"Creamy Goodness" <creamy at agbf1942 dot com> wrote in message
news:879a4$40eaf8d7$41a9ca42$29167@allthenewsgroup s.com...
> Ok, first off no flames here, I'm only asking a question. I saw a smoker
at
> Home Depot the other day, can't remember the brand, but it used an
electric
> element as a burner, with water pan and all that. You add hardwood to the
> bottom and the element heats the smoker and wood.
>
> Are these worth it? I think it was $40. The construction looked decent,
no
> gaps where the lid met the sides, racks left a little to be desired, but
no
> biggie for $40. Seems like it would give off consistent heat, something
you
> obviously want, smokes the same as other smokers do, etc.
>
> Please no flames, I'm just trying to get an honest opinion and to see how
> many people have used one of these.

I shopped Home Depot and Lowes and bought my BBQ/smoker from Lowes. I
thought a little more of the store, like they were a little more on the
ball, but that may have been just me. However, though both stores had
almost identical products as far as grills, smokers, etc., I didn't see what
you are describing. I did see something like what you are describing on the
food channel, Good Eats w/ Anton. He put together a smoker using two large
terra cota pots, one upside down over the other. He put an electric hot
plate in the bottom, set a pan to catch drips, may have put the wood chips
there as well, had a rack farther up. On the top, which was the bottom of
the pot, he took a standard probe thermometer and just plopped it in the
hole. My point being that I can see how there might be an electric model
out there. As for the price? Hell, I dropped forty bucks on a George
Foreman Grill, so I would be the last to say anything about that!

But my opinion would be that you should get a regular, i.e. charcoal/wood,
bbq/smoker. I think you would be ultimately happier, and you will probably
end up wanting one after using the electric one for a while anyway.

By the way, I bought a Pitmaster bbq/smoker, with the offset firebox and
the dandy little chimney. Made by the Brinkman Corp., this puppy set me
back $180.00 including tax. That was at Lowes. Granted, definitely more
than forty bucks, but, heck, you'll drop that much on meat, eh??? ;-)