difference black or stainless steel

The inside is the same on both which is stainless...Seems like the stainless outer shell is another $50.

I have the powder coated black outer shell and no problems.

I have one of each; if you take care of the outer shell of each, there should be no problems with either choice. Of course the stainless should never rust and it sure does look pretty polished; but then the powder coat black just needs to be wiped down occasionally.
Then there is the heat factor, some say silver and other say black will retain heat better.....

I have a powdered black coating on MY CCSV smoker and a stainless finish on my Weber grill. To tell you the truth I prefer the black. In the summer the stainless gets so hot in the sun I can barely touch it.

Either choice will result in good Q which is what's important! Good luck in your decision.

I'm looking for the same advice. What are the pros/cons of stainless vs black?

I am going to buy either the stainless or black MES this weekend. I will store it outside under a patio cover with a waterproof cover on top of it.

The main thing that I am concerned about is rust. Has anybody heard of or had problems with the black MES rusting when stored outside. I would guess that the SS version is more immune to rust.

My second concern is cleaning. I like low-maintenance things. Are there any pros/cons as far as cleaning is concerned.

Thanks in advance!
Mike

Hi texag93
You seem to answered your own question about the rust concern....my black MES which is going on 4 years old has no rust on it but is stored and operated inside my shed...my larger sized MES is stainless and no problems with it either but I think it is easy to keep looking nice.

As far as cleaning goes....just use a pressure washer on the grates, water pan and other removable parts....thats all you need to do

If you are financially able get the larger model which is available from Sam's (in season) (some locations) or from Bass Pro Shops....you will appreciate the extra room....or you can get two of the smaller black ones for the same price as the larger stainless model....just depends on what you want....you can crowd the smaller one with meat pretty quickly.

good luck