I have had my Classic III for nearly 5 years now and it was my first venture into charcoal grilling. The thought was intimidating, but after years watching grilling videos I decided it would be the best type of cooker both for versatility and ease of learning. It does take a little practice to get temperatures dialed in and to maintain them, but once you learn the basics it is a breeze! By far produced some of my best BBQ and grilled recipes yet. They also put out so many videos of recipes and tutorials that anyone can learn it! Very happy with my investment!