New Original

[skeeterpro1]

Just bought a Bradley Original yesterday for ease of use but haven't taken it out of the box yet. After reading some of the posts and comments concerning cooking times and smoke penetration I'm wondering if I should have bought a unit capable for delivering more heat or a stick burner which will allow more adjustment for smoke. I've never used a Bradley smoker or ever seen one in use so I have no idea what to expect. Any advice would be highly appreciated. 

[tskeeter]

Can't comment on the Original, as I have a digital, but whether or not you bought the right smoker depends on what you are looking for in a smoker.  The primary feature that led me to a Bradley (I then gave away my Masterbuilt) was the puck feeder.  I wanted as close to a set it and forget it as I could get.

There is no doubt that when it comes to Bradley cooking times, patience is a virtue.  The Bradley was designed for low and slow, and the size of the heating element reflects that philosophy.  If you just gotta go more power, there are some fairly simple modifications you can do.  Just search for posts on dual element mod and 900 watt mod.  Or, after smoking, you can move your food to the house oven to finish the cooking (this is a handy technique if you are smoking large quantities of food that require several batches).

I think forum members will agree with me that the smoke generated by a Bradley is more than adequate for the purpose.  However, some folks with experience using charcoal and the like have noted that the absence of charcoal does have some impact on how the food tastes.  Lots of folks think the Bradley provides a cleaner smoke flavor than other types of smokers.

I guess the only way to know if you're going to be happy with your Bradley is to give it a try and see if it meets your expectations.