When this initially was introduced, I had great interest in it, but was very hesitant. Lately, a lot of products just aren't up to snuff, in part thanks to Amazon and offshoring manufacturing, regardless of the origin of the corporation that brands the product. For this reason, I held off on a purchase to recently.
With that said, I'll note that the only thing this review won't cover is the longevity of the product. I've ran it through its paces, but haven't owned it long enough to determine the build quality when it comes to durability. I will say that whoever, or whatever group, engineered this - they did a good job. I could see some improvements that need to be made, but for the most part this product is solid.
Let me explain what I did. On day one after cleaning out the unit, I loaded it up with the Kona pellets that came with it and smoked salmon filets. They came out with just the right amount of smoke, while tasting less salty than typical smoked salmon.
The second day, I smoked ribeye steaks to 120 degrees, and then finished them in a cast iron skillet with a garlic and butter baste. I also had some macaroni and cheese that my friend made that same day, which I added to the smoker for the last 30 minutes of cooking. It all came out perfect, especially the mac %26 cheese, which was elevated over what it originally tasted like.
The third day - smoked pork butt, with more smoked mac %26 cheese, but also baked beans that my friend cooked previously. The pork butt was cooked until it reached 205, and then I shredded it (pulled pork) without adding any sauce to it. It was moist, flavorful, and touched with just the right amount of smoke.
The fourth day...yes, I was a cooking fiend...whole chicken. I brined the chicken the day before, then applied a dry rub the morning of the cook. The chicken was moist, full of flavor, the skin slightly crispy (I added avocado oil right before smoking it), and very tender.
The fifth day, I took a break.
On the sixth day - baby back pork ribs. A dry rub was applied and the ribs sat for 12 hours. I then smoked them for three hours, then wrapped them in butcher paper for another two hour smoke, then finally unwrapped for a one hour smoke. I put a bit of Wagyu beef tallow in the buther paper, so when they came out they were moist, a bit crispy on the outside, but flavorful with just the right amount of smoke.
All-in-all, the reviews have been pretty much on point - you CAN get more smoke flavoring from an outdoor smoker, but you can't beat this for an indoor smoker.
For the most part, cleaning up is easy. You remove the racks, the side rack mounts, the drip pan, the water reservoir, and then wipe it out. The flip-up cover over the heating element seems to be removable, but you probably won't need to do so that often. Of more concern is the vent on the back wall - it collects a lot of oil.
I'm running of out space so...this thing rocks. If you like smoking food, then buy it.