I own all three Weber Smokey Mountain Cookers. Here are
the reasons I recommend the 18.5" smoker for most beginners when asked
which size smoker to get:
1. It has a larger capacity than you think. You can fit a
lots of food in the top and middle grates. But for lot of ribs, you might have
to cut them in half. For a family of 4 or 5, the 18.5" can do most of your
family meals. There's enough space to put a lot of meat in there!
2. It's easier to move around. While the 14.5" is
obviously the lightest in weight, you can still move the 18.5" relatively
easily. The 22.5" is a monster when you have to remove the middle section.
It's heavy and I've even tweaked my back lifting it. If water is in the pan as well,
it's even heavier. But the 18.5" is manageable and is less heavy.
3. It uses less fuel than the 22.5", but has enough
space for enough fuel for winter cooking. The 14.5" smoker seems to run
out of fuel when doing long cooks in the winter. I tried doing a pork butt for
pulled pork and the 14.5" needed more fuel than the charcoal ring could
comfortably hold. Perhaps others can do it, but I just could not get enough
smoke time without refueling twice. Once the bottom section filled up with
ashes, I just could not put any more fuel in comfortably. The 22.5"
obviously has the ability to hold more fuel, but it also uses up more. While
others have said that charcoal is cheap, it may not be "cheap" for
some folks. A few dollars here and there adds up over many cooks.
4. It costs less than a 22.5". $100 may not be much
of a savings, but you can buy a bunch more food with that!
5. Many people move up to a 22.5" and may sell the
18.5" used at a good price. Keep an eye out on Facebook Marketplace or
Craigslist.
I hope this list helps some thinking of getting a WSM but
not sure which to get.
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