Smoke Hollow 38205GW Propane Gas Smoker with Window Review
Large propane gas smokers can be a rarity if you’re not familiar with them. Consider your options well before deciding on a particular unit. In this review, we take a look at this model from Smoke Hollow 38205GW Propane Gas Smoker with Window to see if this model is the right piece of cooking equipment to add to your home.
Ease of use
Quality
Portability
Editors Overall Rating
Detailed Review of Smoke Hollow 382205GW Propane Smoker Equipped with Window
The model 382205G Propane Smoker with Window by Smoke Hollow promises ease of use, style, and affordability in one package. The size is enough for smoking food fit for large groups of about 6 to 8 people, or perhaps even more. Albeit the 382205GW is considered to have a more reasonable price among other similar smokers, it doesn’t mean it couldn’t keep up with higher-end models.
It delivers excellent value for money as it offers a feature-packed presence, the likes of which that might even rival more expensive units. This ideal smoking companion can accommodate a broad array of foods. You can use a hanger rack found inside the unit to create deviously smoked sausages, or you can use the cooking grids to smoke delectable pieces of meat.
Features include multiple adjustment levels, a push-button ignition, and a cast brass burner. There’s also a temperature gauge in which you can monitor the temperature of your smoked foods as it cooks.
With these pieces put together in one package, you get a food smoker that’s both versatile and durable. When both of these traits are combined, you get a device that’s one that you could call “bang for your buck.”
Let’s avert your eyes away from the inside of the 382205GW Smoker and let’s look at its door. Once users close the door, it safely stays that way because of its Sure-Lock latch system. There’s also a cool touch spring wire that keeps the door from swaying open. The machine uses LP gas for its operations, and do note that it’s not included when you purchase the device.
Best Features of Smoke Hollow 382205GW Propane Gas Smoker with Window
Adjustable Cooking Grids
The 382205GW Smoker with Window boasts adjustable cooking grids to deliver perfectly smoked pieces of meat. Aside from cooking smoked meat, users can also take advantage of this trait to evenly smoke fish, poultry, vegetables, and many others. The large dimensions also allow multiple ingredients to be smoked during one session, albeit you need to monitor each of them properly.
It is suggested to use an oven thermometer instead of the built-in thermometer as the former is deemed more reliable than the latter by customers who have already purchased and used this device.
Chrome Plated Grids
Aside from the versatility of using the cooking grids, Smoke Hollow brings durability to the 382205GW model as they brought chrome plating into the mix. Due to its choice of material for its grids, expect an optimum level of durability for this part of the smoker. It also means cleaning them is less of a hassle than you might initially anticipate.
2-Door Design with Window
Smokers that don’t have a see-through element makes it tough to see the progress of your dishes. Luckily, Smoke Hollow thought of this during the development stages of the 382205GW Propane Gas Smoker. With the window, you can check the progress of your smoked dishes without opening the door. As for the door itself, it’s two-door system works well in keeping heat within the confines of the unit to deliver even smoking for your food.
Another advantage with the addition of an easy-to-clean see-through window made out of tempered glass. Smoke, dirt, ashes, and muck will undoubtedly stick to the surface of the doors and window. However, Smoke Hollow has made it so that users can quickly wipe off the dirty substances off of the doors and window. As such, it promotes a simple and easy way to care and maintain for the unit.
Spacious Design
The 382205GW model propane gas smoker can cook smoked food that’s fit for large groups of people that have a head count of approximately 6 to 8 individuals as you make use of its 3.4 cubic feet capacity. With the utilization of the adjustable chrome plated grids, you can move these parts accordingly to fit large-sized pieces of food, such as a good-sized turkey. Potential buyers should take note of its dimensions of 22.6 x 17.5 x 45 inches for its length, width, and height. Looking at these numbers, this is a relatively large unit and should only be for outdoor use only.
Easy Startup
While similar models require a tedious amount of effort and time to make you start smoking your food, the 382205GW has an easy-to-use push-button igniter. All you have to do is push the button, and the machine will start smoking your fish, poultry, meat, vegetables, or other types of food you’ve placed inside its large and spacious cabin.
What You Get in The Package
There are no assembly instructions introduced in the package because the 382205GW comes fully assembled right from the get-go. One of the challenges you might experience upon receiving this smoker is how you’re going to place it in your desired outdoor location. Nonetheless, here are some of the items you might expect accompanying this smoker.
- One (1) Smoke Hollow 38205GW 38-Inch Propane Gas Smoker with Window
- Four (4) adjustable chrome plated cooking grids
- One (1) wood pan with lid
- One (1) porcelain-coated water bowl
Our Verdict
Considering all the features and specifications, the Smoke Hollow 382205GW Smoker with Window has to offer; we can see that it is a beautiful unit that delivers excellent value for money for the price you have to pay to own it. It comes into the market with the necessary features that you might expect from a quality smoker.
Food is evenly smoked when taking advantage of the large cabin, but it does have a bit of problem containing all the smoke coming out of the unit. As such, it is advised never to use this unit indoors.
We like its adjustable chrome plated cooking grids as you can move them around to allow even smoking on specific types of food and ingredients. For example, you can move these elements around without so much as a hitch when you want to cook turkey or sausages.
The main highlight of this product is most probably the 2-door system with an easy to view (and clean) window. For comparison’s sake, there are similar products on the market that can provide a decent level of smoking even without the use of a tempered glass window. However, the see-through window allows users to carefully monitor the progress of their smoked food without having to open the doors. For the experienced chef that use the smoking technique of cooking, opening the doors can become difficult as all the smoke that’s trapped inside can escape all in one go. Unless you’re prepared to view your food with a mask on your face, monitoring your ingredients through a window is a more convenient approach.
Albeit this particular smoker does have a built-in professional-grade heat indicator to allow users to carefully observe the temperature of whatever it is they’re cooking, it’s finicky at most. You’re better off using the traditional oven thermometer to precisely measure the temperature of your smoked food instead of using the built-in element.
This model could also do with some automatic functionalities, such as a quick shut-off feature. Because it doesn’t have such a feature, extra precautions are advised to extend the longevity of this unit, and so as not to cause fiery accidents. As such, make sure to turn off the attached propane tank (which is not in the package, by the way) in the tank AND the smoker valve. Doing these necessary steps assures you that no gas leakage will take place. You should also have the bottom door of the smoker closed when you’re about to push the igniter. If you don’t, then the flames might come flashing forward out of the unit, which can give you a scare, but it’s also to prevent incidents from taking place.
While it does have some shortcomings, the Smoke Hollow 382205GW Smoker is still a decent machine that offers the right set of features at the right price point. It’s not terribly expensive as compared to higher-end models you might see on the market, but its feature set, build quality, and price point all make it a worthwhile propane gas smoker to own and use.