Big decision?

[WildonionAB]

I'm feeling torn right now. Do I buy a 26" kettle or a 18.5 smoky mountain?

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[Bob BQ]

IMO, go with the 26. More versatile.  You can smoke a lot of meat on the 26 using the snake method.


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[56MPG]

Hmmm...I have both and they have each earned a spot in the rotation. WSM for much longer cooks - say 12+ hours seems to be foolproof, but also for stacking foods: beans in a CIDO under a butt is so good. I do ribs on the 26er due to it's massive grate - ribs are a tight fit on a 18WSM unless you hang them. If I was faced with either/or I would probably start with the 26er, but long term I would end up with both.

[WildonionAB]

Sounds like a good idea to end up with both!

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[Dc_smoke309]

I vote 26" I absolutely love mine .  But it's all what works best for you !


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[WildonionAB]

I was kinda leaning towards a 26 cause I love my 22 so much. Only problem is lack of space when running my S&S.

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[kettlebb]

Snake or even a half snake will give you plenty of room. Also not that I've done it but you could probably invert another grate and stack them.


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[CatskillSmoker]

26r all the way. Much more versatile IMHO. I put baked beans on the charcoal grate to catch drippings from pork butts. All a matter of personal preference. I enjoy cooking on a kettle. Just my 2 cents. Good luck with whatever your decision.

[HoosierKettle]

26


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[Mike in Roseville]

26.75 kettle and a 22WSM

[jp217p]

I have a 26" Kettle and the 22.5" WSM. Both are overkill for my day to day use. I usually cook for 2 adults and a toddler and I've been using my 14" Smokey Joe the most. I love that it sips on fuel compared to my bigger cookers. I suppose it winds down to what you'll be cooking and how often. I cook ribs and brisket and don't mind splitting a brisket to fit it in a cooker if I need to. Some people like cooking a piece of meat whole but I don't mind doing what needs to be done to work with what I have. I bought my cookers with the mindset that everything had to be whole, I don't feel the same anymore.  I don't feel like I made a mistake but I can do most of what I cook on my Smokey Joe. I can cook a full rack of ribs, a brisket flat or some pulled pork. You might have to cut pieces to fit in the cooker  but it can be done.

Now if I was you, given you already have a kettle I'd buy the smokey mountain. It's nice to have a cooker that's really smoking centric and a cooker that's grilling centric and this way you'll have both.

Also, Smokenator makes a "Hover Grate" that's 18". I bought this for my Master Touch and it added a lot of space.

https://www.smokenator.com/product/smokenator-hovergrill-add-cooking-space-to-your-grill/

There's also the "Kettle Zone". It'll let you use the entire 22.5" grate for indirect cooking. If you were to buy this along with the Hover Grate you'd almost have as much cooking space as a 22.5" Smokey Mountain minus the vertical space.

https://auraoutdoorproducts.com/products/kettle-zone

Both of these accessories total out at $140  so this isn't a bad option either.

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[Jan M.]

I would start with the WSM.
:-)
I am sure you will end up with both one day.
You can't stop Weberritis!


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[HoosierKettle]

I view the 26 as a necessity. It's my most used grill for a family of 4. It's also the only grill I have that I would gladly spend full retail to replace it if I had to.


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[WildonionAB]

I appreciate the input! I think the 26 will be my next purchase.  I will keep an eye on the buy and sells for a wsm or maybe will make a UDS. Although I'm sure that I will just about be able to do everything with a 26 and a s&s. Plus I still have my 22 and s&s if I need to really cook a huge batch of ribs or something.

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[Big Dawg]

Also, Smokenator makes a "Hover Grate" that's 18". I bought this for my Master Touch and it added a lot of space.

https://www.smokenator.com/product/smokenator-hovergrill-add-cooking-space-to-your-grill/

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I did about the same thing for my 26er with a used 22.5 grate and some hardware from Home Depot.







BD