Sounds like a good deal. I've never used one that has a gas mode, but it's probably more convenient than charcoal.

Using charcoal is a little tricky, but the smoke flavor is more intense. I assume that using gas is similar to using an electric smoker; less fuss and more convenient, and it still makes great food. These smokers are great for making huge amounts of food for a big gathering. The advantage is that you don't have to do anything once the smoker is up and running except check the water pan every so often. So you're not messing with a lot of food right at the last minute and you can do other things while the food is cooking.

Tips: I often will fire up the smoker and do six chickens at once, three per rack. After they are done, let them cool and put them in plastic ziplock bags, sucking the air out with a straw. Freeze them. When you want a quick supper, take one out of the freezer, open the bag and put a few ounces of liquid (water, wine, beer)in the cavity and microwave until thawed and heated through. Very convenient when you come home from work--tasty smoked chicken in ten minutes or so.

I'm a bit of a nut when it comes to making my own chicken stock. Once a year I'll get a huge bag of chicken leg quarters and smoke them, then while they are warm take the meat off the carcass and use it for something like chicken salad, but use the skin and bones for some really rich smoky stock. Pretty intense, and you can use that stock any time you want some robust flavor (chili, beans, whatever). And if you really wanted 'extreme' flavored stock, use the water from the water pan to make the stock with the bones and skin (strain it through a flour sack towel to catch any bits of ash).

Be aware that smoke is a flavor, and like any flavoring it can be overdone. I like a pretty intense flavor, but not everyone does. As far as what wood to smoke with, you'll get a divergence of opinion. I don't care for mesquite that much (I find it a bit resiny) and I do most of my smoking with hickory. A Texan friend of mine who is the most avid barbecue chef I know insists that pecan wood is the best wood to use, and his food sure is excellent. (You can also use pecan shells if you have access to a supply of them. They work fine.) I used to live across the road from an apple orchard, and I can attest that apple wood is excellent as well.

Other observations: the skin of a chicken has to be dry to absorb smoke flavoring, so if you've got some gloppy marinade on the surface it may not get as smoky as you wanted. Also, brining the chickens for an hour or so before smoking will make the birds juicier.

They make racks that allow the bird to stand vertically in the smoker. They're convenient.

You can mix foods in the smoker to good effect. My dad would smoke ribs on the top rack and chickens on the lower one; the drippings from the ribs basted the birds.

Tami,

These get rave reviews and I never have leftovers. Recipe can be easily doubled, tripled, etc. I prefer hickory for smoking these.

Bill

Smoked Stuffed Tomatoes
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Ingredients:
3 Large Firm Tomatoes
6 oz Artichoke Hearts - Marinated
10 oz Frozen Spinach -- Chopped
5 Green Onion -- Chopped
3 slices bacon - cooked and crumbled
1 large jalapeno - chopped
8 oz Cream Cheese -- Room Temperature
2 Tbs Sour Cream
2 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese -- Grated
Salt And Pepper -- To Taste
Bread Crumbs -- Dried

Directions:

1. Cut tomatoes in half down the stem side. Cut out stems and scoop out all pulp and seeds. Dry inside and out with paper towels. Sprinkle salt and pepper into each half.
2. Drain and chop artichoke hearts.
3. Squeeze all moisture from chopped spinach.
4. Chop green onions.
5. Combine chopped ingredients with bacon, jalapeno, cream cheese, sour cream, oregano, and Parmesan cheese. Mix well and stuff each tomato half heaping full.
6. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top.
7. Place tomato halves on smoker rack and smoke for 30 to 40 minutes at 225 degrees or until done to your liking. Do not over cook.
8. Tomatoes should be still somewhat firm to the touch so they don't fall apart after cooking.

Servings: 6

Thank you both for your replies. My husband spent the whole day yesterday on the computer, so I didn't get a chance to check back for any replies. I am eagerly awaiting it, and hope we don't get a lot of snow or wind when it gets here. The best, and most convenient, place I have to use the smoker or the grill is outside my back door, which faces west. That is where all our weather comes from most of the time. There are no trees to block the wind, or any other type of shelter. My mouth waters every time I think of it getting here!

Tami