Camerons Products Stainless Steel Stovetop Smoker
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Camerons Products Stainless Steel Stovetop Smoker
Customer Review: I like it
Summary: 4 Stars
Just used my smoker for the first time tonight. Cut up a whole chicken and smoked the pieces with hickory chips supplied with it. I've seen Emeril Lagasse using this thing on a few episodes of his show over the last few years, so I got one as soon as I saw it on Amazon.
As other reviewers have said, the small cooking space in the smoker causes the meat to steam while it's smoking. Consequently, after the 45 minute smoking time, the chicken didn't look too appetizing. Fortunately, it wasn't fully cooked, so, as the recipe booklet that came with the smoker indicates, I just put the chicken on the broiler for about 15 minutes with a slathering of bbq sauce. The flavor and moistness of the chicken was out of this world, and the broiler gave the skin nice color and crispness.
I have a water smoker and have smoked chickens in that before. They come out with a beautiful mahogany color to the skin and taste fantastic, but the flavor is very similar to this smoker. And, from the minute I took the whole chicken out of the fridge, cut it, smoked it, and broiled it, it took about an hour and 45 minutes versus 15 hours or more in the water smoker.
Also, as other reviewers have indicated, if you line the pan with foil and the entire drip pan, top and bottom, with foil, and spray the rack with oil before you start smoking, cleanup is easy. What I don't like is that the pan bulged from the heat of the gas burner, even on medium heat, and the lid is now permanently warped after just one use. Makes it difficult to remove the lid when the smoker is hot. I also agree with other reviewers that it really helps to have an exhaust fan that vents outside. Overall, though, for beautifully smoked chicken in such a short time, regardless of the weather or darkness outside, and for such a low cost (just $10 more than the Brinkmann water smoker I bought 15 years ago), it's a great tool to have. Ribs, brisket, and pork loin are next.
Customer Review: Quick and easy smoker
Summary: 5 Stars
The Stovetop Smoker is a smaller version of a denatured alcohol-fired smoker that I have used for about 20 years. It is convenient to use because it can be used in the kitchen or on a charcoal or gas grill. I've also used it on a propane burner normally used for crawfish boils and fried turkeys. While it will turn out delicious fish and meat dishes without them, the addition of a marinade or rub will add a lot to appearance and flavor.
For some of the best smoked salmon you will ever taste, try this: In a large locking bag, marinate a section of Coho or Atlantic salmon fillet in a solution of :
3 cans of Coke, 1 cup of light brown sugar, ¼ cup of Kosher Salt
Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Squeeze the air out of the bag before sealing to make sure the marinade covers the fish. If the marinade doesn't completely cover the fish add more coke, sugar and salt. Place in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours. Cover the tray in the bottom of the smoker with foil for easy cleanup. Place a couple of tablespoons of alder or cherry wood chips under the tray and place the tray, the grill and the fish on top of the chips. Close the top tightly and place over medium heat for 15 minutes and check for doneness. Use a mitt when opening the top. Check every 5 minutes until done. It usually takes 25-30 minutes, depending on temperature and thickness of the fillet. Remove grill and fillet and place on a cutting board. Slide a large spatula between the meat and skin and place the meat on a plate. Sprinkle liberally with dill weed and add cracked pepper to taste. You will find the dish moist and delicious. Serve as entrée or with cream cheese and capers on Breton crackers.
The only negative I've found is its size won't accommodate a full fillet.
For pork tenders, sear in oilled skillet or on BBQ grill and coat with John Henry's Pecan Rub or your favorite rub before smoking.
Customer Review: This thing would make possum taste great!
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm not kidding - this smoker has been a revolution in our kitchen. The most important thing is to understand that it is like a Dutch oven- so while your food is smoking it's also roasting. Salmon comes out roasted, but with the most wonderful smoke flavor - pork ribs are more juicy than if you grill them, and you have to work to dry anything out (we over cooked venison chops - thin meat doesn't need much time!). Most foods cook in 25 minutes - although a full size chicken will smoke/roast for an hour and a half.
We have a weekly dinner party and I've been running out of ideas - this smoker has added an extensive list of options to the menu! I just ordered my second one as I'll need two for the quantity of foods I'm smoking. I use the smoker to make appetizers (smoked salmon pate, smoked wings, smoked sauces and veggies...) and I've used it to smoke all sorts of meats - salmon, venison, chicken breasts, whole chickens, turkey breasts, pork ribs, baby back ribs... We spend our trips to the grocer looking for inspiration for our smoker!
The most surprising thing for me has been smoking vegetables. They come out moist, full of flavor and you would swear the rich smoke flavor should be adding calories! It's hard to believe something that tastes so rich could be healthy! Smoked asparagus, cauliflower, tomatoes, artichokes... fantastic!
I use a layer of foil over the top to add an extra seal - for items to large for the space provided you just leave the lid off and make a foil tent (whole chickens and turkeys) it's very easy. We haven't had a smoky kitchen yet -
I've been sending these to my family for gifts - if it's back ordered, trust me, it's worth the wait!
Have fun smoking!
Customer Review: When You Can't Smoke Outdoors and A Little Better Than Liquid Smoke
Summary: 3 Stars
I had to modify the manufacturer's recommendation to get good results.
1. This smoker puts a light amount of smoke flavor to your food. There is about 20 minutes of "smoking" with this product. Even though there was a very small amount of smoke odor coming out of the smoker, I still turned on the stove fan to minimize the smell of smoke in the kitchen. If you like a heavy smoke flavor, stick to an outdoor smoker. I am used to having that red outer ring on my smoked meat and this unit cannot do that.
2. After the smoking for 20 minutes which is as long as this unit can smoke, I put the pan under the broiler to brown my food. Keeping the food in the sealed smoker steams the food. You can smoke for more than 20 minutes if you disassemble the entire unit (cover, rack, drip pan, and food) and put more wood sawdust under the drip pan every 20 minutes.
3. Clean up was reasonable considering you have "burning wood" inside the container.
4. The container is shallow. A large chicken leg/thigh piece is about as thick as you can put into this unit. Manufacturer recommends using an aluminum foil tent to seal up a large chicken or turkey. That is too hard to seal properly and there is only a small amount of smoke generated by this smoker.
Recommended if you like a light smoke flavor, have fish or food no thicker than chicken drumsticks, have a broiler handy to brown food, and don't have or want to fire up an outdoor smoker. You cannot do a long (all day), low temp (210 F) smoke/roast with this alone but need an oven to finish a long slow roast. Using this is closer to oven roasting with Liquid Smoke than it is to hours long smoking in an outdoor unit.
Customer Review: Beware - product made in China! Sorry to be a spoil-sport but . . .
Summary: 3 Stars
I'm sure this item is all that buyer's have reported in the many positive reviews. However, please be aware that the Cameron Manufacturing (USA based company) description does not mention that this item is actually manufactured in China, using metals from that country. I only noticed this when I saw the small sticker on the bottom of the pan when unwrapping it. As is well known, and now reported on a daily basis in our consumer news, there seems to be little to no regulation on USA imports from China, especially where metals/alloys are concerned; ie: millions of China made lead toys and milk products recently recalled, etc.. During the recent Olympics, I watched an alarming documentary showing where China is knowingly using melted lead in place of stainless steel and other approved metals, for many USA bound products. The health risks were horrifyingly made evident in that documentary. Therefore, I really did not feel comfortable in using this product with my family and so I returned it for the USA made Nordicware stovetop smoker. Sorry to be a spoil-sport but thought I should note this finding for those who may be concerned regarding this issue, so they will know BEFORE purchasing. In fairness to the company, and based on all the positive reviews I have read, I did give a 3 star rating. However, I have not personally used this item and the 3 stars are only representative of my disappointment for the lack of full disclosure regarding 'made in China'. I would have preferred to leave a neutral 'zero star' rating but that is not an option for reviews.