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FAQ Subject: How do I go about choosing a Grill?

G'day Smoky,

I received your book for Christmas and have been overwhelmed with the information. Thank you!

I'm wanting to take my grilling experience to another level and perhaps do some catering.

I cook on my two grills an average of 6 days a week.
My budget is $3000. I'd like to cook for 150 - 300 people at once.
I've looked a smoklers/grills from Georgia, Texas, Kansas, and others and thought I knew what I wanted until I read your book.
I want to make sausage, jerky, cook pork butts, turkeys, grill steaks, ribs, chicken etc.
I love to cook chicken and ribs the most.
I've looked at the GoodOne combo from Kansas, Super Cooker from Georgia, Lyfe Tyme smokere/grill from Uvalde, TX and of course David Klose pits.

Thank you for your time and opined view.

Kind regards,
Bill Vicory

Hi Bill,

Sorry my book confused you, but I am happy that you got a copy, anyhow.

Choosing the RIGHT grill for the immediate future is a matter of writing down what you are going to do, how often and how much and listing those features that you want and those that you don't want. Whatever you choose, probably won't exactly fill your needs next year.

If you are planning to become a caterer, you need some idea of your potential market and the size of an event that will best suit your capacity - other than pit capacity - and the pit should fit into that size.

If you are planning to cook occasionally for catering events and spend most of your time cooking for family and friends then the choice becomes easier.

Lots of people have Klose pits and he makes an almost infinite variety. Those folk that I know who have the Good One are happy with them. I don't see many of the Super Cookers on the circuit. The Lyfe Tyme is well made of good material. You might also look at the designs on page 285 of my book. The smoker box added to the Pitts & Spitts might be a feature that you would want if you plan to smoke sausages, make jerky, etc. It also serves as a holding area while you continue to cook. You might also look at carefully at "The Anatomy of a Grill" on page 294 and consider the layout of functions.

Now, having considered all the bigger grills, take a look at the CharBroil 900. It has cast iron grates, the fire grate raises and lowers, it has almost 480 square inches of cooking surface and you can broil, roast, barbecue and hot smoke. This is the rebirth of an old proven design and the price is right. Start out with a 6 pack of those would give you real flexibility.

In the final analysis, only you can make the decision. But you will find in barbecue that the more you learn, the less you know.

Luck,
Smoky