Cuisinart 18" Vertical Charcoal Smoker (COS-118)
SKIP — a bullet that loses its heat and its hardware — A bullet smoker with two chrome-plated grates (510 sq in), a porcelain water bowl and a 3-year warranty — 4.2★ across 1,747 Amazon owners, pooled with the 16 in. Serious Eats found misaligned parts, fast-burning charcoal and "undesirable temperature swings".
Sold in 2 sizes on this listing: 16 in, 18 in — this page is the 18 in. Check the size before you add to cart.
Sold and shipped by Amazon · Free 30-day refund/replacement · read 2026-10-12
Specs
| Type | Bullet (vertical water smoker) |
| Diameter | 18 in outside |
| Cooking area | 510 sq in on two grates (Cuisinart) |
| Water pan | Yes (porcelain-enameled) |
| Fuel access | Hinged side door |
| Weight | 32 lb (Amazon listing) |
| Warranty | 3 years, parts and workmanship; enamel damage must be claimed within 30 days (Cuisinart) |
| Owner rating | 4.2★ / 1,747 |
| Model | COS-118 |
Pros
- Two grates and 510 sq in on Cuisinart's spec, with a porcelain water bowl and a hinged fuel door
- A 3-year warranty from Cuisinart
- Sold and shipped by Amazon, with Amazon's 30-day return
Cons
- Serious Eats: "Assembling this smoker was frustrating due to misaligned parts. Charcoal burned very quickly, and the constant opening and closing of the fuel door caused undesirable temperature swings."
- The fuel door can be useless: an owner reports the "Bottom grill and water pan block the door opening", and another calls the charcoal ring small
- Missing hardware is a repeated complaint: boxes with no screws, washers or instructions, and owners buying bolts to finish assembly
- The lid gauge is not to be trusted: "the temp gauge is completely useless", even from a 5-star owner
- One owner measured the grates at about 16½ in across, so a full rack of ribs needs trimming
Assembly, fuel access and temperature. Boxes "received with no screws and washers", "No instructions in box", "Bottom grill and water pan block the door opening so addition wood or fuel can not be added", a charcoal chamber that "only last a few hours", "Will not maintain any temp", a gauge needle that "drags on the face", and paint that will "PEEL IN THE FIRST USE".
12 percent of 1,747 owner ratings are one or two stars as of 2026-10-12; the 10 most recent of 199 critical written reviews read · critical reviews read 2026-10-12
“First off, like others have said, the temp gauge is completely useless.”— AmazonCustomer01, Amazon · Verified owner
Pro review “Assembling this smoker was frustrating due to misaligned parts. Charcoal burned very quickly, and the constant opening and closing of the fuel door caused undesirable temperature swings.”Hands-on test of 16 smokers; listed under "The Competition" (did not make the cut); page "Updated on March 23, 2026"; quote matched verbatim 2026-10-13 (Exa web_fetch)— Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm and Rochelle Bilow, Serious Eats
FAQ
Who is the Cuisinart 18" Vertical Charcoal Smoker (COS-118) for?
You already own a good probe thermometer, you enjoy tuning a cheap smoker, and you will check the hardware bag before you start. Otherwise, the Weber Smokey Mountain.
What do owners say about the Cuisinart 18" Vertical Charcoal Smoker (COS-118)?
4.2★ across 1,747 owner ratings (Amazon, read 2026-10-12 · listing-wide base · global base). What owners complain about: Assembly, fuel access and temperature. Boxes "received with no screws and washers", "No instructions in box", "Bottom grill and water pan block the door opening so addition wood or fuel can not be added", a charcoal chamber that "only last a few hours", "Will not maintain any temp", a gauge needle that "drags on the face", and paint that will "PEEL IN THE FIRST USE".
Who sells the Cuisinart 18" Vertical Charcoal Smoker (COS-118) on Amazon, and can it be returned?
Sold and shipped by Amazon, when we read the listing on 2026-10-12. Amazon's returns line read: Free 30-day refund/replacement. Sellers and return terms can change, so check both on the listing before you buy.
What is the warranty on the Cuisinart 18" Vertical Charcoal Smoker (COS-118)?
3 years, parts and workmanship; enamel damage must be claimed within 30 days (Cuisinart)
Record
- — Added as the SKIP of the bullet vs drum charcoal smoker showdown: $209.99 sold by Amazon, read 2026-10-12 with the 10 most recent of 199 critical reviews.
Warranty — and what changes if you buy it on Amazon
3 years, parts and workmanship; enamel damage must be claimed within 30 days (Cuisinart) · you are buying this on Amazon
Read it yourself: Cuisinart warranty document · we read it . Terms change without announcement, so treat this as a dated snapshot. How warranty works by buy path →
✓ Safety: no active recall — CPSC recall API checked 2026-10-13 (control Ninja returned its recalls at the start and end): RecallTitle=Cuisinart → 6 records (brushes, a gas grill, kitchen appliances); none covers a charcoal smoker.
Size your pool first → ·All pool gear →
Data last verified: 2026-10-12. Ratings are real, dated reads — never scraped or invented. Full methodology and monetization disclosure: how we test.