For those of you considering buying an entry level smoker, there are some great options out there. These can range from the cheap Brinkman charcoal smokers you can get at WalMart for around $40 up to specialized smokers you can spend hundreds of dollars on. Some will argue that you get what you pay for. However, with just a little bit of work and sometimes ingenuity you can have some great tasting food out of any of these smokers. Just do some research, then take the time to experiment and find what works best for you.

However, reviewing all of the smokers out there is not the purpose of this guide. I'm here to post comments on one specific smoker: The Great Outdoors brand smokers.

For the price (starting at around $100) these do appear to be very nice units. They are easy to access the food, water tray, and chips, easy to learn since they run on propane, and look nice. However, there are a couple of things to keep in mind before purchasing one of these smokers.

1. Heat: Many have found that it is difficult to get the temperature regulated low enough for effective smoking. However, there is an easy solution for this. Instead of turning the valve on top of the propane tank all the way on, try turning it on just 1/4 or 1/2 turn. With some practice you should be able to regulate the temperature just right.
2. Product Support: This is the biggest issue to me. If you are looking at buying one of these products, whether through eBay, a retail store, online, etc, understand that this company just completed bankruptcy. They no longer make or support their products. Calling the number in the manual gets you a recording stating that their customer support is shut down, and directing you to their website to purchase parts. Unfortunately their website is also shut down. While it is still a decent quality product, understand that you are on your own if something goes wrong. Most importantly, check with the seller to make sure ALL of the parts are there before purchasing. I would go as far as asking them if they would be willing to open the box (if new in box) and check the parts list for you. If they aren't there, consider carefully before buying as you are going to have to rig something up yourself to replace any missing parts. Unfortunately there was no info about this when I bought mine back in December from another online company. After months of fighting with the manufacturer over a missing water bowl the bankruptcy message appeared on their phone line. Now the online company I bought it from won't support it because I did the right thing and tried to have the manufacturer replace their missing part.

In summary, these can be great entry level smokers, but make sure everything is there and functioning correctly before buying one.