Brinkmann Masterbuilt and Cookshack Smoker Comparison

This video shows the difference between 3 popular smokers for the beginning meat smoker. While I talk briefly about the differences between the similar looking Cookshack SM008 and the Masterbuilt Electric Smoker, this video is not meant to be a comparison between those two units. Hope you enjoy the video. If you have any questions about any of these smokers, feel free to post them in the comments.

The Brinkmann Gourmet is a very affordable unit (under $100), and can produce a high quality product. It does have some limitations to keep in mind depending on what you are planning to smoke, and your climate. Available at your local hardware store, or Amazon: http://amzn.to/epoQoY

The Masterbuilt Electric Smokehouse is the smoker I recommend for all beginner smokers. It overs wonderful temperature flexibility (100º-275º) so you can experiment with different times on different cuts of meat to find what you like best. It also has a very convenient way to deal with drippings and loading more wood. Available at your local hardware store, or Amazon: http://amzn.to/h2LHab

The Cookshack SM008 is the unit I use most. The SM009-2 that Cookshack currently sells is $625, is stainless steel, and is the only SM series smoker available. If anything, the SM009-2 would be more durable than my SM008 because of the stainless steel. Overall, it is evident that this smoker is built better than the Masterbuilt unit (as it should be for the additional money). This unit is also much less maintenance during the smoke as you don't have to continually add wood. Available through Cookshack website: http://tinyurl.com/67382jn

The Cookshack is my favorite unit to use, but it is also quite a bit more expensive. We happened to be shopping for a smoker while in the middle of a home remodel, so we were able to allocate funds from a traditional oven to get the Cookshack. Had I started with the Masterbuilt, I might not have ever upgraded.

The bottom line is that all of these smokers can produce fantastic results. And that is what matters.

For more information about getting started with meat smoking, check out Fattybombatty's Beginner's Guide to Smoking Meat & Cheese: http://fattybombatty.com/

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Education

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• Fattybombatty

[texbotany]

I wanted to get a smoker that would let me smoke fish in it (as well as other things), which is supposed to be around 90-100 degrees for a few hours, then you bring it up to an internal temp of 160....anyway, I was contemplating getting the Brinkman and making modifications to it to get the temp down to 90-100. Do you think that's possible or have any suggestions?

[fattybombattysmoking]

@texbotany :: The Brinkman with mods is probably going to be the cheapest way to go. You should be able to find a heating element with a heat control pretty easily. There is a smoker called the Little Chief that might be worth looking at, but it is much more expensive, and from what I've heard, can have trouble getting up to temp for things that smoke around 225º. If you were only doing fish or cold smoking, sounds great, but may not be flexible enough for you. Worth checking out though.

[thepupils209]

Great video/review. I just received the brinkman gourmet from a neighbor and am looking forward to using it for the first time tonight. This video was perfect for the non-experienced "smoker." Thanks.

[fattybombattysmoking]

@thepupils209 :: Glad it was helpful! Hope you have success on your first smoke with the Brinkman Gourmet.

[fattybombattysmoking]

Glad your Cookshack is working well for you, and that you enjoyed the video. Bacon is something I've been itching to try but just haven't had a chance yet. I bet it is amazing!

[bkd2117]

I bought the electric brinkmann last year for my first smoker. It actually cooked way better than I expected. I smoked fish, salmon, brisket, and other stuff and it all turned out great. Sadly the electric burner just went out and I wanna buy a more advanced smoker but I could never see myself buying one for 600. I've.narrowed it down to the masterbuilt, old smoke electric, and the weber electric. Which should I get?

[fattybombattysmoking]

@bkd2117 :: Not to throw a wrench in your plans, but it might be worth considering the Smokin' It. There is a link to it in the amazon affiliate store section of the fattybombatty website. Everything I've seen from it shows it to be as well constructed as the Cookshack, but at a fraction of the price. I think you'd have issues getting the Old Smokey Electric up to temp to smoke things like brisket - it seems a bit more specialized for the lighter smoked stuff. Hope that helps!

[sickb2200]

I love my Cookshack SM025. I bought it new, but dirt cheap from someone that won it in a raffle. Lining the bottom and covering the wood box top with foil makes cleanup a breeze. The very tight sealing of the unit makes for tender and juicy meats and also holds in smoke so you don't need much wood. I'm also lucky enough to live in the town where the company resides. Great company - always donating smokers for charity auction events and fundraisers.

[texbotany]

@fattybombattysmoking Thanks man. That gave me the idea to set the Brinkman body over a plug-in stove burner and smolder some chips or something in a cast iron skillet like Alton Brown did on his show. I would think that could bring me up to 90-100 F and I could finish it off with the regular heating element. Thanks again.

[fugiman13253]

Well...I might be a lil bias as to which one I'd own, but I would save up for the Cookshack. I have the FE-500 pellet grill myself. I know every part of the cookshack smokers are made right here in Ponca City, OK USA bc I work for cookshack and see what time and quality goes into them. The quality and performance are well worth they wait to save up for one! Trust me!

[AnotherAmateur]

Very nice. I got a Cookshack SM025 that I've used for about 10 months. Sure makes smoking easy and very consistent. My favorites in it are pulled pork and smoked salmon, but I also got good results with homecured ham, brisket, bacon, spare ribs, and baby backs. This was a great video to see.