ProQ Excel 20 - best current deals

[Curlie028]

Anyone know where I can buy a ProQ Excel 20?
My google search keeps taking me to a company called GardenXL but they don't currently have any in stock.

[JEC]

Try hotsmoked or macs BBQ.

[British BBQ Society]

There are only 4 resellers for Pro Q I believe they split the cost of the containers between them id Garden XL dont have stock you can try the other 3 http://www.hotsmoked.co.uk/ (had dealings with them in the past good service), http://www.forfoodsmokers.co.uk/index.html or ian from Macs BBQ's shop http://www.smokingbbq.co.uk/
Happy Hunting
Toby

[Curlie028]

Thanks for the quick and concise replies guys.
I am now absolutely gaggin' to get started, so your speed has released me to order up.

Mind you, if they share costs etc, I bet (purely by coincidence of coarse) their prices will all be pretty much the same

Curlie

[Steve]

I bought my Excel from hotsmoked when they were trading as usefulstuff. First class service.

Noticed in your book thread you are also considering a WSM. When I replaced the Excel with a WSM this year, I got mine from BBQWorld.co.uk. They did me a price match and their service was brilliant.

[JEC]

If you are even thinking about a WSM I would skip the ProQ and go straight in, whilst the ProQ is good the WSM is in a different league, those that can't choose between the two and buy the ProQ normally end up regreting it. I have a WSM but have used the excel and frontier, the removeable starlets are nice but my WSM is just more consistent.

[Curlie028]

That's me back into the world of indecision

Pros for me for the ProQ were:

With an extra stacker I might be able to do a small pig for my son's 21st.
Like the idea of the extra stacker allowing me to cook occasionally for big gatherings.
The price point.

If I went Weber, should I go for 47cm (usually cooking for 8-12, but occasionally a couple of dozen or more, once in a blue moon)

Why do people with a 47com WSM, wish they had a 57cm and vis-versa?

Apols for the questions but I want to make the right call,

Curlie

[Steve]

I replaced my Excels with 47cm WSM's this year.

I initially went for the Excel for similar reasons you have outlined. However the 47cm WSM does perform better, it uses much less charcoal and holds temperature far better. I do miss the convenience of stackers sometimes but the performance improvements more than make up for this.

For the numbers you are cooking for, a WSM will be plenty big enough for cooking butts, briskets, ribs and other joints. If cooking chicken portions then it may be tight for feeding 2 dozen. Typically I grill chicken thighs/drums/wings anyway because I think they're better.

To be honest if I were going down the Pro Q route, I'd go with a Frontier anyway, I found they cook better than Excels.

don't get me wrong I enjoyed owning my Pro Q's and wouldn't hesitate to recommend one. However My WSM's are just in a totally different class and I will have them for a long time.

[Curlie028]

Why did you go 47cm and not 57cm Steve and you say you replaced your Excells, how many of those bad boys do you have?
Question driven by, apart from the obvious cooking area difference are there significant differences I need to be aware of if chosing between 47 and 57cm?


Curlie

[JEC]

I bought the 47cm WSM, I looked at the 57 but decided it was overkill. Most of the time I'm cooking for 4 to 8 but did 20 last weekend on my WSM and topped up with burgers, sausage and chicken on the kettle. I can at a push get 10 racks on my 47 or 6 chickens or 4 to 6 butts, if you need more space than that you are either very popular or have hungry friends!! I have only had my WSM for about a month but cannot see me regretting the size