Barbecue meets its match in new smoker by Kingfisher Kookers
Barbecue has met its match in a $46,000 custom-made smoker by Kingfisher Kookers says Saul Moyeda.
 Kingfisher Kookers built the trailer for a cattle rancher in Washington state who previously bought a smoker that he decided was too small. He wanted something bigger for cookouts for his friends, so the design was solidified by e-mail. Work on the 8.5-foot-wide, 25-foot-long smoker is almost done, said Saul Moyeda, a partner in Kingfisher Kookers.
This is the biggest thing we’ve ever built, by far.
The trailer-mounted smoker features a six-tray double wall, insulated commercial rotisserie smoker; 6-foot gas grill/smoker; 6-foot whole hog cooker and 4-foot charcoal that are connected by a common fire box so they can also become pit smokers; two double fish fryers; two three foot warming ovens; two 12-inch side burners and a quad stainless steel sink system with hot water. A stainless steel frame covers the top of the entire unit with gull wing doors.
 The economic downturn has affected his business just as it has everyone else’s, but barbecuing is becoming more popular for both businesses and individuals. He estimates his company produces 2,500 cookers a year, and he has shipped to every state except Hawaii.
Kingfisher Kookers sells standard products and has 12 dealers around the nation. But custom-made smokers are increasingly popular with banks, oil-field service companies and other businesses, he said.
“We design them with their company name on the side and their Web site and phone number,” Moyeda said. “It’s a great marketing tool for companies to go out and cook for their clients. Even dragging it up and down the highway, they get good exposure from it.”
Beyond his corporation customer base, Moyeda said Kingfisher Kookers serves several other industries, including competitive barbecuers, caterers, small barbecue restaurants and the backyard chef. The competitive barbecue industry is an especially good resource for tips on how to perfect the smokers every year, he said.
Kingfisher Kookers started in 1938 as Klingsicks Machine Shop. The first charcoal grill was developed in 1939, and by the mid-1980s, the business had completely shifted to smokers. |
