Reddit reviews PitmasterIQ IQ110 BBQ Temperature Regulator Kit W/Standard Pit Adapter For Weber Smokey Mountain, Weber Kettle & Many Other BBQ Smokers
We found 6 Reddit comments about PitmasterIQ IQ110 BBQ Temperature Regulator Kit W/Standard Pit Adapter For Weber Smokey Mountain, Weber Kettle & Many Other BBQ Smokers. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
As seen on Good Eats "Right on Que". Alton Brown said: "It's so cool!!"Foods cook in a smoky environment that is naturally moist resulting in foods that are juicy, fall-off-the-bone tender, and simply delicious.Keeps a 22.5" Weber Kettle cooking at 225 degrees on one load of charcoal for up to 8 hours!Fits Weber Kettles and Smokey Mountains, Char-Broil Horizontals and Offsets, Brinkmann Vertical, Vikings, or any cooker with a flat or spherical surface with a fire vent damper less than 5" in diameter.Everything included in kit for operation from AC power; operates from 12VDC cigarette lighter socket using optional adapter available separately.
I'll second the recommendation for starting out with a Weber Kettle 22" for your first smoker if you're looking to get started doing charcoal smoking. It's the most versatile outdoor cooker you'll find for a reasonable price and it won't fall apart on you even if you abuse it, unlike others. Also, parts and accessories are far, FAR easier to find for it than any other cooker.
You can fit a full brisket or a full rack of ribs (or two) on it as long as you're careful and you rotate at least once during cooking. It has enough space to feed family and friends. You'll only need a larger smoker if you're regularly cooking for large groups of people (10 or more).
It will also use less fuel than a larger smoker like the WSM (which I also own) and it's easier to maintain temps as long as the seal on the lid isn't wonky.
If you maintain a low temperature like 225, you can get 6-8 hours out of the initial load of coal you place in the unit at the start of cooking. To give you an idea of the difference: this amounts to about a 1/4 to 1/3 of a large bag of Kingsford blue on my 22" kettle but almost an entire bag on my 22" WSM for the same duration.
Here's the exact setup I would suggest for starting out for your first few years of learning this craft:
Weber 22 inch Original Kettle - $99
Hinged, Heavy-Duty Cooking Grate (Hinges are crucial for adding charcoal in the middle of a cook and this will last quite a bit longer than the grate that comes with the vanilla Original) - $20
Slow 'N Sear smoking kit (Not 100% necessary but does make the heat way less direct, which is a very good thing when smoking)) - $90
IQ110 Automatic Temperature Regulator (Also not 100% necessary, but almost eliminates the need to tend your vents when smoking) - $140
Thermoworks Smoke (do NOT cheap out on your thermometer! Get something cheaper and you will just wind up constantly replacing probes due to them reporting false temps. You have been warned!) - $100
With this setup, you can turn out BBQ every bit as good as you can on anything short of a full-on log-burning offset smoker with just a little bit of practice, and you won't have to "baby" it. You just dump more charcoal in every 7-9 hours (depending on desired temps, wind, and leakage).
And if you decide to go with a WSM or other charcoal smoker down the road, the latter two items (temperature regulator and thermometer) can be moved over and will work just as well with it.
Even though I love love love my WSM, I find myself still using my Kettle quite a bit when I'm just cooking for myself, my immediate family, and/or one or two friends. It's just more efficient and less of a hassle.
Hope this is helpful!
I got mine on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Temperature-Regulator-Standard-Adapter-Mountain/dp/B00A7F1B60/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=iq+110&qid=1556438728&s=gateway&sr=8-1
Obviously if you're a Q-Enthusiast you may already have most of these, but in addition to the other post:
Bear Paws
Flavor Injector
If you have a big spender looking for ideas, Automatic Temperature Regulator or any of their competitors
For the poor person looking for ideas, could give them a rub recipe you love (e.g. Meathead's Memphis Dust) and have them make it out of stuff they likely have access to in their spice cabinet already. The rub will have a limited shelf life, but useful to have and cheap for them to put together in a mason jar. Similarly, could ask for good hardwood to throw in the smoker
alton brown had the best answer: http://www.amazon.com/IQ110-Temperature-Regulator-Standard-Adapter/dp/B00A7F1B60/
Here's what I'm referring to
https://www.amazon.com/Temperature-Regulator-Standard-Adapter-Mountain/dp/B00A7F1B60/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1519995462&sr=8-2&keywords=temperature+control+kettle+grill
I had a friend use it. It's kinda cheating, but it's also easier, apparently.
I don't know much about gas smokers other than this one, so if it's a gas smoker you want, I can't help.
However, if you are looking for a general recommendation, I would go with a WSM. It's what replaced my gas smoker, and I have been happy with it over the last 4 years since I got it. To make things easier so that the smoker doesn't have to have a babysitter, I also got a temperature regulator which allows overnight briskets as well as sleep.
The price is a bit steep for each of these, but it has been well worth it because of the end product.