Camp Chef PG24MZG SmokePro Slide Smoker with Fold Down Front Shelf Wood Pellet Grill, Pack of 1, Black

Purchased in August of 2019 - Still LOVE it today and use it in all types of weather! Short review: 5 stars for a smoker, ease of use, the extras and clean up but we don't like louvered drip tray. 1 star for a grill - lack of smoke flavor and messy and grease dripped through the louvered drip tray into the bottom of the smoker box. Our goal was to get a smoker that was easy to use, clean up was simple, and gave a good smoke. If it grilled well it was a bonus but not a necessity. We researched and compared: Traeger, Pitt Boss, Green Mountain, and Camp Chef (CC) We chose the Camp Chef PG24MZG for the ease of cleaning and the dual temperature probes, a front shelf (which is a must) plus the glass view into the pellet bin. Purchased at Amazon for $599.00 + Tax. This model does not come up on the Camp Chef site for models. It must be searched by model number. Only found on Amazon and Camp Chef site but Amazon was cheaper as CC raised its price and is out of stock. There are two top racks measuring 8”x~20 each. They can be extended for a 16"x20" smoking area. The first 5 uses of CC Smoker were with Hickory pellets. 1st with Traeger (I could buy them locally, then with Camp Chef - ordered from Home Depot with free shipping. We've since used Kingsford pellets but prefer the Camp Chef brand for more flavor. 1st use was hamburgers on the SG grill function (slide pulled out for direct flame). The grill got into the 400 range and we observed 15 to 20-degree temperature swings. It took approximately 20 minutes to cook 2 burgers. The burgers lacked any smoke flavor - disappointed 2nd use - burgers cooked slower - used a 250-degree approach to get more smoke flavor. It took approx. 35-40 minutes. There were no grill marks and there was more smoke flavor but we were still disappointed. We will not cook burgers on the smoker. We don’t want to have to double cook by searing afterward. 3rd use - pork butt (small 4 lbs) cooked for 7 hrs. It had a nice smoke flavor and we pulled it at 185 to slice vs. pull. 4th use - lower rack beef brisket (5lbs) upper baby back Ribs 3lbs. Cooked on High Smoke for 9 hrs. Pulled brisket at 195. Nice smoke ring and good flavor, ribs were tender and smoke flavor. We observed 15 to 20-degree temperature swings. 5th use – 3 racks baby back ribs and 3 lbs. country ribs. We were surprised by the rain and got 1.3” while smoking. Our Camp Chef was near the house but not completely out of the rain and it did GREAT! The temperature stayed consistent, no water got in the pellet box or smoke area. Overall after 10 hrs, the ribs came out great! Over the past 2 yrs, we've filled it up and have smoked 2 15+ lb briskets at the same time and both came out flavorful and moist. All our meat has been very moist and we've smoked pork, beef, and chicken. Our previous smoker is a Weber 22" Smokey Mountain Cooker. We wanted something that would be easier to use and not require as much monitoring and we were willing to sacrifice some smoke flavor for ease of use and cleaning. The ease of use far outweighs any smoke flavor loss, and again, the meat has good smoke flavor. The ash cup is great! The one thing I would change is the louvered drip tray. The burgers dripped on it and into the lower section. The brisket also dripped on it and made a mess in the lower area. We put heavy aluminum foil on it to avoid the grease dripping onto the flame diverter and lower section. We have not seen any difference in the smoke flavor and it is very easy to just remove the dripped on foil and put a new piece on. Overall we HAVE recommended this smoker and absolutely would buy this smoker again.

OK - not big on writing reviews, so here we go. Currently have a Weber charcoal, Weber Gas and Cook Shack electric Smoker. The reason for my purchase relates not getting enough smoke from my Cook Shack Smoker and the fact both my brother in laws having a pellet grills and swearing by them. Sitting on porch at lake house, they said what they preferred in each brand. One liked price of Z Grill and since bought through farm store, he could write off on farm account. Second liked wifi on his Traeger, as he could fire up on way home from work and check temps while in house. Both had dislikes too - having to vacuum out ashes, need to use all pellets before adding new flavor, lack of direct heat option for steaks. Based on this feedback I selected the Camp Chief PG24MZG, as $100 higher than Z Grill and no wifi option, were not personal concerns. Only used once, but after running at 350 for 1/2 hour (recommend) temp maintained an acceptable range (maybe 5 stars if I'd used more). Assembly was a breeze and I feel anyone could complete without pulling out your hair. Minor scratches where lid rests on grill, but no dents. When assembling the hopper lid, I recommend placing the product catalog over the top of hopper grate, as screws fell into hopper and required a long magnet to retrieve. This grill is heavy and once assembled it takes two grown men and a boy to lift. Cooked a couple T-Bones, first smoking at 180 for 30 min pulling from grill, turning it up to 400 and then returning to grill to finished cook. Actually achieved a nice smoked flavor, but I'll admit I missed the charcoal flavor my Weber provides. Ordered pellets which blend charcoal and oak, so we'll see if this helps. Looking forward to trying a brisket, as hoping to get a nice smoke ring. Hope this helps. Update - this cover fits grill - Mini Lustrous Cover for Camp Chef Pellet Grills Model DLX 24", SmokePro 24", Woodwind Pellet Grills, Anti-UV Water Resistant, Black

After doing a fair bit of research I settled on this grill as the best option at its price point. I have not been disappointed by my choice. I would absolutely buy this again and have already recommended it to my friends. Good: • Solid build with thick metal components. • Easy to assemble • Great features including my personal favorite the fold-out table in the front of the grill. ◘ Beer bottle opener ◘ Grease catcher ◘ Ash catcher ◘ Pellet release to cycle or store pellets when not in use ◘ Easy to remove or adjust top rack ◘ Two temperature probes ◘ Little door on the side to run probe wires into the cook box • The start and stop is quick and easy • Great clean smoking. Have done a brisket and slow cooked steaks with reverse sear and the brisket came out with a great bark and the steaks and brisket were moist and had wonderful smoke rings. (see pictures) • The temperature is relatively steady and as good or better than could be hoped for at this price point. • Great heat distribution (from below) • The direct heat feature works quite nice as well. Have done some burgers and they were a hit among my friends. Could easily do a steak on this thing as well. Bad: • Wheels are pretty weak, though they do their job. • While the temp control is good at this price point it does fluctuate at times. • The internal thermometer reads about ten degrees hotter than it actually is on the cooking surface(see pictures) • Didn't come with a cover, though I purchesed the... "Patio King Grill Cover Replacement for Camp Chef Woodwind, SmokePro, All 24-Inch Pellet Grills - Upgraded Heavy Duty, Ultra-Durable, All-Weather Pellet Grill Cover - Charcoal Gray" here on Amazon. • Would be nice if there were some hooks to hang cleaning brushes and whatnot.