What is the best grill or smoker according to owners?
The Weber Original Kettle 22 leads with 84% owner recommend across 37 reviews. Owners praise how much it can do beyond basic grilling, including low-and-slow smoking, though several say dialing in low temperatures for smoking takes practice. The Weber Smokey Mountain 18 sits close behind at 76% across a much larger 339 owners, and is repeatedly called forgiving and beginner-friendly for anyone who wants a dedicated smoker instead.
Charcoal or pellet: which do owners prefer?
Charcoal cookers score higher across the board. The Weber Kettle (84%) and Weber Smokey Mountain (76%) both beat the Traeger Pro 575 pellet grill, which sits at 57% with owners consistently flagging weak, mild smoke flavor and a 500F ceiling that rules out searing. The tradeoff owners describe is control and flavor with charcoal against convenience with pellets, since the Traeger is called almost set-and-forget with app monitoring built in.
Is the Pit Boss 850 Navigator worth the electronics complaints owners mention?
Pit Boss 850 Navigator owners land at 75% recommend across 20 reviews, and many say it runs flawlessly for years and would buy it again, with the open-flame broiler letting it char food like a real grill rather than just smoke. The consistent complaint is electronics reliability, control boards, WiFi modules, probes, and igniters failing or needing replacement, plus uneven heat between the hopper side and the far side. Shoppers weighing it should treat that as a real maintenance tradeoff, not a rare defect.
What's the biggest limitation of the Weber Smokey Mountain 18 that owners run into?
Size. Across 339 owners the recurring complaint is that the 18-inch model is too small to fit a large brisket or a full rack of ribs without trimming to fit. Owners otherwise call it easy to use and able to hold a steady temperature for hours with little babysitting, so the limitation is capacity, not performance.
Should I trust a wireless meat thermometer like the Meater Plus, or go with a probe like the Thermapen?
Owners split clearly on this. The ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE, an instant-read probe thermometer, holds 82% recommend across 56 owners who call it fast and precise, with the main gripe being price unless bought on sale. The Meater Plus wireless probe sits at just 53% across 155 owners, with frequent connectivity drops and limited range as the recurring frustration, so owners leaning on accuracy over convenience favor the wired probe.
Is the Kamado Joe Classic II's ceramic build a dealbreaker?
Not for most owners, who put it at 75% recommend across 32 reviews and describe it as built like a tank with excellent heat retention and precise control that holds up in all weather. The recurring issue is the ceramic heat deflector cracking, with owners noting replacements can be hard to get, on top of the cooker's already premium price. Anyone considering it should budget for that eventual replacement rather than treat it as a one-time purchase.
