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Smokehouse Products 9500-000-0000 Smoke Chief Cold Smoke Generator, Black

4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 372 ratings

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Brand Smokehouse
Model Name 9500-000-0000
Power Source ac_dc
Color Black
Item Weight 7 Pounds
Inner Material stainless steel
Fuel Type Electric

About this item

  • Made in United States
  • Operates on 110VAC or 12Vdc power
  • Smokehouse Products is committed to supplying our customers with the very best smokers and accessories on the market today and will continue to look for ways to enhance your experience making your favorites recipes in the comfort of your own home.
  • Easily connects to any grill or smoker

Customer ratings by feature

Easy to use
3.9 3.9
Flavor
3.8 3.8
Value for money
3.6 3.6

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From the manufacturer

Big Chief, BBQ Pellets, Little Chief, Mimi Moto, Smoke Chief, Chips

cold smoke generator

smokes all types of foods

Green Egg

smoking all foods

How it works

The Smoke Chief works by simply filling up the tube with BBQ pellets then plug it in and you’re ready to go. On most grills it sits next to the grill and pipes the smoke in through the rotisserie hole that is already available.

Hours of operation

Smoke Chief smokes for up to 3 hours on just one cup of BBQ pellets and operates on 12VDC or 110AC power.

Easy to use on any appliance

The Smoke Chief has been used with gas grills, pellet grills, charcoal grills, smokers and numerous other outdoor cooking devices. It is easy to attach the Smoke Chief to any of these devices and sets up with little effort.

Smoking all meats made easy

The Smoke Chief is a ‘cold smoke’ generator you can smoke a range of new foods such as cheeses, eggs, beans, salts and much more in addition to the normal meats, ribs, fish, pork, beef, ham and others.

Smokehouse Logo

What's included
Smoke Chief in depth

Smoke Chief is an amazing way to smoke all of your favorite foods. This unit produces 'cold smoke' and can be easily connected to any grill or outdoor cooking device to quickly produce delicious smoked foods. This product is unique in that it will turn a barbeque grill that most families already have into a smoker in a matter of seconds, and it produces a ‘cold smoke’ that allows for consistency in making your favorite recipe.

  • Hanger mount for easy application
  • Clean out tool
  • BBQ pellets with measuring cup
  • Instruction manual
  • 110AC to 12VDC power adapter
  • Plunger to help keep move down

Smokehouse Products

A behind the scenes look

We have been making everything Smokehouse since 1968 when we introduced the first Electric Smoker with the Little Chief. Today, we offer a full line of electric smokers, gas smokers, wood chips & chunks, BBQ pellets, wood grilling planks, jerky & sausage supplies, brines & mixes, and a variety of parts & accessories.

Product information

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Smokehouse Products 9500-000-0000 Smoke Chief Cold Smoke Generator, Black


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Product Description

We have been making everything Smokehouse since 1968 when we introduced the first Electric Smoker with the Little Chief. Today, we offer a full line of electric smokers, gas smokers, wood chips & chunks, BBQ pellets, wood grilling planks, jerky & sausage supplies, brines & mixes, and a variety of parts & accessories.

Compare with similar items

This Item
Smokehouse Products 9500-000-0000 Smoke Chief Cold Smoke Generator, Black
Smokehouse Products 9500-000-0000 Smoke Chief Cold Smoke Generator, Black
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Price$89.99$169.99-12% $23.66
List:$26.99
$109.99$15.99
Delivery
Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2
Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2
Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2
Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2
Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2
Customer Ratings
Easy to use
3.9
3.7
4.0
4.7
4.0
4.7
Flavor
3.8
4.6
4.7
3.6
4.7
Temperature Control
3.7
4.2
4.5
3.5
Easy to assemble
3.3
4.5
4.0
Sold By
yuyaoshishengjiedianzishangwushanghang
Supllueer
R&D BBQ
Topf Mfg Inc
LFSEMINI
size
One Size
3.6*12 inch
Single hole pump Smoke for 8 hours
12" smoker tube
Small
fuel type
Electric
Smoking chips
Electric, Wood Pellet
Wood Pellet
Wood pellets/chips
Liquefied Petroleum Gas, Electric
power source
ac dc
electric
Electric Powered
propane, wood, wood pellet
material
Other
Stainless Steel
Stainless Steel
Stainless Steel
Stainless Steel
Stainless Steel
model name
9500-000-0000
Cold Smoke Generator-10L
Smoke generator
weight
7 pounds
3 pounds
16.5 pounds
1.78 pounds
3.2 pounds
1.43 pounds

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
372 global ratings

Customers say

Customers like the ease of installation of the food smoker. They mention it's simple to use and has a short learning curve. They also appreciate the three hours of hands-free operation per fill of pellets. However, some customers have reported issues with the quality and ease of cleaning of the product. They say it'll clog and need frequent cleaning. Customers also dislike the tar like stuff that builds up and needs to be cleaned. They have different opinions on smoke, and performance.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

23 customers mention19 positive4 negative

Customers find the food smoker easy to install. They mention it works perfectly, has a short learning curve, and is easy to use on anything. Customers also appreciate it as a quick and easy way to convert any BBQ or home-made smoking box.

"...Construction: We took the unit apart and it is a very simple, but well thought out design...." Read more

"...ProsThis smoker is EASY to set up and use.This thing puts out some serious cold smoke!It only works when the nozzle is clear...." Read more

"...improvements, I still appreciate it as a quick and easy way to convert any BBQ or home-made smoking box into an effective smoker...." Read more

"...hardware store to extend the SMOKE OUT piping-making it easier to use on anything...." Read more

14 customers mention10 positive4 negative

Customers like the taste of the food smoker. They say it provides a great flavor, and is easy to use on their old BBQ. Some say it's good for light smoke flavor, while others say it can be used on their BBQ.

"...This lets me give it a good shake...." Read more

"...Or would have a variable fan speed.It provides a great flavor and can be used on my old BBQ. I recommended this to friends...." Read more

"...smoked salmon and it was almost a bit too smoky and then it started tasting a bit bitter so adjustments will be made, but overall very good!" Read more

"...We can now produce deep smoke rings in our meat an the flavor is phenomenal...." Read more

12 customers mention9 positive3 negative

Customers like the heating of the food smoker. They say it's great for cold smoking things that do not require heat. The product provides a way to cold-smoke food on your grill without having to heat the food. Some say it works cold or with as much heat as you want, and it allows them to smoke at lower temperatures.

"This little smoke generator is a great product, it can be used to cold smoke or with any grill on the market AND with at least some dehydrators...." Read more

"This has really increased the amount of smoke and allowed me to smoke at lower temperatures...." Read more

"...I was VERY disappointed with what I found.The thermal safety switch was smashed into the external housing and grounding out and thus..." Read more

"...So, this thing does it's job. Cold smoking is much easier now.That's not where my problem lies, though...." Read more

72 customers mention45 positive27 negative

Customers are mixed about the smoke produced by the food smoker. Some mention that it produces great smoke, while others say that the output began tapering after about 15 minutes.

"...This smoker is EASY to set up and use.This thing puts out some serious cold smoke!It only works when the nozzle is clear...." Read more

"...But continues to crank out tons of smoke when properly maintained. Just got compact charcoal BBQ, and found a way to use it as a BBQ & smoker...." Read more

"...reliable except for 1 time where the units fan shut off and heat built up inside. I’m sure it was because I didn’t keep the smoke tube clear...." Read more

"...I now have used 6 times and the smoke is fantastic. Hope this helps and I'm from SE Minnesota" Read more

70 customers mention40 positive30 negative

Customers are mixed about the performance of the food smoker. Some mention that it works very well, produces incredible results, and is very efficient. However, others say that the unit stopped working suddenly after only a few uses, the fan stopped working, and the power supply stopped working.

"...I'm sure I will use it for other things, because it works great...." Read more

"...The unit shut off and we thought it was broken for a little bit...." Read more

"...It works perfectly, as the hole is already perfectly aligned with the smoke tube from the SmokeChief. And about the pellets...?..." Read more

"...Definitely needs to be cleaned after every use. It works great on a gas grill and a portable coal BBQ...." Read more

30 customers mention5 positive25 negative

Customers are dissatisfied with the quality of the food smoker. They mention that it is a poorly designed and poorly built product. Some say that the cord is not well engineered and broke shortly after purchase. Overall, customers feel that the product is faulty and a waste of time and money.

"...Issue #3 is, as many have shared, the build-up of CREOSOTE, that black-tar build-up, that will clog the short exit tube on the unit...." Read more

"...Not desirable and not what I was hoping for. The last time I used it, the little 12v or whatever it is fan stopped working...." Read more

"...It also generates a lot of creosote at the end of the smoke tube. I had to clean it after 30 minutes...." Read more

"...The creosote builds up really fast! I hooked it up to my old Little Chief smoker from same company and it works great!..." Read more

17 customers mention4 positive13 negative

Customers find the food smoker difficult to clean. They mention that the sticky tar like stuff is very difficult to remove, and it needs frequent cleaning of creosote. They also say that they have to use the clean out tool provided multiple times while the unit is running. The clean out tools looks a little hokey but works like a champ.

"...At the end of a 3 hour burn/full tube of pellets/~1cup, the untit needs to be cleaned...." Read more

"...pipe going from the generator to the smoker, I was constantly cleaning the creosote build up. Not desirable and not what I was hoping for...." Read more

"...Easily detaches for cleaning...which you need to do after every session or sometimes in the middle of a session...." Read more

"What a great tool for smoking. Definitely needs to be cleaned after every use. It works great on a gas grill and a portable coal BBQ...." Read more

13 customers mention0 positive13 negative

Customers have negative opinions about the clogging of the food smoker. They mention that it clogs up with creosote and ashes very quickly. Some say that the product does not give strong flavor and that the outlet pipe gets clogged.

"...Doesn't matter how you have it hooked up, the outlet pipe is going to get clogged and you're going to need to use the included tool to clean it..." Read more

"...the smoke output began tapering... I ran into the problem of clogging the output pipe by creosote which was mentioned by a lot of users here... I..." Read more

"...I checked the fan and it is turning but it is very tiny and has weak flow...." Read more

"...initially it produced lots of smoke but then the tube clogged. had to clean the smoke tube every 30 minutes it seemed...." Read more

A Valient Effort and a solid 4-Stars... with room for engineering improvements...
4 Stars
A Valient Effort and a solid 4-Stars... with room for engineering improvements...
UPDATE Feb. 2021: I've had this unit now for going on 4 years. Still use it, and even self-repaired the failed mini-computer-fan. But continues to crank out tons of smoke when properly maintained. Just got compact charcoal BBQ, and found a way to use it as a BBQ & smoker. I'll be posting that review soon and will edit my review to include the new found Smokehouse cold smoker application.ORIGINAL REVIEW: I purchased this unit in August 2017 using my Amazon Prime account, based on looking at all the other generators out there. I'm now writing this review in May 2018. Up to this point, I've used the smoker sparingly with my Fire Magic BBQ unit. It was mostly because of the constant monitoring required, and also because I do a number of cooking methods in my outdoor kitchen; not just BBQ'ing. But aside from all that, I was surprised to realize that I hadn't written a review earlier. Yet frankly I'm glad I waited, as this has been a bit of a learning experience. And I would say that with all my reservations and opinions regarding improvements, I still appreciate it as a quick and easy way to convert any BBQ or home-made smoking box into an effective smoker.My setup.....You can see from my photos that I run a small, compact, outdoor kitchen. And I use my Fire Magic natural gas BBQ for everything from grilling, rotisserie, cast skillet cooking, baking and even teppanyaki style cooking with a commerical-grade hottop-grill that fits inside of the BBQ; also purchased on Amazon. Smoking is accomplished by placing the Smokechief next to one of the rotisserie access holes on the BBQ. It works perfectly, as the hole is already perfectly aligned with the smoke tube from the SmokeChief. And about the pellets...? I bought my first 20 lb bag of Mesquite from Home Depot. And yes, there are certainly many wood-type pellets out there to try on your various proteins.About the finished product.....I bought the Smoke Chief because I didn't want to reinvent the wheel. And while I still feel it was the right move, I realized early on that Smoke Chief had probably done the best they could. But their product wasn't the best solution. Overall, and with a manufacturing and electro-mechanical background, I'd say this is a valient effort. But could be improved upon greatly. and I humbly say that, as I can tell that just to get to the current model, and from looking at the selection of components, I'll bet the inventor/s had a decent number of prototypes built and modified before they finally came up with what I found in my delivered unit. So 4-Stars for doing what it promises, but an unwritten 3-Stars for lacking the refinements. And these are refinements that would have kept me from re-engineering this unit to get where I am today. And to be fair with the manufacturer, I'll also add that there are engineering and production variables that have to coordinate with one's cost of manufacturing. Ideally, we want to hit what is perceived as that optimal engineered product-price point. So I'll figure they've trimmed the retail price as much as they can, and may have stopped with the design changes-improvements, needing to get what they had to market. I'll also wager that they've either gone as far as they feel necessary, or are contemplating, or may have, a near ready for retail, updated model. Or... like many, they're just tired, and for now, are doing something else with their time. (I've been there too.)How much watching and tending do you have to do...?The answer is, way more than you'd expect. There are four issues I have with the unit. Issue #1... the short threaded smoke-exit-tube puts the unit, in my opinion, is too close to the fire-unit/BBQ/heat. That's why I played around with an equal I.D. extension tube setup. (see my photos) With my extension tube, I was able to more remote locate the smoke away from the fire/heat. And this is important why...? Because of the heat and smoke which is generated by the smoker itself and the heat of one's BBQ. That heat can trip the smoker's thermal cutoff switch. The unit, if run for quite a while, and then without fresh pellets, does physically get very hot to the touch. In fact, I've burned myself trying to hold and rotate the unit to shake out the ash. And when I've shut down the unit for a quick maintenance cycle, I've found I couldn't just turn it back on and continue smoking. THE THERMAL SENSOR and the unit itself have to cool off before you can expect the little glow-plug to reheat. For safer handling, heat insulation techniques would be a good idea. And a cooling fan, obviously separate from the smoke-distribution fan, might be employed. But certainly a physical outer cool-to-the-touch shell of some sort would be nice. Issue #3 is, as many have shared, the build-up of CREOSOTE, that black-tar build-up, that will clog the short exit tube on the unit. Without any extension tube in place, I have to clear that tube about every 15 minutes if I want optimal smoke transfers from the chamber to the BBQ. A note about using an extension tube. The small distribution fan inside the unit has enough umph to push copious amounts of smoke from the chamber to your BBQ. But adding an extension also adds backpressure which effects the smoke-flow. So when I'm using the extension tube, I have to regularly, everly 10 minutes or so, clear the entire extention and OEM tube-length with the Smokechief auger. Even if you're not using an extension, augering the tubes for creosote is very important. You'll begin to realize just how important when you clear the pipes, and all of a sudden see the unit go from little smoke back to white billowing amounts. Another comment about modifying the OEM smoke-exit tube.... I'm making a metal pipe attachment for my rotisserie hole that will start where the little tube ends, thus creating minimal if no backpressure. I may have to also add a little indirect booster fan to help move the smoke through the larger tube. (?) Item #4 is ironic... The unit does issue copius amounts of smoke... but that's somewhat of an issue, as it's better described as uncontrolled copious amounts... Someone else, last year, mentioned this issue, and the possible inclusion of a timer. That might be an issue, as once you turn off the unit, the thermal sensor may have to cool off to its' reset point. So controllable smoke; I'd like that, and may have to work on it. But unless I am missing something, this unit is an all or nothing kinda' setup.What about technique...?Take it from someone who hadn't ever run smokers. I didn't understand ;cold smoke from low and slow BBQ/smoking. In my opinion, this is more a cold smoke unit. Traeger type units use heat and smoke that's "homogenized" or mixed, to cook. This unit, in my opinion, may generate the smoke, but isn't custom engineered to mix with the heat. It's not a team player in that sense. So for my gas BBQ kitchen setup, I've finally found the sweet spot for results. I par-cook/sear my meats, and then put them on my upper rack and run the smoker. And I do this with just my back-wall rotisserie burner running on low. The smoke sinks into the food, and the low heat continues the browning and cooking, but at a very safe rate. I just last night reheated chicken thighs that were BBQ'd two days earlier. I did a rub and grill, but hadn't smoked them. So for recooking/smoking dry meats like chicken, I sometimes use a hand-spray plastic bottle to keep my meats moist; a mix of 20%-80% liquid smoke and water mixture.Summary Opinion.....After going on one year of use, I do believe that there's a place for Smokechief's smoke generator. If you have a BBQ unit, and are not planning or don't have room to add a Traeger style or better smoker, using this smoke generator is a decent way to add that "smoke flavor that you want. It will never be equal to a commericial BBQ smoker. And you won't ever get to the level of Salt Lick BBQ in Austin. But it's certainly a much more efficient method of adding smoke to your fire. I say yes, get one, if you want an intro' into smoking... BBQ style, that is.
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2016
Customer image
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome smoke unit
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2016
I have used the smoke geneator about 5 times now on my Vision ceramic grill. My brother was in town and he is the bbq king of the family. He has a couple eggs and various smokers and got his thumbs up, too.

***You must have some mechanical aptitude to adapt this to your application. For my vision grill I had to nock out the top screen behind the lower choke plate. Also, I drilled a hole in the front lower choke plate to insert an extension for the smoke tube.

***You must clean out the creosote and ashes after every use. If you are serious about smoking and enjoy it as a passion, than its a labor of love. If you are buying this, thiking its just going to plug in and stick on the side, pump smoke, put away, use next time - stick with chips or whatever you are using - this takes common sense and maintenence. But for me, the benefits far outweigh any maintenance or adapter fabrication issues.

I am smoking salmon on my Vision grill at 105 and will slowly raise the temp to 140-150 for the last hour. Also, I modified my visiobn grill by shoving a charcoal starter heating element wired to a extensiom cord with a 600 watt dimnmer, (I have PID temp controller is on order.) What this does is allowes me to pump smoke and smoke foods longer and at much lower temp. Even without the modified heating element, I could never reliably get the vision grill below 165 and consistenf and then getting consitent smoke was very hard at the low temp.

Out of the box, sitting the unit on the pation and testing for a full day... My brother decided to try to out some regualr chips in the unit. The unit shut off and we thought it was broken for a little bit. What happened is the wood chips catch fire and there is a thermal switch that shuts off the heating element when the smoke chamber exceeds rated temp.

***Construction: We took the unit apart and it is a very simple, but well thought out design. There is a small fan blowing air into the bottom of the combustion chamber. There is another tube that leads out of the unit to a small threaded pipe, on the top of the combustion chanber. In the combustion chamber, pellets drop down onto a heating element, which heats the pellets to smoking point. The smoke is exhausted out the threaded pipe on the side. Midway in the combustion chamber is a small screen that separates the incoming air, from the small fan, below, and the heating element and smoke outlet pipe, above. Very simple, air coming in and pushing smoke out. Also noted is the plunger on top which has a rubber seal so that smoke only goes out one way.

At the end of a 3 hour burn/full tube of pellets/~1cup, the untit needs to be cleaned. You will need to tip the unit upside down and tap out all of the ashes and make sure the screen holes are clear. You will need to clean out the creosote from the exhaust pipe. They provide a screw on a wooden handle that is easy enough and the creosote is thick and nasty, but it doesnt take but 5 minutes.

Use: with a cleaned out unti, a flip of the switch and you get a nice thick, pumped smoke, almost instantly. During use you may, on occasion, have to push the plunger down to force the pellets down the tube, onto the heating element.

I hope the unit lasts for a few years to come and many smokes. Points of failure will be, internal fan, thermal switch, heating probe or power supply. I wish I could get spare parts and keep on hand, because now that I'm using this I don't want to be withou it!

'Dont be a hater on my hillbilly picture. I need to make a proper shelf on the vision smoker. If you are looking for a clean metro-sexual looking smoking apparatus, go buy a shiny box that is disk chip fed for $500.

Oh, and I bought 20lb bags of different pellets at Cabellas for $13 a bag. That'll last me years! "Much more efficient and cost effective than wood chips!"
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Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2015
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2018
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4.0 out of 5 stars A Valient Effort and a solid 4-Stars... with room for engineering improvements...
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2018
UPDATE Feb. 2021: I've had this unit now for going on 4 years. Still use it, and even self-repaired the failed mini-computer-fan. But continues to crank out tons of smoke when properly maintained. Just got compact charcoal BBQ, and found a way to use it as a BBQ & smoker. I'll be posting that review soon and will edit my review to include the new found Smokehouse cold smoker application.

ORIGINAL REVIEW: I purchased this unit in August 2017 using my Amazon Prime account, based on looking at all the other generators out there. I'm now writing this review in May 2018. Up to this point, I've used the smoker sparingly with my Fire Magic BBQ unit. It was mostly because of the constant monitoring required, and also because I do a number of cooking methods in my outdoor kitchen; not just BBQ'ing. But aside from all that, I was surprised to realize that I hadn't written a review earlier. Yet frankly I'm glad I waited, as this has been a bit of a learning experience. And I would say that with all my reservations and opinions regarding improvements, I still appreciate it as a quick and easy way to convert any BBQ or home-made smoking box into an effective smoker.

My setup.....
You can see from my photos that I run a small, compact, outdoor kitchen. And I use my Fire Magic natural gas BBQ for everything from grilling, rotisserie, cast skillet cooking, baking and even teppanyaki style cooking with a commerical-grade hottop-grill that fits inside of the BBQ; also purchased on Amazon. Smoking is accomplished by placing the Smokechief next to one of the rotisserie access holes on the BBQ. It works perfectly, as the hole is already perfectly aligned with the smoke tube from the SmokeChief. And about the pellets...? I bought my first 20 lb bag of Mesquite from Home Depot. And yes, there are certainly many wood-type pellets out there to try on your various proteins.

About the finished product.....
I bought the Smoke Chief because I didn't want to reinvent the wheel. And while I still feel it was the right move, I realized early on that Smoke Chief had probably done the best they could. But their product wasn't the best solution. Overall, and with a manufacturing and electro-mechanical background, I'd say this is a valient effort. But could be improved upon greatly. and I humbly say that, as I can tell that just to get to the current model, and from looking at the selection of components, I'll bet the inventor/s had a decent number of prototypes built and modified before they finally came up with what I found in my delivered unit. So 4-Stars for doing what it promises, but an unwritten 3-Stars for lacking the refinements. And these are refinements that would have kept me from re-engineering this unit to get where I am today. And to be fair with the manufacturer, I'll also add that there are engineering and production variables that have to coordinate with one's cost of manufacturing. Ideally, we want to hit what is perceived as that optimal engineered product-price point. So I'll figure they've trimmed the retail price as much as they can, and may have stopped with the design changes-improvements, needing to get what they had to market. I'll also wager that they've either gone as far as they feel necessary, or are contemplating, or may have, a near ready for retail, updated model. Or... like many, they're just tired, and for now, are doing something else with their time. (I've been there too.)

How much watching and tending do you have to do...?
The answer is, way more than you'd expect. There are four issues I have with the unit. Issue #1... the short threaded smoke-exit-tube puts the unit, in my opinion, is too close to the fire-unit/BBQ/heat. That's why I played around with an equal I.D. extension tube setup. (see my photos) With my extension tube, I was able to more remote locate the smoke away from the fire/heat. And this is important why...? Because of the heat and smoke which is generated by the smoker itself and the heat of one's BBQ. That heat can trip the smoker's thermal cutoff switch. The unit, if run for quite a while, and then without fresh pellets, does physically get very hot to the touch. In fact, I've burned myself trying to hold and rotate the unit to shake out the ash. And when I've shut down the unit for a quick maintenance cycle, I've found I couldn't just turn it back on and continue smoking. THE THERMAL SENSOR and the unit itself have to cool off before you can expect the little glow-plug to reheat. For safer handling, heat insulation techniques would be a good idea. And a cooling fan, obviously separate from the smoke-distribution fan, might be employed. But certainly a physical outer cool-to-the-touch shell of some sort would be nice. Issue #3 is, as many have shared, the build-up of CREOSOTE, that black-tar build-up, that will clog the short exit tube on the unit. Without any extension tube in place, I have to clear that tube about every 15 minutes if I want optimal smoke transfers from the chamber to the BBQ. A note about using an extension tube. The small distribution fan inside the unit has enough umph to push copious amounts of smoke from the chamber to your BBQ. But adding an extension also adds backpressure which effects the smoke-flow. So when I'm using the extension tube, I have to regularly, everly 10 minutes or so, clear the entire extention and OEM tube-length with the Smokechief auger. Even if you're not using an extension, augering the tubes for creosote is very important. You'll begin to realize just how important when you clear the pipes, and all of a sudden see the unit go from little smoke back to white billowing amounts. Another comment about modifying the OEM smoke-exit tube.... I'm making a metal pipe attachment for my rotisserie hole that will start where the little tube ends, thus creating minimal if no backpressure. I may have to also add a little indirect booster fan to help move the smoke through the larger tube. (?) Item #4 is ironic... The unit does issue copius amounts of smoke... but that's somewhat of an issue, as it's better described as uncontrolled copious amounts... Someone else, last year, mentioned this issue, and the possible inclusion of a timer. That might be an issue, as once you turn off the unit, the thermal sensor may have to cool off to its' reset point. So controllable smoke; I'd like that, and may have to work on it. But unless I am missing something, this unit is an all or nothing kinda' setup.

What about technique...?
Take it from someone who hadn't ever run smokers. I didn't understand ;cold smoke from low and slow BBQ/smoking. In my opinion, this is more a cold smoke unit. Traeger type units use heat and smoke that's "homogenized" or mixed, to cook. This unit, in my opinion, may generate the smoke, but isn't custom engineered to mix with the heat. It's not a team player in that sense. So for my gas BBQ kitchen setup, I've finally found the sweet spot for results. I par-cook/sear my meats, and then put them on my upper rack and run the smoker. And I do this with just my back-wall rotisserie burner running on low. The smoke sinks into the food, and the low heat continues the browning and cooking, but at a very safe rate. I just last night reheated chicken thighs that were BBQ'd two days earlier. I did a rub and grill, but hadn't smoked them. So for recooking/smoking dry meats like chicken, I sometimes use a hand-spray plastic bottle to keep my meats moist; a mix of 20%-80% liquid smoke and water mixture.

Summary Opinion.....
After going on one year of use, I do believe that there's a place for Smokechief's smoke generator. If you have a BBQ unit, and are not planning or don't have room to add a Traeger style or better smoker, using this smoke generator is a decent way to add that "smoke flavor that you want. It will never be equal to a commericial BBQ smoker. And you won't ever get to the level of Salt Lick BBQ in Austin. But it's certainly a much more efficient method of adding smoke to your fire. I say yes, get one, if you want an intro' into smoking... BBQ style, that is.
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Sherryl Mashinter
5.0 out of 5 stars Works flawlessly
Reviewed in Canada on August 10, 2019
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5.0 out of 5 stars Meilleur produit sur le marché pour fumer a froid et j'en ai essayer plusieurs
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Frédéric Rousseau
5.0 out of 5 stars Meilleur produit sur le marché pour fumer a froid et j'en ai essayer plusieurs
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Meilleur produit sur le marché pour fumer a froid et j'en ai essayé beaucoup
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