Start Smoking for Less than $500

With summer, aka BBQ season, upon us we’re mowing our lawns, heading the butchers and putting the beers in the fridge. The thing we all crowd around though the is BBQ, it’s like a place blokes are drawn to when the beers are in the hand and the conversation flows. That centrepiece of the gathering has been going through some changes recently with the humble griller no longer the only way we’re cooking our meat.

Smoking, grilling and roasting are the three ways meat is now being prepared outside, it enables completely different flavours and textures from your butchers best and will give your guests quite a bit to talk about. These cookers can cost a stack of money, they require a bit of a learning curve to master and those things can scare people away. That is about to change…

The ProQ Frontier Elite

This cooker offers the perfect combination of capacity and versatility. The ProQ Frontier Elite is an innovative 3-in-1 charcoal BBQ, roaster and smoker all-in-one. This versatile cooker is durable, portable and stackable making it a robust system with thick walls for insulation.

Made for the backyard chef and BBQ enthusiast, the easy-to-clean and rust-resistant stainless-steel grills and silicon coated side handles deliver a safe and enjoyable cooking experience. Packaged with a fish/meat hanger means you’ll be ready to go in no time. The built-in temperature gauge and three air vents at the base allow for even and monitored cooking, whether you are char grilling a steak at the beach, smoking a rack of ribs for the family BBQ or roasting a leg of lamb on a Sunday evening. We love this unit as it can be reduced to a size that makes it portable and can be built up for a larger gathering at home.

The ProQ Frontier Elite is available now for RRP$479 from Barbeques Galore and select retailers.

Pit Barrel Cooker

The a bit more rustic and rugged in design, the Pit Barrell Cooker delivers a one-of-a-kind charcoal-infused flavour, perfect for summer days and nights. The 114L Pit Barrell Cooker features 2 steel hanging rods and 8 stainless steel hooks where the meat cooks suspended over the coals. Delivering even cooking, the Pit Barrell Cooker ensures penetration of a “smoke fog”, which is created by juices dripping directly on the coals. Writing that line made my mouth just a little moist…

Developed for more than just meat, the Pit Barrell Cooker can be transformed into a traditional grill thanks to the removable grate, while the food benefits from the unique charcoal cooking process. The Pit Barrell Cooker is durable and protected from the weather thanks to its porcelain enamel coating.

The Pit Barrel Cooker is available now for RRP$449 exclusively from Costco nationally.