As a foodie who is finally succumbing to his fate (I'm starting chef's school in just over a month), I decided that in my quest to learn different styles of cooking, I just had to have one. I've had a lot of success in experimenting with different flavors and cooking techniques, but there was one style- southern smoking- that I couldn't try because I lived in a city, and there was nowhere legal or safe to put a smoker. I tried the stove top wok method, to no avail; I just created a mess and burned a lot of tea leaves. This was beginning to be a pain as a lot of my friends were southern, and while they liked my cooking, I felt I let them down by not being able to create dishes reminding them of home. Enter the Emeril smoker.
I saw the Cameron stainless steel smoker at Macy's one day, but it really didn't make an impression on me. I saw it again here on Amazon, and while it's dishwasher safe, read the reviews: a lot of buyers have issues cleaning the smoking char from all the ashes. I thought about it, then decided against it.
Then one day, I saw it on Iron Chef America. The cast-iron smoker was being used by one of the chefs in a battle against Mario Batali (I regret to say that I can't remember who it was). Wheels began spinning in my head...as a person who has come to learn, use, appreciate, and love cast iron, I fell in love with this new piece that I didn't have. I had to have it. Forget the fact that it cost up to 50% more than the competition and weighted more than double...it was cast iron! I bought it, and let me tell you, the UPS guy gave me the dirtiest look for having to carry up my package 4 flights without an elevator.
I've had the smoker over a month now, and I've easily been smoking 3-4 times per week. I'm happy to report that it doesn't leak any smoke once the lid is fastened correctly, whether I'm smoking stove-top or in the oven. In fact, one day my roommates came home thinking I had made bacon, when all I had done was smoke some ribs using the hickory wood chips.
Recipes I've found online on different sites have come out wonderfully- pork chops, baby back ribs, chicken thighs, turkey legs. I'm going to try fish this weekend, but I've got the alderwood chips ready to go. The only thing annoying is that I've got to place smoked food under the broiler for 5 minutes after smoking to get the crisp outerlayer I love so much. Granted, this would be the same with a regular smoker, but after so much anticipation, I just want to eat!
The pros and cons of using this piece are pretty much the same that you would find with any cast-iron product.
Pros-
Ease of use. Simply put, follow the directions in any recipe you find and you'll do alright. Listen to what everyone says and cover the drip pan with foil and cleanup will be easy. DO NOT use soap to clean cast iron- just rinse it with water. It'll be fine, seriously it will. DO NOT PUT IT IN THE DISHWASHER. It's cast iron, it can crack in the washer, and that will void your warranty. Season with a dab of oil if you want to, I haven't had to yeat after a month. That's it. Does it smell like smoke after cleaning? IT'S SUPPOSED TO! That's one of the signs of proud cast iron.
Cons-
This thing is freakin' heavy! At 27 pounds WITHOUT food in it, it isn't easy to maneuver on the stove top or into the oven. I feel bad for the elderly or the women with carpal tunnel syndrome that try to move this around. It's really not good to use if you've got a glass top stove...I can see the thing cracking your stove top. I've got electric, so I don't have any worries.
All in all, this is a wonderful product. I recommend it to everyone who even has a taste for that incredible flavor known as smoke. If you're new to smoking or even to cooking, you might want to get that "Amazon.com recommended reading" cookbook "Smokin'" for some recipes to make your entry into the world of smoke easier. Enjoy!