Friday, May 2, 2014

Why I picked the Smoke Hollow Smoker

This model stood out above all other gas models I found. 

Smoke Hollow Dual Burner 44" - PS4400
Pros
Solid construction
   - Legs are heavy
   - Handles are steel not plastic
   - Hinges are welded heavy duty lift off style,
   - Racks are a little beefier than others
   - Doors fit well and seem tight
Plenty of space, many racks, 24” wide so full racks can lay flat, hang or on edge in a rib rack
Includes Rib Rack, 2 Jerky racks, and a nice hanger - some say hanging ribs have better flavor
Window to see what’s going on so you don’t have to open the door and let out the heat and smoke
Latches have rubber tip to keep them cool, but you still need to touch the metal to get it closed.
Dual burner gives you many options - alternate burners to extend smoke time without opening the door, super low on one burner, high temp with both blazing
Covered smoke stack - What’s a joker without a smoke stack?  Makes the cover look funny, but somehow I think a smoker needs a stack, and this one is covered so the rain won’t go in.
Double wall doors provide some insulation
Simple to convert to NG
Burner is out of the wind, inside the box
Vertical cabinet style is easy to load, and add or remove anything mid-smoke.
Price - Cheaper than a Weber Smokey Moutain  or Big Green Egg

Cons
3-sides are not double wall or insulated, neither are any other gas model I’ve seen
Running only one burner may not provide even heat, and using one burner may be needed to go really low
Finish is nice, but basically hi-temp paint, so it will rusts also the same as all gas smokers I've seen
No wheels
Due to window, temp gauge is at the top, but few serious BBQ guy use the door gauge, get a Maverick 
No probe hole, hoping to get WSM Silicon probe hole grommet
Latch style is more difficult to open and close and will likely be hot, but very secure and adjustable
Smoke stack not adjustable - I think that only really matters for charcoal, so it may not be a con
Price - A little more than the stock Lowes and HD models

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