Lots of features and attachments available for the Camp Chef. I like the pellet drain for the hopper, and the ash cleanout. They also have both the Sidekick and Searbox available although I prefer the Sidekick. The Sidekick gives you a versatile 30,000BTU side burner that can accept a BBQ Grill Box, Flat Top Griddle and a Pizza Oven as well as can be used as an open burner for boiling, deep frying, steaming, etc. CC also makes insulated blankets to fit their units to, so the winter isn't generally an issue for me here in NY.
Some guys complain about the lack of "smoke flavor" from pellet grills but I really haven't been able to pin that down. To me, smokiness should be a part of the overall flavor profile of your food, not the dominant flavor. You can get a tremendous amount of smoke into your food at the higher smoke levels but you will get wider temperature swings as a result because the controller needs to let the pellets smolder longer rather than burn for heat. The average temps will round out to around your set temp at the end of the cook but if graphed the temps they would be up and down all over the place. A smoke tube is a great an inexpensive addition to a pellet setup if your really want a lot of smoke. Pellet brand has lot to do with the smoke profile as well. Or you could even smolder chips in the tube for more smoke. Some guys I think would do better if they burned a stick of hickory and licked it before they ate their food to hear them complain. lol
Thank you so much for taking the time to write all of this. This really helps a great deal when looking at all of these options.
I cannot agree more with the over smoked meats LOL. I like smoked food, but I want to taste the food, not the lumber.