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Cook's Illustrated Smoker Review

poached
poached Posts: 10
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Does anyone have a link to the America's Test Kitchen Smoker review? I understand they tested the EGG back in July or so. Just wondering their take on the EGG. You need to be a subscriber to see most of the Test Kitchen's reviews, but there are sometimes other links (such as YouTube) to catch the reviews without subscribing. That's what I was looking for to see the Egg review. Happy New Year to all.

Comments

  • Little Chef
    Little Chef Posts: 4,725
    From Cooks Illustrated, July 2010

    "Recommended with Reservations
    Big Green Egg
    This ceramic smoker’s excellent heat retention and vents that opened all the way, allowing it to reach temperatures as high as 700 to 800 degrees and double as both a grill and brick oven, still couldn’t make up for its cramped cooking surface or the lack of a water pan, which yielded markedly drier meats. It’s also twice the price of our winner."

    It's still my opinion that they didn't know how to use the Egg correctly... :laugh:

    FWIW, Cooks Illustrated offers a free two week trial. You can sign up for the trial, and cancel at the end of the two weeks.
  • The BGE is the best smoker there is in the hands of a fellow egger.
  • cookn biker
    cookn biker Posts: 13,407
    I second that!!
    Molly
    Colorado Springs
    "Loney Queen"
    "Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it."
    Bill Bradley; American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, former U.S. Senator from New Jersey
    LBGE, MBGE, SBGE , MiniBGE and a Mini Mini BGE
  • jbenny
    jbenny Posts: 147
    Drier meats? They obviously have no idea how to smoke if they need a water pan.
  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
    That tells me how much they know because I know first hand and on a daily basis that the Big Green Egg is the best smoker and grill in the world. Thats my story and I'm sticking to it. ;)
  • poached
    poached Posts: 10
    thanks for the quick responses. I usually trust their reviews but not this time. I have not had any dry meat from mine at all. I do sometimes put water in the drip pan to catch juices from a brined sitting chicken (or turkey) to prevent those great drippings from burning. I put the chicken on the porcelain holder and that directly into the drip pan. I make a beautiful smokey gravy from this. If anything, using this method, I get a bit too much moisture. Still turns out great (not rubbery at all as you might expect). BUT quite moist, last did this with an EIGHT pound roaster (yes, chicken) from the Amish market. WOW.
  • What was their winnner, WSM?
  • Little Chef
    Little Chef Posts: 4,725
    Yes. :evil:

    And Brinkman was a solid "Not Recommended"
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Saw a review somewhere where they panned it because you had to remove the food and grid to add more lump. Not sure how much longer than 30-40 hours they were planning to cook.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Little Chef wrote:
    Yes. :evil:

    And Brinkman was a solid "Not Recommended"

    Understandable, the WSM is a great unit. Way overpriced for basically a cut up trash can but they work pretty good. Not even in the same league as the egg though, obviously they didn't know how to use one.
  • Angela
    Angela Posts: 543
    Their review was pathetic, I wouldn't even bother reading it. Although it would make good bird cage liner.
    Egging on two larges + 36" Blackstone griddle
  • I thought it was pretty obvious they did not spend much time using it and worse tried to use it like WSM style smokers.

    I have found it takes them a LONG time to adjust to new ideas/methods.

    Spacey
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,664
    for the average person that cooks during the bbq season the wsm is the best smoker ;) its a great smoker for what is is. too bad they dont bring in the experts of each thing tested to go over the benefits of the units being tested, i would want to see each unit doing an overnight in zero degree weather with a 30 mph wind :laugh: that would be a test. just to be honest, in the summer i can cook a leg of lamb on a rock next to a campfire that would rival any leg of lamb from a wsm or egg, and all i need is to find the right rock and some dead branches :laugh: :laugh:
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • Highly Recommended
    Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker - 18½-Inch
    Save for its lack of handles, this model literally smoked the competition: Plenty of cooking space, a water pan, and multiple vents that allowed for precise temperature control added up to meat that came off the fire consistently moist and smoky with little tending necessary.
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ $298.95
    Recommended with Reservations
    Big Green Egg
    This ceramic smoker’s excellent heat retention and vents that opened all the way, allowing it to reach temperatures as high as 700 to 800 degrees and double as both a grill and brick oven, still couldn’t make up for its cramped cooking surface or the lack of a water pan, which yielded markedly drier meats. It’s also twice the price of our winner.
    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ $750
    Not Recommended
    Brinkmann Smoke ‘n Grill Charcoal Smoker & Grill
    A litany of design flaws—no ash grate (meaning burnt charcoal bits smothered and eventually extinguished the fire), no air vents to control temperature, and a hard-to-reach charcoal pan—sank this cheap smoker to the bottom rung.
    ★ ★ ★ $59.95