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FreeSmoker Matchmaker
Find the smoker style that fits your patio, schedule, budget, and patience before you buy the wrong pit.
Find My StyleFork & Embers Pit Tools
Better barbecue starts before the fire.
Pit Tools helps backyard cooks make the decisions that usually get guessed at: what smoker to buy, how much meat to pick up, and when to get the cook moving.
Built by Fork & Embers for real backyard cooks. Free to use, no account required.
Tools
Pick the right pit. Plan the next cook.
Live now
FreePit Planner
Figure out what to buy, when to start, and how to keep the cook on track without buying too much or coming up short.
Build My Cook PlanComing soon
Member toolPit Log
A cook journal for the pit: temps, timing, notes, results, and the stuff your brain forgets between briskets.
Coming soonYour feedback welcome
Help shape thisTell me what's broken — or what you'd love next
You're welcome to report bugs and share feature ideas — I read every submission and use them to decide what to fix and build next.
Share bugs & feature ideasWhy I built Pit Tools
Stop guessing before the fire starts.
Fork & Embers started with recipes, stories, and videos. But the same questions kept showing up: What smoker should I buy? How much meat do I need? When should I start? What changes when I'm cooking ribs instead of pork butt?
Pit Tools is my answer to that. It's one guy building practical tools for backyard cooks who want less guesswork before the cook starts. Start with Smoker Matchmaker if you're picking a pit, then use Pit Planner to figure out what to buy, when to start, and how to keep the cook on track. Both are free to use.
Smoker Matchmaker
Answer questions about your patio, schedule, and what you want to cook. Get three smoker style recommendations, offset, pellet, bullet, kamado, and more, without brand noise. No account required.
Pit Planner
Plan a cookout from guest count or enter exactly what you are buying. Prep checklist, cook timeline, load timing, and hold planning, with warnings when the menu outruns your smoker or your clock.
Pit Log
Track what you ran, what you learned, and what you would do differently next time. Built for cooks who repeat the same menu and want it to get better, not just luckier.
Try Smoker Matchmaker if you are still deciding what kind of pit belongs in your backyard. Open Pit Planner when you are ready to plan the cook itself.