I just got this, I've never had a grill smoke so much! I tried cleaning it, but before I was done with the 'burgers it was smoking badly again. Any advice? I'm almost wondering if I just don't have it set up correctly, the fat drips down and it flames up really badly. It looks like it does in the pictures though. I don't know if I should send it back as defective, if it's supposed to be this way or if I have it set up incorrectly. I just got this, I've never had a grill smoke so much! I tried cleaning it, but before I was done with the 'burgers it was smoking badly again. Any advice? I'm almost wondering if I... » Read More I just got this, I've never had a grill smoke so much! I tried cleaning it, but before I was done with the 'burgers it was smoking badly again. Any advice? I'm almost wondering if I just don't have it set up correctly, the fat drips down and it flames up really badly. It looks like it does in the pictures though. I don't know if I should send it back as defective, if it's supposed to be this way or if I have it set up incorrectly. « Show Less
1985706
Hi Dana, I grilled twice and it was a lot of smoke too. Even I tuned to minimum gas, it still burned the meat. I am trying also figure out if there is better way to do it. On the same boat. Stephen
1985707
During break in it will smoke quite a bit. Almost a "steam like" smoke. After several uses it should be fine. I've also learned to cook with a lower temp setting since it cooks considerably faster than a standard grill.
1985708
When you first received the grill it should have been "burned in". By this I mean that the grill should have been lit and turned to the highest setting and allowed to burn off the manufacturing residue. A lot of the first time smoking is caused by the burn off manufacturing residue (this is not toxic in any way). As for the the flare ups when you are grilling, the burner should not necessarily be turned to high but rather adjusted for whatever you are grilling. An occasional flare-up is normal. The infra-red design of this grill will cook your food faster with lower heat than an ordinary gas grill. Make sure to empty the grease cup after each use. Hope this helps. When you first received the grill it should have been "burned in". By this I mean that the grill should have been lit and turned to the highest setting and allowed to burn off the manufacturing residue. A lot of the first time smoking is caused by the burn off manufacturing residue (this is not toxic in any way). As for the the flare ups when you are grilling, the burner should not necessarily be turned to high but rather adjusted for whatever you are grilling. An occasional flare-up is normal. The infra-red design of this grill will cook your food faster with lower heat than an... » Read More When you first received the grill it should have been "burned in". By this I mean that the grill should have been lit and turned to the highest setting and allowed to burn off the manufacturing residue. A lot of the first time smoking is caused by the burn off manufacturing residue (this is not toxic in any way). As for the the flare ups when you are grilling, the burner should not necessarily be turned to high but rather adjusted for whatever you are grilling. An occasional flare-up is normal. The infra-red design of this grill will cook your food faster with lower heat than an ordinary gas grill. Make sure to empty the grease cup after each use. Hope this helps. « Show Less
1985709
Dana,Sorry I did not get back to you sooner. We were on vacation. My husband says you may have the grill in upside down. When it is in the wrong direction, juice can gather and cause excessive smoking. Ours does not smoke to excess. Good luck!
1985710
I found in you turn the propane to the grill on full blast it gets way to hot and whatever your grilling is going to get done in a hurry....... So I determined that I needed to turn down the control for the propane to the grill and create less heat...Only thing that could be really set up wrong would be the cooking surface you grill your food on....
1985711
Yes they do tend to smoke a lot but it's really to be expected. Especially during the break in of the grilling surface. Your instructions say to put a thin coat of oil on the grill then burn it off on high. I use peanut oil on mine and it does help. As for the smoking part I haven't owned a portable grill yet that doesn't.
2122412
I have had similar problems with mine. I have to play with the flame size adjustment on the bottom of the insert. I've also had issue with the insert not wanting to recharge it's butane. Over all I am unhappy with this lighter insert.
2159372
Did you soak the wood chips in water? I've used this on our 3-burner gas grill and it took a little trial and error to get the right temp and smoke. I soaked the chips (for at least an hour), packed the box, and placed it between the left 2 burners on med-low setting (low wasn't hot enough to create smoke). I smoked salmon on the right side of the grill over the unheated burner. I propped the grill lid open about 1-2 inches with a block of wood to keep the temp between 190-220 degrees.
1744974
The heat comes from your bbq. Just keep it on low. I love my smoke meister Check YouTube. You will find videos there
2254368
m. kelly, i've had and used my grill for almost 2 years and have NEVER experienced this problem. one thing i ALWAYS do after each use is CLEAN all surface areas including the burners. i wipe them down and ignite the flame to make sure all burners are functioning properly. check the bottle gas and make sure it is tight on the threaded valve. i swear by mine, good luck. mc
2050179
Hmm. Never have had a problem with low moisture or dry meat. I've never had the water pan run dry. The juices from the meat drain into the water pan, assuming it is correctly installed, so usually it overflows and runs into the grease trap drawer in the bottom of the smoker. A couple of questions & suggestions: 1. What temp are you using? Smoking at too high a temperature for too long is the most likely problem. I smoke pork butts on 235 F for about 16 hrs with great results. I usually have to empty the grease trap several times as the water pan overflows into the trap. Also, it could be that your thermometer or heat controller is defective. You can run a remote meat thermometer into the unit simply lay it on the grill where the meat would be to verify that the unit is maintaining the proper temperature. NOTE: Don't be worried if it is 5 or 10 degrees off from the display on the unit (50-100 degrees difference probably indicates a problem). 2. Are you closing the small circular exhaust on the upper left side of the unit? I keep this vent fully closed (as closed as it will go) during the entire cooking time. 3. Keep the wood chip feeder inserted at all times (except when actually adding chips). If the chip feeder is left out, it lets too much air into the unit and causes a variety of problems. 4. Make sure your door seals are in clean, in good condition, and sealing properly. You may have to adjust the door latch if it's too loose or too tight. 5. Don't open the door during cooking, unless it is really necessary 6. Smoke your brisket fat side up so the fat will drip down through the meat as it cooks off 7. Make sure you do not overfill your water pan. Even at max fill, the water pan should be mostly empty (there's a max fill line on the pan).
2058880
I would disagree on all the pro smoke comments... What you see pouring out from the sides is mostly steam which might have trace amounts of oil/grease in it. But it's not burnt so it's not smoke. A hood can trap some of the oil residue, but there is so little, it not really worth it unless you need the hood for a light source to see your food. If you do get real smoke from this thing, you must be grilling plastic. I use olive oil on it and I don't have any issues. And we all know that has a low smoke point. You will encounter one problem with heavy/daily use. The steam pouring from the sides will bubble and peal the red coating on the edges of the lid. However it's shouldn't effect operation or safety. I would disagree on all the pro smoke comments... What you see pouring out from the sides is mostly steam which might have trace amounts of oil/grease in it. But it's not burnt so it's not smoke. A hood can trap some of the oil residue, but there is so little, it not really worth it unless you need the hood for a light source to see your food. If you do get real smoke from this thing, you must be grilling plastic. I use olive oil on it and I don't have any issues. And we all know that has a low smoke point. You will encounter one problem with heavy/daily use. The steam pouring from the... » Read More I would disagree on all the pro smoke comments... What you see pouring out from the sides is mostly steam which might have trace amounts of oil/grease in it. But it's not burnt so it's not smoke. A hood can trap some of the oil residue, but there is so little, it not really worth it unless you need the hood for a light source to see your food. If you do get real smoke from this thing, you must be grilling plastic. I use olive oil on it and I don't have any issues. And we all know that has a low smoke point. You will encounter one problem with heavy/daily use. The steam pouring from the sides will bubble and peal the red coating on the edges of the lid. However it's shouldn't effect operation or safety. « Show Less
1151253
I have no problem getting my grill to smoke. When the fat drips down it vaporizes on the flames, but being shaped like an egg allows the excess grease to flow down and out and not pool up and catch fire and burn your meat to a crisp. When I start out a grill full of chicken or a couple of big steaks it smokes like most bbqs.
1519408
Not sure why they have that on there. I've used it at 500 with no problems other than some smoking from the seasoning. My guess is because of the smoking that can occur past that temp. But I've seen no damage or issues to mine from going over.
585455
I have not encountered this issue with my grill, however this sounds like a faulty tank or a bad regulator. In my past I have seen tanks do this. I suggest trying a different tank and see if that works.
1831200
Hi Walt, I don't know! do you have the filter in place? You are sure it's smoke and not dust? does it smell like rubber burning? Please check the rubber belt and make sure it's not twisted or jammed. Does the smoke have an order, is it like electrical burning or rubber?
773411
As suggested, I watch for the smoke coming through the vents and immediately close them to continue with the smoking. Make sure that the lid is tight and there will be not smoke problem. The first smoker I received did not have a tight lid - as seen before using - I returned it (no shipping cost to me). After reporting the problem, a new smoker was sent out immediately before I'd shipped the first one back. While the house is not full of smoke, there is a lingering aroma for a day or two. I don't find it unpleasant. It is suggested that the room be vented during the smoking, but I've not found it necessary. Know that it was a good choice for us. As suggested, I watch for the smoke coming through the vents and immediately close them to continue with the smoking. Make sure that the lid is tight and there will be not smoke problem. The first smoker I received did not have a tight lid - as seen before using - I returned it (no shipping cost to me). After reporting the problem, a new smoker was sent out immediately before I'd shipped the first one back. While the house is not full of smoke, there is a lingering aroma for a day or two. I don't find it unpleasant. It is suggested that the room be vented during the smoking, but... » Read More As suggested, I watch for the smoke coming through the vents and immediately close them to continue with the smoking. Make sure that the lid is tight and there will be not smoke problem. The first smoker I received did not have a tight lid - as seen before using - I returned it (no shipping cost to me). After reporting the problem, a new smoker was sent out immediately before I'd shipped the first one back. While the house is not full of smoke, there is a lingering aroma for a day or two. I don't find it unpleasant. It is suggested that the room be vented during the smoking, but I've not found it necessary. Know that it was a good choice for us. « Show Less
2031632
We used the grill for 3 weeks last summer and had no problems at all. We cleaned it with a BBQ brush. Mostly it never needed cleaning, the fire burned off any food.We had no paint chip.One thing we did was turn the grill over so the rim was facing up to hold hot dogs from rolling off. The picture on the box shows it one way & we turned it our way.And we also put a rock in the fire ring under one corner for support. We used it a lot for cooking in our cast iron pans & a coffee pot.In January we took it out to cook over a fire at our branding, and it was all good. I would buy it again & again. We used the grill for 3 weeks last summer and had no problems at all. We cleaned it with a BBQ brush. Mostly it never needed cleaning, the fire burned off any food.We had no paint chip.One thing we did was turn the grill over so the rim was facing up to hold hot dogs from rolling off. The picture on the box shows it one way & we turned it our way.And we also put a rock in the fire ring under one corner for support. We used it a lot for cooking in our cast iron pans & a coffee pot.In January we took it out to cook over a fire at our branding, and it was all... » Read More We used the grill for 3 weeks last summer and had no problems at all. We cleaned it with a BBQ brush. Mostly it never needed cleaning, the fire burned off any food.We had no paint chip.One thing we did was turn the grill over so the rim was facing up to hold hot dogs from rolling off. The picture on the box shows it one way & we turned it our way.And we also put a rock in the fire ring under one corner for support. We used it a lot for cooking in our cast iron pans & a coffee pot.In January we took it out to cook over a fire at our branding, and it was all good. I would buy it again & again. « Show Less
198599
I know that problem. I've never had an issue with smoke. The trick with a grill pan is to pre-heat until hot then add your food item, and then it doesn't take long to cook. I've done hot dogs, pork chops, steaks of course. Hope this helps. Love my grill pan.
1513288
Sounds like a problem with the smoker. I smoked a big brisket as my first smoke. I had to cut it in half. Worked PERFECTLY!
156310
Yes, this seems to be a problem. I'm working with the manufacturer to see what can be done. But at present it really doesn't get hot enough to qualify as a grill.
536472
I have the table top grill, love it, and it does get hot, so stay with your food until you "get to know" your new grill! (Not so hot that it's a problem sitting on our poly something table!) So sorry that I wasn't able to help answer your specific question!