Obviously this works well for smoking, according to the videos I watched. It seems like the meat would be directly over the coals, though. Is that not an issue?
For smoking on it, you use only a handful of charcoal to get the temp to 220-240 and once you adjust the bottom sliding vent for constant temp, the meat does not get scorched underneath. Rather the ceramic lining acts like an oven to surround the meat with dispersed heat and smoke from your wood chips or chunks (wrapped in foil). If you want to grill, then add your usual amount of coals, open all the vents (top and bottom) and it'll reach 700 degrees.
When I smoke meat on my round Weber using indirect heat method, I use only 1/4 of the charcoal, set it on the side and the temps stay low for an hour or two.
On another note, my local Costco has this floating around, similar but for less money. I played with it, but walked away. Once I reached the $500 level, might as well save the scratch for good stuff.
http://www.costco.co...alRight|ClickCP