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[Hank D Thoreau]

I have been waiting for a day without rain in the forecast to smoke a brisket. In the meantime I have been cooking dinner on my little Weber Q2200 portable gas grill.

It has become an extension of our kitchen. Tonight I whipped out some wild sockeye samon, sword fish, talapia and swale, along with grilled zucchini and asparagus.

And I forgot, I also cooked up some hot links.

This is the way it goes each night. Most of our meals are cooked on either a barbecue or smoker, or heated up leftovers from the barbecue or smoker.

There was a period of a year where my oven was broken and I cooked dinner every night on my Weber kettle.

I have found that I have converted pretty much entirely to outdoor cooking. How about the rest of you? Between all of your barbecue options, how many nights per week are you eating barbecue, either cooked that day or left over?

[pmillen]

Most of our meals are cooked on either a barbecue or smoker, or heated up leftovers from the barbecue or smoker.

That's understandable since you enjoy living simply at Waldon Pond.   

As for my family...we only eat BBQ or grilled food a couple of times a month.

[JoeGrilling]

We tend to eat barbecue two to three times a week but I don't grill that much.  All of kids are out of the house and spread across the US so it's just my wife and I.  I'm retired and she still works.  I tend to smoke something like a couple of pork shoulders or three racks of St Louis ribs at a time.  Leftovers are divided, bagged, and vacuum packed in Food Saver bags.  The single meal portions are date labelled and put in the freezer.  The end result is quick dinners.

Just a side note, Food Saver machines are great.  We had a horizontal Food Saver machine from Costco bought over ten years ago and didn't use it much because it took up too much counter space.  We would pull it out from where it was stored only for special occasions like Thanksgiving.  Costco then carried a vertical model maybe five years ago and it didn't need to be stored.  We use that model almost daily.  I even use for overnight marinating.           

[glitchy]

We are very streaky. Sometimes, every meal we eat at home in a week is grilled or leftover smoked food. Then we'll go a few weeks without eating anything grilled or smoked. I tend to load up my grill when smoking and we eat off it for days and vacuum seal some up to be frozen for later quick meals. Usually, the kids' schedules determine how much grilling I get to do. This year, however it's been the weather. I usually cook outdoors as much or more in the winter than the summer. However, with all the snow, wind and sub-zero temps, I've only cooked on the grill a couple times since Christmas. I also don't have quite as much real estate with the Pro as I did on my Texas to really load up the cook (but happier with the results and the experience overall).

[ICIdaho]

Not enough lately.  Stupid weather has my area covered in snow for the last month and I do not have a covered patio to play under. 

[hughver]

We eat food prepared on the Smoker/BBQ/Grill at least 3 or 4 times a week. I use at least one of my sous vide devices 4-5 times a week (most often in conjunction with the grills).

[cookingjnj]

When I am not travelling for work, even here in NJ with less than optimal outdoor cooking conditions during the winter months, I am cooking on my smoker or grill at least 3-4 times per week.  Most of our favorite types of foods come from outdoor cooking methods.  I usually handle the mains on the smoker or grill and my wife takes care of the sides which are usually done inside. Unless the side calls for a grilled veggie or two, which I have no problem tackling outside.

[Bentley]

I guess it depends on the definition, but zero.

[Hank D Thoreau]

What definition are you using when you say zero?

[Bentley]

Chicken, ribs, shoulder or brisket cooked over hardwood...

[Bobitis]

Again with the 'definition'...

I haven't used my convection oven in the house since I got my smoker. Anything that would have gone in the oven, gets put on the Traeger instead.
Pizza, casseroles, meats, desert, breads... My electricity bill has never been happier.

[Hank D Thoreau]

So what do you think your net is comparing the lowering of your electric bill with your pellet bill?

I have not yet taken a serious look at the expense of running my smoker.

But then, I don't cook pizza, casseroles, deserts or breads. Meats, yes. Grilled vegetables, yes. An occasional meatloaf, yes.