Do you not want a window or just don't want to pay extra for one? I (and a lot of people on here) really like the window so we can see how things are progressing without opening the door. And it is really easy to keep clean contrary to what a lot of people say.
I'm shying away from the window because from what I've read, 1) its a pain to clean & 2) it's unnecessary heat loss, 3) costs more. Pro would be 1) can see how much smoke is inside. I would really like to get a no window Gen 2.5 but as of now, it doesnt appear there are any being produced in 2015 (from what the CSRs are saying).
I have the Bass Pro Model - No Cover included, Yes Stainless Steel interior and door, top and sides no. One thing you might add is wheels. Bass Pro unit has wheels on the base.
Guys help me fill in the blanks:
Wow this is great intel. Thanks for taking the time to pull it together. Has anyone else confirmed this? I mean a diffs of 85F on the bottom rack seems excessive.
Bearcarver - your comment got me to thinking about the chamber temperature and how much it could vary, so today I decided to put it to the test. I used an iGrill2 with the ambient temperature probe. I did the ice water, boiling water test and hit 32 degrees and 209/210 degrees (210.532 is boiling point in my location). The water pan was empty and covered with foil and vent was open all the way. I set my temperature on the smoker to 235 degrees and put the iGrill2 ambient probe on the second shelf back middle for the tip was about a 1/4 inch from the smoker chamber thermometer tip. They both hit 235 degrees within a second of each other. Now on to the test, I took 27 measurements on the bottom, middle and top racks (9 on each rack). For each reading I would put the probe in a location and make sure the smoker temp dropped below 220 degrees. As soon as the smoker hit 235 degrees I would document the iGrill2 temp and move on. I'm not sure what to think of all these numbers but here they are.
I color coded them as follows; Green = within 5 degrees of 235, Blue = more than 5 degrees lower that 235, Yellow = 241 to 255, Orange = 256 - 275 and Red = greater than 275.
No MES smoker can confirm another one. They are all different from each other & they vary throughout the smoking session.
I've worked in a few call centers and it's commonplace to get a CSR (or more) who knows what they're talking about and one (or more) who don't. I used to get frustrated when I'd take a call from a customer who just talked to a colleague who was a moron. Some lazy CSRs will wing it with what they think is true if they don't have any firsthand knowledge.
