I had one like that some years ago. It got used a few times and then shoved in the back of the shed because it was very hard to operate successfully. It's made of very thin tin and is open at the bottom so temperature regulation is almost impossible - you can't easily do a long slow cook because it needs constant attention. Personally I would recommend saving your money and putting it towards something better quality.

It's now OOS!! :disappointed:

Heat by the way as will prob buy a barbecue, just not this one!!

Sounds fantastic. I have most of those things already for use on my Weber kettle. I've actually been grilling for a few years! Last year I got a smokenator but it hard to direct grill burgers etc for the kids and smoke a pork shoulder for the adults! This seems like the perfect cure.

I can't see me beating this price point!

Ps on the thermometer has anyone tried to calibrate? Often they are adjustable. Use boiling water as your fixed point. :sunglasses:

You wont regret it if you decide to take the plunge, Much more satisfying way to cook outdoors and the food tastes much better than Bbq food imho

If you don't have them already, I would also consider getting a chimney starter and restaurant grade charcoal or heat beads they provide a much better and cleaner tasting food, than some of the cheaper options you can buy, that are full of dust and burn much quicker. Add a pack of wood chips to provide your smoke during cooking

Be aware of the temp difference in this machine, and work out what 225F does actually read on the faulty thermometer as that is the temp you will be looking for.

Also if you don't have one of those kitchen food temp probes getting one of those will tell you when your meat has reached its internally cooked temp depending what meat you are cooking.

Just need a slab of meat and some marinade ingredients and you are good to go.Sunday is forecast to be glorious and I am cooking some Gammon Shanks and pit beans with Baked Potatoes on my ProQ with some homemade coleslaw.

Thanks alot it may be the sunshine but I think I will take the plunge. :wink:

It is new to the market this year, but from the reviews looks very promising for a starter smoker.

Review and links to videos here. Helpful group if you join the forum and have any further questions, that need answering about this unit or just general questions about smokers or cooking on them in general.

Never heard of the Callow Smoker. Is it good seems like a bargain. Seriously tempted!

Had one for a couple of years,this will be its last year I think as paint peeling,handles dropping off etc.
Rubbish as a smoker but not bad as a BBQ with lid. Won't buy again though.

I bought 1 last year there rubbish don't sit right don't waste your money

I have this exact smoker - purchased about about 18 months ago. As others have said, metal is very thin and flimsy and does not hold heat anywhere near well enough (vital for proper low and slow cooking). Requires constant monitoring to even vaguely maintain a constant-ish temp and even then it eats the charcoal (because of heat loss).

I gave up after 6 months and bought a Pro-Q, much better quality and on a 6/8 hour cook it uses about a 1/3rd of the charcoal than this model. You get what you pay for with smokers and buying this; although very cheap, is very much a false economy.

I have kept mine and use it as a cold smoker (with a sawdust burner thing in the bottom) - perfect for this.

[quote=daichchow]yes I totally agree... save up for one of these... green egg
really??? .... not exactly a viable alternative for someone who's looking at a £26 barbeque

Couldn't this cheap one be modified with a bit of insulation (rocket stove style?)

great buy

I believe your money may be better invested in the Callow Bullet Smoker at £99 if you are looking for a starter smoker. Although the ops is only £26, Unless you have a lot of patience and willing to do some mods to retain heat, it will probably end up discarded after the first couple of attempts.

The Callow has good reviews from the forums I use and the only bad aspect with it, is the built in thermometer is roughly 30 c out in the heat temperature readings. But you can buy a digital thermometer as this unit has probe holes in it. To give more accurate readings

Also the rack system supplied with this enables you to hang your fish or bacon to cold smoke if you add something like this to it ProQ Cold Smoke Generator once you have cured and cold smoked your own bacon, you will be hooked. So much better than full of water supermarket stuff

Obviously this doesn't compete with the very cheap price of the ops listing, but for an out of the box bullet smoker that works, the Callow is hard to beat as a first timers unit,.

I have moved on to a £300 ProQ Frontier this year but the callow has many of the features and build from what I have seen of it for £200 less.

You leave it outside, unless you are going to put a ramp to the shed you will never lift a green egg over the lip. My mate has the giant one- it is so large a grown man can climb inside, is well over £3k with the wheels etc, and weighs 200kg. Even restaurants don't have them.

Just get a Weber Smokey Mountain if you want a steel smoker. If you want a Komodo, get a Green Egg if you can afford it or Costco don't do a bad one for about £550. Forget this as an absolute waste of time, a real Barbecue (wo)man wouldn't waste their time with this! Now I'm off to Bookers for some 'meaty ribs'....

I was just about to buy it for a wood burner! Thanks for the reviews! But heat added for the idea

Perfect for a starter. I still have my cheap bullet style smoker and another more expensive one. Anyone starting out could still produce some fantastic results with this, you just have to check it more often. Heat added!

Have heard stories of these because of their build the metal contracting and bending that they no longer sit on each other correctly and your smoke and heat will being to escape before it reaches the food.
You can smoke with something as simple as a standard Weber kettle and see how you get on before jumping into the deep end with an Egg or Smoky Mountain.

Exactly what the wife says about me...in my man cave :wink:

Dam they are expensive! Looks cool, but still, that's a lot of money for something that will spend a lot of time in the shed!

They are useless, save your money for a weber smokey mountain, pro q or ceramic

I had one like that some years ago. It got used a few times and then shoved in the back of the shed because it was very hard to operate successfully. It's made of very thin tin and is open at the bottom so temperature regulation is almost impossible - you can't easily do a long slow cook because it needs constant attention. Personally I would recommend saving your money and putting it towards something better quality.