I'm new to this site but been smoking for about 5 years. My wife bought me a MES on a whim for Christmas a few years ago. It's probably the most basic model they make: analog thermometer and doesn't even have the wood chip loader...but it works great and I've gotten decent at it for the most part. Wasn't sure how much I'd enjoy it but I got hooked on smoking and never looked back. Nothing better than camping out in the garage with some ribs in the smoker and my beer fridge both within arms reach. Looking forward to getting some new tips from others. Also, thinking about upgrading soon so researching what smoker I want.