Smoker Listing

One of the best gifts you can give a person who loves cooking out on their gas or charcoal barbecue grill is a “grill set” that includes all the accessories, and tools needed to help in the cooking and serving of steaks, ribs, whole chickens, and various vegetables. Over time, these sets have evolved into something that resembles a toolbox with a large collection of items that facilitates all sorts of cooking scenarios. Yes, it may be a little over kill, as most basic grill masters will only have a spatula, tongs, a cleaning brush to run their outdoor cooking system. From three to eighteen tools will make up a kit that makes a great gift for Father’s day or a great secondary birthday or Christmas gift for the griller in your life.

Selecting from such a wide array of grill sets can be narrowed by spending budget, and essential tools needed in a set or kit. The quality of construction, and types of materials greatly vary the prices of this product, and will allow for buying an eighteen piece package with carrying case for as little as twenty or thirty bucks. When a designer or quality known brand name is applied and backed by stainless steel resources, that same package can reach a price of two or three hundred dollars. Even the most basic three-piece kit can cost over one hundred dollars when Cuisinart or Premier brand names are applied to the product line.

More advance products will not only contain matching cooking tools, but will have the addition of stainless steal flatware that includes finely crafted forks, knives, and spoons, plus matching salt and pepper shakers. A small set of basting brushes and barbecue sauce mops can be included to round of the package as well. For a quality presentation, and effective storage, an aluminum case with molded fitment compartment for each item will be a feature of the premium gift sets. In addition, a set of steak knives and one or more carving and meat cutting knives may be included in the premier collections.

Some corporations will use the grilling set gift package, as a promotional tool with their logo and company named laser etched into the carrying case and on the handles of each tool in the grilling tool assortment. These are usually reserved as gifts for preferred clientele that does a large volume of business with a corporation, and is a very handsome way of saying thank you to people who live to cookout on their days off. Quantity purchases of these sets can vary from eighty dollars each, plus set up fees, down to sixty dollars or a little less as the number of the order rises. On occasion a company will also order a bib apron with their corporate product information or list of services provided printed on the open canvas area where it will usually say to “Kiss the Cook”, as an additional gift to offer with the grilling tools.

When you are not sure about which BBQ grill set to purchase for your spouse or parent it is not hard to find out when you accompany them to the local home improvement store. They will gravitate towards what interests them, and will help you nail down which products they would like have in their inventory of cooking support utensils and other products for the advancement of their grilling hobby.

Another way to get them to point out their favorite smoker or grill accessories is to ask their opinion on these products while you are surfing the web when in their presence, as most people will always give indications of what they really like, and would not mind owning when introduced into a casual or informal conversation about their favorite outdoor activity.

Welcome to Smoker Listing! We are glad you stopped by to see our spot on the web. There is nothing like meats that have been prepared by hours of slow cooking in a smoker to infuse it with that magical flavor so sought after by thousands of discerning taste buds throughout the world. Once a method of cooking created by the poorest of people to make lesser cuts of meat edible, BBQ or smoked meats are revered like no other for its flavor. In some places in the south smoked meat is almost a religion. Sometimes, it is even preferred to steaks and high end fillets. These days, smoking foods is not limited to the traditional delights of pork, sausage, and brisket. As smoked flavor has spread its gospel throughout the world some of the more creative folks have started to expand their choices to include fruits and vegetables as well. Non traditional foods like okra and pineapple can be an explosion of wonder and delight to the taste buds.

The quality of foods prepared by smoking vary by the ability of the grill master. Indeed, smoking foods is as much an art as it is science. The flavor and consistency of the smoked foods will also vary by the different methods available. You can smoke foods with indirect heat or direct heat, and there are various models of smokers on the market today to assist you in finding that perfect smoke flavor.

The direct heat smokers require the grill master to have a high talent level, especially to smoke meats that require hours of time on the grill to break down the connective tissues without overcooking, burning, or drying it out. The direct heat models are the more traditional of BBQ grills and smokers. There are still a few restaurants throughout the US that still use the direct heat method, although many have gone to the indirect heat model to attain a higher level of consistency.

Indirect heat smokers (also called an indirect smoker by some folks) usually have what is known as a “smoke box” where the heat is created. The smoke is then moved through the smoker chamber to where the meat is waiting. The gentle, consistent flow of low temperature smoke across and surrounding the meat cooks it to perfection giving it that amazing smoke flavor. The grill master still needs to have talent to consistently produce a great flavor, even with an indirect heat smoker.

Many people believe that mesquite is the only wood to use for flavoring meat, however in recent years and in various regions of the country this is not the case at all. I know several pit masters in Texas who swear by pecan wood for their smoke flavor. I’ve had my share from these folks and I can’t say that I disagree. It is an amazing flavor. Some of the winning-est pit masters in the BBQ competitions, held in Memphis each year, have divulged they use a combination of different woods for their smoke flavoring including apple wood among others. Some of the most popular woods used for smoking in the US are hickory, plum, alder, oak, maple, and cherry. Each gives its own unique flavor to the food being prepared, and which is the best to use for your dish will be determined on availability, cost, and what you are smoking.

There are many different types of each model of smoker on the market today. There are electric smokers, propane smokers, grillmaster smokers, and charcoal smokers just to name a few. We will be discussing these in more detail in future articles so stay tuned to Smoker Listing for all your information on all things smoke!

I recently ran headfirst into a nightmare you couldn’t imagine.  If only I had known about the electric smoker then.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.  Let me tell you what happened.   I had a huge group of friends over for a great weekend of football.  We had the chips.  We had the dips.  The best meat money could buy was at room temperature, ready to be placed on the grill, like all good meat should be before you cook it. We had the beer, the big screen television set and the surround sound.  You name it and we had it.  Except for one thing: my charcoal grill.

I had heated the coals to just the right temperature, or so I thought, and with the help of my beautiful wife (yes she is sitting right behind me*OUCH*…ok fine she’s nowhere near me)  we took the meat out and laid it ever so carefully on the grill and placed the lid back on so that it would cook correctly.  Alas, this was not in the cards.  We went back inside to enjoy our friends, our football, and snack on the various goodies we had prepared and our friends had been kind enough to bring.  Little did we know of the carnage that awaited us.

photo credit: Chepner

The game was tied and we were deep in enemy territory.  What can I say?  We lost track of time.  Alright fine!  I lost track of time.  Sheesh.  Have I told you recently how beautiful my wife is?  At any rate when I went out to check on our glorious feast, that we had paid out the nose for in order to guarantee a good time for everyone, I opened the lid of my grill to find that everything was irreparably burnt.  You can imagine how I felt.

Naturally I never wanted this to happen again so I got on the net, after the cursed game was over (yes we lost)  and started searching for a solution.  And boy did I find it.  The electric smoker.  Talk about an upgrade!  Not only could I now use different kinds of wood to flavor my meats, rather than the same ratty old charcoal, but I had temperature control!  And it came with a timer!  And I have never suffered the evils of wasted porterhouse steaks and Boar’s Head bratwurst again.  I can set it and forget it.  I can cook the best food in the best way.  I am free!