GMG or Off-set?

  • Im fishing here... Fishing for satisfied owners of both types of cooker. I have convinced myself that a GMG would suit my lifestyle and time constraints better than an off set. But, i keep reading about temp contorl issues some people have with their GMG's. Chris @ Urban Griller has been a source of great information and whatever i purchase, it will be Chris who gets my hard earned! I know that the GMG's have a 2 year warranty and from what i have read, their customer service is outstanding (American websites), so one can only assume that it would be the same in OZ.

    If the temp control problems are common, and you have to fiddle;e around with electrical gadgetry to get things right, then that puts the brakes on me buying. (I'm not great at releasing my hard earned, being Italian and all...)
    I am a father of a 6yo daughter, and only have Sat arvo and Sunday as my days off. Dedicating 12-14 hours to an off-set for a brisket cook isn't ideal... Just after some advise or feedback. Thanks in advance.

    Ziggy Twin Burner - GMG Daniel Boone - Hibachi

    • Official Post

    I have convinced myself that a GMG would suit my lifestyle and time constraints better than an off set.

    Hi Ray, from that part of your post, don't buy an offset. They take time, a bit of TLC and you need to be on top of things all the way through. I had a GMG here and had no issues with temp control and I've been on BBQ forums for many years and can honestly say I haven't read much about that being an issue. The only one which seems to pop up is syncing the iphone with the controller. I have an offset (Hark from Chris) and I love it but it's a hands on cooker. So, in short, if you want good BBQ taste and ease of use with the ability to walk away for a few hours or sleep through the night, the pellet cooker is the way to go.

    Big Green Egg - Asmoke Pellet Grill - Weber Kettle - Maximus Pizza Oven - Dragon Hibachi - Ziggy Portable - baby kamado - Grillz 2 burner - Cobb BBQ - Converted Gas Bottle Spit - Charbroil Grill2go - Anova sous vide - Digi Q controller - plus Tip Top Temp - Smokeware cap - Grill Grates

  • I have a GMG and I haven't had temp control issues

    Like any bbq it definitely has a sweet spot - I have the small one, the Davy Crockett, and I find it works best at about 245f for low and slow for maintaining a good steady fire in the chamber.

    The support is excellent, I had a dud gear mechanism something or other straight out the box and the replacement part was with Chris for fixing within the week.

    I have an offset and a pellet grill (plus a few others) so feel qualified to help you haha - basically: if i'm short on time, want to do an overnight cook or in general just want to be hands off - I use the pellet grill.
    If I have the time and the patience, offset all the way.

    If you don't want to stand around a bbq for 12 hours straight DO NOT BUY AN OFFSET - I cannot stress that enough.

    Another bbq you could consider if you want to keep costs down is a Pro Q - i had a play with one on the weekend and man they hold a pretty steady temp without much fiddling

    And if you want to keep costs even lower, get a secondhand weber off gumtree! You'll be surprised how much you can achieve in one, I still do a low and slow on my weber at least once a month to make sure the old girl gets some love and I grill on it during the week a lot coz I don't own a gasser

  • Hi

    I have neither an offset or a pellet grill but have been around folks that use both. Set and forget - Pellets. One who loves to play constantly - offset. Half way in between - Kamado.

    TA

    Grant from Grass Valley

    Weber Magnum, Old Weber Kettle, Weber Kettle with gas fitting, Weber Q320, Weber Go Anywhere, Akorn, Giotto ECM[size=12]

  • +1 for what Grant said said.

    Don't have an offset but have a pellet grill, a Kamado (Akorn), a charcoal grill where you can raise and lower the charcoal and a couple of gassers.

    Pellet grill I'm happy to load up and even leave the house. Komado, yeah probably would leave for a short time, perhaps I'm being over cautious. Charcoal and gas, no way.

    I am a father of a 6yo daughter, and only have Sat arvo and Sunday as my days off. Dedicating 12-14 hours to an off-set for a brisket cook isn't ideal...

    In my opinion, this sentence answers your question. If your 6yo daughter is anything like my 6yo daughter then I'm guessing she's just starting the gymnastics, dancing, sport, friends from school. She also has 4 older brothers so I can tell you it's only going to get busier. A pellet grill will not take away from the time you need to be a taxi for her.

    For the record one day I am thinking of making my own offset, but I will never get rid of the pellet grill, it's simply too handy. If you want a bbq where you have to be there and fiddle around and baby it get one of those cheap charcoal grills from masters, it's what my charcoal grill is and it is a lot of fun and for the price is actually a decent bbq. Or even keep an eye on gumtree, I got mine for $40.



    Traeger - Weber Family Q - Ziggy Twin Burner - Charcoal Grill - Akorn Kamado - Hark Tri Fire - Jumbuck Pizza Oven - Go Anywhere - Asmoke Pellet Grill - Hibachi Grill - Anova Sous Vide x 2

  • I can't testify for the GMG but have cooked 2 competitions on the kamado and a Hark Tri Fire.

    I agree with gus - avoid the offset for the reason of babysitting it, the fuel it chews through and I have trouble keeping it the hark at temp (but that could just be my inexperience).

    Love the kamado though

    • Official Post

    I had a Hark Tri-fire for a few years and loved it. I recently sold it because I was using it very rarely due to time pressures, also it took up too much space. I replaced it with a second hand GMG Daniel Boone, which I think is an excellent BBQ.

    The only problem I've had is a controller failure (I have one of the very first batch of imported GMGs). Despite me not being the first owner, I called Hark and they sent out a replacement controller to me free of charge which arrived 2 days later. Truly excellent warranty and support.
    I've not experienced any temperature fluctuations at all. In fact it generally runs dead on target temp at all times. The only other BBQ I own which comes close to this level of control (after a lot of use and learning) is my kamado.

    Despite having a very positive opinion of offsets, I just can't see myself ever going back to them.

    Just to throw another option in the ring: have you thought about a kamado? I have a full range of BBQs, but if I had to choose only one (it would be a "Sophie's choice" mind you) I would pick my kamado.

  • I have two little kids and for the same reasons you outlined being time poor on the weekend, went for the GMG and love it.

    Set and forget, I generally get out of bed early, turn the GmG on and chuck a brisket on, then go back to bed and come back around midday for a spritz and a check. Can't do that with an offset. We now regularly throw Sat dinner parties to show off whatever I've thrown on the BBQ, everything we've tried has been sensational and my wife (aside from making me take the washing in) has completely come around and loves it just as much as me!

    The ONLY issue I've had has been difficulty pairing my iPhone to the wifi (most times pairs fine, but if your phone goes to sleep/app goes into the background, can't connect again runout a reset), but I'm not alone and GMG are working on the issue, I'm happy it will be sorted in future. GMG customer service was excellent.

    Go the GMG- all the result with none of the work.

  • Also not sure about the temperature issues you raised. Mine has a hot spot like all BBQs, but I actually prefer a bit of variation so I can move things around if they need it a bit cooler/hotter. Not an issue imo

  • Ray, what do you plan to cook as you have only mentioned brisket and what sort of BBQ do you have at the moment?

    eg do you intend to bake, pizza, sear steak, low and slow.

    How many people do you want to regularly feed?

    Also how much are you thinking of spending?

    Depending on what you intend to do and what BBQ's you already own you may be better off buying two completely different BBQs.

  • Curious if the guests ever comment on the Smoke Profile? To much, to little...just right?

    Man, that Tagline is almost as good as Traegers..."Taste the Difference"! GMG should use that!


    Quote


    We now regularly throw Sat dinner parties to show off whatever I've thrown on the BBQ, everything we've tried has been sensational...

    Go the GMG- all the result with none of the work.

    "‘One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off.’”

  • Ray, what do you plan to cook as you have only mentioned brisket and what sort of BBQ do you have at the moment?

    eg do you intend to bake, pizza, sear steak, low and slow.

    How many people do you want to regularly feed?

    Also how much are you thinking of spending?

    Depending on what you intend to do and what BBQ's you already own you may be better off buying two completely different BBQs.

    At the moment, i have a Ziggy twin burner. I use a smoke box with chips. Water pan and I installed a WEBER air vent in the lid of my Ziggy to help get the temps down. When all set up, i can hold 108c -118c with no dramas. The issue is cooking space. If i had the cooking space, i would cook for as many people as possible. What would i cook?, EVERYTHING

    Ziggy Twin Burner - GMG Daniel Boone - Hibachi

  • At the moment, i have a Ziggy twin burner. I use a smoke box with chips. Water pan and I installed a WEBER air vent in the lid of my Ziggy to help get the temps down. When all set up, i can hold 108c -118c with no dramas. The issue is cooking space. If i had the cooking space, i would cook for as many people as possible. What would i cook?, EVERYTHING

    Let's assume budget is not a problem.

    Two very versatile charcoal BBQs are the Weber Kettle and Kamado.

    Here's two threads to help cover what's so good about them.

    Should I buy a Weber Kettle?

    Should I buy a Kamado?

    In summary they can cook lots of things in many different ways eg cold smoke, searing steak, low and slow eg pulled pork, stir fry, pizza and the list goes on and on.

    A common BBQ journey is gas->Kettle-> Kamado-> then it is very varied eg roti, pellet, offset, pizza oven, hibachi etc

    I would buy an XL size Kamado (grill extender, deflecter etc), food vacuum sealer (for storing and reheating), quality esky (keeps food hot for hours without drying out)

    After you have impressed the hungry hoards with the wide variety of gourmet food you have created. Then knock them out with your next BBQ purchase that cooks in a different way eg pellet, roti.

    If in the mean-time you end up with the need to feed say 50 people, renting is an option.

  • This topic interests me a lot. I have started a little research into pellet smokers. When i first looked into buying a smoker, i ALMOST bought a GMG. But at the moment I'm liking the Traeger, I've been hearing GMGs have issues with temp probs & leaking.

    If money were no object, i would go for a Yoder. Sigh.... can't see that happening.
    My only issue with a pellet unit...im hearing they are heavy on pellet usage? In some cases up to a 9kg bag for a single cook, at $30 a bag, thats an expensive cook.

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