18.5" Classic Pit Barrel Cooker

I wanted to buy a smoker to compliment my regular grill, but didn't want to spend a fortune. I read a review on a very popular bbq web site (search for Meathead Goldwyn) about the effective job the Pit Barrel Cooker does and was impressed by the ease of use (as in no tinkering with the temperature, etc.), as illustrated by the company's several excellent instructional online videos. After reading the excellent reviews on Amazon, and watching online videos/reviews, I took a "leap of faith" and ordered the PBC. At the time, the cost, INCLUDING SHIPPING, was $269. The company has since raised the price to $289 (again, includes shipping), which is, in my humble opinion, still a bargain. How does it perform? Admirably! Its simple, but sturdy, construction belies the effectiveness of the results it produces. I've since bbq'd chicken, ribs, etc., and my friends and family have raved about the smokey, juicy taste of the meat. I'd be proud to present my smoked meats to any fan of bbq! The PPC uses charcoal,only, and operation is extremely simple (But, watch the company's videos and follow its instructions carefully.): Prepare your meat (rub, marinade, etc.), light your charcoal (I use a Weber chimney charcoal starter; charcoal ready in about 20 minutes.), pour the lighted charcoal into the charcoal basket in the bottom of the barrel (Use bbq gloves that cover the forearm.), hang the meat on the two rods at the top of the barrel using the provided stainless steel hooks (eight hooks are included), close the lid, and . . . wait! The company videos carefully explain how to position the hooks for different kinds of meat (pork butt, whole chickens, ribs, etc.) and the approximate time for them to cook. Important: Trust the videos! Don't peek while the meat is smoking! ("If yer peekin', yer not cookin'!). After the suggested cook time, check your meat (using an instant-read thermometer, or, with ribs, poke the meat to gauge desired tenderness). For my first cook-off, I hung four whole chickens (each cut in half) on the eight hooks. Before hanging the chicken on the hooks, I added several chunks of apple wood to the lit charcoal. . . . About an hour later, they were done! I rubbed the chicken before cooking with the company's all-purpose rub (excellent!), and the family polished it off in short order. Again, rave comments from all! My next cook was Saturday before Memorial Day, and I wanted a "trial cook-off" before our large family and friends Memorial Day Feast. I hung four racks of baby back ribs on the rods (The PBC will easily do eight racks at one time.); results were acceptable but not perfect. I "peeked" about 2 1/2 hrs. into the cook (The video says do this only after 3 hrs.), and a time or two after. After about 3 1/2 hrs., the ribs were done: A little more chewy than I had expected, but still very good. (My "trial cook-off" tasters didn't complain!). On Memorial Day, I first cooked sixteen boneless, skinless chicken breasts (again, oiled and rubbed, with several chunks---not chips!--- of apple wood added to the lit charcoal). The chicken was done in about 45 minutes. I wrapped the chicken in foil and placed in the unlit oven to "rest." Next, I hung eight racks of rubbed baby back ribs on the rods. No need for added coals: Once you fill the charcoal basket, you've got enough heat for a total of about 6 or 7 hours of cooking (The company says you can easily finish a brisket in this time, unlike the longer time required by other smokers.) Three hours later, I checked the ribs, and left them on for another 45 minutes. Nice and tender! Slathered them with Baby Ray's sauce, put them on the rods to "carmelize," and took them off. Fantastic results! Tender, succulent, smokey Nirvana! Need I say, the family raved?? I highly recommend the Pit Barrel Cooker because of its bargain price and the excellent results it produces. It's the first smoker I've ever owned and I simply cannot imagine other smokers could produce better results. Since my first order, I've ordered eight additional hooks, to allow me to cook more pieces of chicken at one time. Finally, for grilling, a circular grill is included; my hamburgers (80-20% fat; ground chuck) were delicious, smokey and moist.

Bought this as a present for husband after watching all the glowing reviews of it on YouTube. We have had a couple of smokers over the years with electric controllers that did did a decent job but the control modules end up dying on them in just a few years of use. I know this pit barrel cooker is not technically a smoker but it makes better smoked meats than actual smokers we have used and even better than any meal we have had at numerous highly rated Smoked BBQ restaurants we have tried. We have so far, smoked pork butt, chuck roast and picanha with it and it was all amazing!! We are doing pork ribs with it tomorrow... It's so easy to use, gives an impressive level of smoke flavor/smoke ring to everything we have cooked in it and it is well made so we expect it will last for many years. Husband loves it and says he's been very pleasantly surprised by how well it works. Het yourself one, you won't be disappointed!

Update after 4 months - using my Pit Barrel a couple of times every week - ALL with great results.. 1) I use a Wagner 30 gallon drum dolly - with wheels - that I found on sale for $45 to roll my Pit barrel around - fits just right to leave the bottom air vent exposed 2) The Weber 7451 grill cover for like $10 fits great - after the Pit Barrel cools down of course ! 3) Process wise I started with a Charcoal Chimney to start-up my coals - but for the past 6 weeks I switched over to the starter fluid method - no lighter fluid taster whatso ever - lights coals more evenly in the basket - and overall a smoother/more-efficient process 4) Pit Barrel now has a steel "ash catcher - for like $30 - before they came out with that I use a 17" aluminum pizza pan on the bottom - and then a 16" alum pizza pan on top of that which fits just right underneath the charcoal basket - just pull the 16" up and out with the ashes on it - smooth as pie. I also have a ash/fireplace vac - but the pizza pan trick is so much smoother. 5) On one cook - the combination of a fallen rib rack (my fault) and a couple of bad flavor/wood-chunks - left a wet residue/creosote inside my Pit Barrel - the following day I refilled the charcoal basket 120% - opened the bottom vent 100% - started up that charcoal pile with the lid off - left the lid off for 30 min - then put the lid back on but cracked open 1/2" - the Pit Barrel cooked up way hot and I let go - crisped out that wet residue easy - kindof a burn off deal - so simple and effective ! 6) Pit Barrel also now offers "turkey hooks" - bought two so I can smoke 2 birds at a time for the Holiday's - I am a very/very happy Pit Barrel Cowboy ! ----------------- original post---------------------- I researched the Pit Barrel online before ordering - and setting up the Pit Barrel - was a straightforward and smooth - both the videos on the Pit Barrel website and the independent reviews are spot on ! I received my Pit Barrel early Weds evening - and did my 1st cook Thursday morning - a full 8 racks of spareribs for a office lunch BBQ feeding 20-25 people - and all worked out great ! To be helpful to others - a few specific comments on my 1st-cook-setup: 1) I purchased a Weber Compact Rapidfire Charcoal Chimney from Amazon - this Weber Compact Chimney holds EXACTLY the 40 Kingsford briquettes which Pit Barrel recommends for a chimney startup - rock solid fit for the Pit Barrel - and when lit a easy dump onto the coals in the Pit Barrel 2) I purchased a 2-pack 18lb Kingsford charcoal (Blue) from my local Lowes - while my Pit Barrel was in route 3) While I was at Lowe's - I also bought a Kingsford Charcoal Dispenser Kaddy contianer for $11 (made by Buddeez - I have other great containers in my kitchen made by Buddeez) - and I dumped 18lbs of Kingsford into the caddy loose - perfect fit. Next time I go to Lowe's I am going to pickup a 2nd Kaddy for my extra charcoal - but that's me. 4) I used Weber FireStarter cubes - bought a 24 pack cheap for $3.50 - 1st time I have used these paraffin based cubes - and my recommendation for the chimney is to use them 4/5 at a time - I put them on a folded alum foil under the chimney to light them up - easy - and after I dumped the lite charcoal into the Pit Barrel - burnt/used cube cleanup was a breeze - folded up the used/burnt cube in the foil and dumped.. With these paraffin cubes took maybe 25-30 minutes to get the charcoal in the chimney lite up the way I like it - a bit longer the 20 mins outlined by Pit Barrel 5) I am at 1200 ft - so the Pit Barrel vent was factory preset 1/4 which was perfect for me I am not a hound dog griller/smoker - I eat smoked/cooked ribs maybe 2-3 times a year - either at friends or at a Annual National Championship event in my town - so my comments on my actual 1st cook 1) I was going to feed 15-20 people - so I had my butcher bring in 8 full racks of "natural" spareribs - no sodium/additves - probably $12 a rack 2) I bought three types of rub/seasoning - each 30 oz containers - and did a quick over-test-cook in my over with some country-cut ribs/pork the night before - from Amazon - 30 oz Hawaiian seasoning (and I have Hawaiian Hulli/Hulli wet sauce as a match - Amazon 30 oz Pappy's Seasoning - and from local Sam's Club 30 oz of Head Country Championship for $12. I over tested the 3 - and after my quick oven test - for me I picked the flavor from the Head Country for my 1st cook. 3) Rinsed/pat-dry the racks 30 minutes before cook start up - I did not pull membranes - left membranes on - I inserted the cooking hooks in each rack in turn - and applied the seasoning - and frankly I did not do much of a rub-in - more a shake-on application - and for 8 full racks of spareribs used 1/2 the 30 oz Head Country 4) After the chimney hot coals were poured into the Pit Barrel - put all 8 racks on - and yes. at least 4 of my spare rib racks were as long to be just touching the coals - and I knew from Pit Barrel videos/review that there were no worries with that 5) Put the lid on - and walked away for 3 1/2 hours - and when I was on my way back I picked up two 40 oz bottles of Head Country Original BBQ sauce from my local Walmart Community market. 6) Full 8 sparerib racks at 3 1/2 hrs was not as far along as I wanted - for that amount of meat - and I waited another hour - total 4 1/2 hrs - and then I pulled the racks on turn and lathered with the Head Country BBQ sauce - and frankly the "lather" used one 40 oz bottle of sauce 7) Lathers/sauced - I cooked them another 45 minutes - for total cook time 5 hrs 15 minutes - when I pulled them - pulled hooks - wrapped in rack in foil - and set them in a Husky brand foam ice chest (like $9 at Walmart) that fit them perfectly - and let them rest for me (timing to get to the office and set) - about another 45 minutes - my schedule for setup 8) Sliced up the racks into about quarters - wrapped the quarters in foil - plenty of paper towels for my lunch horde Fantastic - all those ribs - and gobbled up like wildfire - all gone, I mean gone - and in my BBQ-lover area - at least 4/5 "best I have ever had" - and at least 90% "man - this was GREAT"...

Love it!

Semplicemente spettacolare

Been using this for a month - CONSTANT - Amazing. I own three other smokers of different varieties this is incredible. Really just Follow Noah's instructions and Enjoy .... No fuss no Muss just Flavor Supreme... One thing Don't cheap out on the Charcoal - Although Kingsford is really not expensive but I've tried and there is a noticeable difference in temp and taste without Kingsford. Amber and Noah Have One of the Easiest and most Exciting Grill products I've seen in years. I may need to pick up another one as I tend to get more visitors come dinner on weekends:) Canuck Ken

Grillen und Smoken .... und beides auf so unkomplizierte Art und Weise. Ein Schmuckstück in robuster Ausführung. Auf der ersten Blick erscheint der Preis etwas hoch, das Teil ist jedoch wirklich massiv und gut durchdacht ausgeführt. Dieses schöne Teil ziehe ich jedem Weber Griller vor, die ja schliesslich auch nicht gerade günstig sind. Am liebsten hängen wir Ripperl rein, ein Prüfen der Temperatur ist nicht ntowendig, genial wie unkompliziert das funktioniert. Ca 1/3 der Kohlen mit einem Grillkamin für 15 Minuten anheizen, dann hinein damit auf die anderen Kohlen und sofort das Fleisch hineinhängen. Deckel drauf und nach etwa 3 Stunden nochmals mit Barbecue Sauce oder Honig nachwürzen und noch 1 - 2 Stunden weiter smoken. Das nächste Mal gibts dann Pizza aus der Tonne :-) Die Luftzufuhr habe ich zu 1/4 aufgemacht.

Magique et ludique !