Gateway Drum Smoker Straight Up 55G vs Gateway Drum Smoker Straight Up 30G
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Quick take: The Gateway Drum Smoker Straight Up 30G costs $400 less; the Gateway Drum Smoker Straight Up 55G offers more cooking space (22 vs 18 sq in).
| Spec | Gateway Drum Smoker Straight Up 55G | Gateway Drum Smoker Straight Up 30G |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$1,299 | ~$899 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Charcoal Smoker | Charcoal Smoker |
| Cooking Area | 22 in grate, 3 cooking levels | 18 in grate, 2 cooking levels |
| Max Temp | 500°F | 500°F |
| Fuel Type | Charcoal | Charcoal |
| Build Material | Powder-Coated Steel | Powder-Coated Steel |
| Hopper Capacity | — | — |
| Burners | — | — |
| WiFi / App | No | No |
| App control | No | No |
| Meat probe | No | No |
| PID controller | No | No |
| Side burner | No | No |
| Rotisserie | No | No |
| Searing | No | No |
| Dimensions | 33 x 35 x 48 in (shipping pallet) | 33 x 35 x 41 in (shipping pallet) |
| Weight | 130 lbs (shipping) | 100 lbs (shipping) |
| Warranty | 1 year | 1 year |
Pros & cons
Gateway Drum Smoker Straight Up 55G
- ✓Two welded intake pipes plus an adjustable stack give genuine temperature control, which the sealed-drum designs deliberately do not
- ✓Three grate heights let you run hot-and-fast chicken close to the fire or brisket high in the barrel
- ✓Coating is rated to 1000°F, so it survives the hot spot around the intakes that burns paint off cheaper drums
- ✓High-capacity removable fire basket means long cooks without opening the drum to refuel
- ✓Arrives fully assembled on a pallet with the caster kit fitted - no build, no missing hardware
- ✓The 30-gallon version at $899 shares the whole design if you want the same cooker in a smaller footprint
- ✗$1,299 is triple the price of a Pit Barrel Classic that cooks by the same hanging method
- ✗Only nine reviews on Gateway's own store, so there is little independent data on long-term finish durability
- ✗130 lbs shipping weight and pallet-only delivery - no curbside handoff, and returns are expensive
- ✗No insulation, so cold-weather cooks burn through noticeably more charcoal
- ✗Nothing electronic: no probe ports, no fan port, no controller, and no thermometer beyond the one lid dial
Gateway Drum Smoker Straight Up 30G
- ✓Identical air-control hardware to the 55G - two welded adjustable intakes and an adjustable exhaust
- ✓18-inch grate on two levels is still enough for four or five racks of ribs, which covers most backyard cooks
- ✓Smaller drum comes up to temperature faster and uses less charcoal on short cooks than the 55
- ✓Same 1000°F-rated finish, welded handles and removable fire basket as the flagship
- ✓Ships fully assembled on a pallet with the caster kit
- ✗$899 for a 30-gallon drum is a hard sell against a $459 Pit Barrel Classic of similar capacity
- ✗Two grate levels instead of three, which limits how much you can stage a mixed cook
- ✗Gateway's own page flags roughly 5-7 hours per fuel load, so an overnight brisket means a refuel
- ✗Only one review on the maker's store for this size