Don't forget to pack that laptop for the stay. We'll keep you in more stitches than Dr.Richard! ***** HA!!!!! No laptop here so I'll be going thru withdrawl from online reading and posting and the various e-mails I get. More than that I'll be missing the Rome, Italy tennis OPen but I will be home in time to see the French Open, tennis nit that I am. I do have my priorities. ( smile) And nope, I won't be tip toeing thru the tomatoes in the near future, if ever again. One of the four quad muscles I tore never came back to function after the repair so that knee buckles all the time, besides which I'll probably have to have surgery sometime for my severe spinal stenosis, but I don't even want to go there. LOL So it looks as though I'll be using this walker for the near future, whatever that means. So I'll just have to enjoy being kept in online stiches after I get home again and can read here and there. Of course Richard will have me in stiches, and I mean more than sutures, b'c he has a wicked sense of humor. LOL Off topic as can be but I'll give you one example. After the left new hip went in last June I lost both bowel and bladder function which has been attributred to my being diabetic and sensitivity to Morphine and similar. When I told him that it took five people to catheterize me, which I'm sure he already knew, he calmly ASAP said: consecutively or simultaneously. LOL Richard is a Master of repartee and I gave him a book on same. One in that book that I remember well was when someone asked Ghandi what he thought of Western Civilization he said he thought it would be a good idea. LOL And so it goes and I'm off now to take a last drive to look at the wildflowers I can see from the car. I know the coltsfoot and Hepatica are out and I have Bloodroot here at home that's out, but I was hoping to see some early Trilliums and possibly some wild Columbine, the latter of which I also have here at home but here it's not out yet. And then to start packing since tomorrow looks very busy indeed. Sigh. Carolyn

In the world of electric smokers, not pellet smokers, there are three companies making/selling all stainless steel smokers: Cookshack (CS), SmokinTex (ST), and Smokin-it (SI), listed from higher to lower in cost. I own a CS. American made, it is superb and expensive. I typically use a single 2 or 3 ounce chunk of hickory for my smokes. Next is the ST line, for which I have no first hand knowledge of. It is an import. Lastly is SI, also an import. My brother has the SI 3. It is a very solidly constructed smoker, and like the CS, uses very little wood. It is also priced the lowest of the 3. It has some nice features missing from the other two smoker lines. Performance wise, it is the equal to my CS in terms of produced food quality. All three sites have a dedicated forum with SI seeming to be the busiest. Not from complaints either. But sharing hints, tips, enthusiasm, and recipes. electric is so much easier than tending a stick burner, which I also own and have used for years. Unlike a lot of electric smokers with chip trays that must be reloaded periodically, these smokers use 1 or 2 chunks of wood at the beginning and you do not need to add any more. In fact, you do not need to open the door till the food is complete.

amcgeorge, In shoort yes. I do not fave my WSM anymore but yes you could do steaks on it. I presently have 3 BGE's and one other ceramic cooker and you can and I do steaks on them regularly. For planning purposes a Large BGE has the same grate size at a Weber 18.5 inch Kettle and the same size grate as my old WSM. Jeff

I've owned and used many different types of BBQ and smoker equipment over the years. Hands down the best I have ever owned is one called Smokin Tex. It is a heavy duty electric smoker made out of all stainless steel....even the racks. This type of smoker is designed to produce real PIT TYPE barbeque.....as you cook "low and slow" at 225 degrees F. You do not need a water pan and only use one or two small pieces of wood (the size of a chicken egg in its smoke box). Because you cook at a low temperature....it is impossilbe for food to char onto the cooking grills. Accordingly, they are very easy to clean in a dishwasher or by hand. It is IMPOSSIBLE to produce bad pit style BBQ in this smoker. Every thing comes out perfect......each and every time......with absolutely no attention needed for either the food or the smoker. I cooked a 10 pound brisket in my smoker the day before yesterday. Here is the proceure.......just before cooking, season the brisket with a heavy coating of Tony Chacherie's More Spice cajun seasoning (it has less salt in it). Place two small pieces of APPLE wood into the smoker box. Cover the smoker box and the smoker bottom with foil for easy cleaning. Place the brisket in the smoker and insert a thermometer. Set the smoker thermostat to 225 degrees F. Remove the Brisket when the meat temperature reaches 190.....about 9 hours. You do not have to turn or watch the meat. It is truly set it and forget it. The brisket is very tender and to die for good. It is absoultely IMPOSSIBLE to mess up. Same can be said about chicken, ribs, vegetables, and seafood. One note of caution....because the food is cooked at such a low temperature for a long period of time, the fat undergoes a "special" chemical reaction where it gets a wonderful sweet flavor to it that is hard to resist eating. (I'm a chemist so I pay attention to food chemical reactions.) Hamburgers do not shrink when cooked in this smoker and one does not have to cook with smoke. Just don't add any wood. Also, this type smoker makes a great FOOD WARMER..... We Cajuns love to party hard and my smoker comes in real handy as a warmer when we "Laissez les bons temps rouler!! (Let the good times roll.) Again, cleanup is a cinch with this type smoker.....because cooking at a low temperatue simply does not allow the food to bake onto the racks!! I 100% guarantee that you will love this type smoker. My son has an electric Masterbuilt smoker that works on the same principle. It does produce excellent BBQ; however, it is nowhere near as durable or well insulated as the Smokin Tex. Being well insulated allows for cooking in this smoker even in the coldest weather....that is an important plus for me when I want to make me a batch of jerky in the winter. I'm into cold smoking too......absoultely love to smoke all types of cheese in it. Lightly smoked mac and cheese is so good!! I can asssure you that this is not SPAM. I usually hang out on the GW fig forum.....but I really LOVE to cook too. I've attached a link below so that you can see the smoker that I use. I purchaseed a nice cart and many other accessories for mine. These low temperature bbq smokers come in various sizes. There is usually another all stainless steel electric smoker for sale on eBay that is much cheaper than the Smokin Tex and looks very similar to this one. I did not see it in my current search. If interested in this type product be sure to check out other sales sites. Tell your husband that he will produce THE BEST BBQ in town with this type smoker........no joke. Here is a link that might be useful: All Stainless Electric Smoker