I grew up in South Georgia and grilling and bbq was how food was prepared on the weekend. So I naturally wanted to do my own grilling and decided to get a smoker about two years ago. Due to living in an apartment I had to purchase an electric smoker. Which really turned out to be good because I could focus on rubs and understanding how different wood would alter the taste of food. I have moved on from the electric smoker and get the Brinkmann Trail Master LE.