El Fuego Charcoal Barbecue Smoker - BBQ Smoker Grill including BBQ Chips

Having seen the way that Americans smoke their meat I was tempted to try it for myself. So I bought this bbq/smoker to do just that. When it arrived it came with instructions on how to build it but NOTHING about how to use it!!?? At this point we put it in the shed and started to do research. The questions that I had in my mind were..1. Can I use wood as well as charcoal.2. If I use wood which types are ok to use. I know it needs to be hard woods but which types?3. There is a temperature gauge on the top of the bbq but what temperature should I cook at?4. There is a shut off vent on the chimney but how should I use it?5. Does this BBQ need cleaning and if so how?6. Does the BBQ need seasoning before use.7. How do you season a smoker/BBQ.Ok. So you are getting the idea. My personal opinion is that some of these smokers in the UK show you cooking in both compartments. In America the small drum below the main drum is the fire/smoke box. This is how I wanted to use mine. If you are looking for just a BBQ then do NOT buy this. This is designed to be an indirect heat smoker BBQ. This is a unit designed for low and slow cooking with smoke infusion. For instance babyback ribs will take around 4 hours but with amazing results..!!The quality of this smoker/BBQ is not great. Its biggest downfall is the air vent into the firebox. When you open the vent there is NO way you can keep it there as gravity rules. As an engineer I modified mine so that I can adjust the vent from above the firebox. If anyone wants some help with this then contact me.If you cook the American way you will need a meat thermometer and this ideally should be the digital probe type where it sounds an alarm when the temperature is reached. As I said, there is nothing in the instructions that tell you any of this. Another thing that we found is that most meat is cooked at around 225-2250f. So we set the smoker up to temp using the gauge fitted to the opening door. We found our meat undercooked and then did a check on the thermometer. The thermometer checked out ok but it is placed high up in the BBQ. We did a temp check on the cooking grill and it was 75f less than the gauge. We now cook at a higher temp on the gauge knowing that the grill level temperature will be right.Basically I feel that this BBQ is for people like me who want to slow cook/smoke their meat. If this is not what you want to do then do not buy this BBQ.Overall this BBQ is not great quality. It has problems with the air vent. It has problems with being made from thin sheet steel and smoke pours out of every opening. That said I have cooked some memorable meats on this unit and I hope to continue to do so. If and when it wears out I would not buy another from this manufacturer which is why I cannot recommend it.

I purchased this smoker months ago and have now got round to assembling it. This was very simple to put together, instructions easy to follow. It states a 2 man job but easily could be done by 1 person. I had read previous reviews and one stated it scratches very easily when being assembled, therefore I was very cautious putting it together. Much to my pleasure it is still in pristine condition. It looks fantastic in the back garden, very eye catching and has drawn a lot of attention from my neighbours.. I have already recommended this product and cannot wait to get the cooking side started.*************************************1 year on....got everything ready to start cooking, Cover off, Ahhhh, I was not prepared for what I saw next. Instead of my beautiful bbq, I now have a rust bucket. What a disappointment. This was my pride and joy.

The first thing you should know about this smoker is that the cooking chamber is quite small. The second thing is not to trust the thermometer. The temperature is lower on the grill than the gauge indicates. Next, the heat differential between the firebox end and the exhaust end is significant. The build quality is OK, but there is a real design flaw with the air vent, which does not keep its adjustment. The screw needs to be tightened every time the air vent is opened and closed. The smoker leaks heat and smoke from both the cooking chamber and the fire box. Despite all of its shortcomings, the price is good and I believe this is a good smoker for someone like me, who is learning how to smoke. Based on some trial and error and research, I highly recommend the following; (1) use lump wood charcoal instead of briquettes, (2) leave the exhaust vent fully open during cooking/smoking (3) be prepared to add charcoal during the cooking process to maintain heat. Good luck!

Delivery was quick. But there was some damage to the outside of the box - all stuck up with tape. Inside and unnoticed until started assembly, two of the four leg pieces were damaged. One had been almost flattened. Assembly instructions are fairly basic and miss out one vital instruction. DO NOT tighten all the nuts until near the end when everything fits together!!!!. Sorted the damage and once assembled it looks good. Pretty heavy guage metal and fired up easily. Cant wait for some decent weather to get smokin,

Smoked ribs and brisket. Both turned out well. As a starter smoker it is pretty good. It does take work to keep the temperature consistent and a more expensive, thicker steel model would be better if you really want to do a lot of slow and low cooking. I will stay using this as I discover more about smoking and if I still enjoy cooking this way after a while, I will upgrade.

mine was especially hard to build as i had not been sent any tools to build with. I would also advise buying some washers as none came with the product and this would very much help with covering up any air holes where the screws go. Aside from this a solid looking end product

So far so good. Assembly was a bit of a farce as the instructions are not very clear and definitely requires two to put together. Once up, it appears solid and have used it a few times although yet to try the smoker.

Has been used for grilling so far - no complaints, keeps heat well and is economic with fuel.Haven't used for smoking yet hence not 5 stars