hooks probably don't 'need' to be cleaned after every use, but it takes about 1 minute to use a scrubber and dish-soap on them. The inside of the barrel itself is never meant to be cleaned (they stress this in their directions and literature - so be aware of that), and the outside should never 'require' it either (cleaning the outside is super easy if you do want to - check out PBC's website for details on how to clean it). - Great Build Quality - this thing is substantial, and I love that they use a porcelain enamel finish now (sounds like they used to use a powdered finish). As is the case with anything, fewer moving parts usually means higher durability and lower maintenance - this thing has very few moving parts. - Legit Even Cooking - this thing does cook evenly as a result of the science/physics behind the design (check-out their website for an explanation). To get the same effect on other rigs, usually you have to adjust the meat's position at least once during the cook. - Versatility - The PBC can be used for grilling or slow cooking; the included grill grate is solid and sits deep enough in the barrel to protect it from flare-ups caused by wind. I think I'll probably still use my weber kettle for grilling on on grates, but it's awesome that this could serve the same purpose (and the grilling surface is substantial). It CAN heat up for grilling, and it does it quickly - take that lid off the PBC and you can literally watch the coals heat-up in a matter of minutes. Something else that makes this versatile is its capacity; as I alluded to earlier, I did a halved chicken and a rack of ribs simultaneously - they didn't come close to touching each-other or messing with each-other's flavor profile...I could've done two halved chickens along one of the hanging rods, and 4 racks of ribs along the other if I'd wanted to. - Product Support & Virtual Community - visit the PBC cooker's website, and you have a ton of available support and info provided by the owners of the company (it's a veteran owned company which makes it more awesome) and a community of people who are fanatical about this product. Slow cooking using a 'hook-and-hang' method is new to most backyard BBQ'rs (myself included); the videos and content provided on PBC's website make the prospect far less intimidating than trying to figure it out on your own, or by using some written directions. The company's owners also clearly care about their product, their customers, and their craft in general - lots of customer engagement and support. CONs/FYIs: - Barrel Depth - this is about as nitpicky as anyone could be about a product, and is really more of an "FYI" than a CON. The rack of ribs I hung to slow-cook was ALMOST too long (almost touching the coals). I always try to pick shorter racks of ribs because you run into similar issues on most BBQ rigs (if they're too long for a kettle, then they touch the sides of the kettle - which you don't want). This rack of baby-backs was on the longer side, so I'm not too surprised that it almost hit the coals. 'Hook-Placement' can help with longer pieces of meat, which is something I'll be mindful of next time I have a longer rack of ribs to slow cook. I will say this, despite the ribs being literally an inch or two above the coals - the bottom of the hanging rack cooked evenly with the rest of the rack (really impressive). Again, this is not really a CON and more of an FYI. I imagine that when the first Weber Kettle came out, it was met with similar disbelief and fanfare - at $300.00 before taxes, you won't find anything like this. Pellet Smokers and other types of electric/automated smokers might offer 'set-it-and-forget-it' ability, but the decent ones are more expensive and they don't offer the same degree of simplicity, near the capacity of this thing, or are as easy to clean/maintain.

Update after 4 months - using my Pit Barrel a couple of times every week - ALL with great results.. 1) I use a Wagner 30 gallon drum dolly - with wheels - that I found on sale for $45 to roll my Pit barrel around - fits just right to leave the bottom air vent exposed 2) The Weber 7451 grill cover for like $10 fits great - after the Pit Barrel cools down of course ! 3) Process wise I started with a Charcoal Chimney to start-up my coals - but for the past 6 weeks I switched over to the starter fluid method - no lighter fluid taster whatso ever - lights coals more evenly in the basket - and overall a smoother/more-efficient process 4) Pit Barrel now has a steel "ash catcher - for like $30 - before they came out with that I use a 17" aluminum pizza pan on the bottom - and then a 16" alum pizza pan on top of that which fits just right underneath the charcoal basket - just pull the 16" up and out with the ashes on it - smooth as pie. I also have a ash/fireplace vac - but the pizza pan trick is so much smoother. 5) On one cook - the combination of a fallen rib rack (my fault) and a couple of bad flavor/wood-chunks - left a wet residue/creosote inside my Pit Barrel - the following day I refilled the charcoal basket 120% - opened the bottom vent 100% - started up that charcoal pile with the lid off - left the lid off for 30 min - then put the lid back on but cracked open 1/2" - the Pit Barrel cooked up way hot and I let go - crisped out that wet residue easy - kindof a burn off deal - so simple and effective ! 6) Pit Barrel also now offers "turkey hooks" - bought two so I can smoke 2 birds at a time for the Holiday's - I am a very/very happy Pit Barrel Cowboy ! ----------------- original post---------------------- I researched the Pit Barrel online before ordering - and setting up the Pit Barrel - was a straightforward and smooth - both the videos on the Pit Barrel website and the independent reviews are spot on ! I received my Pit Barrel early Weds evening - and did my 1st cook Thursday morning - a full 8 racks of spareribs for a office lunch BBQ feeding 20-25 people - and all worked out great ! To be helpful to others - a few specific comments on my 1st-cook-setup: 1) I purchased a Weber Compact Rapidfire Charcoal Chimney from Amazon - this Weber Compact Chimney holds EXACTLY the 40 Kingsford briquettes which Pit Barrel recommends for a chimney startup - rock solid fit for the Pit Barrel - and when lit a easy dump onto the coals in the Pit Barrel 2) I purchased a 2-pack 18lb Kingsford charcoal (Blue) from my local Lowes - while my Pit Barrel was in route 3) While I was at Lowe's - I also bought a Kingsford Charcoal Dispenser Kaddy contianer for $11 (made by Buddeez - I have other great containers in my kitchen made by Buddeez) - and I dumped 18lbs of Kingsford into the caddy loose - perfect fit. Next time I go to Lowe's I am going to pickup a 2nd Kaddy for my extra charcoal - but that's me. 4) I used Weber FireStarter cubes - bought a 24 pack cheap for $3.50 - 1st time I have used these paraffin based cubes - and my recommendation for the chimney is to use them 4/5 at a time - I put them on a folded alum foil under the chimney to light them up - easy - and after I dumped the lite charcoal into the Pit Barrel - burnt/used cube cleanup was a breeze - folded up the used/burnt cube in the foil and dumped.. With these paraffin cubes took maybe 25-30 minutes to get the charcoal in the chimney lite up the way I like it - a bit longer the 20 mins outlined by Pit Barrel 5) I am at 1200 ft - so the Pit Barrel vent was factory preset 1/4 which was perfect for me I am not a hound dog griller/smoker - I eat smoked/cooked ribs maybe 2-3 times a year - either at friends or at a Annual National Championship event in my town - so my comments on my actual 1st cook 1) I was going to feed 15-20 people - so I had my butcher bring in 8 full racks of "natural" spareribs - no sodium/additves - probably $12 a rack 2) I bought three types of rub/seasoning - each 30 oz containers - and did a quick over-test-cook in my over with some country-cut ribs/pork the night before - from Amazon - 30 oz Hawaiian seasoning (and I have Hawaiian Hulli/Hulli wet sauce as a match - Amazon 30 oz Pappy's Seasoning - and from local Sam's Club 30 oz of Head Country Championship for $12. I over tested the 3 - and after my quick oven test - for me I picked the flavor from the Head Country for my 1st cook. 3) Rinsed/pat-dry the racks 30 minutes before cook start up - I did not pull membranes - left membranes on - I inserted the cooking hooks in each rack in turn - and applied the seasoning - and frankly I did not do much of a rub-in - more a shake-on application - and for 8 full racks of spareribs used 1/2 the 30 oz Head Country 4) After the chimney hot coals were poured into the Pit Barrel - put all 8 racks on - and yes. at least 4 of my spare rib racks were as long to be just touching the coals - and I knew from Pit Barrel videos/review that there were no worries with that 5) Put the lid on - and walked away for 3 1/2 hours - and when I was on my way back I picked up two 40 oz bottles of Head Country Original BBQ sauce from my local Walmart Community market. 6) Full 8 sparerib racks at 3 1/2 hrs was not as far along as I wanted - for that amount of meat - and I waited another hour - total 4 1/2 hrs - and then I pulled the racks on turn and lathered with the Head Country BBQ sauce - and frankly the "lather" used one 40 oz bottle of sauce 7) Lathers/sauced - I cooked them another 45 minutes - for total cook time 5 hrs 15 minutes - when I pulled them - pulled hooks - wrapped in rack in foil - and set them in a Husky brand foam ice chest (like $9 at Walmart) that fit them perfectly - and let them rest for me (timing to get to the office and set) - about another 45 minutes - my schedule for setup 8) Sliced up the racks into about quarters - wrapped the quarters in foil - plenty of paper towels for my lunch horde Fantastic - all those ribs - and gobbled up like wildfire - all gone, I mean gone - and in my BBQ-lover area - at least 4/5 "best I have ever had" - and at least 90% "man - this was GREAT"...

I've had it for three weekends now and have done four cooks. The thing is amazing and I'm already producing killer food, including the first time out. First cook was two pork butts and a packer brisket all at once. Made a couple of rookie mistakes (mainly puncturing the bottom of the foil with the thermometer, losing all of the apple juice once I foil wrapped it) so the pork butts were more of a chopped pork instead of pulled, but the flavor was still great. Brisket was also very good but I know the next time out will be even better. Second cook was simply two racks of baby back ribs. They came out perfectly and the ease of prepping and smoking is insane...definitely "set it and forget it". Third and fourth cooks were this past weekend spread over two days: pork butt, brats and two racks of beef short ribs followed by three racks of pork ribs and two more racks of beef short ribs. Everything was awesome: especially the pork butt. Didn't screw up the foil process and wound up with succulent pulled pork as intended. The bratwurst were also awesome smoked, turning red from the smoke ring and having a great snap to them. I want to use the thing every day. It's so simple to use and customer support is fantastic. I recommend this to everyone and also recommend picking up the hanging grill grate which allows you to use the grill grate while also hanging meats at the same time. Was able to toss the bratwurst on the grill before foiling the pork butt and moving it to the grate and then was able to immediately hang the beef ribs. Pretty smart buy if you intend on having people over (you will) and your caught with your pants down as the food won't be ready for another three hours. Was able to do some brats to tide over the masses until the pork was ready. Buy it. It's cheaper than most of the other smokers and the cooking capacity is tremendous, never mind how small the footprint is. It's pretty much idiot proof as evidenced by being able to deliver a more than passable 12-pound brisket first time out. There are tons of videos online and other internet resources regarding the Cooker so learning how to use it is extremely simple.

Bought this as a present for husband after watching all the glowing reviews of it on YouTube. We have had a couple of smokers over the years with electric controllers that did did a decent job but the control modules end up dying on them in just a few years of use. I know this pit barrel cooker is not technically a smoker but it makes better smoked meats than actual smokers we have used and even better than any meal we have had at numerous highly rated Smoked BBQ restaurants we have tried. We have so far, smoked pork butt, chuck roast and picanha with it and it was all amazing!! We are doing pork ribs with it tomorrow... It's so easy to use, gives an impressive level of smoke flavor/smoke ring to everything we have cooked in it and it is well made so we expect it will last for many years. Husband loves it and says he's been very pleasantly surprised by how well it works. Het yourself one, you won't be disappointed!

Love this product! Giving it 5 stars despite some minor inconveniences, that have little to do with product, but rather you adjusting to a different method of cooking. That said, would not have a BBQ party the first time using this, when guests are expecting to eat at a certain time. Results could be much quicker than anticipated, it depends on what you are cooking, and you altitude. It is not that it is complicated, it only takes one or two times to appreciate the carefully thought out plan of this product by company owner. Pay attention to instructions, in addition to visiting company website for more info. Highly suggest also viewing the multitude of YouTube videos from not only the company, but others that have used this product as well. Bear in mind, keep those videos as ideas, not a solid plan, in that users may have been cooking at a different altitude than you. PBC comes fully assembled and arrives in 5 business days. My PBC came perfectly adjusted to 1/4 open vent to accommodate my low Fl. altitude. If you live at higher altitude, you simply need to make a very slight adjustment to vent. First time using this, and adequate research on website, and watching multiple YouTube videos, knew to adhere to precise charcoal recommendation of adding to cooker basket, taking 40 out and adding to charcoal chimney. ( LOVE the Weber chimney that has highest reviews for this product) Memorial Day, wanted to do some ribeyes, and they came out perfectly! Thing is, did not want to use the REQUIRED charcoal for just a few steaks. That said, several hours in advance, hung a 4.5 lb. Boston Butt, or shoulder, and it was amazing g with results, but will change a few things next time. Seasonings are included with order, but be careful with applying them, or mixing with your fave commercial seasonings. Most are highly salt based, and cooking process with enhance saltiness. Would not suggest liberal application, but rather a bit above light application. If any doubt, you can always add seasoning to oil, with what you consider reasonable, (on the light -medium) side, and then coat. Mind you, the cooker/charcoal is your brunt of flavor. If you are doing similar with "double duty" cooking to utilize charcoal effectively, keep the grill pan insert inside. My first time negated this, and it was a bit clumsy, reinserting for my ribeyes. Careful with this cooker, esp. when using it like I did for ribeyes, after it was already VERY hot from cooking something. Glad I used thermometer, because ribeyes were looking toasty after 5 minutes on one side, and quick flip to next side revealed my desired "medium" of 145 degrees, again in 5 minutes. In the future, will take off steaks at 140, knowing that resting will still allow for cooking. Even if doing ribs, suggest to keep the rack in for finishing them. Hanging them with enclosed hooks yields perfection, with perhaps some minor tweaking, because (esp.) ribs are so subjective with personal taste. Personally, LOVE the crispness on ribs in this cooker, and do not prefer cooking with foil to finish with BBQ sauce. I prefer some warm BBQ on side for dipping. Thing is, learned to move the ribs to rack, double sealed in aluminum, when I see them perfectly toasty, if they are not done with tenderness. Regardless of whether you applied BBQ sauce or not with double wrapping of foil, once they are in such, and you test them, suggest taking them off heat when close to "done" and respect the awesome heat the remains in that foil, and will do so for hours, if undisturbed. The heat in that foil, is unlike that of an oven. When you open foil, the smoke you see is the special smoke that is uniquely achieved with this process. Tell the neighbors when you are using this item, so that they can hang ribs, what ever. In my two times using this, and only one time advising neighbors, and giving minor samples, lol, now have donations of two huge size bags of Kingsford recommended briquettes for further use. It is that impressive!

When I bought my camp there was a permanently installed ugly drum-style smoker in the yard. I accepted the challenge of learning to cook on it and after much trial and error, finally figured it out and had good results, and wanted something for home use. After a lot of research, I went with this one because it was the least expensive, entry-level smoker with the highest reviews (because I am more likely to be smoking at camp, but want to be able to do it at home without having a fortune invested in something I may use a dozen times a year). The smoker arrived in good order, well packaged (if it's a gift, be warned that the packaging says what it is), it came with a sampling of some rubs, set up was easy as pie, and it's light enough to move around to put it in the shed to store it. First run on it I did a rack of ribs and a small pork butt for pulled pork. I set it up according to directions for altitude, loaded it with some lump charcoal, and away we go. First impressions: it runs a little hot in the "set it and forget it" mode as recommended by instructions. It wanted to run in the 300+ degree range, which is a little high for what I wanted to do. (side note: I purchased a temp gauge that was threaded on the back and reamed out one of the rod holes a tiny bit, just enough so the gauge would screw into the drum, but stuck out far enough so I could still put the lid on the smoker without it interfering). Anyway, as I said, it runs a little hot for the low and slow method, and as-is, there's really no way to completely shut it down if it's getting too hot. What I did figure out though, is that those sheet-style magnets (you know, the ones stuck all over your fridge), will stick to the barrel and do not melt while cooking: so what I did is cover unneeded holes with a magnet, and for the ones that had a rod going through, I cut a hole in the magnet to run the rod through to seal up around the rod holes. I did the same thing for the intake hole on the bottom (I removed the bolted-on vent cover), and viola! Now I can adjust the magnets by sliding them around to open or close up the cooker and more easily regulate the temp. So after stealing all the magnets of the fridge for the trial run and making mother mad, I bought a pack of plain sheet magnets with no stick 'um on them and made a set just for the cooker. (Also, another side note: since I am storing this more than I am using it, covering the holes with the magnets also keeps critters from taking up residence in it over the winter). Anyway, that made it a whole lot easier to control the temp and I gotta tell ya: those ribs and that pork butt were a thing of beauty after 6 hours! I did purchase the "also sold separately" base to put on the charcoal bin and I am glad I did this. It kept most of the ash contained so you don't have to flip the barrel to empty it after every cook, and also, the ash and fire are not sitting right on the bottom of the barrel. I see that they also offer a grilling grate that has a flip-up section that you can buy separately, and it seems like it would be a neat addition if you want to hang a few things on one side and throw a hunk of something on the rack. Maybe I have unrealistic expectations, but it seems like this would be the kind of thing that would be included with this particular cooker for the most versatility out of the box, (especially since as-is, you can either hang stuff, or grill stuff. I had to get creative to get ribs and a pork butt in there for one cook), but whatever, that's just my $.02 gripe, and if that's my biggest complaint, I'd say they're doing a pretty good job overall. My only real complaint/wish for this cooker would be that either, there were perches to be able to put 2 grill racks in it (upper and lower) especially if you want to do a ton of wings, OR, if it had an option to get a riser or domed lid for it and then you could set a rack on top of the hanging rods and have 2 layer cooking, or a place to put a drip pan/water tray/heat shield below the upper cooking rack. I had hoped beyond all hope that a Webber 18" grill cover might fit it, but it is literally off by like half an inch and won't quite sit on the cooker, and the 22" version is waaay too big. With all that said, I really like the cooker. It did what it was supposed to do, the set-up was easy, everything you need to get started is included, and it made some really nice BBQ! I personally did not mind having to tinker with it to make it work just right for me, but hey, I'm a tinkerer and that's also part of the fun of smokin' and BBQ'n: am I right?!?!? And seriously, all it took was $2 worth of magnets to make it as adjustable as any other smoker, and for that, I am happy!

Ottimo prodotto

Been using this for a month - CONSTANT - Amazing. I own three other smokers of different varieties this is incredible. Really just Follow Noah's instructions and Enjoy .... No fuss no Muss just Flavor Supreme... One thing Don't cheap out on the Charcoal - Although Kingsford is really not expensive but I've tried and there is a noticeable difference in temp and taste without Kingsford. Amber and Noah Have One of the Easiest and most Exciting Grill products I've seen in years. I may need to pick up another one as I tend to get more visitors come dinner on weekends:) Canuck Ken

Grillen und Smoken .... und beides auf so unkomplizierte Art und Weise. Ein Schmuckstück in robuster Ausführung. Auf der ersten Blick erscheint der Preis etwas hoch, das Teil ist jedoch wirklich massiv und gut durchdacht ausgeführt. Dieses schöne Teil ziehe ich jedem Weber Griller vor, die ja schliesslich auch nicht gerade günstig sind. Am liebsten hängen wir Ripperl rein, ein Prüfen der Temperatur ist nicht ntowendig, genial wie unkompliziert das funktioniert. Ca 1/3 der Kohlen mit einem Grillkamin für 15 Minuten anheizen, dann hinein damit auf die anderen Kohlen und sofort das Fleisch hineinhängen. Deckel drauf und nach etwa 3 Stunden nochmals mit Barbecue Sauce oder Honig nachwürzen und noch 1 - 2 Stunden weiter smoken. Das nächste Mal gibts dann Pizza aus der Tonne :-) Die Luftzufuhr habe ich zu 1/4 aufgemacht.

Magique et ludique !

I love the PBC - it's simple, it's well made, and it does everything it claims. But worth a special mention here is the seller - Garden Secrets. Some time after buying my PBC I managed to damage the lid, slightly bending it. The slight gap created by the bend can increase the airflow in a way that isn't always desirable, and I asked Garden Secrets over email if I could buy a spare. They replied saying that they don't keep spare lids, but would make a note of my enquiry. I was fairly sure that I would never hear anything back about this, but today, after several weeks, I had a call from them - a barrel had been damaged by a courier but the lid was fine, would I like it if I was prepared to cover the shipping cost. They remembered my enquiry and bothered to call me to make this offer.