This was originally posted January 5, 2014. It has been reposted due to a catastrophic back up failure by my web host.
One of the hardest things about smoking food is getting the smoke just right. Too much harsh smoke and your food tastes like an ashtray. Too little smoke and you wonder why you just didn’t do it in the oven.
A-MAZE-N Products has produced a line of products that will provide great thin smoke for an extended period of time. They range from sawdust smokers to tube smokers. Each is for a different use or kind of smoker.
Their site gave me enough information to determine which device was right for my Bradley Smoker. I ordered an A-MAZE-N Pellet Smoker. It is a device that burns hardwood pellets.
You put the pellets in a mesh tray that is divided into an S maze shape. You light one end it smolders with a nice thin smoke around the S maze.
I have been using it for over six months now.
The Advantages
• The unit is quite inexpensive.
• This device gives you about 11 hours of thin blue smoke that gives a nice flavour. If you want a stronger smoke, you can light both ends but you will only get about 5 hours of smoke. To have a reliable source of smoke for an extended period is a lot easier than having to feed other kind of smoke generators.
• The smoke from the A-MAZE-N Pellet Smoker gives a nice smooth smoke flavour. It has never over smoked or given a harsh flavour.
• It is simple. There aren’t any moving parts to wear out and it is constructed of a heavy gauge of steel. I can’t see it wearing out any time soon.
• Pellets are reasonably inexpensive.
The Disadvantages
• Lighting the A-MAZE-N Pellet Smoker can be a little finicky. If you do not follow the instructions for lighting exactly and do not find a place with reasonable airflow in your smoker, it tends to go out. However, there is a lot of information on the company site and I
have had little difficulty if I follow their instructions.
• If the pellets get damp, the unit can be hard to keep going. I’m not talking about water getting on them. Even a bit of condensation from the cold seems to have an effect. This can easily be overcome by putting the filled unit in the smoker while it is pre heating and then lighting it Even better, make sure you store the pellets in an airtight container.
• Buying pellets from A-MAZE-N Products is punishingly expensive in Canada. The pellets sold by A-MAZE-N Products are superior to what I can get locally. They are reasonably priced. However, as they are bulky, the cost of shipping them to Canada is prohibitive. It
isn’t bad in the US. It is so expensive that I had to find local alternatives. You can not use heating pellets. They are not food grade, will not give a good taste and my have additives that are harmful. I found that Louisiana Smoker Pellets are maple based with other kinds of wood blended. A fifty pound bag is a reasonable price and lasts a long time. They burn fine and give a good taste. However, they are designed for a pellet smoker and don’t give as good a result as the proprietary pellets. Hopefully, a Canadian Dealer will step up and start carrying A-MAZE-N Products pellets.
The Verdict
This is a fine product that needs some care to get going but gives a great result. Once it gets started, it gives a long steady burn that I love and makes my smoking easier and better.
The Old Fat Guy
