I just learned of the W'ham Turbo Cooker today...  Looks like originally it wasn't a pellet grill, but at some point, it seems they did start making them such that they burned pellets...

 I'm curious now , as at some level this design would seem to potentially infringe on Fast Eddy's patent...  But if it doesn't and the Turbo Cooker's design itself isn't patented... why aren't there more pellet grills out there that have a direct grilling area that's offset from the 'smoking' area?   

  I had been thinking for some time, that this would be a really cool way to design a pellet grill...  now that I see it's been done already... I'm just shocked that this isn't more common design. Maybe not with quite as much stainless, such that the price wouldn't be too high , and could be sold to the masses. Surely a lot of people would love to have a pellet grill that you could actually grill really well  on and do low slow as good or better than anything else.

  Really... why? Why not?

In case your wondering, I'm attaching a photo of one, this was sold at a auction for $1200 bid...

It's a little unclear if you could still buy one of these new...

There is a post somewhere here about it.  John Willingham made them and won the Memphis in May BBQ contest with it I believe.  I don't think they are still made since he passed away.  They do still sell his rubs and some other BBQ supplies.

Someone on BBQ brethren took this cooker, and just drilled a hole in the side of the firebox adding a pellet pro hopper. Haven't heard much after the initial firing, but they reported pretty even temps in the cook chamber.



It seemed like a good idea. So much in fact that I was kicking myself after I saw it. Walmart was clearing those out last fall for 83 dollars. I talked myself out of it several times ,then after they were gone saw this guy's post. Would have loved to do the same thing. Maybe this fall...

Searching for "W'ham Turbo Cooker",  only yielded one post on the pelletheads site... and zero here before my post.

 Apparently the original Turbo Cooker was patented in 1984 , it wasn't a pellet grill at that time... and near as I know the patent never mentioned pellets. But anyway, that patent is expired.

 Fast Eddy's Patent is from 2007, so still has a long way to go before it expires.    Fast Eddy's design is such that all the heat is contained within the main cooking chamber...  I don't know that having a offset heat source would violate that... or any other patents ( but am unsure )

Someone on BBQ brethren took this cooker, and just drilled a hole in the side of the firebox adding a pellet pro hopper. Haven't heard much after the initial firing, but they reported pretty even temps in the cook chamber.



It seemed like a good idea. So much in fact that I was kicking myself after I saw it. Walmart was clearing those out last fall for 83 dollars. I talked myself out of it several times ,then after they were gone saw this guy's post. Would have loved to do the same thing. Maybe this fall...

Yeah, it wouldn't be too hard to convert something like that there...  It just seems like it would be a natural way to design a pellet grill in a similar manner

http://willinghams.com/wham-cooker/

Everything you wanted to know about it and place to buy rubs.

My neighbor when I lived in Memphis went to Willingham's BBQ school, and then came home and taught me.  We practiced for a few years almost every weekend over a lot of beers.  Use a Sears propane grill with a few upper racks over a pan of apple juice and water without any smoke.  My have things changed a bit for me during the last 25 years.

The old post is here.

The old post is here.

Thanks for that.  I knew it was here and it was misspelled, but I couldn't remember how it was spelled when doing my search.

The old post is here.

Yes , thank you for the link to the other thread...

  I wouldn't pay anywhere near $8000 for one, but if i saw one at $1200 I'd grab it in a instant.

  I think I see something home built in my future... Mine might have two firepots... one for really low temperature smoking... another for higher temps and searing/grilling..  I'd build or have the main grilling area done first, then just find some of the shelf smoker to pump the heat into... or better yet, use my 304 SS blanket warmer as the smoker chamber...   

 Ah heck , maybe I'll just use my Davy Crockett as the direct griller ( with a bit of modification ) , and then pipe the smoke/output into my blanket warmer.