Camp Chef Smoke Vault - Vertical, Propane Meat Smoker for Outdoor Cooking of Meat, Pies & More - 150°F to 350°F Range - 18"

After researching all of the available gas smokers in the under $250 price range, I decided on this Camp Chef. It was a great choice and I love it. This thing is heavy since it is made out of thick steel and all the parts are heavy duty - no cheap materials at all. I expect this will hold up very well for many years. The grates are nice and the included jerky grate is a nice feature. It needed a fair amount of assembly, but the instructions were clear and everything fit together nicely. I've done everything from a high temperature smoking of Canadian bacon to very low temp jerky and smoke-only cheese. It is capable of all of this, but does have a learning curve with temperature control. It requires some trial and error with the burner control and dampers until it settles in, then holds a steady temp pretty well. My only complaint is that the burner control is way to sensitive at low temps. I am planning to install a needle valve along the gas line to deal with this.

I bought this Camp Chef Smoker in early December 2016 and used it a couple of times so far this month. Here are my observations... For the price point this is a fine unit that performs exceptionally well. Even on windy days, it maintains a steady temperature inside the smoker. The temp control is easy to set and fine tune to the desired heat level. It has the BTU's to get hot quickly, so be sure to watch it when you initially set the temperature level so as not to overcook the meat. I smoked brisket and chicken leg quarters and both turned out very tender and juicy. The drip pan holds a lot of liquid and I didn't need to refill it, even after 4 hours of smoking at 325 degrees. I bought a couple of extra racks so that I can fill up the smoker while using it and then just freeze what is not consumed right away. I compared the temperature gauge with a conventional oven temperature gauge and the readings were fairly consistent. Door Latch works smoothly and securely, as well as the vents for exhausting the smoke. Construction is very good and it came packed sufficiently so as not to incur any shipping damage. This is a heavy gauge sheet steel that should last many years if kept protected from the weather. I would definitely recommend taking a look at this unit if you are interested in a fairly priced smoker that does a terrific job.

One week with the Smoke Vault and I am a happy camper. Took about an hour in the blistering heat to put together, but I was excited to try this thing out. Somebody must have read about the packaging issues because mine arrived inside another box lined with styrofoam.First the burn in and then jerky. As I have been told, everyone burns their first jerky. I was impressed with how constant the temperature remained and how easy it was to adjust via the dampers and the flame. Next up was smoked pork chops. Now we only eat 4 oz chops cut from a center loin so these puppies were fairly thin. I thought they may end up dry even though I marinated. Water in the pan, wood in the wood thing and 45 minutes later at low heat I took them out. Holy smokes, these were awesome. Tender, smoky, and moist. Then came a beef brisket. Something I have never even tried grilling. And a small brisket at that. The smoke flavor (mesquite) was excellent, but I learned that you have to keep checking the water pan and keep it full. The brisket was a little dry due to not checking the water, but the flavor was amazing.This thing feels solid, well built, and at this point a bargain for the money. Ribs, chicken and turkey are on the list next. Still looking for a good wireless thermometer.

I just had the best smoked meatloaf in my life and I made it myself in this wonderful smoker. It's easy to operate, roomy, and really does the job. Once you get a handle on it, it's so simple - put wood chips in the tray, water in the pan, food on a rack and turn it on. I can't really compare as this is the first smoker I've had, but I wouldn't want to be without it.A couple of notes. The thermometer in the door is worthless, but I expected that - pretty much every smoker review says that about every smoker's built-in thermometer. Kind of makes you wonder why they even bother. I got the Maverick Grill Grate ET732 thermometer system that works beautifully with this - remotely track both the temperature inside the smoker and inside the food at the same time.Assembly was not difficult, but instructions were, as usual, less than helpful. The one really annoying thing was that the glue on the back of the advertising label on the front door wouldn't come off completely - there are still faint lines on my door from that bad gluing job.Note: first time I used the smoker, it was extremely windy, and I had a hard time keeping a steady temperature until I created a bit of a windbreak near the smoker. That did the trick.