Goodness! That like 60% off! :shock:
Great deal DEER MEAT. 8)
You need to fire up the smoker and let it run for a while to cure the paint on the inside. You may smell an "off" odor for an hour or two which is normal. Wait until after the odor is completely gone before doing anything else.
Seasoning is to protect exposed bare metal from corroding and will extend the life of your smoker. As pleasant side benefit of seasoning is that it helps flavor the foods cooking in the smoker and it smells fantastic.
Seasoning a GOSM smoker is optional since the inside of the unit is painted or chrome plated. However, I would recommend that you season it anyway for reasons mentioned above, after the necessary break-in period.
I don't think you need to crank it all the way up to 400° while seasoning because at those temperatures your smoke wood would most likely bust into flames instead of smoking.
When seasoning, keep the coats of oil as thin as possible and put on 2 or 3 coats to give it a good base. Allow 30 minutes to an hour between coats (like you would with paint
) so that the thin layers have a chance to bind to the surface and absorb some smoke.
Have lots of fun and good food with your new smoker! :D