TLDR version of this review is: As long as your unit is not broken on arrival (see other reviews), the assembly and initial firing process took a bit of time. The set the temp and forget it aspect of a pellet smoker is a godsend. You won't regret buying one of these if you want to improve or upgrade from a traditional smoker.I have smoked quite a few things on this grill since purchasing it. Every brisket, pork shoulder, rack of ribs and even vegetables have turned out amazing. I have been using a competition blend of pellets that uses Hickory, Maple and Applewood. The best advice I can give is to cover the drip pan in heavy duty foil to make cleaning the smoker easier.