Saturday, August 29, 2009

The Time Traveler's Wife

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A dazzling novel in the most untraditional fashion, this is the remarkable story of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who travels involuntarily through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare's passionate love affair endures across a sea of time and captures the two lovers in an impossibly romantic trap, and it is Audrey Niffenegger's cinematic storytelling that makes the novel's unconventional chronology so vibrantly triumphant.

An enchanting debut and a spellbinding tale of fate and belief in the bonds of love, The Time Traveler's Wife is destined to captivate readers for years to come.

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Technical Details

- ISBN13: 9780156029438
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
- Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices
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Customer Buzz
 "Nice Fluff Reading" 2009-08-29
By AlySedai (NN, VA)
I'll be honest. I had owned this book for some time, but didn't pick it up to read it until the movie came out. I'm one of those people who refuses to see the movie if I haven't read the book.



I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up the book. At first, the whole plot seems a little absurd. Here's a man who time travels around with seemingly no explanation, rhyme, or reason. But then the story got to me. And I got to thinking. It is more than just that. This is a love story (sure, at some points it borders on cheezy Harlequinesqe plot) that asks the question do we have any choice with whom we fall in love? When Henry first comes to Claire, he is so in love with her...and he basically pushes her toward being in love with him. But he is in his 40's and she is only 6. Then, in the future, Claire finally meets Henry...who has no idea who she is. And she is so deeply in love with him, that he cannot help but fall in love with her. It's an interesting paradox. They basically have zero choice in the matter of the relationship. I think that's one of the most interesting things about this book.



All in all, it is a good fluff read. If you enjoy a good love story, it's a great book to curl up with and read. It has an interesting story, lots of romance, and deals with some serious topics, if albeit very briefly. Sure, some of the characters could have been explored more in depth, and that probably would have made the book stronger. It is, however, a good read which doesn't require a whole lot of thought to get into...which, for a summer read, is perfect.

Customer Buzz
 "Entertaining but not a challenge" 2009-08-29
By Book Dork (Southern California)
The Time Traveler's Wife is the type of book you bring to the beach, the airport, or the doctor's office; entertaining but definitely not a literary challenge.



What Made Me Finish:

- The actual premise of the novel, time travel and how it connects two people throughout their lives, was interesting and unique.

- The skipping around through different time periods was fun and nostalgic.

- Niffenegger does a good job capturing and describing the emotions the characters feel during the various phases of their lives.

- While I do have issues with the writing, I will say that the author does use foreshadowing in an effective way. Certain events and situations are alluded to throughout the novel that make you want to continue reading in order to find out what really does happen.



Problems

- Every time the narration switches from Henry to Clare the author indicates this with a name heading. I found this very unnecessary; the reader should be perceptive enough to determine who's narrating by the style, tone, and events. I feel that she is writing "for the masses," assuming that the people who are reading aren't intelligent enough to figure this out. While this may be the case, let us all remember the Pygmalion Effect.

- The writing as a whole isn't impressive; descriptions often seemed forced, as does several instances of dialogue.

- At times certain elements of time travel became repetitive; I understand that Henry is naked every time he travels. I don't need to be told every time this happens that he is embarrassed, running around naked and trying to find clothes. It's a given.

- I felt that there should have been more attention paid to the idea and struggle of changing fate; it appeared to be an underlying theme in the novel when it probably should have been more prominent.



I appreciated the imagination that went into developing the plot and characters but was a little disappointed in the literary quality. I recommend it as a "fun book," perhaps sandwiched between some Dostoyevsky and DeLillo.

Customer Buzz
 "Neat concept but poor execution" 2009-08-29
By Amazon Buyer
I give this book kudos for being a page turner and for having a really neat concept done quite well. My problem with this book is that character development. The book coins itself as an epic love story, and yet I never really feel the love. The emotions and the reasons behind them do not seem very real. For this reason, I never really fell in love with the characters like I have in other "romance" novels like "The Notebook."



Pros: Very interesting concept

Cons: Poor character development

Customer Buzz
 "read this years ago..." 2009-08-29
By ChristyW (Virginia)
I read this book a few years ago & it is still one of my favorite reads. It is like no other book you will ever read. It is heartwreching, wonderful, unique love story with a time travel element. This books is tragic & beautiful. I cannot say enough about it. It's so different that it's hard to explain...just read it!

Customer Buzz
 "Review of The Time Traveler's Wife" 2009-08-29
By P. R. Lewis (Southeast LA, USA)
The format of the novel is that of reading journal entries for the two main characters, Henry and Clare. Since time travel is involved, the entries are listed giving the date and the age of the characters, however, not in chronological order. This provides the reader with a feel for the spontaneity of time travel. The novel is neither boring nor predictable. I found that the journalistic format allows the reader to develop a personal understanding and an attachment to the characters and to the unique situation they endure throughout their lives. Without giving the story away, I'll say that I enjoyed it immensely - it kept my interest, kept me reading long after I should have been asleep, and had me going through a full range of emotions. The characters had a deep love for one another, but I can't imagine trying to sustain a relationship under the hardship created by time traveling. All in all a very good book. Well-crafted writing; the author fills the book with detailed descriptions that create visions in the reader's mind. The author has given the timeworn idea of a romance novel a unique twist for the enjoyment of her readers. You won't go wrong with this book. It's a keeper.


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Friday, August 7, 2009

Paranoia

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By the New York Times bestselling author of High Crimes, Paranoia is a Grisham-esque thriller set in a post-boom 21st century economy. With his personal life in decay, a late twenty-something gets caught in one stupid act that spirals out of control threa
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Technical Details

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Customer Buzz
 "Reads like a first draft" 2009-08-05
By Peter Wright (Portland, OR United States)
Paranoia reads like a first draft -- lacks polish and development, character, richness of setting. The result is a bland walk through the life of a jaded protagonist. There is fodder for a good tale here, though in this packaged it's severely underdeveloped. Like other reviewers, I found myself skimming faster and faster as I moved through the book, very disappointed in the overall experience.



Normally, I'd simply stop reading, and wouldn't give much time to writing in about books I don't enjoy. In this case, there appears to be a more systemic problem: The notion of the free download for the Kindle is suspect. That this book has been propelled to the top of the downloads list naturally is bunk, and further illustrates for me that the best sellers list is likely contaminated with publisher kickbacks.

Customer Buzz
 "Yes, yes, yes, super good read" 2009-08-05
By Gina K (PA, USA)
Come on folks, this Kindle book is for FREE and it is great! I laughed, I bit my nails. I read nonstop. The story starts off with a disgruntled cubicle dweller who decides to make a stand by hacking into the corporate account to fund a retirement party for the loading dock guy. Funny and immature, our hero is quickly caught and thrown into a "deal with the devil," his boss. Spy on a competitor or get turned in and go to jail. So off he goes, playing undercover employee in the competitor company. Can he pull off finding out the biggest secret the rivals have while trying to stay sane with a crazy father? And, he grows, in maturity, commitment, responsibility. Lots of suspenseful moments as he meanders his way through the new place only to land squarely at the top, as right hand guy to the big gun. Then, in another evolutionary step, his remaining shred of conscience kicks in and he decides that HE will start calling the shots....Won't spoil the story by giving away the ending, but after you read it, tell me...did you REALLY see it coming? Can't wait for a sequel.

Customer Buzz
 "The need for sleep is the only reason I put this book down..." 2009-08-04
By C. Webb
This book literally kept me awake at nights. It's so engrossing and exciting that I just couldn't put it down--I literally just passed out reading it each night and woke up the next morning starting it again. Luckily I was on vacation when I began it. I haven't felt this way about a book in a long time and I'm just so excited to have found a great new author to add to my favorites!

Customer Buzz
 "Engrossing Corporate Thriller From Beginning to End!!" 2009-08-04
By Kevin Currie-Knight (Newark, Delaware)
I often have a hard time with thrillers. One reason for this is that most of the ones I've read tend to have very lackluster characters. Another reason is that too many thrillers I've read cross the line of believability and become so unreal that it becomes hard to take them seriously.



This is why I was pleasantly surprised by Joseph Finder's "Paranoia." The main character, reluctant corporate spy Adam Cassidy, is quite well drawn, as is his relationships to other characters. Needless to say, the plot is very well thought out and well paced. (This is "needless to say" because I understand that this is typical of Finder's novels). While this very complex tale of corporate espionage and con-artistry could have become over-the-top and unbelievable, Finder straddles the line well between being intriguing and still staying plausible.



What I liked best about Paranoia was Finder's ability to convey the main character's struggle with the divided loyalty of espionage. Who is Cassidy working for: the "former" boss who is blackmailing him into being a mole, or the "new" employer who he is spying on (but growing to like)? And can Adam Cassidy keep his stories straight when telling different people different things in order to avoid detection? The ending, while not entirely unforeseeable, is quite marvelous and strangely satisfying.



Paranoia is a top-notch thriller with unbelievable intensity. For a 484 pager, it moves suprisingly well. Quite simply, this is a book that any thriller fan (especially those who frantasize about the business world beyond cubicles and spreadsheets) should not miss!

Customer Buzz
 "Nonstop Intensitiy" 2009-08-04
By A. Dobbs (Kingsport, TN USA)
I could not put the book down until I finished. There was excitement and suspense lurking around every chapter. The chapters seemed to end with a cliffhanger wanting you to jump right into the next chapter. This is the first book I've read by this author, but will probably not be the last.


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Meco 5030 Electric Grill and Combination Water Smoker

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Satin Black Electric Water Smoker, Two 15.5 Daimeter Grids, Built-in Heat Indicator With Two Acess Doors
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Technical Details

- Electric Water Smoker
- 1650 Watt Heating Element
- Removable Thermostat
- Heat Resistant Wood side and Hood Handles
- 351 Square Inches of Cooking Surface
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Customer Buzz
 "Junk!" 2009-08-02
By Kurt W. Baumgarten (Mendon, MA United States)
Total wast of money. Will not heat up enough to cook anything unless you plan to cook it over the course of three to four days. Because the heating element it soo cheap and the fit of the rest of the smoker is loose - it will not hold even enough heat to generate smoke. The design of having a smoking pan at the bottom that is also the base for the heating element just does not work. It even has a hole in the middle of the smoking pan for ???What??? I dont know. Its a water smoker and has a water pan between the element and the meat - so it cant be for a drip cup. Just an all around aweful thing. I went out to Lowes and bought a Brinkman $89 electric water smoker that does a MUCH better job. Amazon should not even sell these as they really are not fit for use. Total garbage and now in the garbage!

Customer Buzz
 "DON'T BUY! - Lasted 9 months: Already THROWN Away - Electrical Problems" 2008-10-16
By K. Laere (San Francisco, CA)
I'm editing my review (thanks Amazon) less than a year later (about 9 months) to tell you I've already TRASHED this smoker. I have run into the same exact problem other have, namely the dreaded electic element/controller burnout. Don't believe me? Check out Amazon's own page on the replacement element (http://www.amazon.com/Meco-Replacement-Heating-Element-Grills/dp/B0000CGEQX/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1247782625&sr=1-1) which gets a two star review by the way. The reviews on the side of the main Meco 5030 page tell the story, as others mention the power problems.



I noticed that the smoker had been having temperature issues and ended up checking the electrode of the heating element. Sure enough, one had cracked completely where it joined the element, and melted (metal) itself so that it wasn't straight anymore. The electic controller had plastic burn marks at the hole and the conductors where burned as well. I even thought about shelling out the $50 bucks to replace these parts, but then noticed that people were having these issues over and over again, even with the replacments!



If you buy this smoker, you expose yourself to a systematic defect since there seem to be numerous instances of this. I can't believe this grill didn't last a year. On top of that, the wire grills are rusted out and have lost their coating and the thermostat is broken as well.



Planned Obsolescence? Perhaps, but they won't be getting any more of MY money. I'm buying a new smoker: the Old Smokey Electric. So long, Meco. There's a reason why the smoker gets lots of one and two star reviews.



DON'T BUY!

Customer Buzz
 "Not well built" 2008-09-02
By SMK (New Mexico)
This smoker creates some terrific Bar B Q, but the construction of this smoker is disappointing. After two years of use, we have to replace it. The metal lid warped the first time it was used, which means the lid and body don't fit together well. The biggest problem, though, is that the electric control is flimsy and must be jiggled constantly or it stops cooking. This smoker was recommended by Cook's Magazine, and while the food is terrific, poor construction means that after only two years of infrequent use, we have to replace it.

Customer Buzz
 "Great Performance at a Good Price" 2008-08-08
By Timothy S. Shropshire (Boulder, Colorado)
First let me say that I am not a cook, But I have gotten nothing but rave reviews on the BBQ briskets and chicken that I have done on this great little smoker. An eight pound brisket fits quite well on the top shelf, while a chicken and some links snuggle on the bottom shelf. I followed the cooking times given in the Meco instruction sheet for all items, and the results are Great! Both mesquite and hickory have yielded excellent flavors. We can't wait to try some other fruitwoods and rubs.



Given the price of this smoker, I find the quality to be right on. I can, and have, recommended this water smoker to friends and family. It is well made, Very easy to use and very easy to clean up (both grates and the water pan clean up well on the pots-n-pans setting on our dishwasher).



If you are looking for a good, easy-to-use home smoker, look no further ... You've Found It in the Meco.

Customer Buzz
 "Quality control stinks" 2008-07-05
By D. Vawter (Aurora, CO USA)
The first shipment arrived missing the heating element. The replacement arrived with a damaged bowl. Fortunately I had not yet returned the first one so I managed to cobble one together by combining parts. Assembling was not too bad, given that the manual did not have step by step pictures but only a picture of the overall assembly.



I really can't comment on the smoker's performance yet as I have only used it once. At least it didn't blow a fuse and given the poor quality control exhibited I had my doubts about that.



I will probably keep it unless it fails to perform correctly but I cannot recommend anyone purchase it given the quality control issues.


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Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Brinkmann 810-5000-0 All-In-One Outdoor Cooker, Black

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The All-In-One is the most versatile outdoor cooking system ever offered. It's modular design enables the All-In-One to be used as an LP gas grill, LP gas water smoker, charcoal grill, charcoal water smoker, or gas cooker/fryer with 170,000 BTU adjustable high/low burner. The body features two chrome plated steel cooking grills for a 50 pound cooking capacity. A heat indicator in the lid eliminates guesswork and the wooden handles stay cool to the touch. Also includes a drip pan/ash guard, porcelain enamel water pan, lava rocks, and gas hose and regulator. Propane tank and pot not included.
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Technical Details

- Versatile cooker can fry, grill, or smoke with gas, or grill or smoke with charcoal
- Dome lid fits every configuration; heat indicator; stay-cool wooden handles
- 2 chrome-plated steel grills will accommodate up to 50 pounds of food
- Aluminized base pan; porcelain-enamel water pan; assembly required
- Measures 17 by 17 by 45 inches; 1-year limited warranty
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Customer Buzz
 "Crude but effective" 2008-01-28
By stephenghowe (Frederick, MD USA)
I've been through two prior Brinkmann smokers, a Gourmet Electric (converted to charcoal) and an El Cheapo Brinkmann ("ECB"). The bottom of the Gourmet rotted out quickly, and each would wander the neighborhood when things got windy. Not entirely a waste of money, because I learned about Brinkmann designs, and how tedious and distracting it is to smoke things with charcoal. With the ECB, I experienced the shock of seeing large flames consume most of the paint, like one other reviewer said. The smokers have thin metal, so they do not retain heat anything like a Weber.



There must be something about these crude smokers that brings me back. Maybe it's the low price, maybe its because making them work can be challenging.



The All In One is a grin inducing collection of assorted Brinkmann parts; an uncharacteristically well built propane burner, a Gourmet style charcoal pan on top, and an ECB on top of that. The propane burner's high output negates the poor heat retention of the ECB while wasting energy. The burner is heavy, and is not about to blow around the neighborhood. Unlike the Gourmets, there is no flimsy sheet metal pan on the ground rusting away; the burner's legs are made out of thick steel, the charcoal pan is high off the ground. The ECB part is characteristically cheesy and lightweight, and wind will blow it away unless it is held to the base somehow (I just use a smoker cover, the whole thing falls over, but stays put). Just like other Brinkmanns, the ECB and Gourmet charcoal pan designs are not designed to keep rain out, so a cover is a must.



The aluminized charcoal pan started rusting immediately after use. I started wiping it with oil after each use to slow the rusting. I also recommend putting the lava rocks in a ziplock bag after each use, to avoid scratches when the wind blows it over and the rocks spread out in the cover.



Brinkmann warns that the paint will catch fire unless you follow directions and are (very) careful. It's surprising they would knowingly create and sell something with that problem, obviously there are baked enamels that don't do that (look at Weber). The metal is thin, I'm not surprised to hear somebody had a burn through. You are supposed to season it with oil, and be careful with heat. It is easy to set the paint on fire with charcoal (oiled or not), but it should be easy to avoid that with propane; you have a lot of control with propane, and there's a charcoal pan and lava rocks between the flame and the ECB. Considering the cost and the risk, stick to the propane when smoking.



The "bubble test" mentioned by another user adds more excitement; it suggests that Brinkmann does not trust their burner hose. In fact the hose has a cheap, shiny, solid plastic look. Then, there's no automatic shut off if the flame goes out. Do not set it and forget it! Check it constantly.



If you need something idiot proof, this is the opposite. If you are reasonably mechanical and careful, you get a lot of outdoor cooking capabilities for a low price.



Bass Pros sells this for $99 with a two gallon frying pot and strainer. Outstanding deal. At that price, you won't feel nearly as bad when the paint ignites.

Customer Buzz
 "wicked fast delivery" 2008-01-01
By Steven R. Coates (ocala, fl)
we ordered this as Christmas gift on a monday, it came in on thursday with all of the parts and no damage to the box.

Customer Buzz
 "all-in-one-charcoal-lp-grill" 2007-11-16
By Florian Zigan (Brighton, Colorado)
This is a great grill, takes a while to heat the lava rock for grilling with propane.

I rated it 4 star because of its low price and pretty simple assembly,

however I think the company needs more quality control in their shipping division.

It was poorly packaged and parts were bent and the cover was mising,

I called Brinkman and I had to fax original invoice and they will send lid.

The lavarock bag was torn because of poor packaging and put the red dust on everything in the box.

the drip pan does not fit well under the legs, to small???

All in all, for an inexpensive all around grill that takes up very little space, this is the I would buy again.

Andy Z

Customer Buzz
 "All in One Cooker-Smoker" 2007-08-05
By Wayne Woodall (Gulfport, MS)
This product is terrific! It is very easy to assemble, taking about 20 minutes if you take your time to do the job. It works great! Perfect smoked baby-back ribs are possible every time since the fire never actually goes out! If you are looking for a smoker that you can use occasionally as a cooker or conventional grill, this is the product for you!

Customer Buzz
 "Good starter smoker" 2007-06-14
By Ben (California)
i've had this smoker for about 5 months. it took some experimentation to figure out the best way to do things, but now that i've got it down, i'm pretty pleased with it. assembly was straightfoward. mine came with a water bowl that had a lot of paint chips missing, so i called brinkmann and they sent me a new one, without making me send the old one back.



the instructions don't mention curing the smoker, but IMO this is a very important step. don't throw your food in this thing without curing it. the first time you get it hot, a lot of paint burns off! spray the inside with oil, like the manual says, then run the smoker on medium high heat for an hour or so with nothing in it.



build quality is so-so. the welds are a little sloppy, but probably good enough. the lid doesn't fit perfectly, but close enough. the temp gauge is a joke. it doesn't show actual temperature, just warm/ideal/hot. it stopped working after a few smoking sessions. i drilled a small hole in the side of the smoker and inserted an $8 instant-read thermometer to monitor temps. it works well, and very little smoke is lost through the hole when the probe isn't in there.



smoking with gas is pretty convenient. it is a little hard to keep the temp low with the gas burner. like another reviewer said, put the gas on low, and adjust the air intake so that the flame turns yellow, instead of blue. the yellow flame is less hot, and allows you to keep the gas flowing at a rate where it won't blow out so easily. you can keep the smoker at 200F like this. smoking with gas isn't completely fire and forget though. you do have to add wood occasionally on longer smokes. wood chunks last longer and are easier to work with than chips.



if you need to use lower temps, go with charcoal. start the smoker with about 23 well lit coals to get 200F. i took the advice of another reviewer and put a 14.5" grill grate in the bottom of the smoker, to keep the coals off the bottom. this helps a lot to keep the coals burning after some ash has accumulated. unfortunately, this smoker has no adjustable air vents to control the temp with charcoal. other charcoal smokers are probably less work, since you can control the temp with air vents, instead of the with amount of coals. i find i have to add new coals about every hour, so charcoal is definitely more work when smoking for longer periods. however, it is kind of fun to be working with coals, as long as you don't have other things to attend to. using a chimney starter for the coals makes things much easier.



one of the reasons i got this smoker was to compare gas smoking to charcoal. using charcoal, the meat does come out a little more smoky, probably because the charcoal provides some smoke, as well as the wood. however, the flavor is not necessarily superior with charcoal, just smokier, IMO.



one of the first issues i struggled with was where to place the wood chips in this smoker. i bought a metal chip box to put the chips in. this makes cleanup much easier, as you don't have to separate the ashes from the lava rocks afterward. a chip box really should have been included with the smoker. i first tried putting the chip box on top of the rocks, but it doesn't get hot enough to smoke when you're cooking with gas at low temps. i had to move some rocks aside and place the chip box flush against the bottom of the smoker. when using charcoal, i just place the chip box right on top of the coals. putting the wood by itself on the coals causes it to burn and flame up, which produces bad flavors. you just want smoldering wood, not flames.



there is no door for adding chips or coals, but when you lift the upper section off the smoker, very little heat is lost, as shown by my instant read thermometer. the hot air stays inside the upper section, as long as you don't take the lid off. having the entire bottom of the smoker exposed makes accessing coals and/or wood quite easy. you just have to be careful not to spill any water when removing the upper section. don't fill the water pan too full.



using gas, this thing doesn't make a good grill. it takes an absurd amount of gas to get it hot enough for grilling. it does work, but sure is wasteful. this is surprising, because the burner seems strong enough, but somehow it just doesn't transfer enough heat to the rocks. probably a lot of heat is lost out the sides when the burner is really roaring. using charcoal, it works ok as a grill, as long as you have the extra grate in the bottom. when charcoal smoking, you can move a grill grate to the bottom position right above the coals and sear your meat for a little caramelization. i haven't used the burner for frying yet, but i'm sure it would do a good job.



overall, i'm still glad i bought this smoker. it's my first smoker, and i think it's a good one to start with. at some point, i'll probably upgrade to a more serious charcoal-only offset smoker, but i'll keep this one around for those longer smoking sessions, such as turkeys, where i don't want to be hovering over the smoker all day long.


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Charbroil O2 Smoker

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Technical Details

- Smoke is increased by flow of oxygen from the bottomof the smoker box
- Bottom pan catches ash keeping smoking chips clean from ash buildup
- Unique and patent pending design
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Customer Buzz
 "Works okay...but it broke" 2009-05-27
By Zee Bee (Los Angeles, CA)
Well used it today for the first time. At first I looked at it I thought oh nice 'its made of cast iron' I was certain it would outlast my cheap bbq pro grill (got it for $50 on sale!).

Well I put in some wood chips (soaked in water for 30 mins, and tossed it in the 'Charbroil O2 Smoker' placed the smoker on my coals (I use lump charcoal - burns hotter, low ash, natural).



Anyway, I was cooking with the dome off, and the wood chips caught fire; I put the dome on and closed off the vents. After a 30 seconds smoke starts leaking out (indicates the fire is gone out) I lift the dome the fire starts up again and I hear a crack. Turns out the smoker broke in 2 pieces. Didnt expect that from cast iron, but for the 30 minute duration that it did work, it was great.



It most probably broke because of the intense heat from the chips catching on fire. So you should be fine if you can get rid of the flames quick enough.

Customer Buzz
 "MMMM, Smoky" 2007-08-02
By S. Jones (Central Ohio)
Love the smoker box, my chips took half the time to begin to smoke, and seemed to be a bit more intense. Wish it was a bit deeper to allow for more chips.



About an hour in to the heat being on the box, one of the corners cracked from the corner stand hole to the top of the smoker. The box has been used since without issues.


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Masterbuilt M7P 7-in-1 Smoker and Grill with Pan and Basket Set

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Known for quality and innovation, Masterbuilt's cooking products set the standard. If your looking to get the most flavor out of your food, then the 7 in 1 Smoker and Grill has everything your looking for. This quality smoker/grill features propane smoking and grilling, charcoal smoking and grilling, a deep fryer, boiling/steaming, and camp cooking.
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Technical Details

- Smoker and grill with 10-1/2-quart aluminum pot and basket
- Uses propane or charcoal; can also boil/steam, camp cook, and deep-fry
- Porcelain flame disk bowl; solid-steel 19-inch LP gas-cooker stand
- Cast-iron burner; temperature gauge; cool-touch handles for safety
- Measures approximately 18 by 18 by 26-1/2 inches; 1-year limited warranty
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Char-Broil Electric Water Smoker

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The Char-Broil Electric Water Smoker takes the standard vertical barrel chamber and utilizes a 1650 watt heating element to smoke or barbecue food. The heating element is controlled by a 5-foot electric cord and a temperature dial. The grill comes with both a charcoal pan and a water pan to help provide great smoke flavor that also absorbs the moisture from whatever liquid is used. A large door provides easy access to both pans. The grill includes two chrome cooking grids that provide a total of 380 square inches of total cooking space.
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Technical Details

- 1650-watt heating element that plugs into the wall and has a dial for easy temperature control
- Included charcoal pan and porcelain coated water pan for smoking and barbecuing
- Large door for easy access to the pans
- Two chrome cooking grids for a total of 380 square inches of total cooking area
- Integrated heat indicator for monitoring temperature
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Customer Buzz
 "Good Product Overall When Used Properly" 2008-07-21
By Robert M
The problems most people are having with this smoker are due to connecting an extension cord. I tried using a 25' 12 gage cord and the burner barely warmed up. Plugged in directly, it burned my finger. So if you don't have a good location close to an outlet, this one may not work well for you. Yes, drill a hole at the bottom of the unit for drainage and add a thermometer indicating degrees and smoke at 225 F or so. Another must is adding some kind of vent to the top of the lid. I pulled a baffle from a discarded BBQ unit, drilled some holes for ventilation and made myself an adjustable smoke ejector. If you do not do this, the food in my opinion gets way too smokey. If you get a sick feeling after eating over-smoked food, then this will solve your problem. Another thing others have done is drilled holes (I put in four) around the burner casing to allow air to be drawn up. This sets up a draft from bottom to top and out the holes you drilled for the vent and works quite well. If you use a 7/8" hole saw for these holes, you can always plug them with the electrical plugs used to seal junction boxes. The construction of the unit is quite heavy and has a quality feel to it. I also use a Brinkman charcoal smoker, but I like the idea of having tight temperature control and two cooking platforms.

Customer Buzz
 "awful, must have been defective" 2007-09-02
By Steven T. Engle (Phoenix, AZ)
i left a cut up chicken in there for 3 hours and nothing happened. the tempature never made it to 200 even. The meat was about 10% cooked when i gave up and finished it on the grill. I was looking forward to some smoked meats for Labor Day, alas, the grill will have to do. :( I used a 14 gauge cord as well so that wasn't the issue. never saw any smoke, it never got hot, they say where theres smoke there's fire, never saw either one or heat over 190.

Customer Buzz
 "Certainly a 'budget' smoker. " 2007-07-14
By T. Dennison
It seems you either see a "GREAT SMOKER" review with 5 stars, or a "THIS IS A HORRIBLE SMOKER" review with 1 star. Well, they're both wrong. I'm going to tell you the straight up truth about this smoker.



I bought it about a year ago and have used it, maybe, 10-12 times. I'll be honest, if I had better results, I would have used it much more. The truth is, the thermostat did burn out on mine after about 6-7 uses. Not short out, burn out. It melted the plastic surrounding, and just couldn't take the heat the heating element puts out. I used another thermostat from one of our other kitchen appliances, got about another 5-6 uses out of that, and the same thing happened. With both of these, the inside temp never got above 210 (the thermostat dial turned up to the max), which was a tiny bit lower than I wanted for smoking purposes.



The reviews about using a heavy duty (low gauge like 14-15) extension cord are ABSOLUTELY correct! I read them recently, tried it, and sure enough, I got about 250-260 degrees heat, the coils were bright red, and I had to turn down the thermostat (a new one) dial to achieve my desired 220 smoking temp.



Bottom line: it's a cheap smoker, that's why you bought it cheap, and you shouldn't expect high grade smoking quality barbeque. If I had the chance again, I'd probably spend an extra 50-100 bucks and get a more reliable smoker. Good luck. And go to H.D., buy a $6 temperature gauge (one with the degrees included), drill a small hole in the top of the lid and bolt it in. The temp gauge it comes with is horrible, without degrees, and completely unreliable.

Customer Buzz
 "Dangerous element, dangerous information" 2007-05-17
By BilHerd (Blackwood, NJ USA)
The heating element was shorted to the bracket, literally inside the element. Casual observation looked like the material that holds and insulated the conductor broke down allowing contact with the edge/bracket. When I spoke with Charbroil they asked if I used an extension cord, in a couple of cases I used my good heavy duty 14 gauge cord.



The rep assured me that that was the problem, I must use a 16awg cord, which is smaller (worse) then what I used. She also assured me that they wouldn't cover the unit if a better cord was used, because it gets "power". I then asked if I could plug it straight in to the outlet to which they replied "yes". I tried to relate that a better cord is more like plugging directly in to the outlet, "on no, it needs to be a 16guage orange extension cord."



Guess I will shop for a new unit rather than fix one that requires the use of an extension cord as a voltage dropping device.

Customer Buzz
 "waste of money" 2007-01-25
By Nicholas D. Mogzec (slc,utah)
I have to agree with the bad reviews, I used this smoker 6 times and the element burned out ,of course a replacement was 40.00. I purchased it new on sale for 65.00. It is now a charcoal smoker.Unless you have money to burn!I would not recomend this item.


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Brinkmann 810-5301-C Smoke-N-Grill Double Smoker

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Brinkmann 810-5301-C smoke-N-grill double smoker.
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Technical Details

- Double grill charcoal smoker and grill with heat indicator and front hinged chrome door
- Two chrome-plated steel grills for 50-pound cooking capacity
- Wooden handles
- Porcelain-coated steel water and charcoal pans
- Black
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Customer Buzz
 "Wonderful Product, AWFUL company - Beware!" 2009-05-21
By C. Payson
My husband pined for a smoker for almost a decade, but the high prices always scared him off. So when we found this cute little dual smoker/grill on sale at the local hardware store, we picked it right up.



Getting home, my husband immediately began to assemble it. Because my husband believes that assembly directions are a last-resort, we did not discover that the three support-brackets were missing until it was nearly assembled and therefore impossible to return to the store.



Following the instructions written on a large paper AND within the instruction booklet saying "Missing Parts? Call Us!" we called the 800-number which sent us to an automated "leave your name & number here" message that said we would be put on an automatic callback queue. Two weeks later with NO callback, we tried again and found that there is NO way to get to an actual human via this phone number - OR the three other numbers listed on their website. We then tried using their email customer service... which was also ignored for an entire week.



After a week of no email response, we sent a complaint to the BBB. Miraculously, within a day we had a phone call! We were not home when they called, but there was a complete message on our answering machine describing how to go about faxing our request to the company - which we did the next morning. One week later, I received a second phone call. This CS rep had no record of our faxed request. I immediately faxed a second request directly to her along with the initial request & confirmation of receipt sent by their company a week prior, and somehow THEN they were able to find the initial fax request but had no idea how it could have been "lost."



One week later, after having the smoker for a full month the brackets finally came in. I must admit that the smoker is WONDERFUL! It works well, seems as if it will last for quite some time, and grills & smokes perfectly. Truly, I love the grill and the smoker is fast becoming our favorite way to cook meat & veggies simultaneously!



My advice? Make sure yours has all the parts BEFORE you begin assembling it. The product is wonderful - but the customer service was nonexistent!

Customer Buzz
 "Straight To The Point..." 2009-02-15
By Dennis Hunter
Brinkmann's Smoke N Grill is perfect for the beginning smoker. What makes it perfect is the fact that it doesn't have all the fancy gadgets of the higher priced smokers and one has to actually learn how to make this contraption work by way of trial and error. Controlling cooking temperatures is a tedious task because there are no vents and the top has plenty of space between it and the body which allows alot of heat to escape. Modifications can be made to the unit which in turn will enhance its performance. Look around online for ECB modifications (El Cheapo Brinkmann)and you'll be glad you did the mods which will make things so much easier for you.

Customer Buzz
 "very good" 2009-02-04
By Roxanna Grenfell
I got this for my sons birthday and he was very happy with it. i didn't know anything about smokers and was looking for something to get muy son when I came across the smoker and I know he likes smoked meat so I read all about it and it sounded just right. He loves it says it is one of the best ones made.

Customer Buzz
 "Brinkman Smoker" 2008-11-03
By T. Porter (Port Orange, FL)
Best smoker for the money anywhere. You can buy a more expensive smoker but this one does what it's designed to do and that's put mouth watering ribs on my table. Baby back ribs are foolproof in this smoker.

Customer Buzz
 "Smokes well, not very hot" 2008-10-14
By Ken Morenz (San Diego, Ca. U.S.A.)
I purchased this smoker at Home Depot this summer. It creates a lot of smoke and has lots of room for food, so I do like it. That said, I have yet to have anything come off of it cooked properly. Yeah, some of it is me getting used to using it, but if used as it was designed, the temperature never comes higher than the low end of ideal"; usually it sits in the upper end of "cold". I tried using a full chimney starter of briquettes, and even adding new ones after dumping. My theory is that the pan of water really keeps the temperature down. That's good for some things, but not for most (unless you like having to replenish the charcoal four or five times). Next time I use it, I plan to try and keep the water pan low. Just enough water to spread across the bottom. I might even leave it empty and use it as a drip pan only. I'm not sure how the manufacturer could fix this problem, but some mention of techniques would be useful.


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Bradley Set of 4 Xtra Racks

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Xtra Racks for your Bradley Smoker. Put them in up-side-down and get an xtra set of racks into your smoker for 8 shelves. Great way to do fish fellets or chicken breasts.
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Technical Details

- Set of 4 XTRA Racks
- BRADLEY SMOKER
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