Cuisinart 36” Vertical Propane Smoker, 4 Removable Racks, Spacious BBQ Smoker with Wood and Water Trays, 15,000 BTU Heat for Smoked Meat, Brisket, Jerky, Fish, Perfect for Tailgates, Backyard, Camping

I'm new to smoking food. I have used my Weber propane grill to smoke a little bit, but I wanted a "real" smoker. I decided to go with propane since it seemed like there would be less work to maintain the temperature and smoke. Assembly was very easy and instructions were clear and easy to follow. I did go out and buy a set of four locking casters to install on the bottom of the legs. I did have to drill holes through the bottom of the feet to attach the casters. Smoker is heavy, so having locking wheels is a must since I will store this in my shed when not in use. Before my first use, I decided I should season the smoker. I was surprised that the manufacturer did not have any mention in the manual about seasoning the smoker. I found a lot of online recommendations for doing this and figured it would be worth it, plus I could get use to the temperature adjustments without risking any food... I wiped down the interior of the smoker with a lite coat of canola oil and filled the wood tray with dry apple would chips. I started the burner (first click on the igniter!) and let the smoker go on high for about two hours. It took about 15 min for the wood chips to start smoking. I also noticed quite a bit of smoke coming out of the edges on the main door, so I ordered some grill gasket tape, which I will install next week. The next day I smoked a pork shoulder for over 12 hours and some sausage links for about two hours. Both turned out perfect. I'll never have crock-pot pulled pork again.... The temperature was easy to maintain and having the separate door to add additional wood chips definitely helped maintain the temperature. I would highly recommend this smoker to any beginner. It will be interesting to see if the door gasket will help, not completely sure it's 100% necessary, but others have recommended it so we will see. One other thing, which is no surprise, the thermometer on the door was not very accurate. I used the NutriChef (PWIRBBQ80) (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076B36HF9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) Bluetooth thermometer and monitored the temperature of the pork shoulder and the smoke chamber. Definitely a must have. Now I cant wait to use this more. Beef ribs are next!**Updated: Sept 24th 2020**After one full summer of smoking, I can honestly say that I love the food I have made with this smoker (and so does my neighbor). I have burned through at least a dozen propane tanks. I've smoked everything from salmon, beef, pork, chicken, vegetables, including eggplant for baba ghanoush, and even made my own chipotles and smoked cayenne peppers, which were awesome is my smoked cast-iron baked beans... My Bluetooth thermometer also held up all season. The smoker has held up well, there's a small brisket flat on there now. There is one burn spot on the outside rear of the smoker where the burner is, but has not hurt the integrity of the smoker box. I keep the smoker covered when not in use. The door gasket tape was a must and has definitely helped contain the smoke in the smoker. I used the "FireBlack Hi Temp BBQ Smoker Gasket Self Stick 15 ft High Heat 1/2 x 1/8 Black", from Amazon, which fit both doors perfectly. I think this is a pretty standard upgrade for any smoker, based on all the reviews I've read. I agree with a lot of the reviews about the poorly designed wood/water tray. I do not put water in the water/wood chip tray, I use disposable aluminum trays for the water on the bottom shelf and overload the wood chip tray with one or two larger wood chunks and a bunch of presoaked wood chips. I have not had any problems with not having enough smoke. I have not wanted for more shelves, but do think I will be upgrading to a larger smoker at some point, so I can fit full slabs of ribs and full briskets (just need the wife's permission). The shelves are a little too small for this (14 x 14 inches), so ribs have to be cut in half and it only fits smaller cuts of brisket. But as an intro to smoking, this was a huge success. I also built a cedar cabinet with a cement countertop to go with this smoker, that provides much needed counter space and storage for the propane tank, wood chips, and trays (picture attached). If you are thinking of trying out a smoker, as a beginner, I think this smoker is a good bet. It made me a smoking addict.

One of the best smokers I’ve ever used

This smoker is actually very nice for the price point……I was actually proactive and bought a roll of grill gasket for the doors….turned out I didn’t use it…..I was amazed at how well the doors sealed and how they were super flat after welding the hinges on. However if all the temp gages are the same, that is the first thing to go. Mine read 260 F in boiling water….no wonder my butt took 19 hours. It was easy to change….used a step drill to enlarge the hole to 7/8” and installed a $12 temp gage I found on Amazon…..it did in fact read 212 in boiling water….maybe I got lucky. Now the reason I bought this propane smoker is because i intended to convert it to natural gas……using an orifice chart I was able to determine the size of the orifice that came with the unit for propane…..it put it at approximately 10,000 btu’s.10,000 btu’s for natural gas required me to drill out the orifice with a #51 drill…..did it by hand in a tap handle. The results were perfect. Unit works flawlessly …on low my temp is 180 and holds extremely well…..haven’t checked out high temp yet, but then I’m not grilling on this thing. And for a note to Cuisinart…..you are on to something here….love the water/chip rack and the extra water tray….here is what I would have no problem spending more money on….1. Make this thing a little wider so a whole rack of ribs will fit without cutting them in half 2. Please….please put a better temp gage on these. Use your good name and beef these up and you will be a major contender in the smoking world. You would be surprised what people will spend a few extra bucks on. All that being said….this is a very nice unit.Update: This smoker handles pellets perfectly too.

I finally decided to replace my old side box smoker and really wanted to switch to propane. There's a lot of options out there, but this smoker delivered what I wanted at a reasonable price. I like the simplicity in the design.One of the biggest gripes I saw in reviews was that the water pan is too small, and it is. I think the manufacturer saw this, because mine shipped with an extra pan that you can put on the lower shelf. That solves the issue for me.Overall, I am impressed and really like this smoker. It fits well on my patio, looks good, and smokes well. It is easy to get to and hold temp (I have only used it in fall weather, so the winter may be a bit different). It also is very judicious as far as propane use is concerned. I'm getting multiple uses out of one tank. The built-in thermometer is close enough to real temperature for me, but is not dead on accurate. Also, it was easy to put together.I am very happy with this purchase. For household use it more than fits the bill. If someone is looking for a smoker without all the bells and whistles that does the job, then this is a good choice.