Hey, barbecue family. The Backyard Smoke Master channel started in earnest back in 2018 with the delivery of my Lone Star Grillz 20×42 offset smoker, and since then I’ve amassed a pretty decent collection — some kept, a few let go. Here’s every cooker still standing in my backyard, how I actually use each one, and what I think after years of ownership.
Weber Smokey Mountain 22″ — The Classic Charcoal Smoker
This is actually my second Smokey Mountain. I bought the 18-inch version at the very beginning of my barbecue journey, and it was a complete disaster — I fell into the newbie trap of chasing temperatures, obsessing over holding exactly 250°F, got frustrated, and sold it. Years later, after temperature control finally clicked, my wife bought me the 22-inch model for Christmas because I kept talking about how much I regretted letting the first one go.
I’ve added a ChefsTemp thermometer I can read from a distance (and monitor from my phone), a replacement door, and a lid hinge that makes it far easier to open and close. I love the extra capacity of the 22 over the 18. If you want to get into smoking meat, this is the classic charcoal smoker for a reason.
MAK One Star General — The Weeknight Workhorse
My MAK One Star General has probably been in my rotation longer than anything else — I want to say 2018 or 2019, with no issues in all that time. It was my second pellet grill after a hardware-store-closeout Traeger whose temperatures swung wildly all over the place. The pellet grill shines on a weeknight when I don’t have much time, or when my main protein is on another cooker and I need somewhere to run sides: punch in a temperature on the Pellet Boss controller and it does all the work.
What I really love about MAK as a company is that they stand behind their products with backwards-compatible upgrades. When I first bought mine it was mostly a low-and-slow machine; after upgrading the controller and the internals, I can now run it around 400°F.
Weber Kettle — My #1 Recommendation for Beginners
When people ask what grill or smoker they should buy first, the Weber Kettle is always at the top of my list. The cost of entry is reasonable — around $150, maybe $200–$225 with a few extras — and it teaches you the most important skill in barbecue: cooking with charcoal. It’s also probably the single most supported grill on the planet: any accessory you can imagine, somebody makes it. I’ve got a Slow ‘N Sear, a Vortex, and a Spider Grills Venom fan controller on mine. You’re only limited by your imagination.
Kamado Joe — The Versatile Ceramic
After I got my feet wet on the kettle and the Smokey Mountain, kamado-style cookers caught my attention, and I landed on the Kamado Joe because I appreciated the innovation — they kept adding options and accessories. Ceramic cookers will grill or smoke anything you throw at them and hold temperature beautifully once you lock it in. Two caveats: overshoot your target and it takes a while to come back down, and the size and weight mean that once it lands in your backyard, you won’t want to move it for fear of tipping and cracking. I’ve had mine six or seven years and it cooks the same as the day I brought it home.
Hunsaker Drum Smokers — So Good I Own Two
A Pit Barrel Cooker got me started down the drum smoker road (and it’s still one I recommend to beginners — follow the instructions and away you go). But I wanted that same experience in something bigger I could wheel to a park or a remote cookout, and I landed on Hunsaker — I like them so much I own two, the second found on Craigslist a couple hours’ drive away. These are about as easy as charcoal cooking gets: once your temperature is dialed in, you’re just making slight micro-adjustments at the exhaust, and the intake is labeled with start, run, and finish positions. Plus, drum smokers let you hang your meat instead of laying it on grates, which is just plain fun.
Lone Star Grillz 20×42 Offset — The One That Started It All
This is the cooker that launched my channel. When I knew I wanted a proper offset smoker — a stick burner — I originally ordered LSG’s 24-inch pipe offset, then switched to the more affordable 20×42 when they announced the 20-inch series mid-fabrication. It was the right size for my family and my budget. If I have a full day free, there is nothing I love more than running a brisket on this pit — tending the fire, feeding it sticks, enjoying the peace and tranquility of the backyard. Fire management isn’t for everyone, but for me it’s the best part. This one will always have a special place in my heart.
Weber Summit Kamado — The Efficient All-Rounder
This is probably the cooker that has generated the most interest on my channel. I passed on the original Summit Charcoal because of the price, but when the Summit Kamado came out at a friendlier number, I jumped. It’s essentially a 24-inch cooker — a real step up in space from the kettle — and once dialed in, it holds temperature like a champ without burning through fuel. One honest knock: I’ve pitted it against my Hunsaker and even the Weber Kettle over the years, and those cookers produce a more smoke-forward flavor. If maximum smokiness is your goal, you might do better elsewhere — even with the far cheaper kettle — but for versatility and efficiency, it’s hard to beat.
MAK Two Star General — A Used-Grill Cautionary Tale
When I began transitioning into commercial cooking last year, I picked up a “lightly used” MAK Two Star General off Facebook Marketplace. I got a couple of low-and-slow cooks out of it, but right now the auger isn’t feeding pellets into the fire pot, I’ve put in more money than I’d like to admit, and I’ve got calls in to MAK to get it sorted. The lesson: buying used is a great way to save money, but be extra cautious with cookers that depend on electronics and moving parts. A used charcoal drum is low-risk; a used pellet grill is a different story.
Smokeslinger Liberty 94 — Commercial Capacity
For the business I also wanted a larger offset with tuning plates for even temperatures across the whole cooking surface, and the Smokeslinger Liberty 94 — a 94-gallon offset — checked every box. Coming from the LSG there was virtually no learning curve; in fact it’s even easier to run, because the considerably larger firebox takes four full-size splits stacked log-cabin style, where the LSG’s really only fits one or two. It’s been a big addition to my commercial low-and-slow cooking.
The Smokeslinger — The Swiss Army Knife
When I ordered the Liberty 94, I also ordered the full-size Smokeslinger itself. I kept hearing it described as the Swiss Army knife of cookers, and it has lived up to that — it’s been a godsend for direct-heat ribs, turning out outstanding St. Louis and baby backs in about 100 minutes, and the capacity is wild (I recently fit about 80 party wings on the top grate). Once the temperature is dialed in there’s really nothing else to do, and there are endless ways to configure it.
Spider Grills Giant Huntsman — The Fun One
The newest addition to the collection isn’t part of the commercial plan — I got it because it’s just cool. The original Huntsman caught my eye in 2024, but I always felt it needed to be bigger, and the 26-inch Giant version was all I needed to make the leap. The Venom fan controller has been rock solid: set your temperature and it moderates the cooking chamber for you, very much like a pellet grill — except you’re cooking over charcoal and wood chunks, which to me is an elevated experience compared to the pellet life.
Which One Should You Buy?
Just getting started? Weber Kettle, then a Smokey Mountain or Pit Barrel when you’re ready to smoke. Want set-it-and-forget-it convenience? A quality pellet grill like the MAK earns its keep. And if you’ve fallen in love with fire management, nothing beats an offset. Want a dedicated video on any of these? Drop it in the comments on the video.
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