I have been silently watching and biting my lip on this thread for quite awhile now while the Smokin-it cheerleaders tell everybody it's all butterflys and rainbows. It's like Yogi Berra said " It's like deja vu all over again". I brought up this "issue" up several months ago
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/138078/temp-problem and it is frustrating to see that the same problems are still there and the same bogus answers, " the meat mass bull@#$%" "I'm sure Steve will take care of everything". As I brought up, it is a analog contoller, why if the "meat mass" is skewing the temps, why is the element not on? Since then I have swicthed to an Auber PID controller and guess what, It is one of the best smokers I have. I have literally smoked a ton of meat with this thing over this spring and summer. With the PID controll it is a very good smoker, air tight it makes amazing ribs, with an extra rack I have done 15 racks of baby backs at a time on several occasions. My problem with the whole deal is, I exchanged email with Steve for over two weeks on this problem and he continually treated me like I was a newby to smoking and did not understand my smoker even after I told him he was wrong and my reason for it (see link above). When I continued to back him into a corner that there was a problem, rather than admit it and fix it, the easy answer was a refund. Like I told him, by the time I pay the shipping both ways I will have half of the cost of this thing let's just fix it.( I will add now that if anyone wants a copy of our email exchanges pm me and I will send them to you). So Steve finally did send me a new controller and after 3 or 4 months asked me if it fixed the problem, I don't know, the new controller sits on the shelf and the Auber runs the smoker and I have predictable smoke times and not any of the issues that I raised to Steve in the first place. Just like a real smoker! So, my problem is not with the smoker itself, I love the smoker now, it is with the customer service, yeah I got the smoker fast, great smoker, but when I come with a problem, get blown off as an idiot. Now more people have the same problem. Steve needs to listen to his customers and really look at his controller, PID these days is cheap, I also get cook and hold with mine, would be nice if for a premium priced smoker if it was included. And like I said one the best smokers I have now, but what do I know?. Just my two cents. Just fix it.
Doug