Greetings! I'm super excited that the smoker I like...has a fan site! I have a few pre-purchase questions:

- 18.5" or the 22"? I'd like to do cooking probably for a group of 6-10, but may do it for a larger group of about 30 on occasion.
- How hard/easy is one to use? I'm a newb.
- Difficult to clean?
- How does this unit rank to others I've seen (which look like mini-refrigerators)?

Thanks!

For groups of that size, the 22.5 is pretty well suited.

Very easy to use, you get used to it in maybe two cooks. Just do 2 pork butts and you'll know what you're doing very well. And we can help you with the learning curve if you have trouble.

Not difficult to clean. Just keep the water bowl clean and clean the grills. As long as you stay on top of it, it's no worse than any other charcoal grill or smoker.

THIS UNIT IS THE BEST THING THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN... of course, I might be a bit biased.

Welcome aboard Tony!
You'll Love your new 18 or 22" WSM... and you'll ask yourself why you waited soo long getting one!
Enjoy!!

i say get one you will be surprised at how well it works. I have other smokers and controlling temp or even getting temp was impossible without mods. I got a wsm and it worked exactly as it is supposed to. mine was used and rusty I am sure a new one is even better.

If the extra cost isn't an issue then get the 22.5". You'll appreciate the size when you want to do a big cook or when you want to cook a large brisket. You can also buy the charcoal ring from an 18.5" (or make one) to use less charcoal for shorter or smaller cooks.

I think the WSM in one of the easiest cookers to use. It will probably take you a couple of cooks to get used to temp control, and then it is just fine tuning after that. As far as cleanup I think most of us just clean the grates after each cook with a grill brush and then give them a good soak once in a while to get rid of any stubborn build up. The inside of the cooker is all coated so there is very little build up there.

Hi Tony, Welcome!
Get the 22 1/2", it's not that much more and you'll appreciate the larger size for your bigger cooks
First time I cooked with my 22 1/2" I was amazed how easy it was to maintain a steady temp. If it got any easier it'd have a plug

Welcome Tony, I originally ordered the 18.5` but I came across the 22`displayed at a retail store. I ended up canceling the 18.5 (3 week wait) and buying the 22. I`m glad I did. All that extra room is wonderful. For example, It`s no problem to do full racks of ribs laying flat on the grill. Smoked a huge brisket with no problems. Will be doing pork butts for about 70 people at the end of the month. The 22 is sweet. Even if it burns a little more fuel.

Operating the unit is so easy. After a few cooks. I have been very confident to just `Set it & Forget it`

Clean up is a breeze, especially if you go waterless. Foil the waterpan and all you have to wash is the grates.

Welcome Tony. I'm a newbie too. I did a lot of research before making the purchase earlier this summer. My local hardware guy had the 22.5 inch in stock and on sale, so I got it. happy happy. The only possible drawback is that it takes a bit more fuel (coal) to run than the 18", even if you're smoking less meat. Then again, who takes the trouble to smoke a single chicken (or single rack of ribs)? This weekend I did a brisket and 3 racks of ribs using the minion method of banking the coals. Brilliant. You can smoke overnight and still get some sleep (to bed at 11pm., then up at 3am and then again at 6am.)
Cleaning: I keep my waterpan full when I smoke. It keeps the meat moist and seems to me to speed up the cooking time too. I try to clean it when the everything is still warm. Use rubber gloves, hot soapy water and a big plastic scrubby. If you're too tired to clean that evening, try this: fill the waterpan with boiling water and close all the vents. After and hour of steaming, everything scrubs off easily.
Best of luck!

Thanks so much guys! I think I may lean towards using Christmas $$$ to pick up the 22". It sounds like the downside is more coal, but the upside is the flexibility to make as little or much as you want. Great! I'm a little nervous about the idea of leaving it cooking overnight, but I guess that's necessary in some cases, right?

Tony, welcome.

I have an 18.5 and a 22.5 and love them both. If I had to choose one I guess I would take the 22.5 just for the larger cooking capacity. I was easily able to do eight pork butts on it this past weekend. Once you have it check back to the forums for modification people have made to theirs. There are some great ideas to try.

Other than telling your family that it was nice knowing them, get your WSM and start enjoying it.

Welcome to the The Virtual Weber Bulletin Board!