I bought one last time they were on Woot. So far so good. Does the job. I’ve smoked a brisket and spare ribs. You will need a digital thermometer so you can closely monitor the temp.
I grabbed one of these from Woot about 2 weeks ago. Assembly was very easy. I’ve only used it once so far but was happy with it. It did an impressive job staying at temperature on a very windy 35 degree day, and it got back up to temperature pretty quickly after the door was opened. It is impressively solid and well-built for this price. My first smoke was just chicken breasts so I haven’t really tested the size capabilities. Should handle several chickens or a decent sized turkey, but I’m curious to see how racks of ribs will fit in there.
My only complaint is the small size of the smoke-box and needing to open the door once an hour to add wood chips. Seeing how quickly it got back up to the desired temperature negated some of that. Now it’s more just “I’m lazy and don’t want to have to go do stuff once an hour” but that’s ultimately not that big of a deal. I’ve been looking for an entry-level smoker for several years and am happy with this one.
Smoking hack to avoid the “every hour” issue: purchase a “smoke tube” on amazon for cheap (~$10) and use pellets. Follow the lighting instructions, lay the smoke tube in the bottom of the smoker, and now you have smoke for 4-6 hours.
Added bonus: a 20lb bag of pellets (made for pellet grills) costs ~$10 and will last you a very long time.
This is an electrical appliance so it’s ultimately probably not a good fit for me. How does it do in the rain? Do you have to put it under an awning or tent of some kind? Also, can this be stored exposed to the elements?
Woot is brutal. Just when you finally find something you want and do all the research and get all your ducks in a row, BAM, sold out.
It was selling for a good price.
You can have it out in the elements, but when not in use I’d recommend a good cover. If it’s lightly raining or snowing you’d need to keep an eye on the temperatures to make sure your food is cooking properly.