The Pit Barrel Cooker and Weber Smokey Mountain are great barbeque tools. But between these two BBQ tools, do you know which one is the best? In this post, we’re all about analyzing the Pit Barrel Cooker vs. the Weber Smokey Mountain so you can understand their unique features.
Different methods and tools can be used to achieve various kinds of BBQ. These two smokers are perfect if you’re a fan of old-fashioned BBQ. So, even though cooking technologies are advancing, you shouldn’t have to forget what simple, delicious meat tastes like.
Both The Pit Barrel Cooker and the Weber Smokey Mountain smokers enable us to make smoked meat simply. However, are you wondering which to choose between the two? Do not worry; we will examine the Pit Barrel cooker and Weber Smokey Mountain smoker to help you make an informed decision.
Brief Overview Of Pit Barrel Cooker
Pit Barrel is one of the best charcoal smokers and works similarly to a convection oven. You can smoke your food and do everything from your smoker setup. It is made of top-notch quality and is one of the best-selling drum smokers in the world.
This device has a 30-gallon steel capacity, and the body is a porcelain-coated 18-gauge steel drum with a lid. The drum is pretty strong and can tolerate high temperatures, of course. The external cooling generates condensation inside the barrel for added moisture in your cooking.
We really like the 9 stainless steel hooks with 2 steel bars that aid in hanging meat or food. So, when hanging meat, the food is cooked with even heat from top to bottom.
The meat will smoke in its own juice (so, no need for water) to give you some of the best flavors. You can maximize the drum’s inner space by hanging whole chickens, turkeys, pork butts, and the like for barbequing.
Additionally, we like that “PBC” comes with removable grill grates. Hence, if you wish to use this tool as a grill for direct cooking, you can! Chicken pieces, fish, steaks, veggies, and so on can be cooked with this grill grate.
Brief Overview Of Weber Smoker Mountain
Weber Smoker Mountain is a dedicated smoker that can give you some great BBQ. It is also made from porcelain-coated steel, just like their popular kettle grill, and it’s one of the best charcoal smokers you can find on the market. It’s easy to use and recommended for anyone from beginners to even experts.
You can use this fantastic cooker to barbeque and smoke at a low and slow temperature. The heat generated is maintained consistently with thorough insulation.
This cooking tool is typically an upright bullet-shaped unit that features three sections. To achieve that smokey barbeque aroma, just add a couple of wood chunks that are fist-sized to the coals right from the start. You’ll see the charcoal burning in the bottom part. Note that the meat will absorb the smoke while cooking.
The exciting part is that Weber Smoker Mountain comes in 3 different sizes. Of the different sizes, the most popular are the 18″, the more portable 14″, and the super-sized 22″, so you have other choices.
Furthermore, there’s the option of purchasing a hanging kit, which can convert your Weber Smokey Mountain to a similar setup as the Pit Barrel Cooker.
Similarities Between Pit Barrel Cooker And Weber Smoker Mountain
Many excellent cookers can make great barbeque for you. We have narrowed these options to Weber Smokey Mountain (WSM) and Pit Barrel Cooker (PBC). These two are good cookers that can be used to barbeque your burgers, hot dogs, and so on.
But before we look into the Pit Barrel cooker and the Weber Smokey Mountain, let’s briefly examine some similarities.
- Both the Weber Smokey Mountain cooker and the Pit Barrel cooker are great for barbequing many foods.
- Both grills deliver sturdy, reliable, and efficient components. They are well-built devices.
- They are both vertical-styled charcoal smoker grills.
- Both cookers use the method of ‘airflow control’ over a charcoal fire.
Pit Barrel Cooker vs. Weber Smoker Mountain: An In-Depth Comparison
Even though these two cookers might look similar, you can still notice some differences between them, especially in their performance.
So, below, we have highlighted the critical differences between Pit Barrel Cooker and Weber Smokey Mountain.
Capacity
WSM comes in 3 different sizes: there’s the smallest, 14″, that offers a moderate 286 square inches of space. Then the mid-size, 18″, can house 481 square inches of cooking space. The super-sized 22″ is also an option and can hold 726 square inches of cooking space.
Therefore, no matter your cooking goals (whether for portability, family feeding, or an entertaining crowd), WSM has options that suit your needs.
On the other hand, PBC has more capacity because it offers more space. Three Pit Barrel models are available. The classic Pit Barrel Cooker (18.5″), the PBX (22.5″), and the Junior (14″). They also offer one regular horizontal rack that provides 240, 380, and 154 square inches, respectively. However, Pit Barrel is not designed to be stacked horizontally.
The classic basic package comes with 8 hanging hooks to get the most out of this smoker. Then the PBX comes with 16 hanging hooks, and the Junior has 4. With the 14″ Pit Barrel Junior, an entire brisket can be hung with some space left. Alternatively, you can fill it with racks of ribs.
Therefore, the PBC can accommodate more food than a standard vertical charcoal smoker such as WSM. Also, the Pit Barrel steel cooker is perfect for larger cuts of meat.
So, the bottom line is that Pit Barrel Cooker takes the lead regarding capacity, thanks to the ability to utilize the vertical charcoal space to accommodate more meat, food, and larger cuts.
Build Quality
We have established that both PBC and WSM are made from porcelain-enameled steel. WSM doesn’t specify the type of steel used, but PBC is a configured 18-gauge steel drum. However, both Weber and Pit Barrel have durable and top-notch materials.
WSM has a durable shell that lasts a long time. Then PBC is a 30-gallon unity that won’t wear out.
So, when talking about the build quality between Pit Barrel Cooker vs. Weber Smokey Mountain, both are pretty great.
Portability
Both PBC’s and WSM’s smaller versions are pretty portable. They both have cooking grates that are around 14.5 inches wide. Hence, they can fit perfectly into the back of a truck or car. However, there is still a significant difference between them.
Take the Weber Smokey Mountain, for instance. It has a 3 part smoker that can be dismantled to become a separate base, mid-section, and lid. So, this makes it pretty handy for storage. Or, in case the height of your trunk is low, you can easily break it down to fit.
Then the Pit Barrel Cooker is a big drum, and it is easier to pick it up and move the whole thing simply. So, there’s no need to take apart the drum, making it more portable. However, it won’t give you the flexibility of separating them into pieces for transportation in smaller spaces.
Temperature Control
One critical feature that makes WSM and PBC different is temperature control. For Weber Smokey Mountain, it offers a more standard setup. With the top and bottom ‘damper,’ you can adjust it to change the flow of air inside, and the temperature can be pushed up and won as required.
Therefore, to maintain lower temperatures, simply put lots of charcoal and restrict the airflow. On the other hand, if you want higher temperatures, merely open the air vents for more oxygen. A temperature gauge also displays how hot the cooking chamber is. Also, WSM features a water pan below that helps stabilize your smoker’s cooking temperatures.
Now, Pit Barrel, on the other hand, works as a fixed-temperature cooker. Charcoal is filled up at the bottom, and you can put your meat on top and allow it to cook. It can give you a range of about 250 to 300 degrees F. However, the only downside is that there isn’t a temperature gauge to see how hot you’re cooking.
Knowing how your smoker is running is good, so you can have some control. If this is important to you, consider the Weber Smokey Mountain. However, with the Pit Barrel Cooker, you won’t need to meddle with the airflow and keep up with the charcoal level just to maintain steady heat. You can simply trust your PBC to do its thing and yield excellent results because it is a set-and-forget type smoker.
But all in all, when it comes to temperature control, the winner between Pit Barrel Cooker vs. Weber Smokey Mountain will depend on your preference.
Cooking Duration
Since PBC operates at fixed temperatures and works like a convection oven, it can typically cook food faster than WSM. A whole brisket can be done in a day without you needing to wake up early, and you don’t even need to be home the entire time you’re smoking.
On the other hand, the Weber Smokey Mountain temperature can be lowered as a slower cook.
So, when it comes to cooking duration, Pit Barrel cooks faster and hotter than Weber Smokey Mountain. And WSM can cook low-and-slow. However, the cooking style will mainly depend on your preference.
Ease-of-Use
Pit Barrel Cooker gives you comfort regarding ease of use. Because it is a fixed-temperature smoker and there aren’t any dampers to meddle around with, PBC may require less work. Refilling the charcoal during cooking makes it a set-and-forget charcoal smoker. You can make some great food with it, so just set your meat and return to it once it is done.
On the other hand, Weber Smokey Mountain may require your attention while cooking, and you must monitor the temperature, change the dampers, and add fuel. However, you can still enjoy the comfort of using this smoker, making temperature control pretty easy.
So, regarding the ease of use, Pit Barrel Cooker takes the lead.
Cleanability
When you want to clean Pit Barrel Cooker, the hooks and grates are what you should be washing. You will also need to clear out the ash at the base of the Pit.
The good thing is that you can purchase an optional ash pan that stays at the bottom of the charcoal pan, which encourages faster and more effortless cleanout. It’s also possible to use aluminum foil at the bottom of the charcoal basket to do similar work.
For Weber Smokey Mountain, it can take a bit of time to clean thoroughly, and this is because there are 2 grates you’ll need to wash. There is also an ashtray to empty and a pan to scrub.
Therefore, when it comes to the ease of cleaning between the Pit Barrel Cooker and Weber Smokey Mountain, Pit Barrel Cooker is a bit faster and easier.
Price
Regarding the price of PBC and WSM, both are almost the same. So, price isn’t a critical comparison point between these two smokers, and both go for a reasonable price.
Pit Barrel Cooker vs. Weber Smoker Mountain: Our Verdict For The Winner
We would favor the Pit Barrel cooker because of the winning features we’ve listed in this review. However, your choice for this smoker should mainly depend on what suits your needs. So, after reading our review on Pit Barrel Cooker vs. Weber Smokey Mountain, you should have some proper knowledge to know which best suits your needs.
The truth is that both Pit Barrel Cooker and Weber Smoker Mountain can cook delicious meat, from a rack of ribs to a whole chicken. However, go for PBC if you want a smoker that you can set and forget or if you need higher heat and speed. Then if you want to have better control over the cooking temperature, you should go with WSM.
All in all, regardless of your choice, we believe both Weber Smoker Mountain and Pit Barrel are great smokers that can make your barbequing dreams come true.