Hello Ed,

It has been 7 days since we received our smoker and I have done nothing but smoke meat everyday since. this is the best smoker that we have ever used, we first introduced the smoker to our families by haveing a memorial day cook out for about 40 freinds and family. the smoker handled that cook out with ease. no one there could believe that after lighting the cooker that it would be ready to smoke anything that we could put in it in 15 minutes, yes i said 15 minutes and the tempature was at 225 and stayed with very minnimal effort. our 8 x 30 smoker with warmer box/ smoker is the talk of the town. we have shown our smoker to other q-ers from this area and they all love it. but it is not all about the looks Ed has built one of the most user freindly smokers that we have ever used, and talk about the meat that comes off of this smoker is second to none it has improved every thing that we smoke by far. we can not beleive the quality of the meat that the smoker produces. any way kudos to you Ed one awsome meat smokeing machine. by spring we are looking to buy the 10x30 with every thing that can possibley be added to one of those wonderful smokers.

thank you
from your freinds at
BIG DADDY BBQ
Derek Keith
Chris Weaver

When you get a chance check out our web site www.alpharettabbq.com
--
Thank You,
Doug

The Oconee County Sheriff's Office is proud of our smoker. We use it regularly to cook for retirement parties and other major events. Sometimes there just isn't reason at all other than we just want to get together in a social setting and relax. The smoker does a wonderful job, and we can easily turn out enough food to feed all 92 members of the organization as well as family and friends that want to join in as well.

Check us out on the web at http://www.oconeesheriff.org

Ed,

Thanks for the great job you did on our grill.  We have now had our 7x24 for 8 months and we have cooked every week without fail on it.  We are now doing catering jobs that we could have never done before and entering our first KCBS competition next year with it.  The grill is easy to control, built well, and creates a lot of attention every time we fire it up where we cook every weekend in Saraland, AL at Strickland's Meat House.  The trailer pulls like a dream even though you would think it would pull to one side with all the weight on one side.  Not sure how you did that, but it is a great trailer as well.  With the torch we got from you we have it smoking in 2-3 minutes and is ready to put meat on in a matter of minutes.  The picture I have attached are of Mike Strickland (co-owner of the grill), myself and our mascot for the Two Smokin' Pigs..."Smokin".  He travels with us but seems to complain a bit on hot south Alabama summer days.

Thanks,
Neal Price
First Federal Mortgage
Office: (251) 344-5626
Toll Free: (800) 368-5987
Cell: (251) 604-8715
Fax: (251) 344-5606
nprice@1stfed.com
http://www.1stfedmortgage.com/officers/nprice.php

Dear Ed,

I thought I'd send along a few pictures from my first attempt at cooking on my new smoker. It was AWESOME. I made brisket and St. Louis ribs and everyone that had it couldn't believe how good the food was. It was so easy getting started and bringing the smoker up to temperature. The hardest part about the smoker was moving the 900 lb beast from my driveway to my back patio. To say this smoker is well made is an understatement. And don't even get me started about your rubs. I appreciate how well you made my smoker, and how kind you've been with the extras you threw in and your time making sure I knew what I was doing before starting. I look forward to years and years of great food on your kick ass smoker.

Thanks again Ed.

S.G., Jr.
Randolph, MA 02368

Ed,

It has only taken me 11 months now to sit down and write this testimony about Cookers and Grills and our cooker that we bought from you, but then again isn't all we do about "Low and SLOW"? We purchased the 2007 special edition 8 foot by 31" cooker with oven and Stainless steel grates throughout. We trailed this beauty almost 1700 miles back to Pueblo, CO., and opened GG's BBQ on Dec 14th 2007. GG's stands for Gus's Gourmet Barbecue. Our menu consists of Beef Brisket, Pulled Pork, and Baby back Ribs. We also do specialty meats by order only. Chicken wings,turkeys, sausage, and Prime rib roasts!

After cooking on a home made cooker purchased at a garage sale, and constantly adjusting, modifying wood and charcoal to gain constant tempature, and being so small to cook for even large family events, my Wife, Son and I decided to open a small catering and BBQ shop in Pueblo. The only thing lacking was a bigger cooker for the job.Boy did we ever find the right tool for the job. The instruction manual for this cooker could be printed on gum wrapper in LARGE Bold PRINT. This cooker is a dream come true, with its simplicity coupled with it's craftsmanship and a real workhorse to cook on.

We had to get all our licenses and inspections to open GG's but the cooker with Stainless steel shelves posed no problem. We were asked numerous times if we were cooking with propane and much to their surprise it was only wood that was producing the clean exhaust exiting the stack.This thing burns so clean and constant temps throughout. This cooker is an amazing product.

Thank you Ed and Mary for your hospitality and sharing some of your secrets with us and most of all your Gift of craftsmanship and manufacturing a fine product and the way you share your experiences with the customer. After meeting you and Mary you would think that we were acquainted for years!

Anyone interested in contacting us at GG's about this product and our incredible experience don't hesitate in calling!

Thanks again,

Lonnie, Rosalie, and Carl Elley
719-252-4545
pitdoctor@earthlink.net

Hope all is well. Finally getting around to sending the new “mounted” smoker pit pics. Looks pretty good don’t you think! The smoker still burns as evenly as it did on the trailer. As you know, the only placed I really trailered it to was the car wash. So, I bought a pressure washer and built a nice stone base in the backyard at the new house. People think it looks great and the BBQ is even better than the looks of the smoker.

You build a great product Ed. And you know, the mail reason I purchased this unit from you is that it truly burns at even temperatures based on your great design. Congratulations on the new building and I’m sure we’ll be chatting in the not too distant future.

Oh and bye the way, the gentleman in the pic is the one that built the base for the smoker (I’ll have to send you a pic with me with the smoker come this spring).

Take care,

Jeff Hayes
Lenexa, Kansas

P.S. Your rib rub is excellant!



Sincerely,

Jimmy and Janice Harris
Jimmy's Real Pit BBQ
678-898-5272

Hey Ed... I just wanted to thank you for a really incredible smoker. This smoker really turns heads when I pull it down the road. The first time I used it in my front yard.. it created a traffic jam with people stopping and asking questions etc.  I am just a rookie when it comes to smoking but with your advice I am making absolutely DELICIOUS  pulled pork and smoked chicken as well. I want to thank you for all your help and advice that you have given me on using this smoker. And to all the people out there who are considering buying a smoker: ... I looked at  every smoker  currently on the market and money was really not an issue.. but I  finally decided to purchase from Ed.

His smoker is second to none and what seperates Ed from the competition is  his after purchase support . Ed is so unselfish with his time and  his continued support and advice have been invaluable to me. This is something money just cant buy. Thanks again Ed and if anyone is considering buying a smoker and wants to talk to a previous customer feel free to have them contact me.

Jeff Brackins  
321  Pistol Club road
Easley,S.C. 29640

Ed,

I just wanted to let you know how pleased we are with the smoker you built. Quality workmanship,the attention to detail,and being completed before the date you had promised is almost unheard of in todays world!  I appreciated very much, the update photos you sent, showing the progress during the construction.  My very first meal was a 6 lb butt that I cooked for pulled pork. That day,the temperature was in the low teens outside,with a stiff, brutally cold wind. The wind chill was well below zero. The pictures shows what the smoker looked like before I fired it up. The pork came out fantatic and the smoker is so easy to maintain the desired temperature,even in very harsh conditions.  My second cook was a pair of meatloaves, just so I could gain a little more experience. They turned out so well, the wife decided right then and there that she would surrender the task of cooking the main course, to me.  Yesterday I cooked a brisket. When it was finished, I threw a couple of porterhouse steaks on the grill,just below the griddle. They were simply incredible!!  I think the grill/griddle combo is my favorite part of the smoker now!!   Thank you so very much for the great job you did on this smoker/cooker. Please feel free to give my number to anyone that is considering one of your smokers.

From a very happy customer.
Jim Branch
Mansfield Ohio
419 747 7946

Eddie,

I know I'm slow to give you an update on the smoker.  It's great.  I have cooked several whole hogs, numerous chicken halves and tons of ribs.  It is truly unbelievable the consistency of performance of your grill.  I am able to maintain temperature and cooking rates at any desired level.  Everyone who sees the smoker is impressed but when they see and taste the results they are awed.  You have made a lot of people at Lake Oconee and Reynolds Plantation very happy, stuffed and begging for more.  I'll be getting you to build a small one for my pool terrace soon.

Thanks,

Harold Reynolds

Eddie, just a note to let you know how fantastic your cooker is. I spent the winter working up recipes and have been busy all summer. Every weekend I have some sort of BBQ going, from weddings to private house parties. Just did an weekend BBQ for the Beale AFB Airfest performers and they all raved about the food, even Chuck Yeager! Please feel free to have any prospective buyers give me a call on my cell phone (530) 301-1144 or visit my web page at www.badabingbbq.com . Thanks again for a great hobby and money maker,

Dick Panzica
www.badabingbbq.com
Bada Bing Mobile BBQ
Penn Valley, CA 95946
(530) 432-1213

Deanna and Kevin Bodenheimer
dba. Tarheel Catering
Statesville, NC 28625
(704)902-2039
Email: Tarheelcatering@aol.com1

Dear Ed, We would like to write and tell you how much we love our new cooker that we bought from you six months ago. It cooks great! In our business, quality separates the winners from the losers. We have attracted more business since we started cooking on your grill due to the quality of the BBQ that we are now preparing. It's amazing how the word of mouth can carry so quickly! We now have people calling to find out when and where we are going to be next. Our pulled pork is among the best in Iredell County where we live and the ribs are incomparable to anyone else. I believe the phrase, "Lip Smackin', Finger Lickin", would describe them pretty easily. We also get lots of compliments on the appearance of our cooker, who we nicknamed "Smokey". You have really perfected your grill design. We will probably contact you in the near future for a larger grill. We can get 135 halves on our grill but are now contracting parties of 500 and more. Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions and give us the product support that is so hard to find these days.

Sincerely yours,

Deanna & Kevin Bodenheimer

Ed,

I just wanted to send a quick note and a couple of photos to say Thank You!
You build an amazing smoker.  I have been anxiously awaiting its arrival
since I placed the order a few weeks ago.  As you know it arrived last
Thursday evening.  I must say it looked better than I expected.  I had to
wait till Sunday to fire it up.  I filled the fire box with wood and with in
minutes I had it lit thanks to my gas log lighter.  We tried a few racks of
baby back ribs tonight, we used the rub recipe you sent and I will say they
are the best I have ever tasted.  You make a quality machine and I would
recommend you to anyone.  I will definitely give you a call when I need a
second one.

Thanks,
Robert Rincones
Albuquerque, New Mexico

LJ's Branding Iron Bar-b-que
102 Calle de San Miguel
Socorro, NM 87801

505-835-FOOD (3663)

Ed, Just wanted you to know smoker was delivered on time. We had 300 people to feed the next weekend and on the same night I was cookin for the catering party the gear reducer went out on my restaurant smoker. Thank you that I had your smoker because I cooked enough pork butts, brisket, ribs and chicken too feed the catering party and restaurant. Smoker cooked with ease got hot, stayed hot flavor is great. When I first saw the smoker I said this baby looks good but can it cook, it sure can. Thank you very much.

Larry, Hillbilly bar bq, New Orleans.

What's up Ed

I just thought I'd drop you a line or two. I just want to thank you for everything. Meeting me and dropping off the pit in South Carolina saved me a lot of money in taxes. You are definitely a man of your word. I'm originally from Los Angeles and I thought that I had tasted the best bar-b-que there was to be made. But as soon as I tasted the ribs and chicken from my new smoker, I knew that these ribs were the best ribs that I had ever tasted. You built me a gold mine. The flavor can't be beat. Taking the time to show me how to use this fabulous smoker really meant a lot. You customized my pit just the way I ordered. From the dual fish fryers to the extra deep fajita grille. And most of all my 10' x 30" smoker. My entire Rig is a work of art. I'm starting a bar-b-que business and this grille is going to be the heart and soul of my new restaurant. Thanks again!

Gary Stephens
WESTCOAST BBQ & GRILLE
Allentown PA 610-703-5306

To the future customers of Ed Ortone,

The first thing that should be said above all, is the quality of the end product that my smoker produces is second to none.  I could speak of the outstanding design, the strength and superior quality of the materials used to construct it, or the ease of use.  I could also rave about looks, honks, waves and thumbs up that I get when pulling it down the road.  It practically sells the BBQ for you.  Back to the meat.  Because of the design, the smoke surrounds the meat on all sides, resulting in even cooking from every direction.  The amount of time that this saves in tending was just an added bonus.  A second bonus was, because of the even heat and smoke distribution there is constant temperature throughout the smoke chamber, no hot spots.  I opted for the warmer box on top of the firebox and that would have been worth the addition at twice the price.  Did I mention the meat?  If you desire to serve your guests the best smoked rib, beef, pork shoulder or chicken, you need look no further.  So let's recap: excellent construction and design, saves me time, gets prospective customers starting conversations with me and a mouth watering product that people just rave to me about.  I know that this might sound over the top, but it's not.  When you get home and try your new smoker out and are floored by the results, you will say….”You know, John was right...”   One more thing of note, Ed is a man of his word.  He delivered 100% and beyond.  You can buy from him with confidence.

If you're in or around the Northern Virginia , DC area, give me a ring.  I'll be glad to talk to you

John F. Singletary
Owner
Junction BBQ
www.junctionbbq.com
john@junctionbbq.com
703-499-3461

Eddie,

I want to thank you for building this great smoker for me. With me being from Texas where BBQ is King, I thought I would have to go home to buy a Great Pit, but then I saw you pits in Watkinsville. For the value, your pit is the best deal going this side of Texas!!

Earl Schoepf

Ed

I would like to thank you and congratulate you on the design of your cookers. As you know, this makes the 3rd one I have purchased from you since 2001. When I got the 1st one, I think I ordered about the smallest one you made. Well, after using it a couple of times I realized the mistake I made (The darn thing was to small). You have to understand I had never used one before this purchase and it only took a couple of times for me to know (HEY I CAN DO THIS). So, I traded up to a 10' smoker with a 4' wide trailer and started to use it as a marketing tool for my Company (Medical Innovations). Medical Innovations is a medical supply Distribution company located in Calhoun, GA and Raleigh N.C. we sell to nursing homes across the southeastern U.S. We use the smoker to cook for the Nursing Home staff for a day. We have fed as many as 200 people at a time and I have pulled it as far as the VA ling from Calhoun GA 13 hours one way. At 1st we gave away 2 cookouts per convention and had great turnouts at our booth to register, so as you could guess it really caught on and now we do at least 4 cookouts per month around the southeast and I have become the (Master Smoker) at our company. After 4 years of use, it became time to upgrade again so now I have made you happy and am the proud owner of my 3rd cookers and grills smoker. If this continues, I am going to retire from Medical Sales, start a catering company and count my money all the way to the bank.

Thanks for the GREAT product.
Have Smoker will Travel

Michael Wofford
Chairman and CEO
Medical Innovations
Calhoun GA.
706-625-5231

Hey Ed,

Just a few lines from David and Carol Fricks. Just wanted to let you know how much we are enjoying our new cooker. We have used ever weekend since we have had it. It is the conversation piece at every festival we go to. It has made my cooking work a lot easier. We are soon goin to be full time festival cookers, so we hope to enjoy our cooker for many fetivals to come. Good job on building and designing our cooker to meet our needs. I'm more and more pleased with my cooker every time I use it.

David and Carol Fricks

Bigun's BBQ & Café
Rayle, Georgia

Hey Ed,
Thought I would write and tell you just how the cooker I bought from you is doing. Well, it's the best darn cooker or should I say smoker I have ever cooked on. The reverse flow system really takes a lot of labor out of the cooking process and allows the smoke flavor to really set in the meat.

I bought your smoker to open my first restaurant in a small town east of Athens, Georgia on Hiway 78 called Rayle, GA. Yes, we're out in the country but the way the smoker and the special rubs I season the meat – just word of mouth has brought us a lot of new customers that come back for more!

We are now selling a lot of meat to travelers that ride by and turn around when the smell the smoker cooking. They will eat a meal and leave with a sack full of meats. (BBQ Pork – Beef Brisket & Ribs)

Now you know the 10 x 30 smoker with the warmer on the trailer has turned into our catering smoker. That's why we recently ordered a larger smoker from you, so we don't have to turn down large catering jobs.

So thanks again, Ed for all the advice and great smoker you built for us at Bigun's Bar B Q & Café. And we look forward to our new smoker soon.

Thanks,

Bigun (Mike Howard)
Lynda Howard
Matt Bouman

Dear Ed,

When the men of my church pulled our new grill into our parking lot with a crowd of admirers, the grill was a definite “wow”!

I'd like to express my most sincere appreciation for your excellent work producing such a fine multi-purpose cook station! Quality workmanship and attention to detail produced a grill that will be functional, safe, and used for years to come. Many thanks to you for a job well-done and consider our endorsement of your products! Thanks again!

Sincerely,

Roland Yarborough
Pastor
Lifepoint Ministries

Back in September, the National Barbecue News Cooking Crew had the opportunity to try out one of our loyal advertiser's limited edition smokers. The cooker was built by Ed Ortone, who owns Cookers and Grills in Watkinsville, Ga. Ed invited the National Barbecue News Cooking Crew to take one of his “babies” out for a special catering event we were providing for a local radio station. We knew Ed can turn out an awesome ribs from the samples he gave us in Atlanta back in March at the NBBQA Expo. The only question was if we could repeat his success with our recipes and techniques.

After looking over the pit and all of its features, we knew we would be able to turn out a great product with this cooker. The design on Ed's cookers really ensure even heat distribution throughout the entire cooking surface with no hot or cold spots. Ed uses a reverse flow system to accomplish this goal. The 3/8-inch thick steel also helps keep any outside elements, such as wind or cold, from effecting the inside temperature of the pit.

We found the attention to detail really helps this cooker stand out in a huge field of cookers. When we were in full cooking mode, the only smoke which escaped the pit was through the exhaust or through the opened the door. We couldn't find any leaks on this cooker!

Another really useful feature is the box Ed has put upright over the fire box. This box can be used to cook with, or with just a slide of a rod, the smoke gets cut off and this part becomes a warming box for the already finished product. We actually cooked chicken in the vertical box while cooking ribs and butts on the main compartments of the cooker. We had enough room to cook for about 40 people if we needed to, but since we only had to feed 25 that night, we had plenty of room for ribs, chicken, butts, and brisket.

Ed has really done his homework when it comes to cleaning up his units. He places drains in all of the correct places for a simple and complete clean up after cooking. This particular model has stainless steel racks, all of which were the same size which keep us form mixing up rack positions. Ed told us to spray the racks with a non-stick cooking spray ahead of time, and the grease and grim will just simply spray off when finished. He was right, only a touch of pressure was needed to clean every grate to its original state after our cooking was complete.

Ed Ortone continues to set the quality standard with his clean design and attention to detail.

This pit really did the job for us and looked sharp while doing it. The paint is first class and is really put on thick. It will be a long time before any rust starts showing on this “baby.”

Ed told us this is a limited edition which we were using, but he also went on to say, “Every cooker I build is unique because I build it to the customers specs.”

The National Barbecue News Cooking Crew

Hey Eddie!
I am just dropping you a note to let you know that you delivered what you promised and more. I live in the Seattle area and I was a little nervous purchasing the smoker "sight unseen". You kept me "in the loop" every step of the way with pictures and phone calls which made the purchase of the smoker easy.

My catering business is now off the ground and the smoker is the CENTERPIECE of all my events.  It is a real attention getter. Cooking with the smoker has been wonderful.   I use alderwood, maple and applewood to cook everything from Pork Shoulder, Ribs, Chicken, Turkey Legs, Salmon and even Prime Rib!  Once the smoker is up to "temp"  I tend the fire by adding a few logs an hour and the smoker just cruises along with very little fluctuation in temperature, even in the RAIN!

I was looking for a "Kick-Butt Rig".....you promised it would be ......and you delivered! Thanks for your continued support (even 7 months after my purchase).

Todd Spadafore
Spady's Smokehouse
Barbeque & Grill
Poulsbo, WA.

Dear Ed,

I have had my pit for about 4 months. I have cooked ribs, shoulders, chickens and whole pigs on it, and the pit is nothing short of magical. The aroma of this pit has changed the whole attitude of this little New Jersey neighborhood. The pit has made me the envy of my friends and neighbors.

The quality of construction and the simplicity of design work together to make the process of barbequing a much easier thing to do well. Temperature control is not a problem. Wood consumption is what you would expect in a larger pit. The Reverse-Flow design imparts smoke flavor and puts the soot out the stack. It just doesn't get any better than that.

As one of your customers told me before I bought a rig from you, you can spend more on a rig, but you can't buy a better rig. Thanks for everything!

Bill Garner
The Memphis Barbeque Company
South Plainfield, New Jersey
(908) 397-3936

Dear Ed,
Just wanted to drop you a line and tell you how much we have enjoyed the smoker that we bought from you.  We have used it for the past year in our catering/concession business, and you were right...I have NEVER cooked on anything like your smoker.  We cook the butts as you recommended, and when we pull them off, the bone pulls right out and the meat is very tender and easily pulled.  The flavor of the meat is amazing!  I would recommend one of your smokers to anyone that wants truly smoked meat.  Thanks for making such a great product!

Frank and Debra Lamon Franks
Real Pit BBQ
(706) 654-3454
E-mail:  FranksBBQue@yahoo.com

Ed,

After attending my first BBQ convention in Atlanta to purchase my first smoker, I am so happy I made the choice of purchasing your's.

I made the decision based on a couple of things.
1. You had the best food of the bunch, even though your prices for the smoker were no where as expensive as the competition.
2. You were unselfish with your time in explaining everything to me, and being new to this it was greatly appriciated!
3. Spending that time and showing your love for this business assured me that I was making the right choice in whom to deal with and you certainly came through with a great smoker, personal service, and have been there with every question I have had.
Thank you for everything!

Gary
Cleveland