Hi All,
We appreciate your comments and are the first to admit that at times we have some quality control problems. We work diligently to resolve those issues and to produce the best smokers possible.
Seasoning issues with smokers is something that has been a problem for years. Without anything in the smoker they tend to get to the set point temperature before the wood starts to smolder. If this happens you get very little seasoning. Another problem with seasoning has to do with the wood. For the past year we have had problems finding seasoned wood. If the wood is green, it tends to not want to smolder also adding to the issue. All these problems go away when you place food into the smoker.
We are currently looking at updating our welding machines to go from mig welding to cold wire feed tig machines, this will help the appearance of our welds.
I apologize to anyone who has had issues with their smokers, I hope that you have called Tony or Bill in customer service and have had these issues resolved. Please feel free to call me if I can be of assistance.
Thanks for your comments, Stuart. You still have my vote!
Yea.
Well now,the partner/CEO has chimed in to confirm they are concerned and making appropriate moves to address some talking point issues in shipping,quality control of the piece of physical equipment,a tech mnfg guy to monitor fit/finish,temps within 2*,24/7,paint or stainless
etc, that have become conversation of new owners/potential owners.
With the company's approach to customer service,that is a good thing.
In marketing,the physical product ,IS the only thing.[of course lower price]
CS doesn't plan a missing bolt,or a loose wire,UPS having a bad day..No they don't intend to just fix a problem,later.
Many of us agonize over the" perfect" choice of a cooker,that is not inexpensive.
Even the size,and shape.Maybe color.
I mean,how much could it really cost,to whip us "okies" into perfection of a piece of physical equipment?
Besides being " a perfectly pretty cooker" for that credit card bill,we WILL be the"pitmasters" we saw on TV and amaze our neighbors.
There must be a manual-like our new HDTV-that makes the cooker perform perfectly,the sound great,our image wonderful and "smellavision".
Afterall,the choice of the perfect cooker,if it has no glitches/scratches,will make us the "neighborhood pitmaster",right?
Cookshack may have overemphasized the "perfectness" of the simple equipment,and the ease of being a "perfect pitmaster" ,as soon as the charge card cleared.
Now those folks that have been around a larger assortment of smokers,might feel that these are conversations that users/cooks wouldn't think about anyway,and go ahead and figure out how to cook.
Those folks that go ahead and learn to cook,can't even remember what these early discussions were even about-or why they would have had them.
Yes,there are a couple guys we know that build cookers that have all the parts close to correct and polished.
You can pick your custom paint,and be creative-since you have about nine months for delivery.
You start about $12,000 and go up quickly.
Can you cook as well as with your Cookshack,maybe.
There are probably three courses,around $750 each,a few thousand miles travel,and a couple thousand bucks experience,and you'll be able to approximate the product.
Each year,I ask those folks to check back in with us,as they have used the equipment for a year,or two,and revisit these posts in their overall experience..
Somehow,they don't volunteer,as they wonder what the newer group is even considering.
I look forward to this new group,that has found and focused on all the "hardware glitches",to jump in here and become COOKS,so we all have something we can share and learn from.
etc, that have become conversation of new owners/potential owners.
With the company's approach to customer service,that is a good thing.
In marketing,the physical product ,IS the only thing.[of course lower price]
CS doesn't plan a missing bolt,or a loose wire,UPS having a bad day..No they don't intend to just fix a problem,later.
Many of us agonize over the" perfect" choice of a cooker,that is not inexpensive.
Even the size,and shape.Maybe color.
I mean,how much could it really cost,to whip us "okies" into perfection of a piece of physical equipment?
Besides being " a perfectly pretty cooker" for that credit card bill,we WILL be the"pitmasters" we saw on TV and amaze our neighbors.
There must be a manual-like our new HDTV-that makes the cooker perform perfectly,the sound great,our image wonderful and "smellavision".
Afterall,the choice of the perfect cooker,if it has no glitches/scratches,will make us the "neighborhood pitmaster",right?
Cookshack may have overemphasized the "perfectness" of the simple equipment,and the ease of being a "perfect pitmaster" ,as soon as the charge card cleared.
Now those folks that have been around a larger assortment of smokers,might feel that these are conversations that users/cooks wouldn't think about anyway,and go ahead and figure out how to cook.
Those folks that go ahead and learn to cook,can't even remember what these early discussions were even about-or why they would have had them.
Yes,there are a couple guys we know that build cookers that have all the parts close to correct and polished.
You can pick your custom paint,and be creative-since you have about nine months for delivery.
You start about $12,000 and go up quickly.
Can you cook as well as with your Cookshack,maybe.
There are probably three courses,around $750 each,a few thousand miles travel,and a couple thousand bucks experience,and you'll be able to approximate the product.
Each year,I ask those folks to check back in with us,as they have used the equipment for a year,or two,and revisit these posts in their overall experience..
Somehow,they don't volunteer,as they wonder what the newer group is even considering.
I look forward to this new group,that has found and focused on all the "hardware glitches",to jump in here and become COOKS,so we all have something we can share and learn from.
Tom, don't go too worked up over these minor issues. Folks just getting their smokers will understandably focus on things that are wrong. Whether or not it does great food is not the first thing on a new owner's mind. Think back many moons ago to when you were a newb and I'll bet you fretted over stuff that turned out to not matter in the end or was resolved. It is very nice to see Stuart chime in and I think everyone here is a big fan of Cookshack, else, we wouldn't keep recommending them. I know I am glad I got mine and maybe one day I can rise to the level of COOK!!! 
In the meantime, I keep reading and learning and I am sure, making my share of mistakes. I personally appreciate the fact that if there is a problem, not only does C.S fix it, but they do read the forum and continually try to update and fine tune the process. There will never be a perfect product produced, there will always be some that get out with a problem. But, as the old saying goes, if you are not constantly improving, then you are going to get passed. Thanks Stuart for chiming in.
In the meantime, I keep reading and learning and I am sure, making my share of mistakes. I personally appreciate the fact that if there is a problem, not only does C.S fix it, but they do read the forum and continually try to update and fine tune the process. There will never be a perfect product produced, there will always be some that get out with a problem. But, as the old saying goes, if you are not constantly improving, then you are going to get passed. Thanks Stuart for chiming in.
i think this is a great thread. it serves many purposes.
1. it educates cs that consumers are concerned about the fit and finish of their product and looks like it has encouraged cs to take steps to correct this issue.
2. it makes new owners(yes i am about to buy a new amerique)to think twice before panicking when something appears to not be right. remember, $1800 for a rib dinner is a lot of cash for most of us and the normal reaction is to assume the worst. now i will move forward with my new purchase and if some little or big thing does not appear to be right, i will not panic out of hand.
3. if all we read were glowing reports of perfection then no wonder folks go off the deep end when reality smacks them in the face!
btw, hope those welds and circuits are all fixed when i order my AQ!
1. it educates cs that consumers are concerned about the fit and finish of their product and looks like it has encouraged cs to take steps to correct this issue.
2. it makes new owners(yes i am about to buy a new amerique)to think twice before panicking when something appears to not be right. remember, $1800 for a rib dinner is a lot of cash for most of us and the normal reaction is to assume the worst. now i will move forward with my new purchase and if some little or big thing does not appear to be right, i will not panic out of hand.
3. if all we read were glowing reports of perfection then no wonder folks go off the deep end when reality smacks them in the face!
btw, hope those welds and circuits are all fixed when i order my AQ!
I got my Amerique a little bit more than a month ago KenS. I read this thread before I ordered mine also. I added a one question to the list of questions I'd prepared for CS because of it. And I had a long list of questions, which Karen from CS patiently answered for me when I called to order. I didn't even order right then when I first talked to her. I called back the next day and ordered.
I'm very happy with my Amerique. I had no circuit problems. The welds on mine are not TIG-welded. They are done with a MIG, and they look fine to me. I'm an occasional welder, and they are better than what I could manage. I think they are well done. The welds are all where you won't see them anyway.
I have no other concerns about the fit and finish of my Amerique. The only odd thing that happened was during initial seasoning, after about an hour, there was a big "WHOOSH" noise like air pressure equalizing, smoke blew out all around the door, and then it went back to normal. I'm not sure what that was all about, but it has not done it since.
I'm super happy with mine. I wish I had bought one back in 2006 when I got my other smoker. The Amerique is the best smoker I've ever used.
I'm very happy with my Amerique. I had no circuit problems. The welds on mine are not TIG-welded. They are done with a MIG, and they look fine to me. I'm an occasional welder, and they are better than what I could manage. I think they are well done. The welds are all where you won't see them anyway.
I have no other concerns about the fit and finish of my Amerique. The only odd thing that happened was during initial seasoning, after about an hour, there was a big "WHOOSH" noise like air pressure equalizing, smoke blew out all around the door, and then it went back to normal. I'm not sure what that was all about, but it has not done it since.
I'm super happy with mine. I wish I had bought one back in 2006 when I got my other smoker. The Amerique is the best smoker I've ever used.
quote:Originally posted by Stuart:
Hi All,
We appreciate your comments and are the first to admit that at times we have some quality control problems. We work diligently to resolve those issues and to produce the best smokers possible.
My SM025 arrived with grinding grit and welding slag on the interior. Do all Cookshack products ship out that way?
My SMO25 tripped my GFI when I tried to season it. I had to bend the element and the smoker box bar to get it to stop tripping and to smoke properly.
The box of wood supplied was hickory mislabeled as apple. The box was two-thirds full and weighted only three pounds instead of five and the wood was moldy.
The manual contradicts itelf in several places.
Thank goodness for this forum, that's all I can say! Seems all my problems happened late at night when Cookshack was closed. I found answers to all my questions on the forum.
I emailed Cookshack and got a full box of very good looking hickory (gratis, thank you). I seasoned the smoker and have cooked with it four times in two weeks.
It'll take some getting used to, but with everyone on this forum sharing their experience and offering advice and encouragement, and with SmokinOkie as coach, I know I'll be cooking outstanding Q in no time.
SmokinMAINEiac
Heck, all you amerique guys should have just bought FEC100s lol
Mine came in perfect, and its still my favorite one to cook on (out of my 3 different brands)
Pellets for the win!
Mine came in perfect, and its still my favorite one to cook on (out of my 3 different brands)
Pellets for the win!
quote:Originally posted by Stuart:
...We are currently looking at updating our welding machines to go from mig welding to cold wire feed tig machines, this will help the appearance of our welds.
Stuart, did you get the new welders yet? I would like to order wood but you have not said if the new wood is green, Please advise.
bigdogs,
Contact CS or Stuart via email or phone. He doesn't monitor the forum (he's pretty busy with the company).
You should ask them on the phone about the wood, they can update you directly and you can order or wait depending on the response.
That would be the quickest way to an answer.
Moderator
Contact CS or Stuart via email or phone. He doesn't monitor the forum (he's pretty busy with the company).
You should ask them on the phone about the wood, they can update you directly and you can order or wait depending on the response.
That would be the quickest way to an answer.
Moderator