Char-Broil Offset Smoker, 30"

Haven't used it yet there are no issues with the chimney... other reviewers are not installing it properly. The chimney is to be put on from the inside the flange goes inside and not outside. You do not need to drill new holes just follow the directions. I will update after I season and use it a few times.Update: one year laterStill working great, have smoked a lot of food on it. Not sure about why others paint has been flaking or peeling, my paint still looks as good as day one. Only real complaint is the grate in firebox sits to low for long cooks. I find myself cleaning the ash out a few times on a long cook but not worth losing a star. I have noticed price has gone up, I paid under 100 for it so keep an eye out for a good deal.

I got this as an early Christmas gift to replace my little vertical smoker that was difficult to hold temperature in (at least for over 6 hours). I wanted something affordable for my first offset but as you'll see, I'm willing to put in work to make it as efficient as possible. First thing I did was research ways to get the best results. One of the first things I did was get high-heat silicone to lay down as I assembled the smoker. That way there's a gasket running along all seams. This thinner stamped steel needs some convincing to limit leaks. Next up was patient assembly. The smoke stack attaches FROM THE INSIDE and again, I used the silicone.Next up I did a few seasoning/ test runs with the water pan (a small brownie pan) I wanted to use in the cooking chamber. I seasoned the inside with vegetable oil and kept the temperatures relatively low (around 250). I also used this opportunity to test smoking. The doors leaked a bunch so I got some high heat gasket tape (specifically made for smokers). The next test was perfect, very little leaking and I found out what I needed to do to hold temperatures best. The next thing I got was a charcoal basket (the cast iron one here on Amazon) to help lift the coals up a bit for mid-smoking ash clean out.All-in-all I ran it 3 times before food went in. This helped cure the paint, season the inside/ grates, and gave me info on how much charcoal to use. First thing I smoked was ribs and I used a classic 3-2-1 method (3 hours smoked bone down, 2 hours wrapped in butcher paper bone up, 1 hour unwrapped bone down with sauce). I only had to re-load the charcoal once but help a very consistent 225 degrees for 6 hours! I used cherry wood chunks and plan on trying out small hickory logs in the future.

The powder coating on the fire box burned off with the first use; heat stayed below 375°. I've owned and used a number of these type of various brands, this one is very similar to the others. Fit and finish is as good as quickly mass-produced metal parts can be expected. All the nuts, holes and bolts fit without modification (a plus). My only remark is the powder coating should have endured. I know powder coating (having applied it myself for 20+ years), it should have handled the heat. However issues do arise, could have been the suffice, powder or curing. It wel still cook my steak, burgers and dogs. 😁👍

I was truly surprised at how accurate the assembly instructions were and how exact the manufacturing of parts was. Everything fit perfectly. It did take me 3 hours from start to finish and I could have used a helper but I managed to get it together and working by myself. I’m now doing the burn in and then I’ve got a batch of ribs to smoke. Looking forward to using this smoker a lot.

Small, easy to move around smoker, works great cooking larger cuts of meat (brisket) it’s definitely a simple grill with a compact size (for an offset smoker) on the downsize - cheap material , it begins peeling off with the first use, rust appeared the next day, after a good cleanse you keep noticing more paint falling off, and the small reservoir for the charcoal doesn’t allow proper airflow for long cooks were charcoals needs to be reloaded and ashes build up (removing them out with an ash rake gives you a quick fix)I like the system but quality could be better, you get what you paid forCharbroil could do a little better on this model

Was not happy with what came . Doesn’t hold temp. They send the first one out and cane damaged . Contacted amazon they send the second one out . I opened that one up and put it together fired it off to cure it . Temps are all over the place . And now I have to put the first one back in the box to send it back . Well let’s just say I wasn’t good at Tetris when I was young so trying to figure out how to box it up so the shipping place will accept it

I purchased this smoker on sale for $84 and it is absolutely perfect. With some extra effort I made this smokers value skyrocket. I will list the things I did for assembly, burn in, and seasoning.1. Purchased the lavalock package with high heat silicone and gasket. Applied the silicone where the 2 pieces of the cooking chamber meet as well as the fire box. Applied the silicone where the fire box attached to the cooking chamber. Placed the gasket where the fire box and cooking chamber doors would seal, and also made homemade weights to hook onto handles to ensure seal. After this I let it rest for about a day.2. To cure the smoker, I seasoned the inside and out with vegetable oil and I went by the manual and started about 30 briquettes and placed in the fire box. Adding fuel as needed, I kept the temp from 200-250 for around 3 hours (If you get hotter than 300 during the paint cure, don't even waste time complaining about paint bubbles because it will happen. I did as the manual said and my paint is still flawless.) After the three hour paint cure, I added chunks of *insert your smoke wood of choice* for another 4 hours(as expected the fire was hot, so to ensure the paint didn't bubble I liberally wiped down the fire box with an oil soaked rag to keep it lubricated under high heat conditions) to season.3. Perfectly cured, seasoned, sealed $84 smoker!!!This smoker is cheap so don't dive in expecting top of the line results, but if you add a little extra effort you'll get more out of it than what the manufacturer even expected!!!Smoke it up!