Orion Cooker Convection BBQ Smoker

Product Description

The Orion Charcoal Cooker isn't just a smoker, steamer, and convection cooker in one it's all three simultaneously. This allows for cooking your favorite meat or fish (or vegetables) to tender, smoke-infused succulence... [Read more]

Top Reviews

Get one if you like moist, flavorful meat
by Steve Bingham (5 out of 5 stars)
September 16, 2017

Bought my first one locally in the spring of 2011. I estimate we've used it 3 times a month in the six and a half years we've had it, which comes out to roughly 225 uses, and it's finally beginning to show some deterioration where the smoke chamber attaches to the charcoal trough (stainless steel is corrosion resistant, not corrosion proof, and the resistance depends on the grade of stainless steel). I'm ordering another one so there's no downtime when my current one bites the bullet. It's hard to convey how well this smoker performs; chicken, beef, fish, and pork all come out moist with a great smoked flavor. Following the simple guidelines provided, we've never had anything not cooked to perfection. As the instructions suggest, resist the temptation to check on your meat during cooking; you will just let out steam and smoke and delay the cooking process. Set the timer on your phone and go back when it's done. As Ron Popeil says, just "set it and forget it".

Edit: received my new smoker and noticed it is constructed differently (much better and stronger) in the area the old one was deteriorating.
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incredible unbelieveable
by Amazon Customer (5 out of 5 stars)
August 24, 2016

I really like this smoker was recommended from a friend. I work out of tow all the time for months and this smoker is light weight portable and extremely fast. I have smoked 6 slabs of ribs in a hour and a half. I is so simple that my 18 year old oilier that has problems using the Micro wave in his hotel room. Now the foreman thinks he is a Gourmet chief. I have cook everything. between my Weber grills and this smoker. We no longer go out to eat at restaurants the crew throws in money and the Oilier takes my truck to the store and at lunch we feast better that everyone on thew spread. Unbelievable
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One of my favorite BBQ toys
by ChulaVistan (5 out of 5 stars)
May 1, 2019

Bobby Flay used to have a BBQ series where he had a huge assortment of grills and smokers. My dream is to have a backyard like that, but currently I have two smokers, a grill, a griddle and the Orion, which is in a class all by itself. The Orion Cooker is a fancier and better version of an upside down trash can bbq (google it for some fun videos). It's a metal chamber with up to three levels for food. You add charcoal to the ring around the cooker and to the top- this makes for some concentric heat waves that cook the food quickly..and because it's contained, the food is juicy as well. This Orion is my "go to" when I need to make ribs in a hurry- i've fit as many as 6 slabs of ribs and they are ready (and falling off the bone tender) in a little over an hour. I gave one to my oldest friend as a wedding present and he makes his Thankgiving turkey in it every year. It is somewhat of a pain to clean- I recommend easy off oven cleaner and some steel wool (of course, watch for loose wool threads). Also, the cylinder that holds the food is sealed, with the heat on the outside- so it's tricky to get a smokey flavor, if that's what you're after. (btw, there is a way to do- you put smallish wood chips on the inner edge of the cylinder and rely on the overall heat to burn them). Overall, though, it's fun to cook with and is especially great for cooking ribs. When you start it up, you have a ring of flames around the Orion- almost a spectacle at my parties. And you have the benefit of having a gadget that almost no one will have (I've yet to meet a fellow Orion owner.)
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All have turned out wonderful. Friends and family have told me that the ...
by Cory5129 (5 out of 5 stars)
June 20, 2015

There are many types of smokers out there and some will say this isn't a smoker at all. I'm here to tell you they're wrong. I've owned and used this smoker more times than I can count over the last six years. This is tired and true. I've smoked ribs, pork shoulder, chicken, turkey, ham and beef brisket. All have turned out wonderful. Friends and family have told me that the meat was the best they've eaten.

Some complain that it uses just about a whole bag of charcoal and they're right, but think about it. All smokers use some type of fuel that you'll be paying for. The cost associated with a traditional offset smoker using coals and large pieces of wood will cost more than a $10 bag of Matchlight and a bag of woodchips that will last several months.

A few tips to help you out. First, these Orion cookers can be hard to find in stock. By one as soon as you can! Second, remember the food is only as good as the recipe. Good BBQ rub and meat preparation is critical to any good tasting smoked meat. Third, for ribs you can smoke up to 6 racks at a time. Always place a cooking grate at the bottom level or on the drip pan when hanging ribs. If a rack happens to fall of the hanger, it will be safely caught on the grate and will cook just fine, instead of falling into the greasy drip pan. Don't sauce your ribs before smoking. Only use a dry rub while smoking. A little honey and mustard if desired is ok, just remember the ribs are hanging and sauce will run off. Wait until they are done. If you want that competition look, you can sauce, butter and brown sugar your ribs when they're done and then wrap them in tinfoil. Place them in your oven on 250 for 2 hours to caramelize the BBQ sauce and sugar. Finally, remove the wire handles on the drip pan and tinfoil the drip pan for easy clean up. I like to tinfoil the bottom of the smoker too, for ease of clean up.

I have looked at other smokers out there and for the cost I don't think you can beat this cooker. You can't put a price on time and I don't have 10 hours to babysit an offset smoker while cooking brisket. I can fire off the Orion and come back 5 hours later to a perfect brisket. There is no electric heating element to burn out like some other smokers. I looked at several brands and they all had complaints of heating elements burning out or constantly blown GFI outlets.

One more thing to note. Complaints have been made that you don't get a red smoke ring with the Orion and for the most part they're right, but remember the smoke ring has nothing to do with taste. Without getting all technical, the smoke ring is caused by a chemical reaction in the meat and is affected by many variances such as how much myoglobin is left in the meat after slaughter, temperature spikes, cooking temperature, chemical reactions in the smoke, and humidity just to name a few. Don't be fooled that it's not smoked if there is no red ring.

This is truly a set and forget type of cooker/smoker. I don't write many reviews, but I felt it was time to write one for the Orion. This is one of the best household purchases I've ever made and haven't regretted it for a second.
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I can't believe I bought this thing.
by Loflin (1 out of 5 stars)
May 4, 2019

I read the reviews and thought to myself that this was a different kind of grill that would be fun to use. The results? Tough meat that looked terrible. Ribs look like cadaver flesh. Pale, no crust, just awful. I used it twice and its been sitting in my car port ever since. One good thing: I live at the beach so everything rusts badly. I've had this grill for 3 years and it hasn't rusted a bit, so it is well-made. The only reason I haven't thrown it out is the fact that I spent so much money on it. I wouldn't even feel right about trying to sell it. I live in a small town and I suspect that if I suckered someone into buying it I would be subject to retribution. I hope this review helps. I think buyers of this grill should create a support group.
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Update: not so impressed.
by Gary Toups (2 out of 5 stars)
September 16, 2018

Update:

I downgraded my rating to 2 stars. I originally had it at 4. Like I said below, pork butts came out OK, but not great. I have had no luck with ribs. If you're used to the texture and flavor of ribs cooked low and slow over wood or charcoal, this cooker is not for you. The ribs come out moist, but the meat is sort of grey and not very tender. The flavorful crust or bark you get with low and slow cooking does not happen. I don't see keeping this--I'll likely sell it.

Previous review:

I got the cooker in short order via Amazon. It is very sturdy, built from stainless steel. Assembly was easy. I decided to cook a pork butt for my first try on the Orion. I prepped it like I usually do. I brined it for 12 hours and covered it with my own rub prior to cooking. I used some apple wood pellets I had lying around as the source of smoke. Starting the cooker was easy using the matchlight charcoal as suggested. I waited the 3 1/2 hours and pulled the roast. Internal temp was 197 F. I wrapped the pork butt in foil and old towels and let it rest in a cooler for about an hour. The results were pretty good for a first attempt. The meat had a nice smokey flavor, but not overpowering. Much of the meat fell apart as you would expect from a long session in my WSM. Some of the meat deep inside was flavorful and tender, but not quite as tender as on a longer cooking session on the WSM. I was very pleased with the overall result in only 3 1/2 hours of cooking as opposed to 10+ hours on my other smoker, but I can't say it will replace the WSM. I can't wait to try in on chicken and ribs next.

Lesson learned: My rub has a good bit of brown sugar in it, and it think the temperature of the Orion is a bit high for this. Some places on the top of the butt had a bit of a bitter flavor from over-carmelization of the rub, but the bottom that was basted by the fat/juices flowing down did not. I'll simply leave the rub off or use one without brown sugar.
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Have already recommended it to about 4 other people
by Ed S (5 out of 5 stars)
July 9, 2015

After 46 years on this planet I was finally able to make a beef brisket that was worth eating. 15lb brisket in 4.5hrs plus the 2 days of brining before hand. This cooker is a no brainer and it allowed me to finally get the beef brisket monkey off my back! Have already recommended it to about 4 other people. Great product!
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Best ribs ever, by far!!!!!
by Cross U (5 out of 5 stars)
July 29, 2018

I waited a year to try this and I don't know why. I am currently looking for more at a good price. I loved it s much and the ribs were so good, I am buying more to cook more. The cook was so easy. Tender, juicy, and so easy. Literally follow the directions and you'll be pleased. I seasoned the ribs my way with olive oil and my favorite rub and then lit the cooker and waited the time. I checked the meat and let cook a little longer to 190. Add 1/2 gallon of liquid to the pan whatever liquid you want and you won't be sorry. Best ribs ever, by far!!!!!
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Easiest Smoking You Will Find
by John Dagen (5 out of 5 stars)
May 23, 2016

Have cooked on this two times. Ribs took one hour and 10 minutes and brisket took 4 hours. Both times it was easy to prepare. You do not have to look at your food while cooking. Everything is based on time and you take it off when the time is complete. So much easier than trying to keep adjusting the temperature all day long. Wood chips placed inside the cooker provides all the smoke flavor you need. Meat in both cases was absolutely delicious. Better than our local BBQ restaurants. I highly recommend this cooker.
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It came out perfect in 4 hrs
by BV (5 out of 5 stars)
August 22, 2015

The ultimate outdoor oven. I already had 3 other BBQ appliances but decided to try this anyway.

I've never had much luck cooking brisket in the past as it usually comes out too dry or too tough but with he Orion, It came out perfect in 4 hrs. Using it was extremely simple and once you lit the coals, you were done. The only thing I might do differently to it is to add a thermometer. Not that it needs it but I am curious as to how hot it gets in there although it is a moist heat.

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