Z GRILLS Upgrade 8 in 1 Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker for Outdoor Cooking, BBQ Grill with PID 2.0 Controller, LCD Screen, 697 sq, Meat Probes, Rain Cover

Summary: Great quality first smoker, and I’m a huge skeptic.Long-winded review: Have a lot of info to give, so here goes;Bought this smoker after doing heavy research, reading reviews, poring through forums, and even talking to dozens of people. The facts that it comes with a cover and was deliverable by Amazon were huge bonuses. Box arrived in great shape, all pieces and parts accounted for and intact, straight. Assembly was somewhat tedious, but easy. I was able to assemble the entire smoker by myself – Quick tip: flex the big box, while tipping the cooking chamber back, to sneak the lid open and remove all packing and parts, then assemble the stand before taking the cooking chamber out of the box. This makes things way easier and much lighter, and the cooking chamber then sets immediately on the stand after removing the shipping brace. I like this smoker design because it has the extra shelf out front – VERY handy! Shelves and main grate are all counter-height, not something you find on all smokers. (Usually they are a lower height, which is not as natural feeling.) Basic settings, basic controls, well-built, seems to be very durable, is very stable and secure. Cover fits well, is set up with eyelets to use bungee cords or to install your own drawstring to secure the cover to the smoker. (Although the cover is custom fit, so eyelets will only need to be used for high wind areas.) Timing of this purchase for me was to smoke a turkey for Thanksgiving. I ordered early, smoked a big whole roaster chicken to get accustomed to this smoker before attempting the turkey when it counts. Temps held steady for duration of the cook time, meat was amazing! Have smoked chicken, ribs, turkey, and rump roast, can’t wait to try a brisket and a tenderloin. Some advice: Read up on multiple smoking methods and times, get accustomed to the whats and whys of each method, and try them out, see what works best for your taste and style. Instructions for the smoker mention covering the grease drain pan with aluminum foil – This is a huge time saver, very good advice, and will help keep the smoker in cleaner condition. Racks have a very durable ceramic/porcelain coating on them. I wash the racks and change the pan foil after every session. Removable ash tray is a huge bonus – Again, not something found on all smokers. Pellet usage is about a pound per hour – Competition blend is a great overall pellet to use, has good flavor for most any meat. Be prepared for a somewhat lengthy initial burn process, and perform this before needing to smoke food. This burns off assembly oils and “seasons” the smoker for use.Only cons for me are no window and no lid-mounted analog temp gauge, but I consider those things to be luxuries, and not terribly important.If you’re like me and want to spend your money the best way possible on a great smoker without regret, stop here – You’ll be glad you bought this one.