Was my $400 pellet smoker a mistake or a smart buy?

I dropped $400 on a Camp Chef pellet smoker last spring thinking it would save me time over my old stick burner, but the flavor just isn't there on long cooks like brisket or pork shoulder. Meanwhile my buddy swears by his and says I just need to use better pellets like Lumberjack instead of the cheap stuff. Do you think pellet smokers can ever match offset taste, or should I just go back to tending a fire for 12 hours?

2 comments

2 Comments

robinl907d ago

You said "the flavor just isn't there," and I get that, but I think you're expecting too much from a pellet smoker right out of the box. A $400 Camp Chef isn't going to match the deep smoke profile of a stick burner, that's just reality. Better pellets like Lumberjack will help a lot, but you also need to lower your expectations a bit. Pellet smokers are more about convenience than pure flavor, and they can still turn out really good meat if you're patient and learn how they work. It's not a mistake, it's a different tool for a different day. If you want that offset taste every time, you gotta be willing to tend a fire for 12 hours, plain and simple.

betty_shah6d ago

Lumberjack 100% makes all the difference.