Camp Chef Smoke Vault Review

We love Camp Chef’s pellet grills, particularly the Woodwind, but if you’re looking for a propane smoker, the 24 Smoke Vault is a great option.

In my Camp Chef Smoke Vault review, I’ll go through my experiences cooking chicken, ribs, and brisket, giving an overview of what I enjoyed and what might have been better.

Lets get stuck into it.

Camp Chef provided me with this grill for free in return for an unbiased assessment. My views and opinions are all my own.

Camp Chef Smoke Vault Overview & First Impressions

The Smoke Vault is a low-cost, entry-level propane smoker with a lot of options. The great amount of room within the cabinet enables for cooking many pieces at once, as well as the possibility of preparing big amounts of jerky, smoked fish, and other gourmet delights in addition to large or difficult cuts of beef and pig.

There are three adjustable racks within the smoker. The first two are standard grills, while the third is a mesh meant, according to the instructions, for preparing jerky, cold-smoking fish, and other similar preparations.

I used the barbecues for chicken and ribs, and the mesh one was ideal for my packer brisket. But because I may be odd, I’ll let you to exercise your best judgment.

While this is the 24-inch model, Camp Chef also produces an 18-inch model for individuals who will not use all of the space in the bigger model or who want less storage space.

I didn’t try the 18-inch version, but with a nearly similar design, I can’t think there’s much of a difference between the two other than pricing and the amount of food you can cook at once.

Camp Chef has been in business for quite some time, and its goods are well-known for their variety. This is also true for the Smoke Vault. With how simple it is to disassemble the legs, I could easily fit this lump of metal in the trunk for a camping trip or even driving it to a friend’s home to take BBQing on the road.

What I like:

• Good value: It’s remarkable how much smoking space you get for the price. When combined with above-average build quality, you get a fantastic smoker.

• Simple to use: The method is simple yet effective. The gas burner is dependable, with a set-it-and-forget-it vibe. Simply ensure that there is enough flavored wood on the rack and water in the pan. This door should be opened as seldom as possible.

• Versatile: This smoker will travel nicely and deliver your BBQ desires anywhere you can accommodate it.

What I don’t like:

• As indicated below, I detected smoke leaking out through the uninsulated door. This might simply be fixed with a gasket.

• Low-smoke taste: I like a strong smoke flavor. I only received a fraction of the smoke flavor from my cooks that I get with my beloved Brinkmann Smoke N Grill. My friends and family disagreed, saying the smoke was apparent and nice, but I certainly wanted more and did all I could to get it.

• Flavoring wood and water trays: Adding a second door to reload the flavoring wood and water trays would be a significant improvement. It’s not difficult to slide them out with a gloved hand to add more, but it’d be good to be able to do so without depleting the cabinet’s heat once it’s just perfect.

If you’re searching for a reasonably priced choice for learning to smoke, the Smoke Vault is hard to beat.

I wish it had a second door to reach the chip tray, like the Masterbuilt ThermoTemp has, but that is a small complaint.

Unboxing and setup

The Smoke Vault was delivered in a single enormous (and hefty!) box. Trays, legs, the fuel drum, and other components were packed in tiny boxes that fit snugly within the cabinet. A second, smaller package came as well, with the durable cover.

For setup, you’ll need to bring your own screwdriver. Every other piece of hardware and component should be present.

The Smoke Vault took us around 90 minutes to put together. To be honest, there were a few snags that delayed the process at times.

Attaching the legs, for example, necessitates turning the cabinet upside down. The screws dropped many times into the grooves that run down the edges of the cabinet’s top.

Put a cloth inside the cabinet while working on the legs to completely prevent this time suck. If it becomes stuck in the channel, just shake the cabinet back and forth and the screw will come free.

A couple essential components also deviated so radically from the directions that it delayed us considerably as we sought to figure out whether we were reading properly and had the relevant pieces.

The regulator hose was the most alarming of them. This component links the propane tank to the burner, and the instructions said that the hose must be attached during setup. The hose, on the other hand, came preassembled, and we spent a lot of time trying to figure out whether we had the appropriate pieces or if we were missing anything.

Aside than that, I believe two individuals could do this setup in approximately 30 minutes. For all you lone wolves out there, it is absolutely doable for one person.

Build quality

The build quality was, overall, impressive.

The handle, the door, the meat racks, and the jerky racks all have a solid feel about them. I am certain that the materials will endure a long time and will only need to be changed after years of usage.

The door, on the other hand, is in severe need of a gasket to prevent heat and smoke leaks.

The dampers are also unlucky. If the lower two could be entirely blocked up, that would be a great and instant improvement.

Cooking on the Smoke Vault

I had a lot of luck with the Smoke Vault’s major three meats (pork ribs, entire chicken, and beef brisket). It’s worth noting that the advertising materials emphasize the product’s ability to function as an outdoor oven, but the majority of customers buy it as a smoker, so I stayed with that.

To be honest, I’d make a flaky beef or turkey pot pie in this in a heartbeat (it could be my last heartbeat, but still).

Ease of use

The operation is simple, as it is with any propane stove. The bottom dial activates the propane burner, and clicking it ignites the flame. Within seconds, the cabinet reaches 250 degrees.

To gain a better feel of ambient temperature, it’s absolutely worth utilizing or investing in an auxiliary thermometer. The built-in thermometer and my thermometer both read 210 degrees and above, but they seemed to differ below that.

When my thermometer read 205 degrees, for example, the built-in thermometer read 190 degrees. If such a variance makes a difference in your cooking, have your own thermometer on hand.

As previously stated, the flavoring wood and water trays can only be accessible by opening the cabinet’s main door. Use this cautiously since the heat completely sucked out each time.

The trays themselves look fantastic in the cabinet. Camp Chef has achieved a good balance between having the trays come out effortlessly and without sliding all over the place.

According to the instructions, fill the flavoring wood tray with enough woodchips to last the duration of your smoke. That worked well for me with the ribs and chicken, but I’m not sure how you’d fit enough chips in the area designated for a packer brisket. So, be conservative with your bigger cuts and keep an eye on the tray anytime you open the door.

Smoking performance

The smoke was pretty successful.

The chickens were most likely the most successful. The birds reached temperature quickly, and although the skin was not as crispy as I want, the flesh was soft and there was a wonderful smoke fragrance.

The ribs weren’t awful either. The baby backs were a tad rough, but the spare ribs were just what we wanted. For me, the smoke was virtually non-existent, however my in-laws reported their servings were almost perfect.

I’m not sure this device can handle brisket. I had a much more difficult time maintaining a consistent temperature than with the chicken and ribs, and mine flat came out just short of leathery.

The tip, on the other hand, created wonderful charred ends. For you experimenters out there, it could be interesting trying the Smoke Vault with only a flat or two flats, and then doing poor-man’s charred ends with chuck roast.

Regarding the temperature problem, I believe it was caused by the door and dampers. Just my gut feeling.

Storage

Smoke Vault has really good shops. Its compact width and height allow it to be stored along a fence, and its durable construction allows it to be stacked on top of other household objects.

The inside is so large that you may easily store a few gardening tools or other objects you don’t mind keeping on the rack where you’ll prepare meals in the near future.

Cleaning

The drip tray at the bottom is a bit shallow and quickly leaks grease when prodded.

The materials’ finishes make the trays and cabinet walls extremely simple to clean.

But don’t forget to love the way that metal door sparkles right out of the box. That flawless shine doesn’t stay long. Grease and the weather soon discolor it, albeit this is just aesthetic.

Alternatives to consider

According to my study, the Smoke Vault is about equivalent to the majority of other vertical propane smokers. This design is reminiscent of the Masterbuilt and Char-Broil models.

If I were doing comparison shopping, I would look at how well these other doors seal. These vertical smokers have a lot of space inside, but it’s all exposed every time you open the door to check on the meat or fuel levels.

Another unit would be much more appealing if the door seals were much tighter. In the absence of such, it’s difficult to envision a rival with better finishing or hardware than the Smoke Vault.

Should you buy

Yes, this is a purchase. If you’re looking for a smoker with a lot of adaptability, plenty of internal real estate for cooking a variety of cuts, cooking a number of cuts at once, and short smoking durations, it’s difficult to imagine a better-built product at such a low price as the Smoke Vault.

True, the door could be sealed better, and the dampers would be much more effective if they just closed. However, none of these disadvantages exceed the compelling improvement that Smoke Vault will make in balancing your demand for smoky, succulent BBQ in a reasonable period of time.