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Posted by Lazyboy on May 27, 2007 at 17:07:33:
In Reply to: Hasty Bake or Primo Oval? posted by Bob on May 20, 2007 at 11:19:09:
About 10 years ago, I had a Weber MasterTouch kettle and an ECB smoker. I decided that I wanted a better smoker and began looking for an all in one. After looking at a number of alts, I ended up deciding that I was better off getting specific tools for specific tasks and bought a Hasty Bake Suburban (powder coated) and a Cookshack Smokette. I originally planned on selling the Weber, but ended up refurbishing it. My evaluation of each is as follows….
Grilling
Hasty Bake -- A (an adjustable height firebox really spoils you)
Weber Kettle -- B+ (dual heat fires are a lot more work and less flexible. Best bet though if you want to build a real wood fire and then cook over the coals. I‘m surprised by your comments re corrosion. Grills, grates and other parts are easily and cheaply replaceable and the kettle itself is virtually indestructible if not chipped)
Cookshack -- NA
Indirect Cooking (350 deg or so)
Hasty Bake -- A- (Does a really good job but not as simply as the Weber)
Weber -- A+ (easy to cook , refuel, and clean up)
Cookshack -- NA
Smoking (200-225 deg)
Hasty Bake -- B (can be done but it’s work and airflow control is just OK -- perhaps due to my very high heat grilling)
Weber -- C- (doable but with great difficulty)
Cookshack -- A+ (Incredible results with amazing ease If it were legal on the bbq circuit, you‘d see lots of them at competitions)
Other thoughts
I’d get the Legacy if I had it to do over. We’re empty nesters and the Suburban is OK most of the time, but there are some times you just need (want?) more space.
Other Alts you might consider depending on your budget
The Grillery -- a great adjustable height grill and rotisserie for both charcoal and real wood fires. Expensive, but…
Trager pellet cookers (or Fast Eddie by Cookshack) -- A friend of mine has one that he uses for smoking (with the thermostatic control) and “indirect” He doesn’t think it gets hot enough to really sear, so he has a Weber Summit gas grill (ugh) for grilling or searing items he has cooked in the Traeger.
Finally as many have noted here before, “it’s not the cooker, it’s the cook”
Have fun and let us know what you decide to buy.