Orion Cooker

The orion cooker is the best investment I ever made.It is fantastic and so easy to use my 10 year old could use it

I just bought the cooker at Home Depot and cooked 6 racks of baby back ribs. Used hickory chips—–cooked for an hour and 15 minutes. No question the best ribs that I have ever cooked/eaten.

This cooker works well and the meat is very moist. We’ve only had it for a week but so far, we love it.

I made Thankgsgiving Turkey using the Orion. The worst turkey I’ve ever eaten. It does not roast meat. It steams the meat. The next day I put it out with the garbage. Buy a Weber.

I did my Thanksgiving turkey in the Orion Cooker and It was the best I have ever had. I did not put any moisture in the drip pan and the 20 pounder was done in 2 hours and 15 minutes. That weekend I cooked ribs using hickory chips and the same excellent result! I am amazed at how fast it cooks meat–and how good the meat tastes–a no brainer.

I also did my Thanksgiving turkey in the Orion Cooker and had great results. I bought it to cook ribs after seeing my neighbor cook 6 racks of ribs in a little over an hour that you could pull apart. I’ve noticed that if you don’t use wood chips it’s hard to brown the turkey, which might be the problem Dan was having. A trick I use is to spray the skin with olive oil. Cooks awesome beef brisket too.

I’ve owned my cooker for a year now and no boubt it’s a great cooker but the intense heat the charcoal creates pays a toll on the ash tray and the steel band that encircles the bottom. Looks like they are lightly tack welded and vulnerable to cracking.
The company tool good care of me when mine broke.Anyone that cooks outdoors deserves to have one. In my book, a sure buy……Enjoy!!

I got an Orion Cooker for Christmas and I cooked an 8 lb rib roast that day. Great meat! I did however use a bit too much of the wood chips (soaked in wine). The outside of the roast had a very smokey flavor that was too stong for some. I will use only a small handfull when I cook a turkey new year’s eve. One more thing….the coal lasts a long time…long enough to cook more than one thing. I will toss in a chicken after the turkey is done. Bottom line, this is a great item.

You will never make a better purchase for cooking. It is great for all meats, however, I would suggest that you have a second dish ready to cook when the first one is done. It cooks so fast, that the heat is perfect for cooking when the meat is taken off. Also, by putting the meat lower, the top shelf can be used for vegetables at the end of the cooking cycle. Mak sure that the wood chips are placed between the drip pan and the outside wall of the cooker, and that they are soaked first. This company has a real winner.

I suggest someone check on Dan (4th comment) and see what position he holds at Weber. Comparing a Weber to the Orion is like comparing a Geo to a Lincoln Continental. Not even close. As you can see, the overwhelming concensus confirms the quality of the cooker.

First off, I don’t work for Weber. Secondly, I would rather by an American Made Weber than a Chinese made Orion. I don’t like steamed meat! I rather have roasted meat. That is the bottom line!

Hmmm, Aren’t Orion Cookers made and sold in Smyrna, GA??? Best cooker I ever bought. Heard of a guy who baked a cake in his. I have only cooked a Boston Butt in mine. (Only had it a couple of days). Can’t wait to try other recipes. Heard that the ribs are out of this world.

I live in California, Oakland area. Where can I buy one of these cookers and how much are they. The company web site does not list California under retailer search.

Thanks

Bought one yesterday, and cooked with a dry rub and some oak chips 1 whole chiken one pak of wings and a rack of ribs for 1hr and 15 min they were falling apart and very good, then with coals still so hot I put in the next days meal a 12 lbs turkey and in 2hr 15 min it was done and was vert good and moist, today is is cool and i will clean it out. It works times are right I could not beleve it called my neighbor for some ribs he left here and went to Home Depot and bought one turkey skn was not as cripey as the checkin was but the breast meat was juciy and my daughter ate it thats waht counts to me.

I bought My Orion yesterday at Home Depot for $129.00. I cooked 1 rack of pork ribs and 1 rack of beef ribs last night for about an hour and a half(I used about half the recommended charcoal), and they were great.

Has anyone tried a roast beef, and when you do your ribs do you sause them first or after they are done?

Im a HUGE BBq fan I live in the NW .I have 3 BBq’s all perform admirably.I bought my Orion yesterday evening. Did the burn off to semi season the unit and w/ the charcoal 1/2 way burned I put some sausages on the top grill. MAN they were yummy. I will cook anything in the Orion any time.

WOW!!! Just finished my first cook with the Orion. 6 racks of ribs. Finished in 1 hour 15 minutes as advertised. They were FANTASTIC! Cooker did a nice job on the smoking as well. Clean-up with an SOS pad and the hose, easy.

I have a few smokers, an Old Smokey electric and a Weber charcoal among others. I doubt I will cook ribs on anything other than the Orion from now on.

Looking forward to doing boston butt’s

Works great and it’s so easy – no watching and no turning! Just put the food on and walk away. I can actually make side dishes now without worrying about the meat burning.

Not sure if my first message got thru. My cooker is doing very good. Cooked 12 lb turkey and 3 slabs of pork ribs. Very tender. Can anyone tell me where i can find a list of cooking times for various meats/lb like brisket?
Jim Bob

Home Depot has stopped advertising this cooker and they have none in stock in East Memphis. Service is bad anyway at Home Depot but wonder what is wrong?
Jim Bob

got my orion a few weeks ago. it is a great way to cook. I use cowboy charcoal and not one but 2 chimney starters. careful when pouring lit charcoal into the orion ! i just keep adding more charcoal every 30 – 45 minutes and have had very good results. I did not like the self light charcoal and my gosh, 15 lbs is way too much. was nice to bbq a turkey and use the drippings for gravy. brisket was nice tender and juicy and it only cooked for about 2 hrs.

ABSOLUTELY THE MOST CONVENIENT COOKER I HAVE EVER USED. I DO NOT EVEN COOK RIBS IN ANY OF MY THREE OTHER APPLIANCES. THE ONLY WAY TO COOK RIBS.

FYI
June 3, 2007 New York Times…..Nice article about the ORION Cooker / Smoker, Section 3, Page 2………..
I have smoked 6 slags of St. Louis style ribs & a Boston Butt roast with good sucess. Like ANY cooker / smoker results WILL vary according to the meat and the OUT door temperature……..However, I am pleased with my $129 purchase.
PS………..plus if you srew something up you have not wasted ALL DAY before you find out

How long for brisket? Per lb?

Your reviews have convinced me. I will get on within a few days. Thank you all.

The June 3, 2007 New York times has an article about the Orion and its history. The article is titled ” The Goods; Grilling for the easily distracted .” June 3, 2007 – By BRENDAN I. KOERNER (NYT) – Business – News

A good read if you are interested.

I am sure some of this will be random thoughts but hopefully some of you will hang on. I purchased an Orion today based on the majority good reviews here. I must say that people on roadfood.com were not as positive as you were. I overcame their objections mostly because they “stopped reading after seeing self lighting charcoal”. Kind of like not reading to your kids at night because it started “once upon a time”. I am not going to give a glowing review at this time because I haven’t had time to do all the things this cooker is supposed to do. First of all I grabbed the wrong king of charcoal and had to go back to the store to get lighter fluid for it. By the way, putting it together was a breeze, 17 or 18 screws and it’s done. The charcoals were hot and I was getting anxious the burn something but all I had were a couple of apples from the basket of goodies my wonderful wife gave me yesterday for our wedding anniversary. Cored and halved one and put it on the top rack. Took one half off after ten minutes. It was still crunchy (granny smith) but warm all thru.(tasty) Took the other half off after 20 minutes. Wasn’t crunchy but still had body to it. The taste had changed from tart to applesauce. Took some Kaltrach Cave-aged gruyere cheese from the basket (she is such a sweetheart)and enjoyed a nice respite on the back porch. I know this is not a pro or con thing about the Orion but I plan to continue reporting as I try new things to give a little different perspective as to what this cooker does on a day to day basis. Won’t be able to log back on for a couple of days as I have grandbaby duties to attend.

Could you please provide a sales store in the NW area that sells your product,
Portland or., and vancouver wa. homedepo do not have.
Thank you Roger

Absolutely the best ribs come out of the Orion without the hassle of tradiotional grilling. This is my second deason with one, and I love it!!!

Just bought this cooker this week and going to try it out tomorrow. Orion tells me to cook a 10-12 lb. brisket for 4-/2 hours. This sounds like way too long seeing that a 20 lb turkey requires only a little over 2 hours. Can someone tell me how long they cook a brisket?

Cook a 12-14 lb brisket 4 and a half hours. Add liquid to the drip—1/2 apple cider vinegar and half water.
Put the point on the bottom grate and the flat on the middle grate. Hope this helps.

I’m thinking Dumb Dan must have put water in the drip pan. How the heck can you steam something without liquid?
I love my Orion. Quite a bargain I am sure!

I used this cooker yesterday and cooked a brisket, then 3 rack of ribs and finally a small turkey breast and some sausage. Everything turned out great. I was exceptionally pleased with the brisket and have to say it was the best, most tender and moist one I have ever cooked and the smoke flavor was perfect. I’m about to put my old smoker in a garage sale. Why would I want to spend 12+ hours smoking a brisket when I can do one perfectly in 4-1/2 hours! I’m sold on the Orion!

Could you please provide a sales store in the NW area that sells your product,
Portland or., and vancouver wa. homedepo do not have.
Thank you Roger

Comment by Roger Sullivan — June 17, 2007 @ 1:16 pm

Hi Roger,

Head to your local ACE Hardware in your NW aera. Go into the store and have a sales peron check their warehouse for:

ACE item #8209264

You may have to wait for the stores mext deilvery truck from the warhouse, but you will not have to pay for shipping. The grill should sell for around $159.00

Good Grilling !! David

How do you cook a 12-14lb brisket(20″ long) on a 13″ diameter rack? Do you cut it in half and use middle and bottom rack?

Having made ribs in various other smokers and grills, the ones done on the orion are among the best (Big ribs and baby backs alike)and I will venture into pork and brisket cuts over the next few weeks. I always follow a rib cooking with a big chicken since the coals last a long time, and it’s great for the next nights dinner. Wood chips give a true but mellow smoke flavor.

Bass Pro shops also carries the Orion cooker. I will also say that the owner of the company is very accessable through the website. He is an awesome guy and always open to suggestions and questions.

Reply to Jims beef brisket request. Hope this helps.

Beef Brisket

12-14 lbs beef brisket
Marinate beef brisket for 24 hours in apple cider vinegar.
Prior to cooking remove brisket from vinegar, pat dry and apply dry rub.

Fill drip pan halfway with half apple cider vinegar and half water. Place mesquite wood chips between drip pan and cooking cylinder.
Place brisket on 1st and 2nd grates (grate above drip pan and the middle grate).

Add charcoal to upper and lower charcoal ring (use 13.5 lb bag). Place lid on cooking cylinder and light. Come back after 4 ½ hours and enjoy!

When doing BBQ, when do you put on the BBQ sauce?

Good question Catherine.. the same question I came here to ask.

Put the bbq sauce on after the cook. Get two pieces of tin foil about 3-4 inches (on both sides) longer than the ribs. Pull the ribs off and place them on the tin foil. Apply bbq sauce and wrap them in the tin foil for 15-20.

I got my Orion for Father’s Day and I have used it three times. The last time I cooke two 7lb pork roast ant two 4lb. chickens. In 2hrs time they were cooked to perfection. I just wish that there were more recipes and cookin times in the book. This is the best cooker I have ever used.

Excellent ribs and chicken was moist but the skin was not crispy. It is so easy to use I have not used my propane or weber grill since…oops except for hamburgers and hotdogs….

has anyone used for a seafood boil?

I cooked in it twice(6 racks of ribs and chicken breasts) and so far its been one amazing cooker. Now I wish there was a compiled cookbook.

Yesterday, I bought a nice 5 lb. flat beef brisket to try out in my Orion. Does anybody have a recommendation on cook times for a 5 pounder??
Thanks!
Keith

Came here to do some research on the Orion. Saw one at all places at a Fry’s store in Sacramento and it looked interesting.

The only drawback that came to mind is that it looks like it will take up a LOT of room when not in use and won’t sit out like the Traeger and gas bbq will.

This was from the owner Chris “The only time we recommend starting out with liquid in the drip pan is when you do beef brisket or seafood.”
I don’t know why his manual dosn’t reflect this…

I see oneor two people mention the web site for the Orion. What is the web address? Thanks

i have been inpressed with the easy of this cooker…so impressed i became a distributor for them…will be bigger than the turkey fryer craze as oil has really jumped in price….set it and forget it…it really works..lew

I just bought one of these a couple of days ago and the ribs were really good in flavor but a little tough for my taste. I did get real lean baby backs though. I am currently cooking a couple of beer butt chickens to see how they turn out. I will be cooking way more meat than normal cuz I don’t like wasting all that charcoal. I think this is the way to go for ribs though and I am a rib freak. I did notice when I tried to call the number on the back of the cook book they were disconected? So the website would be good to try to get info for times for meat etc…
Toni

We have had our Orion cooker for about a month now. Every weekend I look for something new to make on it. So far I have cooked a ham, many slabs of baby back ribs, beef brisket, boston butt, beer chicken and prime rib. This is the best cooker we have had. Everything is so simple. With the prime ribs I used oak chips. I was not crazy about that. Next time I will cook that without chips. Everyone that has sampled something off this cooker is very impressed with it. Does anyone know where you can purchase the Orion Rub? I am using grillmates BBQ rub and it is very good also. I am interested in trying the Orion Rub. We can not say enough about this cooker. I recomend it to everyone. ITS SIMPLY THE BEST!

Tammy how many pounds and how long did you cook the ham for? Not sure if you have tried apple wood chips, this works excellent with pork, chicken, turkey & I am thinking ham. I heard by not using any wood you lose the browning of the exterior.

Bought my Orion at Home Depot today. Best grill I’ve ever owned.

I’m curious how hot it gets in the cooking chamber? Have any of you measured that? When using this method, say without liquid(s), does the skin on poultry crisp? I have a Weber Smokey Mountain, which I love, but this sounds like a cool alternative without all the maintenance.

Orion Cooker web address.

Let me try that again
http://orioncooker.com/

I have two Orions. One at our lake house and one at home. I just bought my son one for his birthday. Get one, you will love it. I have Oklahoma Joe, gas grill, smoker and charcoal cookers but the Orion is the go-to cooker.

I saw that someone cooked a Prime Rib on an Orion. I’d love to have the recipe that you used.

Thaks

Check out recipe section from http://www.orionoutdoors.com. 2nd page there is a recipe for rib raost. Hope this helps.

I had a BBQ Restaurant in Houston Tx. for 25 yrs. Could cook 500 lbs. of brisket at a time. I would cook from 5pm till 8-9am at 200 degrees and take them off. Brisket would be tender. But were cooked for 14-15 hours. Got an Orion cooker on May 7th, 2008 and tried it out on May 10th. Meat was on the Orion and fire lit at 10:30am. I left the house, and came back at 3pm. Took lid off and was scared it wasn’t done. I was wrong. It was great. It had a light smoke color and was as tender or more so than what I used to cook on a $25,000.00 rotisserie pit. Past the test when my wife and daughter came in from shopping and gave the brisket a two thumbs up. I cooked 2 brisket (12.2 lbs. & 9.8 lbs before trimming) at the same time. I split both brisket and cut the big pieces of fat off them. I want to try cooking three at the same time. Some of the meat touched the cylinder walls, but I didn’t see where it hurt anything. Besides, when the meat shrinks there is plenty of cylinder wall clearence. I put the two fatty (top) pieces of the briskets on the bottom rack. One flat on the middle rack and one flat on the top rack. I just wish I had gone home 1 1/2 hrs. earlier so I could have put the 4 1/2lb. pork loin on, so all would have been done at the same time. Now I’ll have to cook the loin along with the 4 racks of ribs tomorrow on Mother’s Day. Chris, at Orion’s, if you read this, thanks for returning my call on Friday the 9th of May and answering my questions. I will spread the word about the Orion Cooker. Chris told me to use 13.5 lbs of Instant Light charcoal, which I never heard of, along of the weird wt. of 13.5 lbs. Five, ten, twenty lb. bags, but never 13.5 lbs. I went to Wal-mart through the garden center and there it was. Easy enough.

I just emailed the company too. I obviously did something wrong as my 5 lb whole roaster took 2.5 hrs and the skin wasn’t crispy at all. It looked like it was poached. The meat was fine tho. Just a first timer mistake i guess. I can’t wait to try ribs and roasts. Cool product.

I bought an Orion Smoker yesterday after reading about it in Popular Mechanics magazine. I did some online research and saw many good comments. Today was the test. I took it to work and cooked a 14 pound brisket. I followed the cooking directions (for the most part) that came with the Orion. After 4-1/2 hours, we checked the brisket and it was PERFECT! I work with some seasoned brisket eaters and they said that it was very good. They couldn’t believe that a brisket could be cooked in 4-1/2 hours instead of 8-10 hours. I just know that I liked it. It was very juicy and tender. The outside of the meat looked great also. I used mesquite smoking chips in the ring around the drippings pan. The only critique that I got was that I needed to use more salt in the dry rub. It was windy outside so I did have to add a little more charcoal than the one 13.5 pound bag that I started with. I have to say that I am very pleased with this unit. I can’t wait to try some ribs! It is nice to buy something that actually does what it advertises. $139 at Home Depot.

Absolutely the very best way to cook large amounts of brisket, turkey, and ribs. Does use a large amount of charcoal, however, when you taste the way the meat does, you could care less.

I have been smoking baby back ribs for a great many years and after one taste of the Orion Cooker, my wife of 34 years said these were the very best. I was embarassed but now I am cooking the Orion way. thanks for a quality product.

Bought the cooker 3 weeks ago at home depot after seeing an ad in USA today noting that if purchased before 5/31 you got a free cover. People at Home Depot said they new nothing about it and as I did not have the ad witrh me, I did not get a free cover.

I tried some andouille sausage first try – that I used in some jambalaya – done right in 20 minutes.

The following week I did 6 racks of pork back ribs (not baby back) that I bought at Costco – I used regular charcoal, via a starter and added charcoal to make about 15 lbs. The ribs were exquisite – we have a chef in the family – the next day she stated they were the best ribs she had ever had.

I cooked the ribs with some Memphis ‘Interstate BBQ’ (Neely’s) rub. After they were done (1 hr. 20 minutes) I put on a light coat of modified KC Masterpiece and put in oven on 170 deg. to keep warm until dinner. Then after about 10 minutes, put on another light coat (I don’t like wet ribs) and back in the oven for 10 minutes and then on the table. I’ve been BBQing and grilling for over 20 years and have never had ribs come out as well as they did with the Orion. Very tender, but stayed on the bone. Right now I have a turkey coking and can’t wait until it’s done.

A couple cons – my drip pan warped from the heat and one handle had to be modified to stay in place. Also, I may have put too many wood (mesquite) chips in as I has creosote running down the outside in a couple of spots and a little build up on the inside. Cleaned up pretty easily.

I had some of the leftover ribs 2 and 4 days later – they were still spectacular although I think the smoke flavor increased with time?

Great cooker/smoker.

I’ve read all comments and am convinced this will be a good purchase for my 4TH of July BBQ! Now….Hopefully, HD still has some in stock? Thanks all!

We bought ours on sale last weekend for 100.00 at Home Depot.

Did my first cook with 2 4 lb chickens. They came out ok, with two exceptions. Skin had sort of split, almost as though the chickens swelled up! And it also wasn’t crispy. Remedied by quickly cutting them up, and a quick toss on a hot grill to crisp up skin and throw a little sauce on to glaze them.

All in all very happy! Looking forward to trying a butt and brisket!

Hi all,

I am German but living in Italy (Milan). My best friend is American and he brought me one here. I have been doing BBQ (well, european style should better be called grilling) for more than 15 years now and I thought to know what I am doing. Yesterday night I had to learn the lesson that i really didnt know anything. We did a rack of ribs with some few hickory chips (you know, stylish europeans maybe do not like it.. ) and it was just sooooooooo great. Soooo tasty. Soooo tender. I was speechless. The ribs also passed the test with my wife. She is Italian and I do not have to tell you anything about the taste and quality of Italian food. She said that these were the best ribs she ever had. Tonight we will try fish (do not forget the water to create steam) and i bet it’ll be wonderful. There is no other way. I really must admit that you American guys really know how to prepare meat. I am grateful to be probably the only one in Italy in possess of a smoker and I just love it. Thanks America to have invented such a splendid thing!

My husband bought the Orion on a whim. He was looking at it for quite awhile and wasn’t sure he should purchase it since we have two huge gas grills already at home. He finally couldn’t wait anymore and bought it, on sale, at home depot. We have cooked 4 racks of ribs (they just fall off the bone), hot dogs, steak, and my all time favorite, BEER IN THE REAR CHICKEN. This was the best chicken, ever!! Can’t wait to try a turkey this Thanksgiving. On my way to see if any are left, it will make a great Christmas present.

To all that think it’s a crock, this thing is the best in the world. This weekend 8/6/08 we had a pool party and my 2 other friends brought over there Orion in a 1 1/2 hous we had 9 racks of ribs, 6 tri-tips and 30 small breast of chicken. After the chicken and ribs were done we put in corn on the cobb husk and all soaked & Salmon fillet. The best thing about all this I didn’t have to SLAVE over an open fire grill on a very HOT day in California, but I did get to enjoy my beer’s, pool & people I invited over.

Hey all you outdoor cookers…..I LOVE my ORION COOKER…..I have been trying everything to get just the right tenderness in ribs…..and this cooker does it…..I also like to take them and put them on a hot grill and carmalize the outside…..yum yum….love it….tried whole chicken…fanatastic….I am looking at doing some cornish hens….very excited about the cooker…..Alecia

When my husband came home with this, I was so skeptical – what another cooker? IT IS THE BEST! I am astounded at how good everything is, how moist and how flavorful. We are even giving one as a gift to good friends. You will not regret it.

you can buy a Rocket Roaster for 50.00 and do the same thing.

I bought my Orion cooker at Home Depot back in May of this year after hearing the radio ads about it. Since I bought it, I’ve cooked about 6 boneless pork shoulders (boston butts) and all have been incredible, but some better than others. I’ve found that my favorite recipe is to brine the pork over night in a very salty water brine, and I add about 3 cups of apple cider and a cup of brown sugar. I take it right out of the brine, throw it in the Orion with apple wood chips surrounding the drip pan, light it, and come back in 3 1/2 hours. The only complaint I have is that getting the pork out of the cooker requires thermal gloves, because the pork is very hot and falling apart.

I tried using dry rub instead of the brine, but the pork wasn’t as tender, and I really felt like the rub took away from the natural pork flavor that I love so much. I can add spices and flavor with a homemade barbeque sauce after it cooks, anyway.

I also tried using hickory wood instead of apple wood, and I really didn’t care for it. It was a very strong and intense smoke and overpowered the flavor of the meat. I strongly recommend using the apple wood chips.

To finish, I’ve had multiple people tell me that the brined, non-rubbed, pork shoulder I do in the Orion cooker with the apple wood chips was the best pork they ever had, and I have to agree. Extremely moist and amazing pork flavor with just the right amount of smoke.

I’m going to try beef brisket in my Orion for the first time tomorrow for our family’s Labor Day weekend picnic. I watch a lot of shows on the Food Network (too many) and I’ve never seen anyone soak their brisket in cider vinegar, or have any liquid or steam in the cooking area, so I’m just going to salt and pepper it very well, light it up, and come back in 4 1/2 hours. I’ll add my homemade barbeque sauce after I cut it up. I’ll report back and let everyone know how it comes out.

P.S. Dan, if you still have your Orion cooker, I could use a second one. Let me know and I’ll gladly take it off your hands.

I’ve cooked ribs, chicken & Boston Butts. All turned out great! The last BB I cooked I used pecan (about a cup or less, handful) MMMMMM From tasters that ate it they say it competes with the well seasoned folks that have been cooking for a while! It makes an automatic chef out of you!!

An Orion cooker would be a great choice. I test meat smokers for a company and tried the Orion on a whim. The quality alone is worth the price. I worked for a steel fabrication company and we figure it would have cost us about 1,400 to build the item and you can buy it 150. Shocking to us.I also talked to the originator of the Orion and found him to be of high knowledge about smoking meats.
I will tell you though that it makes about the best baked potatoes I have ever had so don’t hesitate to through extra items in there.If you do ribs they will come out about a 7 out of ten. Being that they cook so fast it does not allow the fat to break down like the slow meat smokers do. Makes a killer chicken. Leave everything in about 15-20 min longer than stated.You will see why.Fallin off the bone meat. Never,never,never take the lid off until cooking time is reached. THe convection effect will be stopped and your meal will never finish cooking.Don’t try to put in a second batch of meat. It won’t work. Even if the coals look plenty hot it just won’t work. Kope this helps
tom kucera

We just bought our Orion from Woot.com for $99.95 plus $5.95 shipping. First, we cooked 5 racks of baby back ribs for recommended time using a dry rub. They were fabulous. Today we did 40 chicken wings on the bottom rack and a whole chicken and small pork roast on the middle rack. The chicken was standing on a small rack made for a can of soda or beer.(Not included with the cooker. There is one included that is much larger). The roast was one I bought already marinated. We cooked all this for about 1hr. 40 min. All the chicken meat fell off the bones. The pork roast was very juicy. I did put some whole baking potatoes on after I took the meat off. We’ll see how they do. I hate to waste all that charcoal. It’s about $10 for the self-lighting. I think we’ll be enjoying this cooker for quite a while.

now available for $99 at buy.com with free shipping. Here’s the URL: http://www.buy.com/prod/Orion-OC-1-Stainless-Steel-Convection-Cooker/q/loc/58207/209247278.html

I purchased an Orion smoker several weeks ago and used it last weekend at one of our annual tailgates at the University of Kentucky football games. It was a smashing success. I cooked a 12.5lb. turkey on the lower rack and a 8lb. boston butt on the top rack. I used a combination of apple and hickory chips in the smoker. The meat was done in 3.5 hours and it was unbeilievably moist and tender. This gadget is the “BOMB”. I may purchase a second one!

Just bought a orion, cooked apork tenderloin for 1 hr. It was excellent. Would like a reciere and cooking time for turkey legs.

Have 2 Orion cookers, just smoked 50 lb of Boston Butt for a church function. Have never gotten so many compliments on my cooking EVER, and I know my way around a grill! Trying a turkey for the 1st time for in-laws Thanksgiving, not even worried!

Are you crazy. It is great, buy it.

Does anyone know if the Orion will perform properly in cold weather (say 10 degrees)? Living in Nebraska, cooking in the cold with any other equipment is generally not practical for the chef, but with the Orion’s minimal set-up, cooking and babysitting time, it might be possible. Thinking of trying it.

I cooked a prime rib for Thanksgiving that was to die for. I have recommended the Orion to all my friends as they have sampled the different meats I’ve cooked with it.

In response to #12 Tom. He says these are made in Smyrna, Ga. I called Orion’s toll free # and asked where they are made. The rep. from Orion told me that they are made in China. I really wanted one of these but my opinion is that if my labor isn’t good enough for them, my money isn’t either. Hopefully some other company will start making a similar product here in America.

Bought one for $99 at The Home Depot this past fall. Have used it about a dozen times. Have done flawless ribs and butts everytime. Cooked this years Thanksgiving turkey perfectly. Getting ready to do Christmas turkey in it as well. Use a brine with apple cider in it – your relatives will beg you tell them how you do it. I have two other outdoor grills but for smoking perfectly, I always turn to the Orion. Great quality, all parts are stainless. Well spent money!!!!

Poor Dan,,,, by the way,,, by is spelled buy,,, I have cooked so many ribs on the Orion and everyone wants more,,, it is great,,, just be ready to cook a second dish,, the fire is ready for more,,

I have a cooker love it so far. I have only cooked a Turkey’s in it. I am going to attempt a boned in ham for News Years Day. Does anybody have a time est on how long it should stay in the cooker how many mins per pound?

Got an Orion for Christmas from my father on an impulse buy from Woot.com for $59. Cooked a 4 lb prime rib and a 4 lb pork tenderloin simultaneously and everything was moist and done perfectly. Took about 3 hours but I was cooking in 20 degree weather in MI. Put some chicken thighs and legs in after to see how they would do. Greatest gift ever!! P.S. Saw one at Bass Pro Shop in Denver last week.

Don’t over do the hickory chips. The outside cut of the prime rib is pretty intense. I will use apple wood for ribs next weekend.

PRODUCT WEIGHT COOK TIME*
Chicken 3-4 lbs. 1 hour 10 mins
Whole Turkey 20 lbs. 2 hours 15 mins
(7 mins per pound)
Whole Turkey 15 lbs 1 hour 45 mins
(7 mins per pound)
Prime Rib 7-8 lbs 1 hour 30 mins
(12-15 mins per pound)
Beef Brisket 6-7 lbs 3 hours
Beef Brisket 13-14 lbs 4 hours 30 mins
Baby Back Ribs 6 racks 1 hour 15 mins
Baby Back Ribs 3 racks 1 hour 10 mins
Pork Roast 7 lbs. 1 hour 15 mins
Boston Butt 5 lbs. 3 hours 30 mins
Boston Butts (2) 6-7 lb Butts 4 hours 30 mins
Pork Chops 1.5″ cut 35-40 mins
Salmon Filet 2-3 lbs. 30 mins
Chicken Wings 20 wings 45 mins
Chicken Wings 40 wings 1 hour

* Cooking times are approximate
Love this cooker. Best ribs, turkey, roasts you can cook. Cooks very quickly and the meat is always moist.

I’m sold.Going to buy one tomorrow.

Had one about a year. Does a really good job on the poultry, ribs. I switch between the weber and this. I like it alot, I wish it was wider, but no big deal.

Home depot in Boston. Bought this cooker last night for $25.oo They had about 10, must be discontinued or making room for the new grill models. Super deal. 4.20.09

Adam, any chance that you would pick another one up at that price and ship it to me. I’ve been trying to get one for quite awhile but I can’t seem to make it happen near me.

Guess I should have left my email shaggy@shaggydogsmarinade.com

I guess if anyone has one for sale near them please let me know as well. No one around here carries them.

Thanks
Chris

I’ve used the Orion to cook hundreds of pounds of meat in the last two years plus. My favorite is pork shoulder with bone in at 99 cent per pound. I get two 8 pounders and slather in cheapo mustard and apply my PoeBoy rub, no other prep needed. I fill the water pan half way with apple juice and use Pecan chips packed around the pan. About 4 and a half hours later the shoulder bone is falling out as well as the meat falling apart. Here’s a hint I’ve shared on the Orion website. Use regular cheapo charcoal, fill up ring about 2/3 full and light chimmy full charcoal and pour on top when fully lit.This starts the other coals just fine, once going good pour more coal on if needed not lit. This will save you lots of cash over that Matchlite junk. Oh Yea six slabs of ribs in under 2 hours and then 10 minutes each side on the grill for a finish .

Yes, 15lbs of charcoal is a lot. My Orion is on a cement slab, so I dump the coals on the slab and shovel them into my Weber. Put the Weber lid on and seal it up. This puts out the coals for another day. Also, as someone else mentioned, I use to chimney starters and regular charcoal…non-self starting.
Great results with the Orion.

You can buy your Orion at your local Ace Hardware. Had never heard of or seen this cooker until I was at the grand opening of Hagan Ace Hardware in Florida.Bought one on a whim and absoulutly love it. I take mine camping, cook at home, and even take it to the beach.The only two grills I own are the Orion and a $1200.00 Treager (wood pellet cooker) love them both.

Ok, here’s my story:

Bought the Orion November 2008 during a Woot Off at Woot.com. Final got curious as to what I had purchased and broke it in a couple of weeks ago with 15 lbs of pork shoulder.

Absolutely amazing. A hit with everyone, even those who are not “smoke” fans.

Today being Memorial Day, I decided to experiment with 6 tri-tip that total 13 lbs. I did not find very much advice or commentary on tri-tip per se so I

3rd time trying to post…keep getting kicked out!

13 lbs tri-tip for 1 hr 30 minutes…6 roasts total. I will find out in an hour if my time was right.

Please post any tips!

grazie

This is my 2nd. post, I love this Orion and have never had a bad turnout! I have used it about 8 times with various meats and always excellent and always get good feedback from the guests. The only drag is the clean-up the next day. I use oven cleaner and blast the in and outside and let sit for about 20.00 mins.
Then hose it down and sometime needs a second spray with the ov cleaner but I like it to sparkle for the next smoke…Oh well it’s worth it! Happy smoking!

for the person who commented right before me.
Do not clean the inside!! Clean the outside all you like but leave the “seasoning” on the inside. I’ve had mine for 3 yrs. and haven’t cleaned it yet on the inside. You wash the racks, hangers, and drip pan in your dishwasher but that’s it. Kinda like a cast iron skillet…its seasoned.

I used the orion cooker for the first time last night. Cooked a 5 lb roaster chicken.. The kids and wife both thought it was the best the had ever tasted.

I’ve been looking at the orion for about a year at home depot, wondering if I should purchase one. Was there today and they were selling for $34.01 , down from $139.00. Snatched it up! Excited about all your reviews.

I just found one at Home Depot for $34 as well. (I guess I’m not the only one who got a deal) I didn’t know anything about it, but for that price I figured I couldn’t go wrong. I can’t wait to get started with mine this weekend after reading all the great comments.

Thanks for all the tips

I work at Home Depot near Palm Springs, CA. Have a propane grill that I have been using but wanted to have some sort of charcoal cooker. We had three of these cookers left and they were slow movers so they lowered the price to $34 to clear them out. After I bought mine, I talked to other customers and got them to see the value, the other two sold in about an hour. Today is day one that I am going to be using it. I have 4 racks of pork ribs that I am going to do and I am going to try it without using matchlite charcoal, at nearly $15 a bag, too pricey for me. Bought a chimney starter and HD had charcoal on sale two bags for only $9.78. Saw from some other comments that some have tried this and no real problems. I’ll let you know after I cook today.

Did it tonight. Came out pretty good. I think that I may have put in too much charcoal. I know that I used too much rub. But the ribs came out cooked to perfection. Didn’t use Matchlite, bought a chimney starter and used it. Put charcoal in the bottom and the top, poured more in the chimney to start and after it was going, put it on top of the coals that I already had there. Used the same cook time and it was perfect.
This is not a cooker that you would use on a daily basis for one or two people. But got a crowd coming over and you need to cook for them, PERFECT. Load it up, get it started and come back when the cook time is done. No basting, no turning, no checking.
I know that I will be using it many more times.

do you have any idea where i can get the orion cooker . those are the greats cooker in the world . what stores carries them are what company carries them . please email me back and let me know where to get one . thank you very much.

Back again with another report. I have always wanted to smoke various foods but never seemed to have the intiative to spend 4, 6, 8 hours tending to a typical smoker to get good results. Too much work, I have to say. But I smoked a 5lb chicken the other day. 0ne hour and twenty minutes. I had it in the kitchen after removing it from the cooker and I almost was not able to get any onto a plate, friends were standing over me like vultures helping me pick the carcass clean. Used apple chips, rubbed the bird with olive oil, used off the shelf Monteray chicken seasoning and it was delicious. And unlike normal grilling, the flavor of the smoke was all the way through the meat, not just on the surface. I am looking forward to a long and happy relationship with my Orion Cooker. Next up will be a brisket and finish off with some Johnsonville brats to use up more of the coals.

I have an Orion. I was introduced to it by a SNL in Lake Charles, Louisiana who cooked one of the best tutkeys I had ever eaten, flavorful juicy lighly smoked. He said it could cook ribs too. I bought one when I got home from our visit. I cook rib mammy now. I don’t believe there are ribs anywhere that are better cooked, juicier, or more tender than the Orion can put forth. This happens in and hour and 15 mintes folk with about $5 worth of charcoal. Prep the meat, hang the ribs, light the fire, one hour later (OK hour and 15 minute)after you’ve been INSIDE drinking with your friends, the ribs are done to perfection and they might think you slaved over teh pit for hours. All you did was light match and have a few drinks. Orion is King..trust me. Buy one and see if you can find one. I’m putting mine under lock and key and webcam.

Back for another comment. My suggestion, if you have the opportunity to buy an Orion Cooker, get it no matter the price, you won’t be sorry.

I got mine from the Home Depot where I work on sale for $34.01. Home Depot is not carrying them anymore, not sure why.

Today, my son is bringing his family over to do a chicken and ribs in the cooker. We’ll do them at the same time. I’ve done both seperately, this will be the first time together. Both meats tasted wonderful and were done in an hour and 20 minutes.

I use regular charcoal, use a barrel charcoal starter made by Weber. Fill the starter and pour some in the Orion. When the coals are well started, I por over those and use the same time. Works great. Hint, makes sure you have shoes on, last time I was bare foot and a hot coal feel out of the starter that I promptly stepped on and brunt the heck out of my foot. LOL

Clean up is great, just do the outside, leave the inside seasoned. The stainless is showing signs of heat on the charcoal circle but that just shows that it is used.

Football season is coming and we have fellow Steelers fans over here in the desert to watch the games so I am sure it will get a lot more work.

Bought my orion last week, brought it to work for a facilities potluck lunch, two other people brought there orion cookers, in one we cooked a 20lb turkey. in the second orion two 5lb briskets,in the third orion six slabs of baby back ribs, every thing was cooked with in 3 hours to prefection.
cooked three slabs for my son he over the week end, needless to say he had one and a half slabs and loved every last bite, This is the best cooker I have ever owned….