Ha, sales guys and their toys. My husband did the same math on his grill and somehow the burgers cost more than the steakhouse now. The machine never pays for itself, it just makes you feel fancy while you do it.

And honestly the flathead on those things never fits anything anyway.

My uncle ran a little cinder block pit off Highway 61 for years and he kept a coffee can of water with a rag stuck in it, just wiped the meat down when it looked dry. Everybody swears by apple juice and cider vinegar but water does not leave any sticky stuff behind and the smoke sticks better in my experience. I switched to plain water two summers ago and my ribs quit coming out dark and bitter.