I've got a
Chargriller Smokin' Pro with an offset side fire box. I burn charcoal and typically fruit wood for smoke. Here's my take on charcoal smoking generally. But first, know that I've only smoked with charcoal and have never used an electric or gas smoker, so take it with a grain of salt.
It is more difficult to use many of the commercially available charcoal smokers, particularly in a low end offset like I've got. I'm sure if you have a big smoker made of heavier metal, you won't be quite as susceptible to temperature fluctuations. But those are cost prohibitive to most people. So I really can't leave my smoker alone for more than about 2 hours at a time, and that's pushing it. If I do, I risk temps plummeting due to lack of fuel, or temps spiking. Neither one is particularly good for Q purposes.
But the difficulty is part of what I like about it. The satisfaction of knowing that I can produce respectable Q from my smoker is worth a lot in my book. But there has very definitely been a learning curve that my family has had to deal with to get me to where I am now.
I also love the look of the smoke ring, which you won't get from electric smoking (and I think gas smoking, but I could be wrong about that).
If you're looking for set it and forget it consistency, gas and electric smokers should have obvious appeal. There are other charcoal smokers that don't require as much attention as mine does. I've never used one, but the scuttlebutt is that once you learn how it runs, you can get really good consistency without a lot of effort.
If you're looking for set it and forget it, gas and/or electric is probably the way to go. After every overnight smoke I pull, I find myself wondering why I don't swallow my pride and just get something that will allow me to smoke and sleep at the same time.
When all the (wood) chips are down, it is, like others have said in this thread, completely a matter of personal preference.
But the best piece of advice I could give is once you've bought him the smoker, give him your user name and password on this site. You will not find another forum on the web with more information and more helpful people than you will here. I've been on here about a year now, and I'd bet it would have taken me 5+ years to learn on my own what I've learned since I found this website.
