Our Weber 18.5 inch bullet smoker is and will always be our first love. Fondly refered to as R2D2 in our house, this baby is the best investment for a beginner interested in smoking. Seriously, I know the big offset box smokers look really badass, but this one is much better suited for the average person, both in ease of use and size. Trust me, when they smell those wonderful clouds of smoke and the aroma of BBQ pork coming off this baby, you wont care that you didn’t get the one that makes you look cool.
The inside of the smoker features two levels for maximum meat cooking and a water pan below. A water pan is great for the novice because it keep the meat moist, and also helps R2D2 maintain a stable temperature.
The exterior breaks down into three parts for easy access to all levels, and there is a door on the front for adding more charcoal or running the cords for your probe thermometers. The Weber brand uses better metal than many other bullet smokers, which will help you keep your temp up on those windy days.
Also similar in looks to this the ceramic Big Green Egg cooker. This thing is the Le Creuset of smokers, with a price tag to match. Amazingly high quality if you are prepared to pay for it. People that own them swear by them, in the same way that we will always recommend a Weber.
There is our baby, proudly displayed in the back yard as a monument to our first adventure in to BBQ! If you are considering an investment in a smoker, I can not suggest anything other than an 18.5 in Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker.
The Primal Smoke 
Patrons of the Pit
January 11, 2013 at 11:16 am
Couldn’t agree more. I would put the BGE a step above maybe, but they are just too expensive to justify. So the WSM it is. I had an 18.5 incher too, and it was awesome. But it was stolen a few weeks back. It was like having a family member kidnapped or something. People were openly comforting me for my loss. It was kind of funny in way. The pain has been displaced now, as we just recently got a 22.5 incher for Christmas. Man is that thing large!
Yup, best beginner smoker for the buck. Period.
Primal Smoke
January 11, 2013 at 12:13 pm
My deepest sympathies on your loss! Once we started investing in grills we also made sure to put a big padlock on our fence. The rottweilers are not that great of a security force on their own, since they will be your best friend if you give them steak, my trust in their protective abilities is questionable.
Patrons of the Pit
January 11, 2013 at 12:32 pm
Thank you, it sucked. You would have thought a rottweiler would do better than that! That’s funny. And yes, I’ll be trying the pad lock thing this time around, tho I’m not so sure how to lock up a WSM.
ebacklund
January 11, 2013 at 4:18 pm
I used to have a 18.5 WSM and I absolutely loved it, then I built a UDS. Went 18 months without ever taking the cover off the WSM, so I decided to sell it. I was sad to see it go, but I don’t regret it for a minute.
I also had a Primo Jr, which is similar to the BGE. I sold mine because it was too small for my needs and it was quite expensive, but you really can’t compare either of these to the WSM. The ceramics are so much more than a WSM. However, I’d take a Weber Performer AND a WSM (or UDS) over another ceramic any day!